Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-30

iSooi"ioi' ""S S,Iceu w.
The bill relating To Treasury Notes and
the bill In repeal the act concerning vaccina-
ton, were received from the House of Repre-
senlati,es, sevcrally twice read, and referred.
The Senate spent some lime on Executive
business ;and then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
4'he committee On Mr.. WARFiELp's reso-
luton respecting the publication OF Debates
in Congress consists CT Messrs FAIRFIELD,
Mercer, Jones, Uf Tenn. Gorham and Jones
of Va.
The committee on Mr.. BUrLEK's res0l-
lion, respecting MiX's contract fsr stone, Sc.
consists oi Nessrs. Batter, .Netealj, aud Camp
bell, of Ohio.
The Committee OF Conference on the Mis-
soui (lctt proceeds OF three per cent. stock)
bill is oni,oscd oil Mrs5rs itan!tia, Idyior,
and .;iercer.
Dir. ALEXANDER SMYrR laid ON the table the
following:
lowing To prrrOns residing within the District %
Colombia the benefit of The aw lnr the reiyf oi in.
sJ!,ent debtors IN the IKE the same is al
low et 10 p",>Uus rcs,di.,g wJthn the said district.
Tae GbJrct ni this bill will be to abolish the
residence vi - months required to enti-
| Tie person 10 tho benefit Oft the insoivent act
within the District of Columbia.
The rngrossed bin To repeal the act to en-
courage Vaccination, WAS read third time.
Mr.. CospIcT moved 10 lay The bill on the
table which motion was neSatiScd-ayes 81,
noes 6l.
The question then REQUIRED upon the pass
age Ut the bill, which Mr.. TAYLOR required 10
be takrn by Yeas and nays, which were there
upon ordered
Mir Woop turned to the act of Congress
of 1913, whch is proposed by this bill to be
repealed, which coniers no power or authority
Oh the persons na,aed by the President as
Vaccine Agent, ether than of transmitting and
receiving letters free of postage, which, he
said Appeared IN !he face of it SD harmless if
not beneficial provision, he should like To
hear some explanation of the objections To it.
Mr.. BURTON assigned some nj the reasons
winch had Influenced the committee To re-
port his hill. They we're of opinion, he said,
IN tie iirsl place, that this subject was one
strictly OF internal policy, not properly within
tli': province OF thiS government but of the
several States whose duty il WAS 30 regulate
every thing relating 20 health aud Pulicc gen
orally. He HAD nu onrcipn, ii Congress
should think proper, 80 eSlcul the privilege
of lraukllg SCI lar that it should be allowed TO
an a5rni fer vaccination inr each and every
state ANA teri itury hui he was opposed TO
Congress itself establishing the Agencies. In
what manner, be- asked, had This Agency been
conducted? In the city of Baltimore, the
vcry seat OF it, The SMALLPOX, thai sconrge
nj the human family, had prevailed 20 an ex-
tent greater itIa IN amy part of the United
Siates. Was this not sufficient TO convince
any man that the Institution had not been
properly regulated? No man at this day
doubted thr efficacy characterization 10 prevent
the small pOx. why had il not been prevent
ed in that very spnt which WAS The seat ofthe
Vaccine Institution ? Ii was because it was
rI:Shifliy subject of state regulation, and
co'l rot be property regulated by the govern
mcnt of the United States. This very agent.
too, lad sent the small poX matter into
the interior of the country, wtrIe III III pror,-
by it would not have found its way for for
~ years, but for this agency. The British
army, when il marched through that part of
the country forty years ago, last communica-
ted the small pOx, and he taOIsht ii fair tn
presume tlat another foreign army was not
likely to march through that country for for
ty years to come, to introduce il again. We
had no wish for the small p0X, said Mr.. Is. but
II was sent tn us in disguise and this mistake
alone was sufficient reason for the repeal OF
the law. And, after having done tins, the
agent came out with an address To the public
about some new disease, varOlOld he believed
he called it, which was calculated to destroy
all confidence IN the institution, and IN the vac
w
address was not Satisfactory, he hid coRo for
ward and acknowledged that he had sent the
small pOx matter to North Carolina, and that it
was an accident which had never happened
before, and in all probability would never hap
pen again. That, Mr. Il. said, might readily
be. The people who bad been killed byit
were not killed before, and could not he killed
again. The government ofthe United States,
ne added, Did not possess the powers which
enabled other governments to Ieglslatc efici-
emily on this subject. In Denmark, for ex-
ample, the people are compelled to be vaccina-
ted before they can be married, and before
their children can be christened they must DO
vaccinlted. But this government could eyer.
else no such desp0ic power all t1atit could
do, consttutlonally, ia regard 20 if, and the
best thing II could do, was 10 let the people,
who are both able ard willing, take care of
themselves
Mr.. TAYLOR, Of New York, said that the
act establishing the agency had been in opera
ton for nine years, and he thought ought not
to- be hastily repealed 1t was true, an unfortu-
nate incident had occurred under the Agency,
which il was difficult To conceive could have
arisen but from some negligence on the part
Of the agent. But would Congress repeal the
law because Of this one instance Of wrong III
the Agent has done wrong, said Mr.. T.. let
him be removed. lie had always heard this
agent, however, spoken ofasa man of great
attention TO his charge, who never failed to
procure and keep on hand vaccine matter of
the greatest purity. The most careful man
may, from accident or inomcniary inadycrt-
cncc, commit mistake. If that be sufficient
cause for bis removal, LET him he discharged