Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-11-27
CONGRESS-.
.-.s............
\ ~ AFss /.
tfroAa the National Isfsliisenrc-.
PROCEEDINGS ON MONDAY, NOV. %.
IN SENATE

| Mr.. Troup, resigned, appeared and took
his seal and MIR. Vandyke, from Della
ware.
The motion submitted by Mr.. Sanford,
for AN enquiry into expediency of amend
ing The law so that the Presidents sigma
inre should not be necessary TO patents
Tor land, was taken up and agreed To.
HOUSE OF REPREsEN TkTIyES.
The blowing gentlemen, in addition
10 those already announced, appeared,
this day. From New Yors, Mr.. Wendo-
vcr, Mr.. Tou,pkins, and Mr.. Cruger from
.Sonth Carof''.a. MIR Earle, Mr.. Simpkins
and Mr.. Erwin.
The Speaker laid before the House a
letter from the ChifJusiice of the Dis
trict OF Coluiz bia, transmitting a Code of
jurisprudence for the District formed in
pursuance ofam act of Congress of April
%, 1916.
Mr.. Herbert, OF Maryland, moved TO re-
fer this report 10 the committee Oh The Ju-
dietary but, being opposed by MIR. Ii.
Nelson, OF Virginia, the motion was lost.
On motion OF MIR. Herbert, il Was referred
TO a select committee.
The Sp,oher laid before the house
communication from the NAVY Depart
meni, accompanied by sundry documents
in relation to the Navy Pension Fund
which was referred 10 The committee on
Naval Affairs.
On motion of MIR. p. p Barbour, of Vir-
ginia, he WAS excused from serving OH the
committee of Public Buildings on the
ground that he was unacqualnted with ar
chiiecture, either III theory or practice,
and that he had at the last session voted
against the appropriation even for the
commencement of some OF those build
iDgs and another member was ordered
TO be appointed in his place.
On motion OF MIR. Harrison, a commit
tee was appointed to enquire into the ex.
pediency iauihorisingthee employment of
an additional number of clerks in the
war Department, not exceeding twelve.
THE reason assigned for this motion
was, that, unless some such measure was
adopted, the persons for whose relief the
pension law of last session was designed,
could not, for long time, il ever, obtain
the benefit intended thereby for, he had
been astonlshed 10 find that, owing 10 the
deficiency Of clerks, no application for
that object, since the month of Nav last,
had yet been decided on, though several
clerks were constantly employed in that
duty. The early applications were of
course first attended TO, and had not vet
been dispatched.1
STATE OF ILLINoIs.-sLAvERY.
The engrossed resolution declaring the
admission OF the state of Illinois into the
Union on an equal footing with the ORR
ginal states, was read third time aud,
on the question:, Shall it pass?
(Abrideed from The National Inteiiicencer.)
Mr.. 1aii,nadge of N. York, was oppos-
ed 10 the resolution, because he did not
consider The Preamble of the Constitution
proper sort of evidence TO establish the
fact ut adequate population; but princi-
paly because The constitutions had not
sufficiently prohibited slavery. The 9th ar.
ticle eitbe ordinance for the government of
the North Western territory, which was
species of contract between the u. S. aud
this people OF that territory. provided that
III the cession of that territory accepted
by the U. 5. from Virginia, there should
neither be stare,y nor involuntary servi-
tude, otherwise than as a punishment for
the commitment OF crimes; with provi-
so, that this provision should not be con-
sirued TO prevent The reclamation of run
away slaves. But The three sections of the
9th art. of this constitution contravened
this stipulation, by embracing, as he con-
tended, a complete recognition of exist
ing slavery, fnol provisions for its future
Introduction, by permitting The hiring of
slaves, the property OF nOn-residents, for
any number OF years consecniively. Cen
gross, therefore, was bound 10 reject the
constitution, or a, least this feature of it,
Virginia had coded The territory, on GER
tain conditions TO the u. S. and this was
one OF them-and II was monument TO
The fame OF Virginia.-If Congress vo-
unfairly recognized The feature now sub
mitted for their decision, they would take
upon themselves the stigma cast upon
our country, by the existence of slavery,
an evil, the original sin of which belong
ed to Great Britain, aud not 10 ourselves.
Mr.. L. adverted 10 the constitution of In
diana, TO show how carefully she had
guarded against slavery IN any shape
even by introducing clause into her con-
siliutlon iorbidding any amendment TO 1t
for relaxing this proviso.
Mr.. Poi.;Gerter of Mississippi, agreed
with Mr.. II. in his solicitude TO get rid of
slavery, whenever practicable, though
the best men among us had not been able
TO devise any plan for doing ii-but as 10
the constitution Of Illinois, he Showed
that The article on slaves was almost lite
rally copied into ii from the constitution
OF Ohio. The Sd sect. was the only va
ration, which he accounted for and jus.
tilted. After all, is it not impractcable,
| having once admitted the independence
OF q state, TO prevent lis shaping It's con-
siitution afterwards as il thought proper
| As TO a constitution like that of Indiana,
what could prevent her people in conven-
ton, changing any article of it they
thought proper? In Ohio, various at
iempts had already been made TO alter
that feature (; and though he hoped, that
neither in Ohio. Indiana, nor Illinois, the
introduction of slavery wonld ever be
permilted-yej how were they 10 be pre-
vented 2 He thought, that Illinois, so far
as she had gone, lad done better than the
other states in The same quarter, because