New-York tribune., 1842-03-02

forts Congress defence o the Right Petition aud
that The be communicated him by the officers OF the
meeting
Resolsed That the urdigied and threatening language
and conduct nj certain Members OF Congress in hostility 10
the Right Of Petition highly deroga,or rational
character and institutions and deserve The repre-
hension
REPLY OF MR.. ADAMS
7soas x,mg.iap asd HG ill., s. ff1 Js.n Aet
ing Of Citizens Of the City ef Rocies.er II, tie State Of
Ncr-Iori, held on tie eth Of February, 1872
"AsHIS"ToS 10th Feb, 1912.
i.Fellop Citizens: | have received with dcea
and grateful sensibi!ity your letter of ;hc 9tliin
together with IA copy of three resolutions adopted
on the preceding evening meeting of citizens
OF the city of Rochester.
The Constitution of the Untad States expressly
provides that Congress shall make no law ApRIDG-
ING the freedom of speech of the press: or of
the right of the people peaceaby TO assemble. and
10 petition the goycrnment. for redress of griev-
;nccs.
1t must be perfectly Obvious to every one thar
the nterdict upon Congress to o5ridqe the free
dom of speech and of the press, and the right of
petition applies. if possible, with double force 10
each separate branch of the Legislative power;
and that neither the Senate nor House Of Repre-
senatives of the United States can refuse or cvadc
the reception Of petitions without abrid gine the
freedom of spesch. of the press. and the right of
petition; for the freedom of the press and the right
OF petition themselves are but notifications Of the
freedom of speech.
The Constitution has prescribed no limitation
or restriction upon the right of the people TO pcti-
ton, with regard 10 the object PRAYED FOR. The
Legislative power can prescribe no such limita-
tion or restriction without ab,idgine the right
Every refusal TO receive is an abrdgment .f the
right.2That right is co-cxtensve with the redress
of er7cuances-of what is fell as grievance the
sufcrcr is and in the nature of things must be-
the exclusive Judge. The wi>cs of men has said
inc heart knoweth its orn Jilerncss and stran-
ger ntermeddleth with Joys Tie power Of
each House reject the PRAYER OF n petitioner is
discretionary, but not arbitran-and il is amply
sufficient to protect then, from the ANNOYANCE Of
unreasonable, unjust, or impertinent petitions
The petitioner is not bound to knew, whether the
PRAYER of his petition is within the competency Of
the Legislature to grant or That is within
the judgement Of the body itself, and the want Of
power grant is decisive reason for refusing TO
grant, but not for refusing receive. ANY iHdi-
cation of violence irnecency, menace or insult
upon the body addressed, upon any of =ts
bcrs, under color of petition, is sufficient
son for the refusal TO receive. and | am aware of
no other thut can be exercised without abrid gment
of the right.
The duty of member of the Legislative body
to present, is, in my opinion co-extensivc with
that of the body to recerre petitions; and these
the principles upon which have invariably
exercised the ri ght and performed the duty of pre-
sen,ng the petitions to the body of which ain
a MEMBER entrusted to me by the petitioners
1t is known TO YOU that within she last seven
years rules have been adopted by the House Of
Representatives of the United States. under which
thousands of petitions, all coming from the free
!,
cevcd-tha. thousand. of others have been de-
barred from hearing and consideration, by the
notable device of any one Southern member OBJ
jecting to the reception, and moving to lay his
objection upon the table which of course carries
the petition withit-that the unpardonable offence
which have committed has been resist the
extent of my right Representative OF the pco-
Pile the establishment of these rules and the pur-
suit Of this practice, and persist in defiance OF
numberless threats of ASSASSINATION from without.
and of expulsion and the Penitentary from with
into present every petition committed to my
charge, couched in respectful language and pray
ing for the redress of grievances
The last desperate attempt III thc=liousc not
only to ubridgc but utterly annhiate the FREE
dom of speech and of the press. and the exercise
of the night of petition BY .hc people of the free
States, is thai monstrous conspiracy, the extent
and purposes of which have been partially detect
ed and exposed in the course OF my recent trial
upon charges of high treason. subornation of
perjury and other enormous crimes-yon PRE-
sEyTISG \ PETITION.
s. In that emergency, formidable only BY the com
bination of conflicting masses ofpower against me
the representative of the principles OF free
dom in the House. your generous sympathy, and
that of the citizens of Rochester. in whose name
YOU have addressed me. was a cheering consela-
ton even before the hour of nv deliyerance Il
cheers me still amid the persecution hitherto bat-
fled, but not ye, c3linguished; and Will remain rs
IN inheritance 10 my children, and az snailins
augurv of the final triumph of the cause in which
| suffer, should 1t requrc, in the progress of the
conflict. the Sae;iice of my life
Receive. again, for yourselves and your constiiu-
cats. the thanks of your friend and telow-ctizen.
,JoHS QUiScr ADAMS.
SUICIDE BY FEMAL1.-On Sunday afternoon
an Irish girl named Mary Johnson, aged about y
wears who boarded at No. Is Orange-street,
borrowed two shillinsS OF a friend. fastened 10