Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-04

IT.
n n Patterson, D. Pearce, J. A. Pearce Pcitigrew,
Phelps Phillips, Pinckney, PITTS, jr., Reed, Rencber,
SS.s S'y%Is ks Fy
defer, Steele s.ors., su,hs:snd, Tssisrrot Taylor
Wagenerr;. Wardwell, Washington. webster. Weeks
White, Whitilesey, L. Williams and wise~i7s
FIN Hsn,"oSd ,Sampoe Dro'ngoole, Garland, Grif
Patton, Robertson, w. Thompson, aud s. Williams IA
so The resolution was ordered to be engosrd and In.
time and passed. e 0''''
On motion of Mr.. Craig,
The House adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Monday, February
The House proceeded to the consde ration of the nm
finished business OF last Monday being the Of
Massachusetts, praying the abolition Of slavery and the
slave trade IN the District of Columbia.
MIR. hammond, (who was entitled to the hoor,) ad
dressed the House He said that when he had made tho
motion for the preliminary question of reception II was
uone WIN tne hope and expectation that the question
m'Sn nave pccn taken without debate but from what
had 'aken place on last petition day. il must be obvi.
ous that debate was inevitable When the gentleman
from Massachusetts presented his petitions he
mem WIN an argument, and it evident that there
would be abolition petitions presented unes.
accompanied by preliminary speech; and he thouplpt
would aca's business by saying all that they had to
say at once Inc gentleman from Massac mir
Cushng) had enlarged upon the constitutional r;yS, NJ
petition; and he concurred in the gentemans views on
mat point lie said his object 10 argue nga;n.
the right of the people to assemble and pcion (,on
gress They had asse nbrd. and their pe,;,;nn. h,d
oeen presented and the House in full of
their contents. The petitioners had adone their du,v
ana u devoiyed upon the House dosts duty The
House can refuse to receive then can md re-
port upon them, or can lay them the tabe They ca
do either of the three without infrnging mon he 5000
Iight OF petition Ii they receive thru however thew
we prcome part OF the records of the House, and
ne therefore called upon the House 10 refuse to receive
ana enrol them He did because he belle ycd Tho M.
uloners asked Congress to do what was unconstitu
uonal: There was difference between taking from
nd tax;
them their property. The Constitution gunsan,rd
10 ,ne" oo'h their property and their slaves and if
u haa not done So the Constitution never could
nave been adopted; il il had even been avowrd ,ha,
was The object to abolish slavery in the District il
could not have been adopted Even supposnc the spirit
OF the Constitution 10 be dead he could not norcs;,
how gentlemen could distort the meaning of cgsln,on
so as TO give Congress the power abolish Slavery in
tue Ds'rict OF Columbia. Legislation was int nded 10
protect property not destroy il to protect life d
oerty ana not to destroy them 1t was palpabe
c,;o 'aAc away any one OF these lie objected the
ccePon oil these petitions because they were not only
dangerous 10 the interests of the people he
10 all the interests of the CONFIDENCE IL had
oeeh SAID by some that floor that there was but very
lew aboonists at the North and o,he had sad Ina, IN.
excitement was tremendous But show the House tbat
'nec were considerable numbers them there he wonId
Ap,' some Oh tne pamphlets and tracts which he had
oeen honoed with, by those societies i'm the Nor,ben
IL would be recollected that there had boon but
one day on which those petitions were presented Ia Tho
Rouse, and on that day their numbers amounted ~
hy'e,ght, signed by some six or eight thousand ind
haua mere were al the present time. he believed
aoou, tnree hundred and fifty societies in the North
ern states and all these societies had sprung nm since
loos MI Hammond here exhibited various doom
n's oil the slavery societies. such as newspapers
tracts, pamphlets almanacs, school books prints .E
showing that they least be ssed of
laoe weai'h II not OF great numbers lie said il was an
parent from one of the extracts which he read that !,
tho intention of the aboonsls to connect The mseIve
WAN some political party; but he did not CHARGE Them
WIN being connected with amy political Marty in ,L.,
House. His colleague he said had been ,tocL ed E.
saying mat DR., Claiming had been playing a second
20 an irisn demagogue; but he would say more he
he n VaHa nd
tnur IaPpan, and the notorious Thompson in caInm
niang The Southern people, and such temper ns was
unworthy oa gentleman and d2ine He be- ceed pordon
.pl using strong language, but when he common with
the southern people, had been attacked and sandered b
must express the Just indignation of an honest
slavery he said might be evil but as an vii which
me southern people willing endure Withou, il
thr lands would be useless They could no, them
70 any extent, nor with any profit by any other labor
than slave labor But Congress had no riigbt 10 le;
Iae on the subject of slavery; and ever The Goyern
men' dared 10 take up and act it, there would be
1iVh war. ~ ever the proposition should come into that
House. while he there, he would not even remain 70
record ms vote on IT, but woud go home and preach and
uisunlon he commended that the slaves
aPpy ana as coniented people upon earth if
ie alone; they had every thing to make them so tev
aa ight work were, generally speaking well fed; far
pe''er IMAM large majority of the operatives of ENGLAND
lie did not know how they would compare with the one
ra'ves OF the North; but they had aplcntv and ina,
they were in better situation than they could he i;
'nsif own country, even if they were sent there
had deem said that families were separated and sold
ahd sent TO distant places but it was mere flourish
q had
gard Tor MS reputaon would dare To separate man and
we except by consent of themselves or unless he was
ioceu 10 from necessity il he did he would be trulv
asgraced and the same might be said with repard TO the
sePdIauoh Of parents and children. He did NOT believe
mere was nan the amount of separation of the Southern
Saves that there of the Northern and Eastern neo
PIE by emigration to the Western States But sunnose
tne southern people would agree to e,nancpate tbe,
slaves, what would be the result For that he vyouId re-
'eF 'he iiouse 10 account of free COLONY in Rrown
county, Ohio; which was read and WINS snbston,;aII
.ner ,anu, winch had been bought for them, In
very bad state OF cuvaton the timber strjpped off of
~ iheir houses IN a miserable condition and that thev
were destitute OF every thing like the comforts of life
ne would ask another class of abotonts whet Their they
co reconcile IL TO their conscences negroes
OF me South or of the North aspiring to seats on tbat
moor! Would they wish see a black man occnnv;no
,he Speaker Chair; or TO see Otheo who might
De gteo Win genus, graspDg AT the Presidential Chair
mouio tbey wish to see such picture? Mr. H. said
nat upon Tie subject of abolition the peopc of The
Southern States united as one man and wore ore
ude Ii he was called upon know what he desired
MS answer would be, to suppress the abolition societies
and stop the crusade which going on. Did freedom
OF speech or freedom OF the press allow Of
III man IN New York TO say of his neighbor what
hose papers say OF the Southern people would he not be
INDICTED as slanderer And if he wrote the ISLANDERS
would he not be indicted beller! Then are moi tho
people OF The South entitled TO the same projections
hal mad been established asa point of int law
nyn ponaParte called upon England 10 suppress the
SANDERS which were insotted the English press what
did she dog She indicted of her editors because Inc
had abused her greatest enemy Then are moi the pco
PIE oi me south eDtitlcdto the protection which
was gwen 70 The Corseau usurpet!
a., ne southern PeoPle. however prepared meet
the crisis when ii should come; and ali he asked was
SIMPLY mat the subject should be kept out Of the halls
OF Congress- he wished that place 10 be sanctuary of
peace, lie wished to sit there and do the work of his