Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-03-13

who entered on the controversy"
Mr.. CASTOR proceeds to say:
81 believe, sir, that some confusion
has been thrown on the subject of the
previous question, Ga confusion from
which even the luminous mind of the
compeller of our Manual, Mr.. Jefferson,
was not thoroughly free by %supposing it
designed to suppress unpleasant discus
sion. The fact is that formerly the dis
cussions in the English House of Com
mons were not designed at all for the
public ear, but solely for the members of
the House. There are various orders
collected by Hatscll f%orbidding the clerk
and his assistants from taking notes or
f%orbidding copies to go forth of any argu-
ments or speeches made in the House.
And we know that when DR.. Johnson
first published those specimens of British
Parliamentary eloquence which spread
its fame through the world he was COM
PEELED to throw over his design the veil
of fiction. They were announced as the
debates of The Senate of Lilliput,' and
lilt SItlhtlS = hNHlE I ~ wv i''
barbarous appellations."
Mr.. CASTOR probably had in his mine
the following passage from the Manual /:
"The proper occasion for the previous
question is when Il subject is brought
forward of Il delicate nature, as to high
personages, etc, or the discussion of
which may call forth observations which
might be of injurious consequences" But,
at any rate, this application of the pre-
vious question can give no countenance
to the use now made of it for the suppress
sion of debate upon great public ques-
tions.
Mr.. CASTOR continues
''The previous question in the English
House of Commons deprived no member
of the right to amend the main question.
1t has, indeed, been made Il doubt
whether an amendment could be received
if offered after the previous question had
been moved and seconded and proposed
from the chair. Among the arguments
by which this doubt was repealed, it has
bNtI bpNNl Nth ia w ltluSt lit dill'llNt-
ment because not before offered would
be to put it lin the power of only two
members by moving and %secOnding the
previous question Immediately after the
main question is proposed to deprive the
House of that power which they ought
| to have in all Instances of amending and
; altering any question proposed to them.
On the other hand, those who entertain.
: ed this doubt answered no %incouveu.
fence can arise from the doctrine: for, il
; before the previous question is proposed
from the chair, though it should have
been moved and seconded, any member
: should inform the House that he wished
y to make amend nents to the main ques
ton, he will then certainly be at liberty
= to do it, and the speaker, supported by
the House, will give that priority to th'
motion for the previous question whicl
. common sense requires.
"However this doubt may be decided
all concur in declaring that in the Eng
lish House of Commons the previ
Gus question cannot preclude tin
exercise of the undoubted right III
all instances of amending or altering an,
question proposed to Them nor can i
supersede that 'priority for amendments
which common sense requires No
sir; it was reserved for us in this age 0
, illumination, and in this freest of all fire
governments, to adopt IA rule which set
common sense at defiance, and prohibit
right. 1t was reserved for us to declar
that the previous question shall hav
priority of a motion to amend
# Mr.. CASTOR next draws attention t
n the fact that in the Continental Con
Is gress, the use of the previous question
% was not to cut off debate, and force
vote on the main question, but to sc
aside the main question. This he re
&c CARDS as an improvement of the prac
tice. He cites two instances from tn
v proceedings of the Continental Congress
as follows:
"a motion was made to resolve tina
J. TIE uleilDeTS Ol tHls louise KEEP SecTe
from all but the members of this House
d under like obligations of secrecy, sue
ir information as may be derived from a
d inspection of the papers of the committe
of secret correspondence or from hear
# ing the same read. After debate the pre-
vious question was moved by Mr. Due
wiz, that the main question be not nov
putt ten States voted in the affirmative
|. and so it was resolved in the affirmative
and the main question was set aside
Again on Friday, July %, l7SS, the foI
lowing proposition being under debate
e. viz. that the secretary of war direC
id the detachment of troops marching t
,e the westward to the rendezvous at Eas
IS ton, in Pennsylvania, and from theme
into the county of Luzerne, for quellin
the disturbances in that county, provide
tl,a ovnont;ra onr,ail Ac D,nnn