New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-22
"INELUCTABILE TEMPUS.o

Legislative rules are bOttOmed upon the good
sense of the body which they are intended to
control; they are intended to promote the dis
patch of tho public business, and to prevent
! the scandal and the nuisance of anarchy. OF
course it follows that all attempts by honorable
members to eyade them are so many steps to-
ward confusion and a looseness of practice pretty
nearly equivalent rot merely to a suspension
but to a repeal of all rules whatsoever. We
shall not attempt to compute the time of
the Senate Gas well as Of the House, which
is, every session, wasted or worse than wasted
in the struggles of gentlemen to say something
which they have no right to say, or TO do
something which they have no right to do.
Stated simply at their money value, these
hours consumed in causeless and purposelesS
wrangling for tho floor would assume a nu-
mcrical importance; but the immoral trickery
which transfers to the chamber of the Senate
the quirks and shifts and eXpediehts OF niSi
priuS court of law, is vastly more to be re-
GREETED than any simple pecuniary loss. The
business of Senators Is not to promote the
particular measures in which they feel a special
and personal interest, but, by acquescence in
rules which have received their assent, or have
been established by tradition, TO advance the
general task of legislation. Keeping this truth
in view, let us see how sedulously it was re-
spected in the Senate last Thursday. We
make no special selection of a day, for we re-
gret to acknowledge that almost any other
day would quite as well have served our pur-
pose
1t o'clock in the afternoon. Mr.. Morton
is upon his legs making a speech upon the
readmsson of Georgia to the Union. The Vice
President says: The Senator will suspend
"his remarks. The hour of o'clock having
CARVED, the unfinished business of yesterday
"is before the Senate Upon hearing this, it
is the duty of Mr. Morton to stop talking and
to take his seat at once, instead OF which he
moves "t to postpone the unfinished business of
yesterday for the purpose of continuing the
consideration of the Georgia bill'-i. c., for
the purpose of allowing the honorable mover
to finish his speech. Mr.. Trumbull is entitled
TO the floor and asserts his claim the Vice
President declares that it is valid; Mr.. Morton
appeals to his motion for postpOnement; the
Vice President decides that the motion is out of
order; Mr.. Trumbull for one objects to the
putting of the motion Mr.. Cassery PUSHES i'll
with request to DO allowed to offer motion
on the Eight Hour bill; Mr.. Trumbull is not
to be caught in that way; Mr. Morton
rises and innOcently asks IF it is now
d i, order for him to put his notion" the
Vice President (who for wonder has not lost
lis tempe) declares that it is not; MIR. Pome-
row states the matter as he understands 1t;
Mr.. Trumbull promises not to take up much
time gentle little debate ensues upon the
question whether Mr.. Morton made his motion
for postponement before he concluded HIS re-
marks Mr.. Morton thinks that ne did; other Sen
ators think that he did not; the Senator from
Illinois declines to yield; tho Vice President
estates the rule that unfinished business is in
order at one o'clock; then, rising into judicial
precision, he calls out The Secretary VIII re-
aport tho pending bill" and Mr.. Trumbull at
lost. and by dint OF hard fighting, is allowed
possession of the floor to which he has all
along been entitled, and is thus enabled to
complete his speech upon the Appellate Jmis-
diction Of the Supreme Court. After
this. tho Senate goes into Committee
F'