Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-10

trade even. e., ~, -.
The VIII, /. subject slept in the House from this pc
| rod until Friday, March /, i5lb when,
.On motion of Mr.. Randolph, 1t was
uB,soirfd That a committee be- appointed 10 'Equ'1e
into the existence of an iphum0n ana ntem ua,I !"
slaves carried on in and through tue y S'''' VI ~
umba, and report whether any a"u w., %"a emo
are necessary for the putting stop To the same
! 4 committee Of five was appointed !; ana on vi m
day, March j. 1916 IL was ordered 'ha' ,hs con,'
tee shave power to send for persons ana papers:
Aoril 80 1916, Mr. Randolph presented uep'S''''''
,oLen nv HE committee on The subject winch were or
drad ia e on the table," and this was the latl oil .na'
movement These dispositions could not be iooho by
,h ,nders,cneJ or by the officers Of the House, al
their request. . ,:., ,h,;,,ad
his r. sou,Ions proposing an amendment Oh tue So'
stu,iop which should prevent slavery IN any oa'e 10
he thereafter admitted into the Union Inc House re-
fused to consider them. ,:..,d
With slight xceptons the subject was not a'stu'.1o
again until Saturday, February d io-" Mn
Npos offered series of resolutions, 10 appoint Ser'
committee on the general question oil slavery ana Tue
sIua.,,ode and their abolition. These were lad on
,ha Iobl and The House finally refused to CONSIDER
them. e., - .l,
"sTao,nn slavery in ,hs Territories, which were
lad nm Tho IabIe Tuesday, February ~, le2o the
House took m and proceeded to consider, the ques
tons involved in the admission OF missouri 'u,' ~"
ITn;on This WINS the fist explosion OF anti slavery
feel
a;o h,ch threatened the Union but was finally set
,id r., comoromise which the petitions OF the pre-
SON, dav seek TO disturb and destroy in every possible
way. /, ,,: ..
After the eventlul struggle on the Missouri compo
49,. a., s,h;.,, of slavery was untouched again in the
House un,,l Saturday May Is, 1896; Mr. Miner then
admitted series of resolulions concluding WIN 'ne
9Th "That the committee on the D's'rc' oil oo'umo'a "
take the subjects Nc, into consideration aho' " '
shall after fun inquiry, be Of opinion that the pun
l.. ba ",
,hs r,,duol abolition Of slavery in the District oil 20
Iumbia. and such restrictions upon the slave trace
therein rs shall be just and proper. The House re-
fused to consider these. ~ - h;,
TOD nreambe and resolutions abolish slavery IN ihe
District The House determined, by vote OF Iva 10
N n consider them On The ON, the preamble was
stricken out, and the resolutions were adopted IN Tue
following form ,.-... =
Columbia be- instructed to take into consideration The
laws within the District in respect to slavery; That ney
INQUIRE into slave ade as it exists IN and is carried
on through the District; and that they report u the
House such amendments To Inc eaibuhg iu"s 10 s"oi
seem II them 10 be Just
uPesoirtd, That the committee be further instruct
ed TO inquire into the expedIency Of providing, by law
for the grsduol abolition Of slavery within The Dis
rct in such manner that the interest oil no indVidua
shall be injured thereby.
