The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-27
Mr.. ADAMS then offered his other resolu

terest, copy of any letter or letters written by
him to William Cost johnson, relating to the
rules Of the House excluding from reception
petitions of any kind, from any portion of the
people of the United States, or to the agency
of the said William Cost johnson in the intro
duction and establishment of that rule.
Resolced, That the President of the United
States be requested to inform this House
whether he ever authorized Henry A. Wise to
affirm in his place that he knee the President
was in favor of the rules, or any rule of the
House, excluding any class of petitions, reso-
lutions, or other papers, including resolutions
of State Legislatures, from reception.
Mr.. GENTRY submitted to the Speaker,
that there could be no doubt that Congress had
no right to call for correspondence of the
! President before he was President of the Uni
| ted States; and he moved to lay the resolutions
on the table.
| Mr.. HOPKINS asked the yeas and nays
which were ordered.
| Mr.. ADAMS said that these two resolutions
were most important to his defence, because
| they related to the establishment of the DIST
rule, which was the foundation of all these pro-
ceedings.
After some conversation between Messrs
Wise, Adams, and the Speaker,
The question on the motion of Mr. Gentry
was taken, and decided in the affirmative, by
yeas Ill, nays CT.
Mr.. AeoliU Of Ohio Uotiag IN the affirmative,
scith the South; Carrot Davis and Andrews of
Kentucky, Arnold of Tennessee, Stanly and
Williams of North Carolina, Bolts of Virginia,
and other Southern members, voting in the neg
ative.-Cong. Globe, p. 200.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1872
QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE
The question then required on the motion of
Mr. Bolts, to lay the whole sub feet on the table,
| The yeas and nays were ordered and being
taken, were as follows-yeas 100, nays 80.
M. MedliU Of Ohio rotiag in tie negatire,
acita tie South Garrett Davis, Andrews, and
| Boyd, of Kentucky, Turney of Tennessee,
Williams and Stanly of North Carolina, and
other Southern members, voting in the afirma-
! tive.
So the whole subject e.. e., the question of
| privilege) was laid on the table.
The state of the question to the petition
praying for dissolution of the Union then
| stood thus:
Before the question of privilege (now laid on
the table) had been raised, motion had been
made to lay on the table the question of recep-
ton, which had been decided in the affirmative;
and gentleman from Tennessee Mr.. Turney
had moved reconsideration of that vote. Be-
fore that question of reconsideration had been
decided, the intermediate question Of privilege
had been raised; which being now disposed of,
the question required on the motion to recon
slider the vote by which the question Of the re-
| ception of the petition had been laid on the ia
| BILE.
Mr.. CUSHING inquired of the Speaker if
that motion was debatable?
| The SPEAKER replied, if debate was de-
| manded, it must lie over.
Mr.. WISE asked the yeas and nays on the
/ motion to reconsider: which were ordered.
| Mr.. HOPKINS inquired of the Speaker,
whether, if the motion to reconsider prevailed,
| the question would not then be, "Shall the petit
| ton be received?"
The SPEAKER said, Yes.
Mr.. MERIWETHER 1.-THE member who had
heretofore raised the question of reception above
referred to, and had made the motion that that
question be laid on the table) said that he un-
derstood now that the motion was to reconsider
the vote by which his said motion had been car
ried.
The SPEAKER replied in the affirmative.
Mr. NJ. continued. He would then say that,
| at the request of several members, he should (if
| the motion to reconsider prevailed) withdraw
| his motion to lay the question Of reception on
| the table, that the House might take direct
vote On the question of the reception of the pc
tition.
After brief conversation between Mr.. Foster
| and the Speaker.
The question, "Shall the motion be reoonsid-
cred ?" was taken, and decided in the afirma-
tive by yeas IA, nays 81.
NJ. INediU Of Ohio U0ting in the q6irma-
tire, ,oih tie South; Bolts of Virginia. and
Arnold Of Tennessee, voting in the negative.
And thus the question required on the orig
inal motion of Mr. Meriwether, to lay the ques
ton Of reception Of the said petition on the ia
bic.
! Whereupon, Mr.. Meriwether withdrew that
motion, and demanded the previous question
on the next recurring question, to wit, on the
reception of the petition itself
Cries of good, H." good; y 4" that is it," &C.
And the roll having been called through, the
result of the vote was-yeas 40, nays l66.
M. MedU Of Ohio coting IN the Negative,
aoah tie South; Arnold of Tennessee, and Bolts
Of Virginia, voting in the affirmative.
COng. Globe, p. 2l4.
MARCH Il, 1912.
THE CREOLE CASE.
Mr.. GIDDINGS said he had a series of res
olutons upon subject which had called forth
some interest in the other end of the Capitol,
and in the nation. He desired to lay them be-
fore the country, and would call them up for
action at the next opportunity.
The resolutions were read, as follows:
Resotced, That, prior to the adoption of our
Federal Constitution, each of the several States
composing this Union exercised full and exclu-
sive jurisdiction over the subject of Slavery
within its own territory, and possessed full
power to continue or abolish it, at pleasure.
ResOlced, That, by adopting the Constitution,
no part of the aforesaid powers were delegated
to the Federal Government, but were reserved
| by, and still pertain to, each of the several
| States.
Resolred, That by the 9Th section of the LIST
article of the Constitution, each of the several
States surrendered to the Federal Government
| all jurisdiction over the subjects of commerce
and navigation upon the high seas.
Resotced, That Slavery being abridgment
of the natural rights of man, can exist only by
force of positive municipal law, and is necessa-
riy confined to the territorial jurisdiction of the
power creating it.
ResolUed, That when ship belonging to the
citizens of any Srate of this Union leaves the
waters and territory of such State, and enters
upon the high seas, the persons on board cease
to be subject to the slave laws of such State,
and thencetorth governed in their relations
TO each other by, and are amenable to, the
laws of the United States.
Resotred, That when the brig Creole, on her
late passage for New Orleans, left the terrific
rial jurisdiction of Virginia, the slave laws Of
that State ceased to have jurisdiction over the
persons CT BOARD said brig, and such persons