The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-14

| referred TO the Committee on Territories
The Vice President Does the memorial come
within the ruler Does it ask for any action by
! Congress on the subject of slavery
Mr.. Hale. believe il does not. Ii simply re-
monstrates against the admission Of any new slave
| States or Territorial Governments
Mr.. King. Who is it froml Is it from ne
groes? q
Mr. Hale | believe the rule does not require
me to state the complexion of those from whom il
comes Ii is from an association of Friends in
| Pennsylvania | do not know that they are peo-
| pie of color The memorial states nothing about
! their complexion.
The Vice President Ii is moved that the petit
ton be received and referred to the Committee on
| Territories.
Mr.. Hale | have also petition from citizens
! Of Collins Centre
Mr.. Clemens. ! object to the reception of the
memorial
Mr. Hale ask if it is in time
The Vice President. The Chair is of opinion
that it is in time the question had not been ia
| ken.
Mr.. Hale. ask then for the yeas and nays on
that question.
Mr. King. ask that the petition be read.
The Secretary read it as follows
To the Senate and House Of Representatives. of The
Uaued States Of America:
The Association of Friends for promoting the
abolition of slavery and improving the condition
of the free people Of color respectfully represents
That the members of the Society of Friends
have long maintained the principle that "all men
are created equal that all should have equal
rights and privileges guaranteed to them as citi-
| zens of common country
In view of this, they have been led to look at
the increased extent Of our domain, and Of the
necessity of maintaining over its wide surface such
equal laws as shall render happiness and security
to all. The system of slavery, which bas so long
burdened and desolated the Southern portion of
our land, is viewed by us all with deep concern,
and the fear presses upon that in the admission
| of new States into the Union and the erection of
New Territories, this terrible evil may be spread
and perpetuated, thus adding blight to blight,
with its vast addition Of distress Of sorrow, and
of sin.
We, however, ask you, possessing, as you do,
the legislative power, to prevent the increase of
this dreadful evil, by the non-admission of new
States into the Union or the erection of new Ter
ritories whose Constitutions or organic laws do
not contain express prohibitions to the establish
ment or the continuance of slavery within their
limits
Signed ON behalf of the aforesaid Association, at
their monthly meeting, held in Philadelphia on the
seventh day of the 18th month, lS49.
JACOB M ELLIS, cu.-n.
LYDIA GuLINGHAM,
The Vice President. The question now is on
the reception of this petition.
Mr. King ms.s>@s ia5 ,ras rnoucn on>tne
table.
Mr. Hale Let us have the yeas and nays, sir.
The yeas and nays were ordered, and, being
taken, resulted as follows
Yess-Messrs Atchison, Bell, Borland, Brad
bury, Bright Glass; Clemens, Davis of Mississippi,
~
ion, Hunter, King, Mangum, MorSh, Pearce,
Pratt, Rusk, Sebastian, Soule, Sturgeon, Tur-
ney-23.-
Nays-Messrs. Baldwin, Chase, Clarke Clay,
Cooper, Corwip, Davis of Massachusetts,, Dodge
of Iowa, Dodge of Wisconsin, Felch Greene,
Hale, Miller Norris, Seward, Smith, Spruance,
Underwood, Upbam, Wales, Walker-2l.
SO the motion to receive was laid upon the
table
Mr. Hale | have also received petition, numer-
ously signed, from Collins Centre, in the State of
New York They ask the attention of Congress
to several facts which they specify, among which
they say that two individuals, of the names of
Drayton and Sayre are imprisoned in the Dis
trict of Columbia on the false assumption that
there is - legalizing slavery in the District of
Columbia The remedy which they propose is
the impeachment Of the judges concerned in the
case
The second evil of which they complain is the
action of the Secretary of State in refusing pass
port to Mr.. Hamilton, a colored person.
The third evil is that the Marshal of the Dis
trict of Columbia imprisons persons for no crime
but that of complexion and that If they were of
different complexion, they would 90 unmolested.
The fourth evil is, that there are great many
persons in the District who are actually held AZ
slaves and, inasmuch as there is widespread
delusion in the country that Congress has the
power to legalize slavery, they pray that Con-
gress will hasten to dispel such delusion, by de-
caring that they have no such power, and that
they will abolish slavery in the District. have
no doubt this comes within the rule
The Vice President The question is on the re-
] ceptiOn of the petition.
Mr.. Mangum. | move to lay that question on
the table.
The motion was agreed to-
Mr. Hale. have received also, and been re-
quested to present to the Senate, petition from
a number of ladies of Germantown, Philadelphia
county, Pennsylvania; and wish, in order that
the Senate may understand the character Of the
petition, to read the commencement. They ad-
dress us as "Dear Friends, }" and after setting
forth the prayer which they put in, they say
Trusting that you will adopt measures for the
furtherance of these objects, we bid you an affec
tonate farewelln Laughter
The petition pr1as that Congress will prevent
the introduction dqslavery into the Territories,
and also will abolish it in the District of Co
lumbia
The Vice President The question will be on
the reception of the petition
Mr.. Mangum. / move to lay that question on
the table
The motion was agreed TO-
Mr. Hale. have also received petition from
various citizens Of the county Of Philadelphia,
praying that Congress will prohibit the internal
slave trade SO extensively carried on between the
slave States.
The Vice President. The Chair is not advised
whether this petition come within the rule
MIR. Hale believe it does.
On motion, the question of reception was laid
on the table
Mr.. Hale | have another petition from the
the State of Pennsylvania, and in presenting it,
wish to make a single observation. The Chair
remarked that he did not know that the memorial
just presented came within the rule believe
there is no rule
The Vice President. The usage.
Mr.. Hale The usage is to receive everything
from the South and reject everything from the
North, without asking what the nature Of IL is.
This is petition from citizens Of the State of
Pennsylvania requesting Congress to take meas
ures for the abolition of slavery within this Dis
trict | believe that comes within the rule.
On notion the question Of reception was laid
on the table.
Mr.. Hale | have also two other petitions
from Philadelphia, numerously signed, praying
for the same object
Mr. Msngum. move to lay the question of
reception on the table
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Hale have also received petition from
inhabitants of Pennsylvania and Delaware, sta
ting that they believe that the Federal Consttu.
tion in giving its support to slavery, violates the
Divine law and makes war upon human rights,
and is inconsistent with republican principles