Mr. Bright. I claim that the motion is before the Senate. The Senator from New Hampshire raised the question immediately, that——
The Presiding Officer. The Chair decides otherwise.
Mr. Bright. Then I appeal from the decision of the Chair, and I state this as my point of order: that, before the bill was presented in legal parlance, the Senator from New Hampshire raised the question as to whether the Senate would grant leave, and that is the point now before the Senate.
The Presiding Officer. The Chair will state the question which he supposes to be pending. The Senator from California made a point of order, that debate on the bill proposed to be introduced by the Senator from Massachusetts was not in order. The Chair so ruled. From that ruling the Senator from Massachusetts took an appeal. The Chair supposed that the Senator from Massachusetts had yielded the floor, and he gave the floor to the Senator from Louisiana, who moved to lay that appeal on the table. That is the question which is now pending. The Chair before suggested, that, if the Senator from Massachusetts had not yielded the floor, he had made a mistake in giving the floor to the Senator from Louisiana, but he did not suppose that the Senator from Massachusetts, after taking the appeal, without some indication of his intention to debate it, could continue to hold the floor, and he therefore recognized the Senator from Louisiana. The Chair is sorry, if he did the Senator from Massachusetts injustice in that respect; but he did not hear him, and recognized the Senator from Louisiana.
Mr. Bright. I would respectfully ask the Chair what has become of the motion submitted by the Senator from New Hampshire?
The Presiding Officer. The Chair did not understand him to submit a motion, but the Senator from California took his point of order.
Mr. Bright. I wish to inquire of the Senator from New Hampshire whether he has withdrawn his motion?
The Presiding Officer. It was not entertained. It is not in his power to say whether it was withdrawn or not, for it was not entertained.
Mr. Norris. I think I can inform my friend from Indiana how the matter stands. The Senator from Massachusetts proposed to introduce a bill on notice given. I raised the question, that it could not be introduced without leave of the Senate, if there was objection.
Mr. Sumner. Do I understand the Senator to say without notice given? I asked leave to introduce the bill in pursuance of notice.