Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-11
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
iIoDH1u EcL or

| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
| Monday, Fcb 9th
Mr.. Pinckncy sgan asked the unanimous consent of
| the House to submit the following resolution:
ReS0ioed That ak The memorials which have been Of
cred or may hereafter be presented to this House, pray
ing for the abolition Of slavery in the District Of Column
bia and also the resolutions offered by honorable
member from Maine GAlr. Jarvs,) with the amendment
hcreto proposed by honorable member from Virginia.
lMr Wise and every other paper propostcu that may
be submitted in relation to that subject be referred to
select Committee with instructions TO report, that Con-
gress possesses constitutional authority to interfere IN
any way with the institution of slavery in any of the
States Of this Confederacy and that in the opinion of
this House. Congress ought ROT to Interfere in any way
with slavery the District of Columbia because would
be volaou of the public faith, unwse, mpnltic and
dangerous 10 the Union gnlHg Zach reasons Tor these
conclusions, in the judgment of the committee may
be best calculated to cnghteE the pablo mind to repress
agitation to alay excitement to sustain and preserve the
just rights of The holding States, and of the people
of this District and rccstabisk la nony and tranquil
| lily among the various scolions OF The Union.
| Objection beng aEcde, Mr. Pinckncy ,aovcd to
pend the rGles for the Purpose ofrnabing him to offer
tho resolution
| On this motion, My Brown asked for the yeas and
! nays; which ordered.
Mr.. Parker inquired whether the gentleman from S.
Carolina contemplated immediate consideration ofthe
resolution?
MIR, Pinckncy said he wished to submtthe resolution
and have it disposed Of by the House.
The question the suspension of the rules, then
taken by yeas and nays, as follows:
fcaS-hlessrs Adams, Anthony, Ash, Beam Beau.
mont, Bockee, Bovee, Boyd, Briggs, Brown, Bynum.
Cambreleng, Carr, Casey, George Chambers, CLANCY.
Chaplin, Cleaveand, Coffee, Common, Craig, Cramer.
Gushing, Cushman, Darlington, Debcrry, 0ckerson
Doubleday, Dromgoole, Dunlap, Efner, Fairfield Far.
lin, Fry, jr, William X. Fuller, Grstrnhh, James Gar
land, Giliet Granger G.artsrs Haley, J. Hall, Ha-
n,er, Hannegan S. S. tErrson, A. e. Harrison lawes
Hawkins, RsyHes, tsolscy, Hopkins, Howard, How.
ell, huxley, HuHt, Huntingdon, Huntsman, lngham,
Jackson, Jarvis, Jeniier, Joseph Johnson Richard
NJ johnson, G. Johnson. b. Jones, Judson, Kennon,
Klgore, Kinnard Lane, Lansing, LaPorte, Lawrence,
Lay, G.. Lee, J. Lee Leonard Logan, Loya \. Mann,
J. Mann, Manning, W. Mason, NJ. Mason, S: Mason,
May. McComas, Mckay, McKcon, McKn, McLenc,
Mercer Miller, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Morris
Muhlenbcrg Owens, Ioge, Parker, Parks. Patterson
Reynolds Joseph Reynolds, Ripley, Roane, Rogers; Sey
mour, A Fl. Sheppcrd Shinn Sickles, Smith, Spanglrr
Sprague, Storer, Sutherland, Taylor, Thomas, John
Thomson Toucey, Turner Turrl, Fandcrpocl, Finton
Wagner, Waldwell, Weeks, Wlrlcsey and l.. Will
llains- l35.
.Mays-Chilton Allan Henan Allen, Ashley, Bailey
Bell Bond Boon Borden, Bunch, John Calhoun VIM
b. Calhoon, Campbell, Carter, John Chambers, Chap.
| man, Cki!ds, A. H. Claiborne, Clark. Corwin, Crane
Davis Dickson, Everett FORESTER French p. G. Full
! ler r. Garland Glascock Graham, Graves, Grayson,
Griffin, Hammond, Hard, Harlan Hoar, Ingersol,
James, Henry johnson, LAWYER, l.. Lea Lincoln, Lyon,
Martin, MaeEy, MilIigan, Peyton Phillips, Pckens,
Potts Jr., Reed, Robertson, Russell! W. B. Shepard,
Shields Slandeer, Steele, Talaferro, w. Thompson,
! Towns, UnacrWoou, webster, Slille, NllllaiS,
Wise-G5.
