§ MR. SPEAKERaddressed the House as follows:—The House has entrusted to me great and unprecedented powers; and I accept them with a grave sense of the responsibility imposed upon me. I shall endeavour to carry them out in such a manner as to maintain freedom of debate, which is one of the most cherished traditions of this House, and at the same time to restrain any abuses of that freedom.
I am deeply sensible of the confidence which the House has reposed in me, at a time of unexampled emergency; and, in discharge of the arduous duties now committed to me, I shall rely upon its generous support and indulgence.
In a few days, I propose to lay before the House certain rules for the regulation of its business, while the state of Public Business continues to be urgent. In the meantime, I have thought proper, at once, to frame a rule which is necessary to ensure the uninterrupted progress of the urgent measure now before us.
§ That rule is in the following terms:—
§ That no Motion for the Adjournment of the House shall be made, except by leave of the House, before the Orders of the Day or Notices of Motions have been entered upon.