Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-11
CoNGREss--Eirst Session.
Saturday, january 3, Io44.
The Senate did not sit to-day.

Rssoicea, Ths, the COMMITTEE Of Ways and Means
be distracted 10 limit the appropriations Tor 'hr sup
mort Of Government Tor The next hscHl year, as h"' ~
exceed the amount appropriated oy '- 'as' oo"e'es
for The year ending 30th December, 1913.
Obi. elton heing made
Mr. STEWART moved t, SUSPEND the rules t, en-
ohe Inn 10 offer In. res luton, which, II aoopteo, ne
s,,d would leave surpins instead o. dsc'1 IN '"e
Treasury at the end OF The next year From 'ne t'ea
sury report i, appears that The estimates iof s"e -
wear exceed the expenditures "t Inc last ysd' "eai
Ave millions OF dollars 1T was important that '"e i'so
luton should be acted promptly before inc aPPi'P
alton bills reported.
And the question being taken, the House refused .
suspend the rules
:, The resolution was not received.
ABOLITION PETITIONS .
The unfinished business the motion OF Mr.
Adams TO make the report heretofore peseh.tu ~ '
from the Select COMMITTEE on the Rules ana ofaers %
prooeednp the special order OF the day for TUESDAY
And Mr.. Dromgoole had moved to recomm't tie re-
Port TO the said commit'ee.
"a ammsnd by adding instructions to the Committee u
report the following rule, commonly called Tue ISL
MS one of the standing rules Tor the government Oh s
House:
"No oe,,on. memorial, resolution, or other paper
nravnr The abolition Of slavery in the Distinct OF 20
iumoa or aay State Territory, or the slave tace De-
tween The States Territories OF The United STATES, III
which exists shall! be received oy tH'S iioue'o
entertained in any way whatever
NJ, DUNCAN fand not Mr. Dana, as enormously
stated in our report Of yesterday wa entitled = ''
floor. = 15;,n, so, "a tho Clerks tnble
an amendment which he proposed TO offer, aud winch
wos read for nformatIon US The Reporter understood
Mr. DUNCAN then proceeded to address the House
on the pending quest lie said he had been Tor
some time anx,ous to place himself r'ght before those
whom he had the honor - represent, and before Tue
American peopla; and he wo"li hfst observe, thct
few DAYS before The election at which he was card
date for seat in THIS House, he received commnnea-
tion from an Abolition society containing interogat3-
RES TO which he responded. In that response he ue-
precaed slavery as evil in the ABSTRACT ana re ee-
precaed il pretty terms, as mol onit an eVii
in itself but EVIL great 10 the slave o"ne{ or slave
holder the slave HIMSELF aud ne referred, 10 sup
port of his position, the state and condition OF the
States in which slavery existed But IN that same
communication, he also deprecated modern abolition;
and he said explicitly that Congress had no power to
legisiae on that subject grant the prayer OF their
petitions He subsequently found that that portion oil
the RESPONSE which denounced slavery extensively
published in many o! the newspapers OF THIS country
but that par. in which he denounced modern abolition,
was not puhlished-w he knew not; nnt hence 'he
public mind had received the impression that he las an
abb litionst and he happy now TO have the oppof'
tunity to set himself righ'.
