Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-03-17


iition in the House Of Representatives is from
the Washington correspondence OF the New
York American:
Washington, Feb. 90, ts4s.
On the meeting OF the House this morning,
all eyes were at once attracted towards the
desk of John Quincy Adams, upon which stood
ponderous wooden wheel or roller, Supported
on substantial frame work--having very much
the appearance Of reduced specimen of a
'hsherman's reel such as we often see along
our sea shores, used for winding up and drying
large fishing nets or seines. The whole height
Of the frame and roller, with its burden, was
nearly three feet. Upon it was wound an inn
nIense roll of paper, about two feet broad aud
nearly two feet in diameter as viewed at the
end. This curious object is petition from
Massachusetts,, signed by 81 ,963 citizens of
that State, praying Congress to pass such acts
and propose such amendments to the Consii-
tuition as will separate the petitioners from all
connection with the institution of domestic
slavcryp The names of these .ffy one thou
sand eight hundred and siriy-three signeis
written in the ordinary form and size. occupied
the whole extent of this immense roll, which
is half mile long.
MIR Adams took the earliest moment when he
could get the floor, TO offer this petition, this
being the regular day for the presentation of
petitions under the rules of the House. But il
80 happened that there was then pending a mo-
ton to go into Committee of the Whole,
which Is done by suspension of the rules, and
Mr. Adams was therefore precuded from any
action until the vote was decided. The House
carried that motion in the Affirmative; but be-
fore the Speaker left the Chair to the Chair
man Of the Committee Of the Whole, Mr. Adj
ans rose again, aud asked leave to present the
Great Petition. AS he stood beside it with
his hand on the axle of the roller, it overshad-
owed him completely, rising nearly foot high
er than his head.) The Speaker decided that,
as one suspension of the rules had just been or
dered, another motion To suspend could not
now be entertained, and that the petition could
now be received only by unanimous consent.
Mr. Adams then asked for the unanimous con-
sent Of the House, for that purpose.
Before any slave holder or Souiherncr could
draw his breath To utter his objections, two
base Northern ocoiocos shouted, Il OBJECT
aud thus shut the mouth of the great and ven
cradle patriarch, and cut off the claims of more
than fifty thousand lrecmen to be heard by the
servants and representatives of the people.
The man who first cried, 81 object was a
Representative of New York CITY, known TO
the voters and to some of the Bankers of that
city by the name of Fernando Wood. The
o.her, who objected almost at the same instant,
was Charles j. lngersoll, of Philadelphia. No
hle rivalry OF the two greatest cities of free
America! Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll seemed par
ticularly wrathlul at the sight of the petition,
and Iabored To make himself conspicuous in the
sight of the slave holders as their dirt-eaicr.-
He aspires to be considered the most shameless
man in the House; but New York scorns TO be
outdone by Philadelphia in anything.
Mr. Adams then said-'Well, shall keep the
petition on my desk until have an opportun-
~ to present it; and il shall remain here as
monument Here Fernando Wood added in
an audible voice,-'Of your inamy!n]
Now, isn't that rich! John Quincy Adams,
ancient, venerable, time-honored, exalted m
soul, in mind, in station and in fame, the CO.
eva of the Constitution IFS illustrator and its
guardian, whose life is the history of the nation,
whose character and actions are its pride and
boast; the friend and chosen favorie of Wash
ington, the darling and household inmate of
Franklin, the companion and counsellor Of oil
the great and good OF our country for more
than half century, the glory of three ages
he, John Quincy Adams, is 'infamous;' Fer
nando Wood says so!
Mathematical !Science-We are somewhat
puzzled by IA Gard in the National lntelligencer.
by AUGUSTUS You've, Member of Congress
from Vermont. He announces the speedy pub
LEGATION of scientific work, TO be entitled
"Ralio in Unity, or Unity of Purpose" in
which he first presents a treatise on the quad
nature OF the circle, which he has treated differ
irving at corresponding different result He
thinks the approximation TO a quadralure of
ihe circle, which is in use, is quite insufficient,
lnasmuch as it is founded on principles not
Known To be correct; and the error, of the pro-
cess, both in principle and in fact, he declares
TO be very great. He hold, moreover, that
the measure of the circle now eXtant does not
agree with Kepler's famous law, that the
squares OF the periods OF the planets are as the
cubes of the mean distances of he Snn Won
turing still farther, Mr.. Young 'denes the
correctness of the NetctOnidn theory ofgrdrity
IN all its principles and applications; whether
upon his broad hypothesis of the innate CRAWL
~ ofInatler, or the law by which it is governed
as by hun given or promulgated tn the world"
lie proposes to demonstrate that the ''adoption
Of the Newtonian theory of gravity has almost
reduced the whole science OF astronomy to that
OF exploring for equations, whereby TO recon
cue the eternal truths OF nature, based upon
lmmutable laws, with human error" Mr.. /
Young, it will be seen, aims of lofty achieve
ments in science, and his character gives suC-
hclent assurance that he is at least in earnest
IN what he proposes. What truth there may
be in his theories, and how they may be sup |
ported, remains to be seen. That his scientific !
atlanments are 81 no common order, is sufi-
GENTLY shown by the card, which is certainly .
written with ability Tribune.
The Comet On Tuesday evening-or per-
maps it was Monday-happenng to look out
at the front door of our residence, which faces
The South, we observed in the South Western
SKY long straight line Of light, extending
from the horizon diagonally toward point
about corresponding in the Southern Hemis-
p4ere TO that occupied by the pole-star in the
Norhern.i II was clearly defined, perfectly
straight, aud nearly as brilliant as the light Of
tde Moon in her second quarter. The idea