Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-03
DOMESTIC.
M pICIIT ar prTITIOy

THE RIGHT or PETITION.
Either some misunde rsandnI Of the true extent and
value of the right Of petition, some innate difficulty
in it's exercise in form OF government, has led of
late to consequences in National Legislature winch
should arouse some inquiry as to their cause.
Now, if there is limt TO the exercise Of this Gin.
valuable right 10 every freeman, 1t Is clear that the
House Of Representatives may as well stop business.
If the undenable grievances OF every man or woman
whose digestive organs may be out u order, and who
has therefore, nnunierab!e complaints to make OF the
1nismanagem Of society aud 'tlc thousand Ills that
flesh is heir tor if the conceits of every busy body
who imagines that il he had the management of things,
there should be better laws and better administration
of them, because, when embodied the torn oi
spectful petition entitled that account alone, To
consideration and respect, where Will the maitersop
Petitioners enough always be found Tor any object
Heaven and common schools be thanked, we have a
numerous population who can write Their names, and
latterly they little vain Of the fact As gene
raj thing not than cut OF ten Of the sgnefs
of petitions cares what becomes OF them, even
knows their contents Many sign TO crafty him who
presents the paper, many 10 get rc OF hnn and many
from no motive al all Now II every petition that the
wit of mischief making, the uneasiness oi y"'r pat
ro,ic men and women, may desire aud get ssnrrs to,
merely because concludes, and your petitioners viii
ever pray, &C. is, that account alone, or III other
words because ssthe sacred right Of petition nvolv
ed is TO occupy the time Of men elected and set apart
At nm enormous expense do tie work Of the nation
and not its tomoolery; then II seems 10 us that tins
sprecious boon had better be exchanged for some other
right less expensive and more beneficial.
But f the right of petition IS not thus limItabie and
that it is few will MAINTAIN; If it s allowable under any
circumstances to look IL the object Of the petition III
order TO test the prcpriety Of lis presentation, then Ia
there no excuse shade Of paation for the conduct
Of John Quincy Adams.
Petitions to any person or authority always pfcsup,
pose power of relief Their first aud most obvious
classification would therefore seem TO be, into those
which can be granted, and those which, from want 81
power, cannot Now our right of petition is Of English
~ IN binkt 10 Iba ma
with us that it with ancestors. This ~ not
Englishneu pettioned 10 Parliament which, humaniy
speaking is allpowerui. There is nothing the way
of making laws granting petitions that II IS not CONF
petent TO- from relieving vagrani, down TO deposins
and beheading king and setting tie crown All pc
titions for relief which human legislatures grant arc
properly addressed 10 that body. !.
But i is not so with rs Our Congress is limited iS
its powers TO few specified subjects marked out and
defined by written constitution Any matter not IN
cuded in these specified powers improper sub
ect for petitions would be the asking British Par
lament TO build railroad from Albany to New ork.
right of petition cannot exist where there no duty
TO hear or redress the complaints, and this duty cannot
exist without n commensurate power. Where then, is
the duty receive petitions upon which Congress has
undenably power TO act and how can the refusal
10 receive such be violation oil right TO send them,
which never existed
True there are many subjects over which the Jurs-
dction of Congress disputed such, for instance, rs
The abolition OF slavery in the District of Columbia
aud we see no way OF dsposIng OF these, other than
that adopted by Congress upon all matters of doubAl
cognzance. Let each Congress settle the matter ~.
cordng TO its rules. But when the matter OF any
petition is clearly and ndispuaby beyond the jurs-
diction Of Congress, conceive that ember has
right TO present It, nor IN refusing so to do, does he
violate the right OF petition
All this patriotic talk, therefore, about the right Of
pell,ion seems TO us, mostly rgmarole and flourish oi
rhetoric 1t was once an important right. When the
people represented in the Legislature-when
rt,gly
unla,d-when there way but this to make ar.cL
late the grievances OF the oppressed then he who would
subver, violate deny this then sacred right, in
deed traitor 10 the cause OF liberty Well worth che
rlshng this right then; well worth the cioquence
of patriots the blood shedding Of political martyrs
But now in age and country, when every man has
n voice in the choice of rulers-when every village has
its newspaper, pulpit and political preachers 10 trumpet
forth every outrage grievance or hardship oil the laws
when all opinion is public opinion, vast sea oilow
inp around the Capitol what need OF this jealousy Of
this now petty right Not surely because there no
other ways of making wants known, not surely be-
cause representatives. may reckessy neglect those
wants and slight our Just demands Can we not, if
they are unfalihiu 10 US, speak TO them in more
lhoritatve form than that Of petition, and command
the N on pain OF losing their high places TO obey our
last behests?
There are indeed, certain instances in which pe,l
lion or memorial is the only way oi getting relief from
legislative body, where individual petitions for
redress of private rights that public laws have inter-
irred with, or for private relief which, from pc
ru,ar circumstances, the nation is bound 10 grant.
But these exceptions The usual legislation OF
Congress must be general, affecting the whole people
and therefore when there is vide spread and pervad
ing evil, calling loudly for redress--snch an EVIL as
would uci,e the whole nation to petition for relief, it is
evident that then the right of petition IS Of 'ile
for the lawmakers themselves informed with this
same spirit and come 10 their fresh from lis nflu
ence-it did not need the Thousand petitions for a
BANKRUPT law 10 inform Congress that the people want
ed it. nor in our opinion did they hasten lis passage.
The members knew the fact; they needed no hearsay
Keeping in view them that Congress, except in some
,aci, cases epislates Alright only when making gene
raj laws for the bene:t Of the whole people, that when
there is call for such legislation the representatives.
,nemsslye. must know the fact; tina, SPECIAL Peh'lons