Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-05
'E'w end -fo,,rth Coag-ress--lsls ess.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
40, .-9oaday, Dece,atsr u, 1885.

u hIranse resumed the consideration of the petition
from sundry 81 The town of Wrenhan, in
Massachusetts praying the abolition Of sayeSg and the
slave Trade in the District of Columbia
Ire motion 10 reject the petition still pending.
M Owens rose to address the House but
MIR finckney expressed hope hnt Tie subject would
DC suspended, in order to present petitions and
MIR Owens said he would with great Measure accedc
TO the wish of the gentleman from, South Carolina if the
ls.r l,seli was not ama!ter of very great import He
rose Tor the purpose ofcndca vorng reconcile the
hicting opinions ogcnt,enen all sides and 10 submit
certain propositions, which, he trusted if the House
would accept, would put to rest this agatng delicate
ao question: IL useless for him
that this question had been brought before the House
IL was useless TO regret that this question had bee SUBJ
lect OF oscuSsof The apple OF dscord had been thrown
INTO the House. Ii had not been done by the South
BUTT was there, and the House must et--the House
must handle It, But he did regret-hc deeply depored
inc manner ia which the debate had been conducted
IL was not calculated do any good but was wei cacu-
lated TO produce anti-social well as hostile feelings
NOT did lie agree with some gentlemen in their remarks
That the South asked aid from the North On the con-
trary he would say that The South did ask aid from the
North, and the North wanted aid from the Soutb Their
wants were reciprocal and it these wants that pro-
duced our confederacy these wants that had CO.
mened our union and the increase of these wants
mat would give perpetuity nay, immortality to it,
Inc propositions he wished submit 10 The House he
did trust, and confidently believed the honorable mover
OF 'ne proposition would accept and support and
that the House itself would give and cordial sun
port. The propositions he intended TO submit were
couchcd IN language as srong if not stronger than the
original motion, and they were more extended in their
operation. 1t not TO meet the question ON ts ne
tlion alone, but to moet the question come in what
shape might was 10 operate upon all petons that
might come with the same tendency object; nay in
one word, 1t was 10 grapple with the subject itself He
perfectly agreed with the advocates of the original mo-
uon, that this was measure that required a bold
prompt ana decisive expression of opinion from that
House The South required it, the country required il
tcoud not be binked Ii could not be evaded by egs.
atve hnesse ought not 10 be euded by technical OBJ
Jections lie therefore reiterated that he confidently
expected those gentlemen lovers of their country and
well wiscrs of the peace and safety of the land would
wa rnff Iln hoI NJ,
doubt that those gentlemen whose of dclicacy sug
gested constitutional objections TO the rejection Of petit
ons would support the propositions he should have the
honor TO submit To tie House. because they would find
that these propositions free from that objection
lie admitted in The fullest ntiude the constitutional
right to petition, what was termed the sacred g of ne
oning; but he hoped he might add without offence
that from the evidence he had of its abuse good man
mix doubt whether the good pcnsated for the evil
II the evil were not temporary, and the good permanent
and lasting There was another class Of individuals TO
whom he would address himself IL was those who in
a probability would be for the principles contained in
the petition.
To those gentlemen he would say, not assuming the
character of lecturer but their associate that adj
hitting the constitutional right TO act upon this subject
which he denied, he would tell those gentlemen Thai
right was not an abstract position and unqualified term
tha IN me exercise OF every right, there cores
pondng duties, and that the first duty of an American
statesman of American legislator was TO look TO the
welfare of the People and 10 the integrv of the re-
public he would say them that in DISCUSSING This ar
any other question: OF national and they
must not examine il with tho Imagination of an
enthusiast with the characteristic tenderness of the
panthropist, nor with the cold calculations of the
philosopher, but as statesmen, looking it in all its
bearings; and IT they satisfied in their conscences
that 1t was not calculated TO benefit the Republic they
ought not to legislate upon it, fgentlemen would turn
their minds upon this subject, he was satisfied they
would have no hesitation to their course IF the pro.
positions he should have the honor TO submit TO the
House, be acccdcd to by triumphant majority he had
no hesitation IN saying that it would bc considered by
the country the hNrbinger of peace the rainbow TINT
would disspate the clouds and darkness now rising ON
le iahd with these views, and under the operations
OF these feelings he would the House 10 Law the
original proposition of the gentleman from South Caro-
lima (Mr iiammond) on the table tsgcther with every
matter connected with IT, so as 10 enable him submit
ms propositions TO the House
MIR. Owens then the following resolutions TO the
Chair which read as follows:
hesSirea That IN the opinion of this House tho qucs.
uon oil the Abolition OF Slavery in the District of Column
bia, ought not TO be entertained by Congress
find be further Rcsoired That in case any petitions
praying the abolition of slavery in the District of CO.
nmb9 be hereafter presented it the deliberate opinion
OF tins House that the same ought to be laid the table
without reading.
MIR; Ovens expressed the hope that the resolutions
would be accepted by the gentleman from South Carroll
ma, IN lieu OF his motion to reject the petition.
Mr. Hammond was very sorry, he said that he could
not accept the proposition aud he hoped the pentemnn
from Georgia would withdraw his molten.
MT WISE proposed TO amend the first resolution by adj.
Ding, because Congress has power legisate on
under the Constitution Of the United States" and to
amend the second, by striking all after the word Re-
soted and Inserting, "lhat this House will receive
any future memorials on that subject" adding that
with these notifications, lie would for the resolu
tons
Mr4Owens declined the acceptance of the anne ndments
as notifications Of his resolutions.
MIR. Patton asked what would be the conseouence Of
laying the motion the table? Would the resolutons
o! The gentleman from Georgia then be in order?
The Chair replied that they would not IL would he
IN order TO move to suspend the rule, allow him 10
move them, or, when the States called for yosO,t
tons, they might be offered without suspension Of the
rule.
Mr. j. O. Adams TO inquire what was the state of
this question; and he asked from confessed ignorance of
what the question On the last day. when the sinh.
jet debaed such variety Of motions was folov.
ing each other III rapid succcsson and apparently with.
out object order that he had entirely lost the train of
them. memorial for She abolition Of slavery and tIe
slave trade, in the District of Columbia, was pre-
scented by an honorable colleague Of his (ir Jackson)
who moved its reference 70 the Committee on the Dis
trict Of Columbia or a Select Committee
The Speaker here reminded the gentleman that the
motion before the House allowed Of no discussion and
said hc would stale the question.
Mr. Adams asked, if similar petition presented bv
another Of his colleagues not the same day. re.
ferred 70 the Committee the District Of Columbia and
whether the subject not, therefore, actually before
that Committee.
The Speaker replied in the affirmative; but stated
motion 10 reconsider te of reference was ne nding
lie would now stale the question, for the information Of
the House a mortal presented. and three mo-
tons made ~ regard 10 W one 10 commit another to lay
on the Table, and third to reject The motion now be-
fore the DOufe wGs 20 lay the petition and all the mo.
lions pending in reference to il on the table.
The question bring taken the motion 10 lay the Pc
uton ana a Tie motions relating 70 il the table it
was decided ~ The affirmative, Yeas 40, Nays IS as
heretofore published
So thc petition aud all the motions depending thereon
we're ordered 81 lie upon tie tablr
Mr.. Owens moved that tue Rules Of the House lie sus
pended in order oooa bin 60 offer the resolutions he