The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-05-02

breaihe lhfir last upun me taale or N nc
hsDds Of q eommiliee. This 10 tania-
mount 10 = rejection Of The petitions.
Our own prsriice is the sane. DisPos-
inc Of Ihe subjecI 10 which The petitions
relate, Is disposing Of every petition.
mrmorial. or paper nov before us. or
which may be presented during The pres
eni session. We have before Us hume
rous petitions nrOn license laws. Is IL
rot constitutional 10 resolve that Ne will
rot act upon that subject at the present
session! Would not such . resolution
virtually and tlTeeiually postpone any
peiiliOn now. or which may come be-
lore Us. until the ensuing session! Is
il not a virtual rejection Of the petitions,
at least for the PRESENT.
The resolution Of the l2ih December.
1888. is either . PosiPonsmshi oil the
whole subject Of slavery. or . refusal 10
legislals upon il. In either view, can
the power of tie House be doubted !
Has il not been repeatedly exercised by
this and every other House Of Repre-
senlaliSes in the country J.
The undersigned. respectfully 10 those
Of different opinion, frankly eoniesses
that his only difficulty in the eonsidera
lion Of Ibis subject has been 10 ascertain
the limit and extent of ''lhe right TO pc.
iilion." as commended for By others. The
trainers OF the articles Of amendment
were familiar with the usages and prae-
Iice Of the English and American Legs
lalures. They well knew that By uni.
versal usage the petitioners possessed no
right 10 be heard as 10 the disposal OF Pc
IiliOns. They well knew that no such
right had ever been commended Tor. II
they had believed in the existence Of .
right 10 this extent, why was the irsoie
power OF disposal conferred upon the
House Did they mean that the whole
power 10 dictate whether the subject Of
slavery should be debated or referred 10
a committee should be in the petitioners !
n not The whole. Vhaf part? The whole
power must be in The House. or il must
be in the peliioners. There cannot be
a partnership power TO be exercised by
both. for. Il they differ. The whole BUSH
ness Of the House must stop. there be-
ing no third power or umpire 10 decide
between them.
The resolutions OF the l2Ih December,
IS the undersigned understands them.
simply amount IN this that a. the House
had determined not To legislsie upon the
subject Of slavery during the present ses.
sion, all papers referring TO tina. subject,
and all that should hereafter be presen.
ted, should be read and received. and
laid upon the table. They Do not deny
To any presen, or future petitioner the
RICH. TO have his petition read and receiT.
ed. but declare tina, they do no. mean Ia
act On lha. subject during the present ses'
sion. The words present session are
cot mentioned. but every member Of the
House well knew that the resolution
could not bind their successors, but mus
expire with the existing session. Had
there been a simple resolution declaring
that the House would not act upon the
subject Of slavery al this session. would
there have existed doubt Of their con
stitutional right 10 do so Il is admit
ted that there would not. And yet The
effect Of such vote. without any refer,
ence 10 the petitions on the table. OF
those hereafter presented. would have
been precisely the same as the present
resolutions. Resolutions poslponing a
whole subject are passed BY this House
al almost everv session. and all future
petitions are postponed as a mstter oI
course. Il slso sllences all further de-
bate. right quite as important as the
right to petition.
sIn connection with this branch Of the sub
jeci. 1t NAV not be amiss TO quite the follow
ing extract from speech made ~ Mr.. " hip
pie ia defence of the principles ol his report
bot II Is asked, what is the right ~ petit
tion worth under such mode uf d,spnslug .,
petl,ionsl What IL the hight Of petition worth
m any case where the tribunals appealed ts
,!ifT IN opinion with The pcti,ionersp
THIS popular argument confounds the va.
lue Of the right with the right Itself. The va.
Tue Of the right, from iis very nature, depends
entirely upon the action OF the House: hu,
tho right nscIf is unImrajred and unabridged
Ihough rendered Of no value by us want OIL
success.
"whal is the value Of the righ, to petition
this House 1" repeal our law Of Particle inhe
rItances, and 10 restore the ancient rule al
primoeenuuTe7 Uf what value is the right IN
peti;i0n far an extension Of tho elective iran.
chisc! We all possess an undoubird tight 10
petition FOR an order Of nobility. No law oil
tho state nor resolution oi this house. in tie
slightes, degree, has abridged this right. Bu,
Of what value is IN What destroys the value
but the sane cause which destroys the value
Of the right 10 petition Congress for the aboIl.
iinn Of slavery II is the unanimous adverse
oplninn here, and the unanimous and adverse
opinion there, that renders the right Of no va.
lne: But here, as there. the right is not q.
brijgcd.
1.-THE value Of most Of our rights depends
upon the exercise Of the rights Of Others. 4
possess the undoubted right to ride " i,h nv
family through any Of the public streets of thus