Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-13
rwENrY-EIGHrH CoNGREss--Firsts Session
HOUSE oF RErREsENrArIvEs-rs 9.

to be the REPORT THE RULES.
Mr.. HAMMETT then rose and said, that nothing
was more foreign from his thoughts, when he left
home, than that he should be called upon to debate,
during the present session. the subject under consde
raon-'he retention of the 18th rule but had thought,
that his attention would have been called To other sub
jects of Legislation He had thought that after such
overthrow with which his adversaries had met with in
the late elections, that the right of his constituents TO
their property would longer be denied but this
subject had taken different direction, the question ha.
now resolved ITSELF into how long are the people of the
South 10 be protected in their property guaranteed by
the compromises of the Constitution? and debating
this question, he hoped he would be enabled throw
some light upon the subject, and show to the House the
danger TO the permanency of the Union in pressing
this question which vitality affects the whole South, and
with which the non-slavehcding States have nothing
whatever to do.
The subject before the House is, whether the 25th
rule shall be part of The regulations of the House
not but the issue appears u have been narrowed down
as TO The right of petition, Which he had denied;
and, in discussing TINS question, lie should 60 back to
the right of petition, as IT existed in England which
had ably discussed by the gentleman from South
Carolina, (Alr. Rhet,) and the gentleman from Ala
bama, (Nlr. Beser) The right of petition was esa
bshed in England, however, Tor what To guard
the people from oppression in peaceaby assembling TO
petition for redress of grievances The trainers Of
the Constitution adopted similar right in that nstru-
ment, to gnard and protect the people of the United
States from punishment, in peaceably assembling 10
petition Congress Tor redress Of grievances, but it
ne intended that Congress should 60 beyond this
rule 1t intended In give Congress the
power Of imbrung the hands Of the people in each
others blood, which this question is certain to accom-.
psh, If il is not at once checked, and that forever.
1t the eht to petition, thus subject should be per-
sisted in and the rule be elected they alone, would
create mass Of business, which would require the
whole attention of Congress This the trainers of the
Constitution intended; because that INSTRUMENT
has given power t. Congress, we'll the people, the
right 10 petition, which must be exercised in their
wisdom; and il must be made clearly manifest, tina,
there is grievance, before Congress grant relief
If there is grievance it cannot. There never was
doubt, and there never be one, to the right OF
the people TO their property. which was acknowledged
at the time OF the adoption of the Federal Const,tu-
lion, and which had been sustained by the decisions
of the Supreme Court Judge Mclean had decided
in the of Briggs, rs the Commonwealth of Penn
Isylvania, which brought up 10 the Supreme
Court This was case Of anegro, who ran away from
his MASTER in the Stale of Mary land and was followed
into the Stale Of Pennsy lvania and there claimed
fugitive from labor and his master was obstruced IN
his rights by of the judicial tribunals OF that
State. The Supreme Court not only protected HIM IN
his property bat brought him through trumphantly,
by jusfying his whole course of procedure 1t mad
been remarked, this flor, that there was dispo
son TO skuk behind The Judiciary aud he hoped those
gentlemen, who reverence the Judiciary, will look at
this subject in it's proper light and stand by the de-
cision Of The Judiciary, which is all the South asks
The gentleman from New York Mr.. Barnard with
the goodness of his heart said few days ago, in deba-
ing the question Of the improvement OF the western
waters land who protested against an understanding
between the South and West, because the gentleman
from South Carolina mir Holmes,] had said that ne
would 60 for the improvement OF the western waters
if the West would he'll the South to reduce the tariff
that he would vote SIS 900 900 for that object and was
willing borrow more, but that the tariff must be let
alone This however, reminded him of an anecdote
Of good and honest Catholic, who had become 1T
tie into xcaed and in attempting TO mount his horse
fell back into the mud and finally invoked the Virgin
Mary, but he fell again. exclaming that his holy mother
when she was good she was too good which reminded
him Of the gentleman from New York, who was too
good 10 the West. The gentleman from New York
wishes few lighthouses, and the gentleman from
Ohio mr. Giddngsl who very patriotic, is ANXIOUS
to get an appropriation for the improvement OF the
Western waters, and particularly in the district IN which
he resides perhaps with the Intention OF building lew
schooners to aid the negroes, who away from Ken
lucky into Canada
The SPEAKER said il out Of order 10 refer to a
gentleman in debate.
Mr. HAMMETT Sir am only abiding to the
re ntleman's patriotism.
Mr. H. resumed, and said that the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Nr. Adams) commended that Congress
has The constitutional power to abolish slavery IN the
District of Columbia and although he acknowledged
him TO be an honorable man, and for whom he enter
tanned the highest respect for his long public services
he utterly denied the power, and ready TO make
issue with him upon that subject Congress has ex-
elusive legislation the District of COLUMBIA yet
It cannot pass la establishing order ot nob y
rest ct The freedom oil speech, or abrdge The liberty OF
the press; neither il pass an eJ post dct0 law, nm
pairing the obligation Of contracts; nor can it pass
law compelling man 10 give evidence against himself
Then the exclusive legislative power that Congress
has over the District, does not give it the power 10
abolish slavery, because negroes acknowledged by
The Constitution 10 be private property, which that in
srument says shall mt be taken for public use except
il is paid for. Gentlemen say that Congress can pay
for them; but Congress has no use for them. Does
Congress want to purchase negroes 10 wait upon the
President? Does it want them to wait upon thus body:
or does it want them sweep Pennsy lvania avenue
Oh no? Then Congress has no use for them WHATEVER;
and if they are wanted for the public use rs en-
phaticaliy declared by the Constitution, has no pow
er under that Instrument 10 pay for them Upon this
very principle he denied the power to the State Legs
lo,nres because they have no right whatsver to take
private property except for public use, with due COM
pensation therefor. So long the Constitution Exists
as the organic law of the land he deed the abol ton
iss because under that instrument they have not the
20 wer tn abolish slavery lf it should be Produced II
must be by another ST Domingo affair, which would be
beyond the Constitutions but while that instrument
existed, he de6ed the gentleman from Massachusetts
and all of the aboitonIsts.
The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Giddngs) had said
TIM the North had to support the negroes OF the South
which was The fact; but the slave labor OF the South
had in great measure supported the North III Their
ma by raising the staple prod uction for them
n manufacture He said he would examine for
men, the condition of the negro in the non savehod
inp States and went into statistical examination OF
the fact and cited the free negroes in the States OF
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts,, large
majority Of whom IDIOTS, and then as paral-
lei to those States he examined the statistics of the
State Of louisiana thus going from one extreme OF
the country TO the other, and found that The number
of idiots among the negro population, which was
much greater, bore comparison whatever to those
States. he then examined the subject in moral
point Of view, and proved from the statistics of the
State PRISONS that largest portion of The convcts
were negroes, VIII lst in the State Of Mississippi, and
the other Southern States, there were very few IN
their prisons He said this proceeded from their de-
graded position, and all history justified him in as
sertng, that wherever they have been left to them
selves. they were the most AFFECT and demorazing of
the whole human family He had visited Italy, and
had seen the laborng population Of that country
bow down at the Popes palace in misery and want
he had also visited France and other countries aud
he boldly declared in The face Of the world, that the
condition OF the laboring population OF those coun-
tries bore no kind of comparison in their comforts or
their morals to the negroes OF the Southern States
He assured the gentlemen Of the North, that the
Southern people were not afraid OF their nego's and
that thet doors were thrown open OF night, while
their children were asleep without any apprehension;
b...o,. ho peUroeg love their mI9trPsse9