Mr. JOHNSON. I desire to call the attention of the House to one or 2 points in connection with this question. I 1st ask the attention of the House to a clause of the constitution which has already been read; that “Congress shall assemble at least oncein every car, and such meeting shall be on the 1st [onday in December, unless they shall by law apoint a different day." It is to be observed that “unless they shall by law appoint” what? Some one else to fix the day of meeting? Not at all. There is no authority any where in this Constitution for members of Congress who hold delegated powers under a delegated Government to delegfithose powers to any other person orperso whatsoever. But there is a clause which says they shall have power to adjourn until the 1st Monday in the next ensuing December, “ unless the shall by law appoint a different day.” And that is the only appointment that we have authority to make. this not the party to fix the day, but the day itself that we are required to appoint. It is very true that this resolution suggests a day, the 1st Saturday in December next; and then it makes an exception unless certain persons shall call Congress together at a different day. Now, I take it that if we have authority to say that The SPEAKER of the HoRep, and the Presiding Officer of the Senate, whoever those Presiding Officers maybe, shall have the power to callus together, then we have the right to say that some man in the city of NewYork, or in the cit of StLouis, may call us together whenever e may see proper. By authority of the offices which The SPEAKER of the House and the President protempore of the Senate hold, they have no authority under the Constitution to fix the day when Congress shall reassemble. Andif they have no such power, then you may as well name John Smith or John Brown to fix that day of meeting as to name any other person. “John Brown still lives, ” we are told; John Smith is alive, I know. [Laughter.] The question of a recess or of an adjourn ment are different propositions; but I will not stop to argue them now. We are wandering from the question. This debate so far has been upon the proposition whether we have the right to pass a law fixinw the time when these Presiding Officers shalI call us together. We are not proposing to pass a law, because a concurrent resolution is not a law. The question, therefore, comes back to the one before the House, which is, is this resolution a privileged question? if it is, as I argue, a question upon which we have no authority to act at all, then it is not a privileged question. It seems to me clear, sir, that if we have not the authority to adopt this resolution when we get it before the House, then, surely, it is not a question of privilege under the rules, and has no right to take precedence of all other business.