Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-02-17
House OF REPRESENTATIVES, Feb. o


The whole of this day was consumed in
attempts to dispose OF Mr. Adams case,
without however coming to any definite re.
suit. The discussion was continued in
much the same spirit as Yesterday, and af
ter variou, propositions. amendments, de
nunciations and questions of order, by aid
OF The previous question vote was obtain.
ed on the following resolutions, submitted
ov Mr.. Patton, of Va. The question being
about to be pat,
The question REQUIRED on the demand for
the previous question: but there was No
second.
Mr. Adams rose and addressed The House
for two hours in vindCallOn Of himself. -
AMER rcitcrntlng his statement previously
made, that he had not presented the peN
tlon nor offered to present Il. but had mere
iy asked the dlreclu of the Speaker as TO
what his course should be. Mr.. A. sad he
had been DESTROYS to have the record BY
Yeas and Nays on the question whether,
under any circumstances petition should
be received from a slave. He knew at the
time he raised the question, that 1t was one
which would arrest the attention not only
Of this House. and This nation, but of the
whole civilized world Re SAID he had DO
clared himself ready and wiling to regulate
his conduct according TO the decision ut The
House whatever il might BE-. but that he
was exceedingly anxious ;hat the question
a lp n hist nT Tho
pc,l,inn should be taken. 81 that n record
| of It might remain Ia al future time TINS
was the question itself, but 1t was ncve1lhe.
less true that it did, from lis very nature,
! open the whole question Of slavery and the
condition Of slaves in this country, as also
The question Of the extent of he power and
privileges of the Members Of Tins House ia
speak on such topics
Mr., A, then repeated his opinions in re
la,ior to the freedom of petition. One OF
his colleagues Mr.. Cushlng) had already
expressed opinions which were his Mr.
A's1 own on this right more fully and clear
" than he could Go. The right of petition
guaranteed by the Constitution of the Uni
ted States was not right first granted by
the Constitution itself but previous RICH,
| existing among the primitive ana lnalIeha'
BILE rights of man recognized in the constl'
tuition, and that too with direct prohibit
ton that the Congress of the U. States
should pass no law to abIGgc it, The fra
mers Of the constitution would have spurneC
the idea that they were the first to give tc
the people Of the U. States, the right of pc
tiion. II was right given to them by TIC
God of Nature when he made them men;
it was the right of one human being TO i'm
plore the favor and protection of another
II was his principle, and he would open
avow It here, that this right belonged tC
every human being, and that without refer
ence to the condition Of the petitioner.
Mr.. A. entered into a critical and severe
examination of the various propositions
which had been submitted for his censure
complaining ofther injustice, denying thei
assumed facts to be true, aud demanding tC
be judged only upon the truth. If a vote
Of ccnsure were passed upon him for an!
thing he had done in this House, he SHOULD
consider 1t as one of the heaviest calami,ie'