i . '' I '•
468
WRITINGS OF SAM HousTON, 1854
minority should be heard with some degree of patience and indulgence, if necessary. Entertaining these views, Mr. President, in relation to the bill, I feel that to deprive any member opposed to it of a fair opportunity of presenting his opinions to the Senate and to the country, if you please, would be to deprive him of a right which pertains to every member of this body, unless it were ascertained that his opposition to it arose from factious feeling, and a dispo- sition to embarrass legislation. I have no such feeling, and I will entertain none. I deem this a subject of vast importance; and as I am to be one of the actors in it, I must be permitted, and I trust I shall be permitted, to submit such views as I have on the subject in vindication of the course which I may adopt relative to the sentiments and opinions of my constituency. It is the right of every Senator. 1 Cong1·essional Globe, Vol. XXVIII, 1st Sess., 33d Cong., Part I, p. 353. These remarks were made to prepare the Senate and to demand a time for speaking on the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. 2 He made the speech in the Senate on February 14-15, 1854. A MOTION TO ADMIT LADIES TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, FEBRUARY 8, 1854 1 Mr. President, I rise this morning for the purpose of moving that ladies be admitted to occupy the seats immediately in the rear of the bar of the Senate. I make this motion on account of the inclemency of the day, the fullness of the galleries, and the number of. ladies in attendance who have not been admitted. This is the first time that I have ever made such a motion in the Senate. I have generally opposed it; but the peculiar circum- stances of this occasion seems to appeal to the members of the Senate to allow the admission of ladies who have not been ad- mitted. There are several hundred of them at the door. [Several Senators. Oh, no !] At any rate there is a considerable number of them. Suppose there are only a hundred, or even fifty here, it would be exceed- ingly gratifying to those fifty to admit them. I do trust that on this occasion, the Senators will extend that liberality, that courtesy-to say nothing of gallantry-which I suggest. 1 Congressional Globe, XXIV, 376. Mr. Dodge, of Wisconsin, seconded the motion, but Mr. John B. Weller, of California, objected; whereupon Mr. John Pettit, of Indiana, "objected in most solemn form," following up his objections with arguments before the Speaker had an opportunity to say: "Objection --
i' I.
I I
I I
I ' I,
Powered by FlippingBook