Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-04-28
Debate in the Senate of the United States on the Proposition to take a Eaaerc
PROPOSED RECESS.


 Mr. MASON. I submit to the Senate that a resolution which offered yesterday, providing for recess, if passed, ought to be passed at once. l have no personal interest in this matter; but | think it will be convenient to the Senate to do il; and 1 move that the resolution be taken up.
 The motion was agreed to.
 Mir. MASON. Let the resolution be read 1 propose to modify it.
 The secretary read it, as follows:
 ReSolyed, (thc House of Representatives concurring, That the President of the Sen ate and Speaker of the House of RepreSen- tatives do adjourn their respective Houses from the 10th to the 30th day of April, instant.
 Mir. MASON. l propose substitute for it, merely changing the terms, not af- fecting materially the adjournment.
 Resolyed by Me Senate, (thc House of Representatives concurIing,) That the two Houses take a recess from the 18th to the Both instant. and that the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives adjourn their respective Houses accordingly.
 1 offered the resolution thinking that it might be founl desirable to the Senate to have recess for the period prescrihed- from the 18th to the 30th of April which, Sundays included-though they are dies non-would make it twelve days. It is known that there will he an occasion inter- esting to certain portion of the country, and the consequence of which, from our former experience, will render it impracti- cable to legislate here. So many persons will be absent from both Houses, that 1 am sure, from the former experience of the country, that we shall find 1t impossible to legislate; and unless this resolution IS ad- opted, we shall have tc substitute for it an adjournment from three days to three days 1 introduce 1t to meet the occasion to which I have diverted In conference with Senators on the other side of the House, 1 have stated to them that should be will lmg-and 1 have no doubt we shall all be willing this side-when another like occa- sion occurs, to adjourn for a like period for accommodation.
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. I feel compelled to oppose this. resolution, and SlllceGtiN nope iDt tDCIdlt VIII llOt pass IL. The reasons which move me to opposition to it are such, as it. seems to me- are sui ficiently palpabIe at once to determine the course of every man on the subject This, in the first place, is a precedent now to be established for the first time. It is as modest thing in its first presentation as you often meet with. It proposes an ad- Journment for period, 1 believe. of about i've or six days. We have hitherto had these conventions every four years, and have been able during their sittings to go on with the public business here. and par ticularly with that class of business which did not elicit contest and serious debate- Hitherto, when there has been a conyen tion of one party calling some of their members away, there has always been that courtesy here which refused to take up mat ters of high public interest, the action or legislation upon which would seriously af- feet or seriously conflict with the wishes of the other side. That has been the case hitherto. That will be the case no doubt