The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-01-04
Correspondence ofthe Providence Journal
Wash ngtnn. Monday morning Dec. 20.

~ ASH uSphH AtOuudE HlOTniug Dec. ~
With this morning commences the third week
Of the present Session. and yet thus far Congress
has done nothing worthy to b. mentioned. Even
tie preliminary and though uainieresting vet es-
sential business Of PREPARATION has Progressed
but slowly in either House. During ihe whole
three weeks the Senate has hardly been in ses-
ST III SIX hours altogether and the only thing of
any consequence that il has DONE has been the
appointment Of a committee, on motion Of Mr..
Mangum. for the purpose of experimenting AID
abridging The printing Of the matters brought be
fore-iI for consideration. IF the committee an
pointed, attend 10 this faithfully. it will be ;be
means OF no ncnnsiderablc saving. OnThursday
Mr.. Linn, Of Missouri, made demonstration Of
hos'llIty u the distie;rIion act by giving notice
OF his :atenllon to introduce a bill for its repeal
This will come Up in the Senate to-day, and may
give rise 10 warm debate AS however. the e
is no pr"spcci Of is passing, II is To be hoped
that the wing Senators will treat it with The con-
tempt il deserves, and pass 10 silence The attempt
TO cause useless debate, and waste of lime for
no possible good, and for rurely fac!cus purposes
on the part of the mover.
The House, although il has been llnger in ses-
sion during the past week, has hardly accomplish
ed more bushts SIS than the Senate. A portion Of
its time has been occupied in the reception of pe
ti'ions, the residue in the discussion of the sub
JET nl pro ,ecuon 10 lact, though IN name only
that of a reference OF a certain portion of the
message touching the Tariff. They have, how
ever, passed without discussion, and even with
ont opposition, one BIZ! reported from The commit
tee of Ways and Means. This measure adopt.
ed with such unsurpassed uraninily. will occa-
sion less surprise when you learn 1t was an appro-
priation bill for their clrn pay.
The presentation oil petitions has, however
been markel with one feature of interest and
novelty. The petitions on the subject of Aboli-
ton, intended 10 be excluded By he 2ist rule
have been so carefully and so ingen:ously word
ed, completely to evade the restriction of that
rule. The consequence has been, that greater
number cf Ado iticn petitions Than were ever be-
fore received were offered and accepted on Tues
day and Wednesday last. They were 81 ingen-
| iousy worded that thouIh evidently its invasion
of tie 2ist rue, il was impossible, BY the most
stIct constitution of that rule, 10 refuse them.
| T! US has ingenuity ouw.tted, completely, the
authors Of this infamous gag, and turned their
tyrarical infrngemcnis OF the rights of freemen
into source Of ri1cule and LAUGHTER have
li:;ie sympathy for those who make themselves
so busy ard troublesome Tor no pos .ible good and
the Abolitaists must have tar less regret for the
modification and defeat Of those who take such
unworthy means 10 battle them, as palpahle vi
olat;on ofthe sacred right of petition, and unds-
guised Infringement of rights conferred by the
Consii.u ion.