Page:Journal of the Sixth Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan.djvu/22

12 XXXVI. The President of the Council is authorized and required to administer all oaths prescribed by these rules.

XXXVII. Every resolution read (by the Secretary) by direction of a member, shall be considered to be before the Council. And the question to adopt or reject, may be immediately put on such resolution, unless upon motion of a member, the same may be laid on the table.

XXXVIII. It shall be competent for any member, when a question is taken, to call for the ayes and nays, which shall be recorded by the Secretary, if required.

XXXIX. No standing rules of the Council shall be rescinded or suspended except by a vote of three-fourths of the members present.

XL. All bills brought into the Council by any member or committee, shall be endorsed with the name of the member or committee bringing in the same.

XLI. When a member shall be called to order, he shall sit down until the President shall have determined whether he is in order or not, and every question of order shall be decided by the President, subject to an appeal to the Council by any two members; and if a member be called to order for words spoken, the exceptionable words shall be immediately taken down in writing, that the President and Council may be better enabled to judge of the matter.

The Council proceeded to ballot for President of the Legislative Council: whereupon,

John M’Donell was chosen President.

Mr. M’Donell, having taken the chair, addressed the Council as follows:

GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL This is the second time you have been pleased to call me to preside over your deliberations. Accept my thanks, gentlemen, for the honor you have thus conferred in so distinguished a mark of your confidence and favor. I truly regret that I have not language sufficiently expressive of the gratitude I feel, especially on this occasion. I could only wish that I were better qualified to discharge the arduous duties that will be incumbent upon me as President of this Council, in a manner to comport with my own sense of honor and my wishes, suitably to the dignity of the chair, and the just expectations of this honorable body. But in accordance with your wishes, I enter on the duties thus assigned me, as on a former occasion, with much diffidence, and a distrust in my own ability to perform them. It shall, however, be my constant and ardent desire to discharge the duties that will necessarily devolve upon me, as the presiding officer of this house, with all the ability I possess, and, I hope, with that temper and moderation that are due to you, and to the station which I occupy.

But in order to give dignity and character to the proceedings of