[A laugh.] Mr.Cave Johnson said he should have no objection provided the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr.Stanly] was the operator.

[Great laughter.] Several gentlemen called for the reading of the amendment, and it was read by the Clerk, as follows:-- "_Provided_, That one half of the said sum shall be appropriated for trying mesmeric experiments under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury." Mr.S.Mason rose to a question of order.

He maintained that the amendment was not _bona fide_, and that such amendments were calculated to injure the character of the House.

He appealed to the chair to rule the amendment out of order.
The Chairman said it was not for him to judge of the motives of members in offering amendments, and he could not, therefore, undertake to pronounce the amendment not _bona fide_.

Objections might be raised to it on the ground that it was not sufficiently analogous in character to the bill under consideration, but, in the opinion of the Chair, it would require a scientific analysis to determine how far the magnetism of mesmerism was analogous to that to be employed in telegraphs.