On The :9th of January 1922 Mr.. Alexander, from
the committee for the District of Columbia made
mort (See Reports of Committees, Pad session, 2Oh
Congress, House of Representatives, le2S-29) This
report recommended the passage OF certain municipal
laws respecting offences agnns slaves; respecting the
prevention of persons of color, apprehended run
awaya who should establish their freedom, from being
sold Tor Jail fees &C. and on The Pad resolution re-
spec,ing the abolition Of slavery took decided ground
against both the power and the policy. This report
QUE ted the agitation until the 18th of December, 1881
when Mr. Adams presented memorials from inhabitants
Of the State of Pennsylvania, praying for the entire
abolition Of slavery and the slave trade, the DisrIc,
Of Colnmb,a and December 10, 1881, "Mr. bod
drdse, from the Committee for the District OF Colum-
bil, II which were referred the memorials from lnha
ban,s Of Pennsylvania, presented by Mr.. Adams on
the 2h instant, made report, part thereon; which
was read, and the resolution therein recommended was
agreed 10 by the House, viz
"Rcsoired, That the Committee for the District oil
Columbia discharged from the further consideration
of much of the prayer Of sundry memorials OF ct-
zens of the State of Pennsylvan 10 IL referred, ask
ing the passage of such law, laws, may be neces
sary for the abolition OF slavery and OF the ssverade
within the District OF Columbia, relates 10 the frs
part Of those obecs-the abolition OF slavery within
the District of Columbia
i On Monday, January 90, 1894, "Mr. Beardsley,
Ghc present member from New York, of that name,)
''prcsented sundry resolutions, adopted by the Com
mon Council Of the City of Utica, IN the State OF New
York. on the 10th Of January instant expressive OF
their disapprobaon of the og'ta,on of the question o
negro slavery, its exists IN the Southern States Of
The Republic highly inc 1pedent, at the present June
,nre of national AFFAIRS and requesting their Represen
tatve 10 present the said resolutions to Congress,
10 assure Congress that the said Common Council hear
tly dsapprove Of all measures calculated 10 interfere
with the rights ofiheir Southern brethren, which have
been soiemnly guaranteed TO them by the Constitution
of the United States; which resolutions were referred
10 the Committee for the District OF Columbia.
Monday, January % 1885, "Mr. Stewart Ohe
present member from PENIS lvania of that mame)
''pre,en,ed memorial signed by more than 500 iad,ss
residing in the State of pennay ivans. praying Tor The
abolition of slvery within the District oil Columbia
and "Mr Dickson presented memorial, signed by SIG
indies residing 10 the city OF New York and memo
rial of inhab lnts of the city Of New York, and memo
rial of the American AntrSllvery Society, praying
for the abolition of slavery the District of Colum
bin and he accompanied these memorials with reso-
luton refer them TO select committee On Monday
Feb = 1875 the House proceeded 10 consider these
memorials and this resolution. They were laid on The
table by n vote OF l7tn u. Again: Monday, Febru
airy 10, 1885, The gentleman (hlr Dlcksohl pre-
sen,ed other memorials praying the same immediate
liberation of all slaves in the District OF Columbia -
Il was ordered to lie the table lie then moved 10
print the memorial, with the names signed 10 II! d.
vision was called printing the memorial rst, when
passed in the affirmative The question then required
, on printing the names; when a motion made to re-
consider the question OF printing the memorial Inc
House reconsldered the printing by l24 TO 81, and the
question Of printing was laid on the liable by vote OF
1870 to GO.
the principal action Of the House of Representatives,
to show how little proposed how little was done
how little thought in the House, and still less "
thought, said, done in the Senate OF the United
States, upon subject exciting, up To the ter
mination of The session Of 1894 80. 1t was thought
and treated as clear and settled question by the
first founders and trainers of Government that, SO
long they in the halls OF legislation and SO long
rs their immediate example and influence were felt
! there contest, trouble, excitement and
comparatively, acton upon the subject and what
movement there was, related almost wholly to the To-
reign slave trade and to slavery the District of Go
umbia Besides the influence of these patriotic men
who felt the true force and meaning OF the comprc-
misses ct The Constitution, because they had made them
the slaveholdIpg Snits had, from the beginning, up
n this time nearly, a preponderat'ng power IN the
Union. They had, Until then, the control of majo-
, rites, net only in The House of Representatives,
but in federal elections As long as aspirants
r from the noh-sl,veholding States were compelled
to look TO savehoding States for vol"', the coun-
try could pass through the administration of the
, Government, even by Northern man, without the
least disturbance of Southern rights OF slave property
But the fathera Of the Republic had nearly all passed
away and the "Old Dominion" of the South fast
dwndling into that s,olc from whence "the sceptre