Monday, February 4.
Richard Potts, from the State of Maryland, appointed in place of Charles Carroll, resigned, produced his credentials, and took his seat.
Agreeably to the order of the day, the Senate proceeded to consider the motion made the 3d of January, 1793, "That the doors of the Senate Chamber remain open whilst the Senate shall be sitting in their Legislative and Judicative capacity."
On motion for the previous question, to wit: Shall the question be now put on the following preliminary resolutions?
"Resolved, That the Senate of the States are, individually, responsible for their conduct to their constituents, who are entitled to such information as will enable them to form a just estimate thereof:
"Resolved, That the journals are too voluminous and expensive to circulate generally; and, if it were otherwise, that the information they contain, as to the principles, motives, and designs, of individual members, is inadequate:
"Resolved, That this information, defective as it is, becomes more nugatory and delusive, in proportion as the occasion for it increases, since the Senate make their own journals:
"Resolved, That the conducting of the Legislative and Judicial powers of the Senate in public, and suffering an account of their measures and deliberations to be published in the newspapers, is the best means of diffusing general information concerning the principles, motives, and conduct, of individual members: and that, by withholding this information, responsibility becomes unavailing, the influence of their constituents over one branch of the Legislature in a great measure annihilated, and the best security which experience has devised against the abuse of power and a maladministration abandoned:"
It passed in the negative—yeas 7, nays 21, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Burr, Butler, Edwards, Gunn, Monroe, Potts, and Taylor.
Nays.—Messrs. Bassett, Bradley, Brown, Cabot, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Foster, Hawkins, Henry, Johnston, Izard, King, Langdon, Morris, Read, Robinson, Rutherford, Stanton, Sherman, Strong, and Wingate.
And on motion to agree to the main question, to wit:
"that the doors of the Senate Chamber remain open whilst the Senate shall be sitting in a Legislative and Judicative capacity, except on such occasions as, in their judgment, may require secrecy; and that this rule shall commence and be in force on the first day of the next session of Congress."
It passed in the negative—yeas 10, nays 18, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Brown, Burr, Butler, Edwards, Gunn, Hawkins, King, Monroe, Potts, and Taylor.
Nays.—Messrs. Bassett, Bradley, Cabot, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Foster, Henry, Johnston, Izard, Langdon, Morris, Read, Robinson, Rutherford, Sherman, Stanton, Strong, and Wingate.
On the question to agree to the last resolution moved for on this subject, it passed in the negative.