WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1854
27
[Answering a joking remark that he had been often absent and wished now to improve his record of attendance, Houston said:] Mr. President, I feel the force of the Senator's remarks, and perhaps I owe the Senate some excuse for my absence, to which he has alluded. I know very well that I was absent a good while; and as it will not be disrespectful, I may as well assign an apology on this occasion. I had been here for months. There was not any matter of great impodance discussed, except one "great principle," that I did not understand. I knew, therefore, that it was a consumption of my time to remain here. There was another reason. I did not consider it disrespectful · to absent myself, but I did it in self-defence. I was afraid that I should get a surfeit if I 1·emained here, and I therefore thought it better to withdraw myself for a while. I knew that there was sufficient ability, patriotism, among the Senators here to manage the affairs of the nation very well, and' I considered myself rather in the nature of a supernumerary, and not as essential to the conduct of the business of the body. These were my only reasons. I intended no disrespect, I assure the gentlemen. I left them with regret; I returned to renew my association with them with great pleasure; and, in order that I may increase that pleasure, I wish to see them for a longer time each day in the Senate Chamber. [Laughter.] [Mr. Pierce and Mr. Clayton speak.] If the committees really have business before them, as I have no doubt they have, for it is so represented, I woulcl sug- gest that their members can retire after business commences here, as the number of those thus called off would not be very large, and we should probably have as near a quorum as we usually have. Senators on some of the committees could retire, or could postpone coming to the Senate for one hour, and allow the body to go on with the ordinary transaction o:f business. My resolution will add an hour to our deliberations here. Four o'clock, I believe, is the usual hour for adjournment, and mtY proposition is only to make an advance of one hour in the time of meeting in the morning. The sun now rises at four, or five o'clock in the morning, and thus gentlemen will have six or seven hours from the rising of the sun until the time which I p1iopose for the meeting of the Senate, which would afford ample time for all necessary preparation. 1 Cong1·essional Globe, Part II, 1st Sess., 33d Cong., pp. 1391-1392. Hous- ton's motion was defeated, 26 to 20.
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