Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-29
CONGRESS-.

Resolved, That the Journal Of yesterday,
in that part which relates TO the resolution
Of amendment offered by Mr. Barnard OH
Tuesday last, the 9Th instant, the motion Of
Mr.. Gilmer To strike out part OF the reso-
luton, and the vote by yeas and nays taken
Yesterday on that, be amended so as TO
state the question as follows: The part
of the resolution Of Mr. Barnard proposed
to be stricken out was in the following
words, namely And that the Journal be
further amended by inserting the following
paper as that offered TO be read, to wit !:
The roll Of Representatives, &c. Copy the
proiest.)
The pending question being that here
tofore raised by MIR. Dromgoole, "Shall this
resolution be received 2"
Mr. G.. J. lngersoll inquired ofthe Speak
or whether this question could be postponed
for the purpose of moving that the House
90 into committee
The Speaker said such motion would
not be in order at this time, :here being
subject before the House.
Mr.. Steenrod desired TO be informed
what would be the effect Of motion to
lay the resolution on the tablet
The Speaker said the resolution was not
vet in possession Of the House and there
fore such a motion could not be entertained
Ms Steenrod inquired whether a motion
TO lay the question of reception on the table
would be in order.
The Speaker said that such motion
would be in order ; and decided that, should
il prevail, the paper Tor protesL would not
be in possession Of the House.
Mr. Steenrod submitted the motion.
Mr. Barnard asked the yeas and NAYS,
which were ordered and, being taken, re-
suited as follows -
Yeas Il6, Nays So
So the question Of reception rds laid on
the table.
Mr. Jameson inquired of the Speaker
whether the fact Of the yeas and nays having
been taken would spread the paper upon the
Journal
The Speaker said, in his opinion, it
wouldInot.
The Speaker announced that the next
business in order was the call of the States
for petitions
And the pending question, in this order
of business, was that raised by Mr.. Adams
on Saturday last, to wit:
Mr. Adams had presented memorial from
citizens of New York, praying the passage
Of such laws and the adoption ofsucb amend
ments TO the constitution Of the United
States as would forever dissolve the people
OF that State from all further connexion with
slavery which petition the Speaker had
decided came within the provisions Of that
rule which prohibits the reception Of any
petition, memorial, resolution, or other
paper praying the abolition of slavery in the
District of Columbia, or any State or Ter
ritory, or the Slave trade between the States
or territories Of the United States in which
IL now exists"
From this decision Mr. Adams appealed
The Speaker had expressed his readiness
to hear an argument on the subject, and to
investigate the fact stated by Mr. Adams !;
pending which question, the House had adj
journed. And the question now recurring
in the form in which il is set forth, the
Speaker said that the adjournment Of
the House on Saturday, pending this ques-
ton, had enabled him TO look more fully in
to II than it would otherwise have been in
his power 10 do.
So far as precedents were to go, the Chair
this character had bcen entertained by the
House. The Speaker here quoted the words
ofthe rule, and proceeded. The prayer Of
this petition was, that Congress would pro-
pose such amendments to the Constitution
Of The United States as would forever sepa-
rate the petitioners aud the people of New
York from domestic slavery. 1t appeared
to the Chair that the memorial now offered
was not within the letter of the rule and
as that rule was restrictive in its character
the Chair did not feel at liberty 10 give it an
Interpretation beyond tina, which the rule IT.
self indicated
The Speaker accordingly decided that
the petition did not come within the opera
ton of the rule.
The petition being thus before the House,
Mr. Adams moved its reference to the Com
mttee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. Cave johnson said, that as he was
not willing that petitions praying for dis
solution Of the Union should be received at
any time, he objected to the reception of this
petition
Mr.. Adams. The reason of the gentle
man does not apply This is not petition
for the dissolution of the Union, bur for the
adoption by Congress of an amendment to
the Constitution ofthe United States. The
reason assigned by the gentleman, therefore,
is not reason for the rejection of recep-
ton of this petition. | move its reference
10 the Committee on the Judiciary, TO whom
similar petitions presented at the last Con-
gress were referred.
Mr. Thompson moved that the question
of reception be laid on the table.
Mr. Hudson and Mr.. Adams simutane-
ously asked the yeas and nays, which (after