The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-02-01
That TWENTY-TIRsT RULE

report, by the SeIec Committee, of new
code OF rules, has occupied what is called
the morning hour. The practice is as
soon as the Journal of the preceding dav
is read, each member who has business
to forward, presents it, and endeavors to
getthe unanimous consent of the House
for its reception and disposal, whether it
be petition. resolution, bill, or report of
a committee.
The question before the House, is Mr..
Dromgoole's motion to re-commit the re-
port, with Mr. Blacks motion to instruct
Committee to restore the 25th told 2lst)
rule. Mr.. Wise, the original chairman
OF the Select Committee, who was out of
town when the report was made,now ask
ed leave to submit minority report, de-
clarlng at the same time that he did not
wish any delay or postponement on that
account The leave was granted without
a negative, of course.
Mr.. A. V. Brown. of Tennessee, who
had the floor, Immediately suggested that
there ought to be delay, on this account:
whereupon. Mr.. Clinton, of N Y, mov-
ed to postpone the subject for three weeks.
The various questions and points of order
growing out of this attempt at evasion,
soon swamped the Speaker, who is neither
quick nor discriminating enough for his
post; and to help him out by cutting the
knot, Mr.. Brown, of Indiana, moved to
lay the whole subject on the table, j. t.
dismiss it at once. But again this motion
was voted down, yeas rs, nays 10Y
One would think this steady majority of
thirty votes would satisfy these gentlemen
OF the fixed determination OF The House
to emancipate themselves from the gag
rule. But 1t was not SO. On Wednes-
day the motion TO postpone was pressed,
perseveringly, until pointed remark of
Mr.. Adams shamed them out of il. and
the motion was Withdrawn, and the de-
bate proceeded.
The next method of relief is for the
Speaker to give the floor exclusively to
one side of the question. He seems to
have eyes and ears for no other On
Wednesday we heard Mr.. A. V. Brown.
on Thursday MIR. Rheu and Mr.. BidIack.
on Friday Mr.. Bidlack and Mr.. Belsher,
and on Saturday Mr. Belsher and Mr..
Cobb-al shareholders but Mr.. Bidlack.
and he Northern man, who has always
voted for the gag until now that he va.
ries.
Mr. Bidlack, of Pennsylvania, said he
had heretofore supported the Rule with
reluctance, on the appeals of Southern
gentlemen of both parties, but he had not
met that undivided support from the South
he had been encouraged TO expect. He
considered it a mere question of expedien.
cy. 1.-THE South, as the gentleman from
Virginia had said, will agree upon any
manner Of fighting this battle-if battle
they are determined TO call it-and will
come up to The work, and Are when we
fire, (saId Mr.. B and not retreat-ay,re-
treat, did say ?-not go over 10 the enc
my and fire, then | will maintain nv DO.
stion In that battle, and fight 10 the last.
But if this was not done, was Mr.. B. 10
be obliged TO stand in position on the
field which he was thoroughly convinced
was not the position in which he could
serve his country. When those who
said they were most interested in the SUBJ
ject would not come up and sustain him
in that position, was he not at liberty to
take another position? He was in ia.
vor of re-commiment, but without in
structions, in the hope that the Committee
would substitute PInckney's rule, under
which abolition petitions were received
and laid on the table, without any action
thereon.
Mr.. Belsher, of Alabama, said the
House in every manner had been irving 10
get rid ofths trash, and TO fall back upon
Pnckney's rule, would be to try again
a remedy that had already failed AS
representative of the South, he was in ia
vor CT the rule as it stood, or of 40 rule.
If they could not have the Constitutional
guaranty in this matter; if i. was once ad-
mitted by this body that these petitioners
had the right to come in here with their
iacendiary matter; if they had the right to
bring these petitions into this Hall, then
they had the right to have them referred,
reported on, and discussed. The only
true Constitutional ground was to say TO
these petitioners, the Constitution does not
authorize you TO appear upon this floor.
If this House determined otherwise, Mr..
b. said, let them have no rule. If The
first step was taken, the spirit ofabolition,
which even denied Southern preachers to
enter into the temples OF God atthe North,
would drive gentlemen from the position
which they had assumed. Whenever they
had achieved the triumph of having their
petitions laid on the table, the next thing
would be that they must debate and refer
these petitions on this floor; and, step by
step, they would be driven like mariners
upon an ocean Of experiments, without
either chart or compass TO direct them
There was but one ground for the South
to take on this questionable rule as it is
or No ruln