However in relation 10 the rule, which IS now the
subject Of debate, he always opposed to IT, RE
held The right OF petition ID be sac!ea flsh', ana
constitutional right and, further he hSid that 'Ae Pc
,iioners were the proper Judges o; the subjects on
which they should petition 1t was not an unlfefGen
circumstance, that petitions were pFeseh'ec ASKING oi
the action Of Congress subjects over which Con-
press had no authority, and praying lor privileges
which Congress had power 10 grani-no consii.u-
,iona power to grani-and yet 1t was the practice OF
the House 10 receive such petitions, 10 reier lhe" ana
10 report upon them, leaving the petitioners Judge OF
the proprisiy of pet,onng upon them ne could not
however 90 the iength 20 which the gentleman from
New York (Mr. BeaTdslsy,) went yesterday when
speakine of The power OF Congress over THIS District
the gentleman should not have spoken IN the mannef
a. hen
power of Congress- they mus, speak with reference to
The constitutional power of Congress, and the purposes
for WHICH il was conferred on The Feoerel Oovefh-
ment and be would ask what this Government had
10 do with the abolition Of slavery ia the different
States of this Union !; Congress could exercise 10
powers at ALL except snca were surrendered 10 II
ana he would not admit that TO the Federal Govern
,nent was surrendered the control over the slaves
and i would be TO transcend the power OF Congress 10
make The attempt Over this little Sale-tor the DIS
trct Of Columbia State, IN every sense OF me
wo,d-Conprcss had exclusive jurisdiction, out mao
no mowers that were warranted by the States mat
made the cessioa by the Constitution itself AND
was there q Stale in this Union whose Legislature,
land he admitted, that Congress had as much power
over this Distrc, State Legislature had over the
States by winch they createdl would attempt TO
exercise It's power the institution OF slavery, I'M
less in obedience 10 hr voice OF majority oil The pee
pie of that Stlle: Ard the time for Congress to act
on this subject would be when the people oil thus Dis
tct themselves petnned for the abolition OF sllvery
gress could act upon it, and not before
Hence it is (said Mr.. d > that am opposed to the
rule because it prohibits the citizens oil tins District
from peoning Congress for the abolition OF slivey
within the District The rule not only prohibits The
people of the States of this Union-whn, | acknnw-
ledge have no right to do sofrom petition'ng CON
gross for the abolition OF slavery within the District oil
Columbia, but also prohibits the people OF the DIS
trct who have undoubted an lnGspntalie riGnt.
Ii belongs to them especially and exclusively to con-
:rol the affairs OF the District; and no State mas he right
10 interfere with them. So completely distinct and
separate do regard the sovereignty and independence
of the States TO be, that in my opinion, there would
be as much proprie,y in The citizens of OHIO pc
,i,ioning the Antocrat Of Russia FIR the abolition OF
slavery in that country, as IN peon nS Congress Tor
the abolition of slavery within the District OF Columbia
So complete that independence, that no Que State
has or ought to have any control whatever over the
institutions Of another, any right to interfere with
the institutions Of another remember when was a
YOUTH was taught that 'six days shalt thou labor
and do all that thon hast to do but the seventh day rs
the Sabbath of the Lord thy Gcd it thou shalt do no
manner Of work ,hou, thy son. thy daughter,
thy man-sersant, nor ty nor lhy ceate,
which means, suppose, that we are not to work our
oxen our horses, mules Well, suppose the
people of Virginia should petition The Legislature Of
OHIO TO prevent them from working their horses cxen
and mules on the Sabbath there would DC as much
p,oprieiy in THIS for the people OF Ono to petition
CONGRESS 70. The abolition of slavery in the District
of Columbia The one would not be greater inter
ference with the domestic institutions OF an indepeho-
ent State than the other do not intend to class ne
proes with oxen and mules, however, merely men,
lion this for the purpose of illustration AT the same
time all nv feelings against slavery, cs n'neh so
AZ any mans can be; bot deny the right oil 'he Peo
ole Of o,he States and Territories TO interfere win inc
institutions of any particular State or territory.
dsny the rirt of Congress TO exercise any power as
regards this District except such as the majority OF
The people of the District may approve; mat Is tne
oround upon which press the question. But ques-
f;on NAV arise the policy OF the thing, whether
be polite to permit other States TO have any .h.hg 70 o
sav in the matter and say, in regard u lhis, .na
If j, be polite to interfere with slavery in the District
Of Columbia, it will be equally so 10 interfere with
that question in all the States OF the Union ask gen
,lemen. them who look upon the subject IN an int
r.sed point OF view whether they would De willing TO
see three millions of slaves set loose in this country
filled as they are with hostile and reveneeiul feelings;
without the means of supporting themselves No,sr
they would not like to see it. They would never con-
sent to any such thing As the gentleman from New
York Justly remarked the other day, It would be not
49, H. |