Beyond that they have not, in general,
much to do. There have been few important amendments to the
rules in my time, of which I was the author of two.
One of them provides that an amendment to any bill may be
laid on the table, on special motion, without carrying the
bill itself with it. The motion to lay on the table not being
debatable, this enables the Senate to dispose promptly of
a good many propositions, which otherwise would consume a
good deal of time in debate. There had been such a provision
as to appropriation bills before. When I first suggested
this change, Mr. Edmunds exclaimed in a loud whisper, "we
won't do that." But I believe he approved it finally.
The other was an amendment relating to order in debate, made
necessary by a very disagreeable occurrence, which ended in
the exchange of blows in the Senate, by two Senators from
the same State. I had long in mind to propose, when the occasion
came, the last clause of this amendment. If Senators are
to be considered to any degree as ambassadors of their States,
it would seem proper that they should not be compelled to
hear any reproachful language about the State they represent.
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