1571. CONGRESS, Previous question in.—
I observe the House is endeavoring to
remedy the eternal protraction of debate by
sitting up all night, or by the use of the previous
question. Both will subject them to the
most serious inconvenience. The latter May
be turned upon themselves by a 'trick of their
adversaries. I have thought that such a rule
as the following would be more effectual and
less inconvenient: “Resolved, that at
[VIII.] o'clock in the evening (whenever the
House shall be in session at that hour) it shall
be the duty of the Speaker to declare that
hour arrived, whereupon all debate shall cease.
If there be then before the House a main
question for the reading or passing of a bill,
resolution or order, such main question shall
immediately be put by the Speaker, and decided
by yeas and nays. If the question before
the House be secondary, as for amendment,
commitment, postponement, adjournment
of the debate or question, laying on the
table, reading papers, or a previous question,
such secondary (or any other which May
delay the main question) shall stand ipso
facto discharged, and the main question shall
then be before the House, and shall be immediately
put and decided by yeas and nays.
But a motion for adjournment of the House,
may once and once only, take place of the
main question, and if decided in the negative,
the main question shall then be put as before.
Should any question of order arise, it shall
be decided by the Speaker instanter, and
without debate or appeal; and questions of
privilege arising, shall be postponed till the
main question be decided. Messages from the
President or Senate may be received but not
acted on till after the decision of the main
question. But this rule shall be suspended
during the [three] last days of the session
of Congress.” No doubt this, on investigation,
will be found to need amendment; but
I think the principle of it better adapted to
meet the evil than any other which has occurred
to me—
To J. W. Eppes. Washington ed. v, 491.
Ford ed., ix, 268.
(M.
1810)
