Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-05
- 49,, 7a;,.5 Solos shall no, BE- liable fol

attempt at the last session when lis dHlehue..'
wasyo,ed down He had only, therefore! .oietea''
on this occasion that he held lhdt ''i's en'P
liancy was IN Office that was mol KNOWN o'u' ro.-
stiiu,ion, and ought MOTTO be KNOWN ~ .'e i aI
OF this Union: ic1 they have no aulhoii
they were expressly prohipiteu nun -
part, or doing any act TOWARDS ''ic ~ 1,nulJ
any religion or passing any law which should
have reference 10 The establishment oil aiehS'oh'
He had seen. with great regret, on TcceEl occd-
sions in other places, mockery maze Oh fel'9oh.
He ha seen al the public iorani, ana INC Po-
Et;csl stand An Invocation oil The SuPiehie
Rrino 10 look benignanlly on The proceed,
nrs of the assembled multitude; ana IL hau
there seen that vev multitude outrage ieii-
oion morals. law. Older and common sense, D!
the singing of low songs and ribalui!. Wv,
such things should not 90 together. w ch"i1,'
was no part of our Government; 'iie Cn",1"
was no, adopted by our Government 'u.
what more or les was the appointment OF
chaplains TO Congress, man an M S'e" rp.oln.
establish religion by law Tor such ie<oiu
ton, offered and adopted here, must go through
All the forms of law, even 10 the approval ana
Signature of the President of the United States
Put again. the House Of Representatives was
called Hnon by that resolution seallhily 10 put It's
hands into The Treasury of the United States,
and take away money 10 MAINTAIN one seer VI
Christians 10 the depression OF another; rue
the resolution provided that The Two ohaplahis
should be Of different denominations, ana mol Vi
the same Sect but II must be remembered t'd' heic
were many other seciS IN TINS Union; ana 'ums "
coun,epance and elevate two sects over all me
roc, did NOT NEE, the approval uf the people. lie
could assure gentlemen that lie had consulted lhe
people on this subject since the last session oil
! CONGRESS and he came back 10 this House as
! mnch opposed as ever TO this establishment OF
apy sect. and as ready and willing as ever 10
meet and contest the adoption OF such resolution.
He opposed il on Constitutional grounds; he OPP
posed il because they had no authority to es'aoish
any particular sect OF religion; and ne opposed IL
because they had no power TO take from !he
Treasury for such purposes that revenue %hich
was raised for the support OF The 0oVerh!hehl'-
How stood the matierl They passed revenue
law, under which they collected revenue ron
every part Of this widely extended Union they
were collected from persons Of every religious de-
nomnalon--from Trinilaran and .niarlan--
from all the varieties of iel9onsls who the Con
s,itntion said should no! be compelled To conl'i-
bute for the establishment OF religion; and vel ny
such legislation as this they took from them mo-
/, new in taxes Tor that purpose. When ne rose ne
lid no, intend 10 have detained The House WIN
any remarks but he had felt consiralnedto ehier
warning proes, against the adoption o ms feso-
| luton, BY which people ofdierent religious seclS
were TO be compelled to paw for the support OF these
! chaplains The people had no right 10 pay for
( the religious teachers Of the members ei TINS
/ House; but if these chaplains were viewed as OIL
! GERS Of this House, they should ne properly COM
/ missiopeI for those duties. He well knew now
he should Ike assaiicd for the stand he had takcE,
J both from ;ie pulpit and The press; his motives
I would be maligned, and he would be siSma.'zed
as an nhdel; but he should be unmoved by any
| such calunluy he STOOD there 10 discharge that
which he conceived 10 be duty, but al the same
time he was no, opposed TO me appoiNiine'i, OF
I chaplains 10 he two Houses OF Congress. he
! only opp,1ss a, manner in which il was done,
on The g: " Al hich he had stated. He was not
only willinssou, he was desirous, that this
! House should Zach day be opened with prayer;
| but he desired also that the members OF TINS
House should be placed on the same basis
with their constuenls--iha, Is each one pay
ing for his own religious teachers. The peo-
pie would not tolerate al act oil Congress
! by which preachers should be sent among lhe
! people by them, 10 be supported by compulsion,
for the people would make choice OF their preach
ers for themselves, and make provision Tor them
in their own way. Nor would the people approve
OF the appointment OF religious teachers here,
! for whom they were compelled TO pay tribute
He repeated thai the members OF this House
should pay for their own chaplains; ana IN con-
nec,ion with the amendment whchhe had offered,
| lie had drawn up a simple form OF subscription
paper 10 carry out the views which he had ex-
pressed 1t was as follows:
awe the undersigned members OF the 2slh
Congress, agree to pay the sum BY us below sub
scribed, 10 the Rev. -, chaplain ofthe House
OF Representatives, al The second session OF said
Congress, for his services as such chaplain.
