The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-01-24
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

Prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Tnsty.
The CLERK then read the Journal Of Yesterday
After which,
Mr. HOPKINS made an Intellectual attempt to
present two bills, which were objected to.
MIR. HAMLIN rose to privileged question the
correction of the Journal which states that report
made from the Committee on the Post Office and Pos
Roads, was laid upon the table Ii was not laid upon
the table, but referred to Committee of the Whole
House and he wished the Journal corrected accord
ngly
1t was so corrected
Mr.. DAVIS, OF kentucky, from the Committee on
Elections made minority report, denying the right
of those members claiming their seats on this floor
by general ticket; which ordered TO be printed.
Mr.. CAMPBELL moved that 10, 900 extra copies
both Of the orlty and minority reports be printed
Ii was objected to.
Mr.. COBB made minority report from the Com,
mittee of Claims accompanied with bill, having
given notice few days ago. for the relief of Joseph
NJ Fernandez and moved that the bill be referred tC
Committee of the Whole House, and made the or
der Of the day for Tomorrow and that the report be
printed.
Mr.. ADAMS called for the orders of the day
which
The SPEAKER announced to be the
REPORT ON THE RULE.
MIR. WINTHROP then took the floor, and fin
ished the remarks which he commenced yesterday
He contended that Congress had just as much righ.
under the Con ttntion 10 abolish slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia it had TO raise revenue. Sout
gentlemen this floor denied Congress the power
charter Bank-o raise tariff for the protection
of American labor against the competition OF the la
Dor of the old world, and the distribution of the pub
lie lands yet, petitions upon those subjects had ne
yer been rejected by this House. II slavery is Con-
slitutioDal con,ended f1r By those who deny III,
right of petition this ruhject, nd as such, Con
gress has right TO receive Ihemi because they pray
Congres, To DO an unconstitutional act, they have
violated the Constitution, by The reception of petitions
on the bank the tarI1, aud the distributor o! The
proceeds of The public lands. But there were other,
who think otherwise, and contenJ that Congress car
not restrict the right Of petition. But il IL asserted
that if those petitions received Congrrss is bound
to refer them, and legi,latc upon the SUI j,cr. To
this doctrine he did mol agree, because the inherent
right Of petition is bcyoi the Constitution and 10
gslation IL only coeval with the Constitul on The
Constitution gives to Congress exclusive jurisdiction
over the District and il has the power to abolish sla
very and the slave trade and forever blot out the fou
stain as it exists he Sea, Of The Government Of
fee People.
Mr.. w. then read from Jeferson's Manual, aud
various other authorities in support of his argument
to the right Of the people peaceaby assemble and
petition for a redress OF grievances.
Mr. PAYNE, of Alabama, then took the floor and
said gentlemen on the other side had raised this ques
tion--the inherent right of peton-not that the
right of petition had denied by this House, but
as 1t appeared to hm in a spirit Of demagOgueism.-
lie charged no gentleman Win Delng demagOgue,
but he did say that it had that appearance to him.
The object TO create a storm to gull the Ameri-
can People, that they might Ide on the whlrwind by
raising the question of right 10 petition, which has
never been denied by this House. Tbo'e petition.
were always received by this House, whenever their
contents we're stated by those who presented them
Then the direct question is not the right Of the People
10 peaeeaby assemble, asserted by those who cla-
about it, but how far il Congress bound TO legis
late upon this exciting subject with which Cong ess
has constitutional jursdctionl He, for one
would answer, not at all because they ask the mem
bers Of this House TO violate their oaths TO support
the Constitution, which is direct insult When le
gi.lat on commences this subject, where is il tC
endl Do those Northern Democrats who have here
toore stool by the South, suppose that by yielding
this point, and receiving these petitions that the,
may be referred, that the Abolitionsts would be sa
tshed? Certainly not. They would ask Congress &c
legslate on the subject, and there would be thou
sands Of petitions sent here demanding that the prayer
Ct the petitions he granted. This will be the conse
Caence if this rule is elected. The question
then before them is, whether Congress has the
power TO grant the prayer Of the petitioners right
which he denied not only TO Cong ess but to the Lee
gislatures Of the States Of Virginia and Maryland
They have not the right without the people, in gen
eral convention, authorizes the Legislatures TO il
the matter. But as to the District of Columbia il
could not, because the people not represented OF
this floor, and he disagreed with the sentiments Of the
gentleman from Ohio (NIr Duncan) who had saic
that Congress had the constitutional power to abo
lsh slavery with the consent Of the people, in the
District Of Columbia. The District of Columbia
under the Cons tuition, has political rights, not be
ing represented this floor, aud the right must come
from constituency giving their consent in genera
convention called for llat purpose The people Of the
DIS rict of Columbia under the deed Of cesson, ART
CONTROL in this matter by the laws Of Virginia
and Maryland, right which was never surrendered
MT DUNCAN explained and said that he had ex
pressy stated That Congress had the constitutions
power 10 abolish slavery in the District of Columbia
with The consent OF the people, and no, without.
Mr.. PAYNE said he had not misunderstood th,
gent eman from ONO lie denied the legislative rgh
in either Congress or the State Legislatures to a6ois
slavery In the first place, Congress cannot will
the consent of the people, because they are no
Constituency under the Constitution, and canno
give the power In the -econd place. the Legislature
Of the States cannot, without consent of the PEG
pie, through convention called Tor that purpose
He wished the word slavery dropped, because tn