Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-27

MIR SAUNDERS b-iur IN possession OF me moor,
pr ceece! address the IL use, IN cont acau'n :"
h $ s,sech commenced on 4 former day; hnl h's MS
remarks were MT distinctly heard by IN Repotisr-
He de rej 10 call tie a,tans;nn OF seni :aen u ''
nso,a, an wa'ch had besa submitted b. the GENT
ban from VI .ssacus ), tNf. Aean,s,) coHl'ng' as
Ahr ceallemln sad, itnm ii.a u ircta'c
&C h.. own SAT-; winch resolution had been referred
10 a committee. The members ci the last Congress
had not forgotten pttton which was in'fnuu''u
by the sen;i-non eom MISUNDERSTANDING P'tt'h
OF George L:t:mar, runaway slave iro@ Virginia
The gentleman. with great bensvolence oil purpose
nronosed that the doors OF this House should De
thrown open Tor the reception OF pottons from 1u"'
wov NEGROES while he had 5, little regard ior III"
rrh,s of property that he wholly uu:Slins ina
man should have his property restored 10 MN. i''s
course might accord w.th the gentleman views o
ruht bnt II did not with his. To trace thai petition
lt.e farther Having receiveda favorable heating acre
il next finds It's 10 the LeGlliiufe al MlSSichu-
scs and there referred TO select comaitce, at the
head Of which stood tue gentleman own son, using
the very same arguments which the gentleman nae
used here. lie wouil trace tic mater ts io:'1'''
and see where the proposition originally came 'fo''',-
Gentlemen could not have forgotten the meMo!aos
convention which took place CURING Tie a'e "a' ~ s
Stale of Massachusetts, which afterwards sal IN Hs.'
lord in Connecticut They had not forgotten the de-
beratons Of that convention. nor the result 10 wheh
they were brought. Daring the darkest period oil the
war that convention ASSEMBLED and came u Inc con-
cinsion-simar 10 the proposition nov maintained ny
the pen.enan from Observation-Disclosures The Consi'tc-
ton ought 10 be amended BY destroying The very bass
winch il rests.
He demanded Of his friends OF the Narth whether
they supposed they could silence the c:ahor "nt oil
doors about petitions bv merely receiving and LAYING
them upon the table, lie would tell them, no hey
would have bring their minds |, meet The question:.
There were t"o other points invuised-onc receiton'
the other II they were prepared oE TINS alter
alternative, then le them receive The petitions bnl u
they were prepared to act upon then, then let them
no, DE received. In concnson, he aapPee!-d u his
Northern ffiends who lad stood by the Sonta' ne ask
ed why should thy weld nov lie ASKED 's ifiSnc
from Pennsylvania NJ. Bid!ackI way lie SHOULD no"
yield ground upon tins question
Mr. BIDLACK observed ina. he had already given
his reasons.
yield The ground which they had hitherto occupied =
IL they had been right heretofore they were right now
Bu, il they were be deprived of the auSar'es OF
the NoIt still he turned with confidence |" the w'S'
and
The falling Of the Seeker hammer announced tta'
The hour allotted the gentleman from n CafoliGa
had expired.
Mr. WINTHROP next obtained the floor, and ad-
dressed The House.
They had been occupied for several Gays OF 'h'' SIS
sion, the said the discussion OF question concern
ing personal liberty, under The ha5eas corpus ana 1T
rug the discussion upon that snajoci, opinions were
expressed, and doctrines advanced, winch were some
what ext,aodinary and the House had been also tor
many days occupied, during the morning hour, IN 'he
consideration Of another great principle OF civil liberty
the right Of petition and upon tGis subject also
opinions had been expressed aud doctrines ADVANCED
which were his mind stall strange AID starting
The idea thet Tie right OF petition ncludPs no Ghl
whatever 10 have the petition received, aud that The
right OF appeal 10 the Government tor redress o.
grievances, involves no duty on The part oil the no-
meat redress those grievances, appeared u nan 10
be without foundation in reason.
