Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-12-23

ments shall have devised some practicaoie means
for eradicating or diminishing the evil oil slavery
| of which the memorialists complain, 1t would DC
unwse and impotic, if not unjust to the aoJoh.
ing States for Congress to interfere IN suhJect
of such delicacy and Importance rs IN inc reia'
ton betwiXt master and slave.
IT, under any circumstances, such an 'ntefie-
renee on I he part of Congress could be Jus'ihed'
your committee are satisfied that the present Is
an inauspicious moment for its consideration.
Impressed with these views, your committee
offer for the consideration of the House the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia be discharged from the further
consideration of SO much of the prayer of sundry
memorials of citizens of the state Of Pennsylva-
mia, to them referred, asking the passage OF such
law or laws as may be necessary for the aboli-
ton of slavery and the slave trade within the
said District, or relates to the first OF those
objects, the abolition Of slavery within the said
District.
The resort and resolution were agreed to.
The following resolution, presented by Mr..
WIcxL1rrE, and laid ON the table, was taken
up and adopted
Resolved. That the Secretary OF the Treasury
communicate to this House such information as
the Department may have collected upon the
subject of steamboat navigation, with view to
| the adoption of such measures rs may be deem
ed practicable, the better TO guerd and protect
passengers from the danger of the bursting Of
| boilers.
| The following resolution, submitted by Mr..
| WHITE Of Florida, was considered and adopted:
| Resolved, that the President of the United
States be requested to communicate to this
| House the correspondence between the Cover
nor of Georgia and any Department of this Co
vernment in the years $50 and 1881, in relation
| to the boundary line between the State OF Geor-
| gia and the Territory Of Florida.
| The folio vin0 resOlutinn ted hx, Nv
WHIrrLEsEr, of Ohio, was considered and
adopted.
| Resolved, That the Secretary of the Trea-
sury be directed to report to this House what
is the Amount, stale, and condition of the debts
due frop the Commercial Bank of Lake Erie TO
the United States, and what attempts have been
made to collect said debt; and whether he consi..
derS 1t can be collected, in whole in part: and
WHITTIER he considers further power necessary
to!eiaole HIM 10 make arrangements for the pay
menl OF a part of said debt; and whether in his
opnpn. such rover would conduce to promote
| the interest of the United States.
MI. DEARBORN offered the following resolu-
| ton:
| Resolved, That the Committee of WAYS and
Means be instructed to inquire into the expedi-
ency of exenptiDg from duty teas, coffee wines,
pepper, spices, and indigo. and wool, the cur
| rent market value of which in the u. States at
the time of importation, shall not exceed twelve
cents per pound.
MIR HOFFMAN moved an amendment to strik
out the part relating TO wool.
Mr. McDuFTIE suggested that the resolution
was SIMPLY resolution of Enquiry, and that, for
his own part, he had no objection to the inquiry
being made as proposed.
Mr HOFFMAN said it was not his design, by
any means, to preclude enquiring into that or
any other subject of public interest, but simply
to direct that inquiry into its proper course
The subject of wool ought to 60 to the Commit
tee on Agriculture, or that on Manufactures.
MIR DEARBORN said, the wool, to which his re-
solution alluded, was the wool well known to be
used IN the fabrication of coarse cloths The
principal portion oft used in our manufactures
was imported from South America, Smyrna, and
some ports in the Baltic, and it could not come
into composition with wool of American growth.
1t was inferior in quality to any produced BY us,
and consequently did not, in the lost remote
degree, affect our agriculture. although it does
our commerce and manufactures. If that de-
scrption of wool could be introduced. duty free,
the coarse cloths made from it could be sold for
price lsss than the amount of the duty at pre-
sent paid upon 1t. 1t was not his intention to 20
INTO the question in detail at this stage of it, and
had merely taken this opportunity to make those
remarks in explanation.
MIR HOFFMAN still objected to the reference
OF the resolution to the Committee of Ways
and Means, and contended again. that that mart
OF Agriculture, ifi related to the raw material
only, or to the Committee of Manufactures, if it
regarded the conversion of it into cloth.
Mr. DEARBORN was satisfied that it should take
that course, and expressed his readiness to modi.
fy his resolution so as to send that part of it re.
inting to wool to the Committee of Manufac.
lures
MIR l.. CoNDIcr asked the Clerk to read that
part OF the resolutions adopted in Committee
oil the Whole on the state of the Union, which
referred the Presidents message to the various
committees, and inquired if they do not super
sede the necessity of adopting the present reso-
luton, by embracing already the subjects emu
merated ia it.
The Clerk read the resolution in the series
of those proposed by Mr. WAxNE, refe ring that
part OF the message which relates to manufac-
lures and modification of the tariff to the
Committee on Manufactures.
The SPEAKER said that resolution did not
preclude The resolution offered by the gentleman
from Massachusetts, (Mr. DEARRoRN,) on n
point of order.
Mr. DEARBORN then proposed to refer his
whole resolution to the Committee on Manu-
features.
Mr. McDUFTrE should certainly object to the
resolution taking that course. The Committee
on Manufactures had assuredly nothing to do
with the reduction of the duties on tea and
pepper, which were not manufactures He
moved to lay the resoia ion on the table, but
at The request of Mr. CAMBRELENG, Withdrew
his motion.
Mr.. CAMBRELENG said, it must be evident In
all who had had any experience in the proceed.
Ings Ofths House, that this resolution should be
referred TO the Committee of WAYS and Means.
1t was matter wholly unprecedented to refer
such subject to the Committee on Manufac-