So the motion to suspend the rule agreed to.
Mr. fnckney saa ne %t, II roubIe the House With
bSt e% rs'aT KS He had offered the resolution before
House With the most temperate reflection, and with
the firm conviction that it was the best to be rur
sued He we'll aware of the responsibility which
he incurred, but he did SO chccrfuy and readily He
had done for the good Of his constituents, for the wei
fare OF the State he represented and for the interests of
The South; and he afraid ashamed to own that
! kI nd Tnrt Tho cafp nj hN
| Union. But because he had taken that course he had
been bitterly assaed by print Of the city, he United
States Telegraph before he had had opportunity 10
explain his motives; but once for all, he would say,
that he TO be driven from his purpose by
puper assaults. lie had fear of its producing any c
feet among his constituents he too we'll known by the
people Of South Carolina to fear any such assaults He
had offered the resolution because he anxious TO
have that delicate matter adjusted and he thought that
best for the South and best for the Union He
did plead guilty of cndeavorug to pursue course which
was likely to produce harmony that exciting subject
by avoiding the resolution OF The gentleman from
Maine, (Nr. Jarvis) that Of the gentleman from Vr
gina, (Alr. Wse,) any other resolution notion;
and all who knew him, either in the House or elsewhere,
knew that he was utterly incapable OF avoiding any
question which he might be called to act; but lie did
desire to produce harmonious, united action by taking
! higher grounds than had yet been taken.
lie desired to produce direct vote and practical
suit upon the subject Was it treason to the Southern
States that tie House should say by solemn and tenn
perate vote, that Congress had constitutional author
ity to the subject Of slavery: Was it treason TO
the country TO say that would not act that SUBJECT
in the District Of Columbia Was it treason to put
down the great excitement existing in the country: III
that treason TO the South his constituents must
Judge him. Fiji was treason TO the Union, tine American
people must judge him. But whether ii be treason not
the opinion of certain individual. he had the
renee OF u large number of members of the Southern
States Several had told him that they wished the sub
cct disposed Of that way, and he had to believe
that the resolution would be sustained by almost The una
| nimous Southern vote.
Mr. P felt that he ought ask pardon for speaking in
the manner he had it painful for him 10 speak thus
of himsel but he could not, with justice 10 his charac
ter and motives, u less. He wished his constituents to
understand him. and he wished them 10 understand him
distinctly, so that they might judge him correctly.
He had three objects in view in offering that resolution
The first was, if possible, to discussion Of the
question Of slavery that floor and throughout the
country; because he believed it useless, than
useless. 1he second was, bring the whole matter 10
practical result satisfactory to the North satisfactory
10 the South; and calculated 10 larmonze the Union.
The third and great object was, 10 put down fanal
cisn and produce harmony and tranquility, and for that
lie had comprised the States i'll his resolution
we'll the District Of Columbia. The course he
had pursued similar to that pursued in lTSO which
he believed had received the unanimous sanction of the
Southern delegation ut that time Thus far they had
been contendng about the right of petition the sub
ect wasting and dssipating their strength upon mere
abstraction the extreme excitement OF the South and
danger to the Union. His object to get direct
vote upon the whole subject. The abolonists aim al
universal emancipation, and Congress ough, to cut off
their hopes at They should be told that it had no
constitutional authority slavery in the States, and
satisfy them that they have hope in future: Tie
would show them that there hope Of cfiecting their
object aud you putan end agitation lebeieved
tna vote would check tanatcSm and have good erect
IN the holding States. If the House adopted
the lesoution he believed would be sustained by eve
~ honest patriotic man in the saveolding States
In those States the fanatics on side, and the
great BODY OF the people on the other He would allow
them TO fight their battles in their own way; and he
firmly and consc enously believed that they would sue
coed in putting down the spirit of agitation He hoped