The doctrine advanced then, that the right OF peu''o
was only intended TO 10 Individuals or assGi-
biagas Of individuals the right 10 sign psFer seung
forth the grievances under which they saiie'ed, ana
the redress they asked, and was not n'enued - inenoP
any oblipato on or duty whatever the part q" those 10
whom their PRAYER addressed 10 give 70 II any saF'
of consideration entertainment, was, IN his esi''na
ton, about sound Il ct'ine as to con!ead, ,hat
the writ of haheas corpus vas not Etenced 20 ihe'uoe
any obligation the par, OF the officer 10 when IL was
addressed TO execute it, nor TO include any oogaoa
on the part of The Government By whose authority y,
vas issued enforce obedience TO it. bat only designed
TO secure 10 the citizen the privilege OF having the writ
men 'p6 Ss sea den 10 n s1 ase WI. ~
to contend that ihe freedom OF the press only extended
10 It's mechanical eng'nefy; that 1t ony secured 20 IN
dvidua! printers the right 20 set NJ and STRIKE nl mt
ter bu, not 10 publish It, In word, II the F'ght OF
petition he nothing than nas represented ~ soie
gentleman in that House, It scanned to hm 10 be the
most absurd pre:ence Inc mos: miserable nockeFy 'hs
uamaafiDg, enpy, worthless abstraction that was
ever dirn,fed By ls nans Of right; and the sooner
II was expnnged from The roll Of CIV! rights aad IL
ii ceased 10 hold out promise 10 the
be broken 10 the hope, ie sooner wou!c TIE poo
pie be able understand Sha! ei. real rights and pr
yilegcs were.
Tie question before the House was, whether THE
rule, which had obtained most odioGs character de-
rag the 9th Congress- and wh'h had Us: nolhng OF
It's oduin or csnsiveueas, should be continued during
the 25.h Congress What was ,he rnie' 1t was rule
providing that pe;!ton, memorial, resolution, or
ohe. paper upon certain enumerated subjects should
be received by the House, entertained IN any way
Whatever lie cared no: ':ha, the enumerated subjects
nigh be-tha; whollY unimpott AM the p7nc pie OF
the rule the same, Whatever they nigh. be; the
House had rehttn declare that they wcad receive no
pet ton subject to-day, they might dscllre Ia
that they would receive another subject;
aud the third day TINT they would receive pston al
all any subject; The real inquiry then was, had they
4 right II dictate 10 those who seat them TO that
House, the particular subjects which they nigh;
ask 10 be heard Was il within their prerogativc, 10
say 10 the people OF The United States, "Gsntlemen
YOU may assemble yourselves together, IT you please
consider OF your of conplaint, sign your petit
TONS pass your resolutions either primary meetings
or legislative assemblies; hut ,hasc petitions and those
resolutions make ailuSion 10 the, that or The other
topics, will not hear them. Was this within The
preoaave Of the legislative assembly Of this republic
lie held such RI gilt to be utterly incompatible with
the relations which snjss"d between that ljou.e and
the people, aud in conflict with Tie express provl-
of the Constitution more, aching
the original inherent, inaenabe rights of the people OF
the United States.
Mr.. W. then went on, in reply 10 Messrs Saunders
Of North Carolina, aud Belser Of Alabama, TO argue
that the right Of petition, cliimed by the Abolition
ISIS. constitutional right, and was intended as
such BY the trainers Of the Constitutions and, IN The
OF his argument, cited various portions OF Eng
sh history 10 show taat the right had always been,
with few exceptions, recognised IN that country
The honorable gent'eman Gu, short by the expi-
ration Of the morning hour.
AMENDMENT OF TUE CoEsTiTuroN-sLAVE REPRE-
SENrAfIOE
Dir. ADAMS asked permission 10 present series OF
resolutions OF The Legislature of Massachusetts, on The
same subjec, as some others, which were presented
short time ago, in favor of amendment OF he
Constitution, so 10 exclude SLAVE representation =
He wished 10 present them al this tine, that ihey
might 90 to the committee the other resolutions
sent TO-
The reading call d for
The CLERK commenced the reading accordingly; but
NJ. CAMPBELL iaterposed, and siid 1t was nnne-
cessary read fur her. he should object to their re-
cepiion
MIR ADAMS asked for suspension OF the rules, TO
enable him to present ihem He said, the reason why
he asked leave 10 present them was that such op
nortunity was not afforded him rday-Masslchu