Mr. SUMNER. I he Senfrom Maryland is certainly right when he declines to prei senthis case asa personal one. Of course, if it I was so presented, if we could regard it simply as a courtesy to the Senfrom Maryland, there would be every disposition, I take it, to concede to him all that he could desire. There would he, certainly, on my part. I therefore eliminate that en estion. There is another one, also, that I Will eliminate; it is that there can be any disposition on the part of any senator to interferelwith the entire freedom with which we exress our opinions on this floor, either indivi uslly or as members of commit tees. I believe there is every disposition to concede to eve Senator and to every committee of this be y all parliamentary privileges possible, everything that is consistent with par iamentary law. 1’ Puttingthose 2 considerations, then, aside, the question that comes to as is whether, according to the usage of the Senate, or according to parliamentary law as recognized by the senate, a report from a minority can be received at so late a day as that on which this document has been presented by the Senfrom Maryland. On that question I am clear] of opinion with the Senfrom Illinois. believe that the reception of such a minority document I will not call it a report, because the parliamentary lawdoes not recognize it as such would not be consistent with the usage of the Senate, nor would it be for the good of the Senate in the conduct of public business. I am sure that it is not according to the usage of the Senate. This is a subject to which my attention was directed many years ago. Certainly more than ten years ago it fell to me to draw up what at the time I undertook to call a minority report on a very important political question then before the body, connected with the administration of the fugitive slave law. The document that I had drawn up was signed by Mr. Seward undby myself. It was presented to the Senate, however, c'ontem oraneousl y with the report of was entitled a minority report. Its reception was objected to, in the 1st place, by Mr. Badger, of NCarolina, who the Senfrom Maryland will remember to have been very acute and well versed in parliamentary law. He at once took the ground that there was no such thing known to parliamentary law asa minority report, and he seemed disposed at the beginning even to insist that we had no right to present any minority statement whatever; but finally hesottled down upon the conclusion that if we chose to present a statement it should be called the views of the minority. Accordingly the document thathnd been drawn up was so entitled, “the views of the minority, ” and it was presented and received at the same time with temajority report, and was printed with it. That occurred in 1854 or 1855. I refer to it as a case which at the time occupied very seriously the attention of the Senate. It related to a subject with regard to which the country and the Senate were very sensitive; and believe it may be considered an authoritative precedent. It'shows the care, the caution with which the Senate at that time were disposed to watch what was done b the minority of a committee. To be sure, that precedent does not directly decide the question raised by the Senfrom Maryland. There was no question there arising from a delay on the part of the minority; but that precedent does show that the Senate was not disposed to concede to the minority any considerable privileges; that its disposition, on the other hand, was to constrain it, and to compel it to act in a very narrow field, and without according to what it did even the character of a report. If the senator chooses to refer to that recedent, he will find that what was resents by the minority bears the title of “ the views of the minority.” So it stands in the Journal of this body, and so it was printed among its documents. I believe, therefore, that the precedents of this body will not sustain the Senfrom Maryland. Now, if you go further and look at the reason of the thing, I believe that will be full as strong against him as the recedents of the body. Sir, the reason of tie thing is absolutely, if I may so say. against what is now preposed by the Senfrom Maryland. concede to a minorit what he now asks, and all minorities her er will hold themselves in ambush, if you please, to spring forward, if they see fit, when the report of the majority has been made, constituting themselves into crities and reviewers.