The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-16
A CURIOUS EXHIBITION.

We noticed, last week the refusal of the House
to suspend the rules to enable Mr.. Julian to pre-
sent the memorial of the Anti-Slavery Friends
of Indiana against the Fugitive law Mr. Julian
moved a suspension of the rules, expressly with a
view to have the memorial referred to a commit
tee, with instructions to report in favor of the
prayer Of the memorialists. This he distinctly
stated. That sixty eight members should in view
of this declared purpose, vote for the suspension,
greatly troubled the friends of the Compromise.
The manner in which the Journal was made up
afforded opportune relief to those who are anx-
ious to conceal the true State Of things IN the
House, and to those also who desire to remsin I'M
committed scr or against the Fugitive act 1t
simply stated That Mr. Julian moved suspension
Of the rules to enable him to offer memorial.
Mr. Julian, after the reading of the Journal on
Tuesday, desired correction Of the Journal so
as to show that his obi ,ct was to have the memo
rial referred with instructions to report in favor
of its prayer This, he said, was an essential iu-
gredient in his motion. The Speaker, who is
responsible for the making up of the Journal,
said he did not so understand it. Numerous OBJ
jections were made TO Mr.. Julian's procedure !;
but the Speaker decided that his motion to COR
rect the Journal was in order.
Mr. Chandler of Pennsylvania, who seems to
have become a National Wing" took occasion
to say that if the Journal were corrected, he as
we'll as some of his colleagues, would desire to
have their names changed from the affirmative to
the negative; for he certainly considered the
question as one involving alone the right of petit
ton. He should feel greatly misrepresented if
his name were to 20 on the Journal as in favor Of
motion to repeal the law. Mr. Grinnell of Mas
sachusetts declared his concurrence with Mr..
Chandler The motion Of Mr. Julian having
been rejected, Mr.. Cobb Of Alabama, with the
benevolent purpose Of giving an opportunity to
Northern members who were repenting, to bring
forth fruits meet for repentance, moved recon-
sideraton of the motion by which the House
Yesterday had refused to suspend the rules He
wished to see how many gentlemen from the
North wnnld vote to susnend the rules. in view
of the object so distinctly stated by the member
from Indiana He seemed to feel quite sure that
numbers of them felt very uncomfortable, and
only wanted an opportunity to make confession of
their misdeeds. The motion was entered on the
Journal, and went over until Monday.
The present Congress was elected under Anti
Slavery auspices at the North and it contained,
in the beginning of its first session, more pro-
fessed Anti-Slavery members than any Congress
that had ever met before; but no Congress has
ever rendered itself so notorious by concessions
to the demands of Slavery. The truth is, we
know not what Slavery can ask that it will not
grant. That it has not yielded more is from no
virtue it possesses, bnt from an apprehension on
the part of the Slave Power that it might trans
gress the bounds Of discretion in going too far