The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-21

be willing 10 make a motion TO dispose Of the
question as soon as shall have barely stated
single proposition. ! desire the issue that is
involved in this question shall be distinctly I'M
derstood Ii is this: On the one side Of the
House, it is the proposition that this petition
shall not be received that is, it is virtual reec
tion of The PETITION On the other side il is propo
sed that the petition shall be received, and re-
ferred TO the Committee on the Judiciary with
instructions to report that the Senate has not the
power nor the disposition TO entertain the ques-
ton There is no question whether the Union
ought to be dissolved at all ; we are unanimous
against that. Under these circumstances, / shall
vote for the reception Of the petition for the rea-
sons have stated.
MIR. Foote, fnterposing) Win the honorable
Senator vote for the reception Of petition which
he announced the other day, in our hearing to be
devised by madmen2
Mr.. Seward. | have never yet seen the petit
ton of any human being that | would not re-
ceive, and do not know that ever shall Ii is
not enough to justify me in refusing to h.ar any
human being, that have not the power to grant
the prayer of his petition. The Constitution
imposes no restriction or modification upon the
right Of petition Petitions presented by mad.
men are harmless, aud the way to render them
the most harmless is, to hear them and give then,
an answer civil answer. 1t is a civil answer
that turns away wrath ! believe that IL no pc
titions upon the subject of slavery had been re-
jected, there would never have been petition for
the dissolution of the Union So long AS you suf.
fer those who are dsunionists to maintain false
issue upon the right Of petition, so long do | be-
lieve that that right will be misused and pervert-
ed for such purpose. IL is for that reason that
desire to receive this and all other petitions.
The distinguished Senator from Michigan
Mr.. Cas- has adverted to one or two cases, and
asks by way of parallel, whether we would re-
ceivc petitions ander such circumstances-as for
instance, petitions to declare that there is no
God Well, sir, nve eeen an incident very
similar to that tried1h legislative experience
have seen large masses Of men agitated by what
they regarded rs dangers Of the union Of the
Church and the State, growing out of the en-
ployment of chaplains in legislative bodies
have seen such petitions presented, and great
public effort made to compel the attention of the
legislative body to discussion of the question.
They were received and kindly examined, and a
disposition made of them, in accordance with the
views Of the legislative body.
The result on that occasion was complete
termination Of the agitation | remember also
petitions very numerously circulated being pre-
scented to legislative bodies to prohibit the reading
Of the Bible in the common schools, and the ques-
ton then arose as to the wisest way to dispose Of
them. Some wished to reject and others to re-
ceive them and give them an answer. They
were received, and a calm and elaborate answer
made to them. That was more than ten years
ago, and no petition of the kind has been since
received. And no petition for the dissolution of
the Union viii be again presented, if we receive
this, and give the answer 10 it that is in ,ne
mouth rs well as in the heart of every member
of this body. 1t is simple question Of reasons.
~ ~ -. TnII-
men. George Washington himself was not above
giving reason why this Union should not be dis
solved. He gave such reasons earnestly and fully
in his Farewell Address The Senate of the
United States, in my humble judgment, is not
above the petition of the humblest citizen Of the
United States, and the declaration that they can
not and will not entertain the dissolution, is
question upon which they might with great pro-
priety and with great advantage, act at this
time.
Mr. Foote. Does the honorable Senator mean
to say that madmen have the right to send petit
tions here?
The question was then stated upon the motion
to receive the petition.
The yeas and nays having been ordered upon
the motion, were taken, and resulted-yeas 3,
NAYS 5l-as follows viz
Yeas-Messrs. Chase, Hale, and Seward-3
Nays-Messrs Atchison, Badger, Baldwin,
Bell, Benton, Berrien, Borland, Bright, Butler,
Cass, Clarke, Clay, Clemens Cooper Corwin,
Davis of Massachusetts,, Davis of Mississippi,
Dawson, Dayton, Dickinson, Dodge Of Iowa,
Dodge of Wisconsin, Douglas, Downs, Felch,
Foote, Gre ne, Houston, Hunter, Jones, King,
Mangum, Miller Morton, Norris, Pearce, Phelps,
Rusk, Sebastian, Shields, Smith, Spruance, Stur-
geon, Turney, Underwood, Upham, Wales, Walk
er, Webster, Whitcomb, and Yulee-51
So the petition was not received.