Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-01-29
guattbman 3 state journal.
MoNTpELIER. JANuARY 20. ls5s.
ERnM WAsHINGrON.
THURSDAY, Jan. 81, 1853.

, having been spent on five minute speeches on
$ as relates to military railroad ii. G. the
Pacific Railroad--to a select committee. And
this affords an opportunity to explain the shifts
rcsorted to in order TO get five minutes Of free
speech The rule is that member offering
! an amendment may speak five minutes, and
the first member who next gets the floor may
have five minutes to reply On every amend
mont therefore. there can be t,go five minute
speeches. All one has to do, of course. lpro-
vidod always that he can get the favor Of a
recognition of the chairman,) is to devise
some sort ofan amendment, as peg on which
to hang his speech. Some times five or ten
minutes arc spcnt in this first stop, and them
if successful the way is open for two speech
es. OF course it follows that many amend
ments arc moved merely for the purpose Of
getting the floor and when that object is ac-
complishcd, the amendment is either with
drawn or unanimously rejected. Often the
amendments arc ridiculous-vcry often with
no serious purpose, no purpose, indeed, but
to get the floor Hence readers of congress
sional proceedings must not always hold mem
bcrs to a serious responsibility. As illustra-
tonsi The resolution before the Committee
provided for select committee of q certain
number, and there were several amendments
merely to change the HumLcr ono to fix the APP
/ portionmeut of the number to the various Sec
tons of the Union and four at least to sub
moves the committee on Military Affairs, ar
! guing that the project is for military rail-
road - another moves the Committee on
/ Roads and Canals, because a road is the OBJ
iect another the Committee on Public Lands.
because the public lands are TO be used to pay
! for the road and finally a waggish Georgian
] gravcly proposes to send the project to the
committee on Reyisal and Unfinished bust
ness. because forsooth, there are many plans
and many routes that need revising" and.
moreover, the road viii forever remain as
monstrous piece Of " unfinished business. ''--
/ On these and other amendments were suspcn-
ded twenty or more speeches in one sitting
So much for the constitutional privilege of
" freedom of speech
suspect there was wisdom as well as wit
in that Georgian. Although the resolution,
referring the project for a Pacific Railroad 90
a select committee, was adopted by very
large majority, have no expectation that any
bill for the purpose can pass no this session.
/ If it can ever pass. 1t is enough to say that
the North will not go for Southern route,
the South viii not go for Northern route,
and part of both sections will not consent
to a middle route. This is the first obstacle,
and great one. Shall we have tco or three
railroads TO the Pacific The country cannot
','u "'' no'' S''nu Tue enormous cost OF so
a" az 'n"' ms IS '"o''
81 7'''. '.'o'o' many oven II one ROAD
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