'John Petit, IS o."
He said. i, would be perceived he had put down
his name Tor IS, bu il The Two Houses appointed
the tao chaplains. each members propononale
share would only he from So 10 81. If, however,
each House separately and distinctly appointed
chaplain, the share Of each member OF this House
would be bu; about - 30; bu, If it were necessa-
~, be would even double the sum winch he pro-
posed 10 subscribe, and ,aen vote for the appoint
lnca, Of chaplain who would do credit TO The
House, and not be disgrace 10 i, and 10 the reii
gion which be professed 10 teach.
Mr.. MCCONNELL called for the previous
question, which being seconded the main question
was ordered.
Mr. PETIT called ior the yeas and nays on
the main question, which were ordered.
Mr.. Mckay raised the question Of order thai
there being an existing law providing Tor the com
pen>a,ion OF hapains, il was not competent ny
resolution, which was not 10 be sent 20 INC Presi
dent 70, his concurrence 10 repeal H. suppose
(said Mr.. Mckay YOU adopt The amendment ihe
chaplains appointed under il would have right
to draw the salaries which have been provided Tor
them by law The amendment, was therefore not
in order.
Mr. STEENROD inquired if there was not
already an appropriation tor the salaries oil The
chaplains Tor this session.
The SPEAKER replied, that The appropriation
ives made for the fiscal year up to the first OF July
next.
Mr.. PETIT was no, satisfied that there was
an appropriation for this Object because the chap
lains not Icing YET appointed, il could not apply
10 Offices not yet created.
The SPEAKER decided, on he question 0For-
der raised by The gentleman i!orn North caro-
lima, Mr., Mckay, thai il cou!c mol BOW be
sustained, the previous question having been or
dered BY the House In his opinion, however,
twas mol competent for the House, by resou-
tion 10 rcpeal The law providing Tor The salaries
o. the chaplains
Mr.. STEENROD appealed TO The gentleman
from Indiana Mr.. Petit 10 withdraw his amend
mcn,.
MIR. PETIT declined Withdrawing it.
Tie question was then pu, on the amendment
Of Mr. Petit, and decided in the negaii"e-yeas
20 nays l52, as follows:
YsAs-M essrs. Anderson, Arlington, Benton,
poa'lin, BOYD, Burke John w. Davis, Flcklin,
Hale Hughes James B. Hunt, jerks, Andre"
Johnson, Mcdowell, Norris, Petit, Redlng, Ritter
Slide and Weller-20.
NAYs- Messrs. Abbott, Adams, Ashe, Atkin,
son, Baker Barringcr, Barnard, Bidlack, Edward
]. Black, James Black, James a. Black, Black
well, Bower Brinkerhof, Brodhead, NJ. brown,
Wn,amJ Brown, jeremiah Brown Burlington,
Bnr,. Caldwell, Carpenter, jeremiah Z. Cary,
Catlin. Causin, Reuben Chapman, Augusta, a.
Cha pman, Chiffon. Clincman, Clinton, Cobb,
Cranston, Dana, Daniel Darrah, Garrett Davis,
Dawson, Dean, Deberry, Dellet, Dickey, Dillins-
ham, Douglass, Dromgoo!e, Duncan. Dunlap,
Ellis. Fa,lce, Fish, Florence, Foot, FRENCH, F'ui-
Ter, Gidlines, Goggin, Byram Green, Gflnnc!,
Order, Hannibal Hamin, Edward liamlin'
HARRISON, Hardin, Harper, HAYS, Henley, her
rick. HOLMES, Uose, Hopkins. Houston, Hubbard
Huhbel Hudson, EIungeriord, Chas. J. Ingersol,
Irwin, Perley B. johnson, John P. Kennedy, Da-
ninl X inc L irl,nairch ahcanche Leonard, Luz