Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-12-14

Re.U1td That petitions for the ab"oh "i slavery m
the District of Columbia aud ihr lrrrnrns I" the U.
States and ngansr the removal uf slaves from one State
~ uuun r. part VI a plan o operations set on !"u
10 affect the INSTITUTION slavery the several States
and thus indirectly 10 destroy that institution within
their limits. '-'
R,sofred That Congress has no right Ia do that in
directly which cannot do Directly aud that the asl'a
ton III The subject of slavery IN the District ct Column
bil, The Territories, mrans, and Win HE view" vi
dis ubing ovrrhowrg That institution III the seve
raj Stairs against the true spirit and meaning OF ihr
Constitution infringement vi the rights OF The States
affected and breach Of The public faith upon which
they entered into the Conipderacy. go. 49, 90.
Resolrcd, That the Constitution rests on the broad
principle Of equality among The members of this Conir
deacy and that Congress- in The exercise Of lis acknow
lodged powers has right TO discriminate between the
institutions "f p"rri"n "f the States and another
with view OF abulIshlng the one and Prcniolng the
other.
Resolred therefore, Thatell attempts the part of
Congress 10 abolish slavery in The District OF Columbia
the Territories, or 10 prohibit The removal {" slaves
from State 10 State, To discriminate between The IN
sutUns Of one portion of the C0nederacy and another,
with the views aforesaid in violation If rie CoDs
luton destructive oflhe fundamental principle on which
the Union OF these States rests and beyond the urisdic
tim of Congress- and that every petition, memorial, re-
solution, prnposItion paper touching or relating IN
any way or 10 any whatever TO slavery Azure
said the abolition thereof SHALL the prese NATION
thereof whnu any further action thereon, be- laid upon
the table, without being debated printed, or referred
-Mr. Susling opec'ed 10 lhei! hHouuc'th u WIS
time
Mr.. Ather,on lhereupon moved suspension of the
rules
MIR. Adams and Mr.. Cushman simultaneously de.
minded the yeas and nays which, being ordered, were
-yras lS, nays &C. as follows:
Yeus-- Mrssrs Anderson, Andrews, Aiheron, Banks,
Beatty Beers, Beirne, Bell, BckneH, Birdsa Brod
head, Buchanan, Bynurn, John Cahoon. Cambreeng,
William B. Campbell, John Campbell, Carter, Cham
bers. Chapman, Chea,ham, Cluwney, Coles, Common,
berry, DeGrsff, Dromgooe, Elmore, Farrnglon Fair
field, Foster, Fry, Gallup, james Garland Rice Garland
Glascock james Graham Granlland, Grant, Gray
Griffin, Hammond, Hamer, Harlan, Harrison, Hawes
Hawkins, Haynes, Holt, Hopkins, Howard, Hubley
VIM II. Hunter. Robert NJ. T. Hunter, T. b. JACKSON
Jabez Jackson, Henry Johnson, oseph Johnson, vii
liam Cost Johnson, Nathaniel Jones, John w. Jones'
ken', kembIe, kIingensmth, Lewis, Logan, LOOMS,
Lyon. Mallory, Martin, May, Mckay, Robert McClel.
Ian, Adm Mcclellan, Mcclure. McKennan, Menefee,
Mercer, Miller, Montgomery. Moore, Morgan Samuel
w. Morris, Murray, Noble, Palmer, Parker, Paynter,
Pearce Pennybac ker, Pekn, Phelps, Pckens Plumer,
Rumsey, Augustine II. Shepperd, Charles Shepard,
Shields, Shepor, Snyder, Souhgale, Spencer, Siany,
Stuart, Stone, Swearngen, Taliaerro, Taylor Thomas
Titus Toucy, Towns, Turney, Underwood, Vail, Wage.
ner Webster, Weeks, John White, Whitlesey, sherrod
Williams. j. w. Williams, joseph l.. Williams, Chris
topher II. Williams, Wise, Word, and Yeil-I37.
