The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-07-06
REMARKS OF MR.. SLADE, Of Vermont.
Ii THE House OF REPR EsENrATIvEs.

REMARKS OF MIR. SLADE, Of Vermont
Ii THE House OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THURSDAY. June 2 1911.
The question being OF proposition oil MIR. Ad-
ans to amend resolution adopting the rules oil
the last Congress, BY adding, excepting the 2lSt
rule which is hereby reseinded," { which rule
excluded the reception OF abolition petitions &c.
Mr.. SLADE said he did not rise for tie purpose
Of continuing the debate on The merits OF the
question, if, indeed lis merits had been actu lily
reached in the discussion. He felt peled TO
say that so far as the question had been discussed
with reference to the agency which the respec-
tive parties in the last Congress had IN lie adop-
ton of the 2ist rule-and the discussion had
been mostly confined TO that-its merits had not
been touched a, all. He deemed it of no impor-
lance 10 90 into an examination as TO the PaternI-
~ of he rule. Whether it was measure OF the
last Administrator ur OF its oponertS did net
aflert its true character. He preceIved II" good
that coIld result from bringing up these remlnI-
srences. Its only effect would be 10 divert The
House from the true question beinre II, anG throw
ii of into inIermInable sea oil debate on points
which had nothing IL do with the question.
Mr. S. said his purpose had been, and still
was, to refrain from discussing The 2lst rule, OF
The subject of slavery, at the present session.
When the proper lime should arrive, he should
have much 10 say on the question Of slavery, and
up the rule, should there be an attempt Id adopt
it. But be came here al the present session for
a ffereni purpose. He came with an expressed
determination 10 present no abolition petitions,
and with confident belief that nobody would
present them; and he would add. with conf
dent belief that the friends of the RUE in question
would refrain from pressing t-that they would
not force upon the House question which must
necessarily lead to n protracted debate, and
trench upon time Which ought TO be devoted eX
clusively 10 the objects which formed the neces-
sity for the extraordinary session. He had not
believed lha' the friends Of the rule would, IN The
absence of all necessity for it, undertake the
experiment Of gagging, six. months in advance,
merely for tire sake Of showing their power of
dolng it. The rule expired IN the 81 % March
last. He had thought they would be willing tn
let it sleep a. least until the first regular session
of Congress; and that be might be permitted to
ENJOY the satisfaction of CONSCIOUS freedom during
the intervening peri"d-espeoially as he had lett
what he now avowed. no disposition to exercise
that freedom 10 the annoyance Of any body.
To show tie House what had been his views
on the subject, and The Course he has deemed it
his duty to pursue. he would beg permission TO
read to the House, a communication he had ad-
dressed 10 the leading abolition paper in Vermont
touching this subject A correspondent of the
paper having suggested that petitions should be
sent to Congress at the Extra session, praying
for the resembling of The 2lst rule. he (Mr. 81
had there upon addressed 10 ne L iitor The iol-
lowing:
GSce previous number of our paper
In one particular, MIR. S. said, be hst been
mistaken in the communication he had just read.
His impression had been Il at abolition petitions
were wiIhholde1 lrnm presentation at ;he extra
session, of 1887: hut upon examination of the
Journal of that SESSION, he found that the follow
ing resolution had been adopted, viz:
Resolved That the action of the several stan
ding committees of this H,use on all matters not
embraced by the Message Of the President of the
United States to the two Houses of Congress,
conmunicai ed on the second day of the current
session. be suspended until the commencement
of the annual session Of Congress in December
next; aud that the consideration of all petiions
on such suspended matters, be also postponed to
the period above specified.
Under this resolution, all petitions of every de-
scliption, not coming within the scope Of the
Presidents Message, were lad on the table and
passed over TO the next session. But few abol-
lion petitions, however, were presented. He was
not able To find that he had presented single
one during the session. Those which were pre-
senred went ON to the table, not under slavery
gag rule, but because they did not fall within the
range OF business 10 which it had been deemed
proper TO con6ne the extra session.
Mr.. S. said he would have the same course
pursued now. He did not believe that abolition
petitions wouId be presented during The present
session but if they should, they might be dis
prsed of under general resolution like that a.
dopted at the extra session of 1887. He would
therefore SIMPLY drop the 21st rule in other words
except it from the rules of The lest Hou-e of
Representatives. to be adopted for the govern
mpnt of The present. He thought none could
object to this. 1t compounded nobody. To
drop. or except it from the rules, would be sim
ply sa, ing: We have come here for special
purpose. We desire To accomplish it as snon as
possible, and will not consume time by urging
the adoption OF rule for which there is no
practical necessity at the present session,
and TO press which, will only have the effect OF