Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-16


.ion the vote was taken by e!ls.s and resulted :; ~
the Affirmative. and 30 10 the negative.
Ine demand for the previous question being thus de-
cded IN the affirmative, the main question-w CHI
upon III" adoption Of the resolution then put, and
the yeas and nays being ordered, were aaen, aud
sulted as fpllo~s-yeas 10, NAYS 81:
Yeas = Slessrs Anderson, hshe, Barringer, Beser,
Benton, dack, L Black, James Black James
H. Black, Blackwell Bosscr, Bower, Bowlin, Boyd,
Jacob Bnnkerhof, Aaron v Brown, Milton Brown,
Wan Brown, Burke, Burt, Caldwell, Campbell
Choppe Chiffon Cobb, Cross, Cullom, Dana, Da-
mel, John w Davis. Dean, Debelry, Deet. Dick
inson, Dromgoole, Elmer, Fa'lee, Ficklln, French,
G:lner, Willis Cree, Byram Green, lanin, Ham
nett, Haral'on, Henley, !leETick Holmes, Hoge,
Hopkins. Houst IN, HUBBARD, Hughes, James i. Hunt,
Charles J. lngersoIl, jameson, Cave johnson, An.
drew Johnson, Geo w. Jones, Kennedy, Preston
KING, Kirkpatrick, Labranche Lewis, Lucas, Lump.
kin, McCsusn, Macay, McClernand, Mcconnell,
Mcdowell Mckay, Ma'hews, Murphy, New'oa,
Norris, Owen, Payne, Peyton. Emery d. Potter,
Prau, Purdy, Rathbnn, David s. REID, Rsdng,
Relic, Ritter, Russell, ST. John, Saunders, Senier,
Thomas H. Seymour David l.. Seymour, Simons
Simpson, SlideIl, 7. Smith, Thomas Smith, Re-
Weller, Wentworth, Woodward, and Yost-li6
.'ays- Messrs. Adams, Barnard, Btodhead, }.
Brown, Burlington, Carroll, Clngman, Colamer,
Florence, Foot, Foster Fnck, Giddngs, Grnnel,
Glider, Hardin, Harper, Hays, IlubSrl, Hudson,
Washington Hunt, Joseph R. lncerso irwin jerks,
Perlay 3. Johnson, Daniel King, Leonard, Nc
Cleillnd, MclIva,ne, Edward J. Morris, Joseph MOI
RS, Morse, Moseley, Nes, Parmener, Patterson,
Phnnix, Elisha Il. Potter, c. VI. Read, Rodney
Il gers, Sample, Severance, Albert Smith, Thomas-
son, Tlden, Tyler Vance, Eanmeter, Ninlon, Whea-
ton, White, Williams, Wilkins, Winthrop, and Jo-
seph A. Wrig ht-G0.
Mr. MILTON BROWN, from the Committee OH
Military Affairs reported bill TO divide the United
Stules into two military districts; winch was read
twice. and referred TO the Committee OF the Whole
House.
REPORT OK TIE RULES.
The call for reports having been gone through WITH
The SPEAKER announced, that the irs, business
in order was the report OF the Select Committee o"
the Ru!es, which tue gentleman from South Ca:o-
lima, (Alr. Rhett) mad the floor.
Mr. RHETT said he rose for the purpose of discuss
ing the right of peuton which he had heard described
as great NAL enable and constitutional right; and IN
doing he did not suppose that what he could say or
what could be said by Others would at al affect the de
csion of the House, prevent the 10Th rule from be
ing rescinded. lie had no doubt tia. it would be re-
scInded and from any hope of saving IT, bu. from
a regard to those members Of the Democratic party
who hi,hsto acted with Southern members on thus
question: he 10 vndcae The proprety OF their
course, anG the constitu,onaty Of their conduct He
had listened with the utmost attention 10 the present
debate. TO learn what was meant by the right oil pct
tcn He had listened uuentivslv to the gentleman
from New York The way, Nj Beardsey, and
NJ had listened to the gentleman from North Carolina
on his left, rMr CinSman,l ID know what they meant
by the right Of petition beng nitnged by the conduct
of this House. The mere right OF petition IN tseli, IT
il was not t. be OF substantial benefit to the petit
TONER'S was an absurdity. To suppose that the fra
mers of the Constitution, If they intended tte rgh, Of
petition 10 exist, would lave snch subject IN doubt,
was a SANDER on their wisdom. Scae sand, that the
right Of petition violated by not receiving the
petition He asked if the right violated IN re-
ceivng the petition, and then laying II on the table
wthou, any further action on IL 1t not, where
then was the OF receiving It at all Whit p'ac-
teal ference there between refusing 10 receive
petition, and the receiving 1t and laying IT on The
table II they could lay II on the atle without act
nr on IT, and the right Of petition consisted IN the
simple matter OF receiving 1t, he contsnded that 1t
was no right ut all they must 60 far as the gen
tie man from New York Mr.. Beardsleyl contends
for they only receive but refer, consider and
report upon it. To talk about great constitutions!