-NayS-Nlessrs. Adams, Alexander, Heman Allen,
John W. Allen, AycHgg, Boudin, Briggs, William b
Calhoun, Casey, Childs, Clark Coffin, Corwin, Grams.
ton, Curtis Gushing, Darlington, Davee Davies Dunn
Edwards, Evans. Everett, Ewing, Richard Fletcher,
Isaac Fletcher, Fillmore, GIddngs Goode, William
Graham, Grennell, Haley, Hall, Harper, Hastings lie.
rod, lngham, Lincoln, Marvin, Samson Mason, Mitch.
ELL Calvary Morris, Naylor, Noyes, Parnenter, Peck,
Potts, Putnam, Rarden Randolph, Reed, Rdgway,
Robinson, RUSSELL Salstonall, Sergeant. Slbey, Slade
Smith, Stralton, Iillinghast, Toand Albert s. White
and Yorke-GG
So the rules were suspended
The resolutions being before the House,
Mr.. Anterior addressed the Chair follows
In addressing the House at this time my object s,
very briefly, 10 explain The purport Of the resolutions
just offered and the which have induced 10
present them.
The first resolution declares "tha this Government is
Government Of limited powers, and that by the Con
sttuton Of the United States Congress has jurisdic
ton whatever over The institution Of slavery in The Sc.
veral States Of the Conlederucy"
To suppose that this resolution would not meet very
general assent would be 10 suppose that the most ultra
Federal notions are entertained to the powers of the
General Government. and that those powers cons
dered entirely absolute and unlimited
The second resolution Declares that petitions for The
abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia and the
Territories of the United States and against the removal
Of slaves from one State 10 another part of plan
of operations set foot to affect the institution of su
very in the several States, and thus indirectly destroy
that institution within their limits
Legally and morally Mr. Speaker men held res
ponsIble for the consequences which their have
manifest tendency 10 produce This resolution contains
an expression OF our opinion as TO the ultimate object
and tendency OF these petitions and memorials. Can
any who does not shut his eyes 10 what is going
around him, doubt as 10 The effect, and 10 the inen
ton Of these petitions? cannot doubt it, Sir, without
ds0eevin The open ayowas Of these petitioners them
selves. In saying this, Refer however, not to many
honest persons who have signed them without suiii
Gent examination OF the important bearing of the ques
ton nor 10 Others such for instance females and
children, who have had in alxng their signatures too
r
who call loudly for the presentation Of these petitions,
who get them up, who circulate them for signature and
whose business seems 10 be 10 agtate the community
on this subject.
The third resolution declares that Congress has no
right TO do that indirectly which it cannot do directly,
and that the agitation OF the subject of slavery in the
District of Columbia the Territories, means,
with the view, of disturbing overhrowng that insti
tuition in the several States is against the true spirit and
meaning of the Constitution, infringement Of the |
rights Of The States effected and breach of the public
faith, upon which they entered into this Conederacy.
The fourth resolution declares "that the Constitution
rests the broad principle Of equality among the men,
bers of this Coniederacy and that Congress- in the
ercse Of its acknowledged powers, has right TO dis
crimnate between the institutions of one portion Of the
States and another, with view of abolishing the
anh promoting the other"
not aware that any code of political construction
political morality ought 10 find favor in this House, by
which the justice of these two resolutions shall not be
fully admitted. Indeed Sir must say, that all the
solutions 10 which have advered seem very like tru
sms about which dispute be entertained; and it
also that from the the prnc Piles contained
in the fifth and last resolution, follow by necessary
sequence.
The fifth resolution declares that therefore, all al.
emps the part of Congress abolish slavery in the
District of Columbia, in the Territories prohibit
the removal of slaves from State Stale, discri
inmate between the institutions of portion of the
Confederacy and another, with the views aforesaid, are
violation of the Constitution, destructive OF the un
damental principles which the union Of these States
rests, and beyond the jurisdiction Of Congress.
These the principles laid down in the fifth resolu
ton; and have said, they seem 10 TO follow by
necessary from the preceding resolutions
But the fifth resolution proceeds still further and pro-
vdes for the mode of action of the House upon petit
tons memorials &c, on this subject; and from The