RICH, being involved in this matter, compelled him to
believe that, that gentleman must mean nonsense
If they that these petitions must be received
REFEREED and reported on, they not only IN oPpo
son to the principles Of the Constitution, but to
the Constitution itself. The right OF petition was
not disregarted in the Constitution. Those who
made that instrument, stated 1t IN distinct terms
The first article OF the amendments declared that
"Conpres9 should make law respecting an esta-
thereof or a5rign. the freedom Of speech or OF the
press or the right of the people peaceaby 10 assemble,
and TO pc titinn The Government tor redress oil gre-
yanccs" Looking OF the various subjects oil TINS
amendment It won be found that they all regarded TIE
personal rig hts of the people Take, for instance, the
first clause "Congvess shall make law respecting an
establishment of religion prohibiting the Tree eAer
else thereof" Here personal rights secured and
so on with the rest-such the right of teatinS arms
in time of peace; he right OF the people to be secure
IN
Of the habeas corpus, NC. These were all great per-
snnal rights Of the people, which til fundamental Ia"
declared should not be violated. Was not true ihs',
NJ the time the Constitution framed these rights
had been violated, Had there not been mpedimena
in the way Of the people peaceaby assembling, under
the laws of Great Britain, but short time before -
Why III, riot act, il called passed in the time
of George Ill FIRST passed in the tune Of Edward "
in his minority and reenacted hen the house OF liano-
yer came 10 the throne of Engand was in force but
short time before; ard look at the terms o! that act
Here Mr. r. read the act, IN substance that u more
Than twenty persons assembled, and did rot Innsd'-
atey dispense upon The command OF - justices at The
peace such contempt should be felony without benefit
of clerpy} Now here hiDdrance 10 the people
from paaceaby assembling; here vas the power gwen
10 The usrces of the peace of dispensing hen more
than twenty assembied and II ih-y did not immediate
" disperse they were be adjudged guilty oil felony
W ,l,ou bsnelt Of clergy. Blackstone IN cnumeratng
the powers of the King, enumerated his :ery rot
act as one OF The three principles by which the crown
of Great Britain obtained more power IMAM the oAs u
The ureroyatves o: the Srarts amounted TO- II was
the remembrance o this act, under which Tie people
could not pcaceabl; assemble 10 consider aud petition
for a redress of grievances winch operated on the
minds OF the trainers Of the Constitution and they
determined that this evil, which ;aen existed and now
exists in Great Britain should not exist among free
people and that law like thIs winch gave to the
crown one,hird Of its power, should ever be passed by
Congress That was all the restrictions on their
pc rsonul rights under which he people OF England then
abored md row labor. They were net only hndered
from peaceably assembling, but they were hIndere"
from pe,;onng In the time OF Charles H. II w4s en-
acted that no petition for any alteration N church or
State shall be presented unless signed by three justices
Of the peace and approved of by the grand jury Of the
county; or, fin London, by the Lord Mayor Were not
these violations of personal rights and were they not
incompatible with the existence OF liberty su,h as was
desired 10 exist on this side CT the Atlantic =
Without the privileges taken away by these ac's'
how could the people know what their flshs were -
According to his view of the Constitution, The Design
Of our ancestors was take away from the Congress
of The United States forever, the power TO pass such
,c,s a. The rot ac' tha act Of Charles IL, which
he had jus, referred to- aad his v'e~ Of the right Of pc
ution s. as tina, it great personal privilege secu
80 .. ,ho noo,e nv The Constitution Of the u. 3 But