The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-11
CONGRESS.

",
day of the session, were continued from day to
day, with the exception of Wednesday, when
Mr.. Clayton's death being announced, the usual
resolutions were passed, and the House ad.
journed,) till Friday. The Republicans, having
majority at first, were able to prevent Mr..
Whitfield from taking his seat. On the ques.
ton, Shall the oath of office be administered
to the Delegate elect from the Territory of Kan.
sas, upon the credentials he has presented :? Z"
the vote stood-yeas 81, nays lO4-Haven and
Clark of New York, and Barclay of Pennsyl.
vania, voting with the Republicans in the neg.
alive; the Fillmore men, with the exception of
Haven, voting with the Buchanan Party in the
affirmative. This Party, determined to DELAY
matters till its absentees could arrive, at once
resorted to parliamentary expedients, so much
in use of late years, to prevent the motion to
reconsider being laid on the table, and sue
ceeded, until Friday, when, finding itself in
majority, it was anxious to come to final vote
The question being taken on the motion of Mr..
Grow to lag. on Tie tahl<s 81
consider the vote rejecting Whitfield, the vote
stood yeas l0s, nays lll-Messrs. Moore
and Harrison of Ohio, and the Fillmore men,
except Mr.. Haven, voting with the Democrats
in the negative. The question recurring on the
motion to reconsider, Mr.. Jones, of Tennessee,
moved the previous question but this time
the Republicans were not ready, and Mr.. Gid
dngs moved a call of the House. Finding
that it was useless to press the matter to an
immediate vote, Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, pro-
posed the postponement of the question until
Tuesday at one o'clock, and this was agreed to-
The members then, amidst much goodna
tured confusion, proceeded to draw for. seats.
The first name drawn from the box was that of
Mr.. Whitfield, the Delegate elect from Kansas.
laughter and clapping of hands, and with
shouts of |" He has no right to seat'"' At
halfpast three o'clock, the House adjourS,ed.'
The Senate, with the exception of on, day,
"Wednesday, when speeches were mad, and
resolutions passed in memory of John M. Clay
TONI was occupied with spirited debate on
so much of the Presidents Message as opened
the Question of Slavery.
Of this debate, we have room only for the
following sketch:
Slavery Debate in the United States Senate.
Washington, Dec. 2.-The annual message
of the President was received and read.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick submitted resolution, that
the message and accompanying documents be
printed, and that fifteen thousand additional
copies be printed for the use of the Senate.
Mr.. Hale could not permit this occasion to
pass without saying that he regarded the mes.
sage as a very extraordinary and unprecedented
one. The Chief Magistrate, in common with
other citizens, had the right to come before
| the Senate whenever he had anything which his
interest or duty required him to present ; but
| he must come as every other citizen did, by
| petition or memorial. The only other means
| by which he could come before Congress was in
pursuance of that provision of the Constitution
| which requires him from time to time to give
information on the state Of the Union, and rec
ommend to their consideration such measures
as he shall judge necessary or expedient.
But he regarded it as an abuse of that priv
lege for the President to arraign those citizens
of the free States who had thought proper to
exercise their constitutional rights of suffrage
! in a manner different from that which the Pres.
ident preferred.
The President had gone further than that
and charged these people in the free States with
the high offence of endeavoring to usurp the
power of this Government. That was the Ian
| guage. To usurp, according to photographers
was to seize by force, without right. he had
to say that he had observed no attempt in any
section of the country, and last and least of all
in that section to which the President refers
to seize upon the power of this Government, ex
cept by the regular constitutional discharge OF
their obligations and duties as citizens, BY
| going to the polls and voting according to their
convictions of duty. No portion of the people
North had ever said they would refuse to sub
NIT to the result of the election, whoever might
be the successful candidate. He was there
fore unwilling to vote to circulate throughout
the country any such unfounded charges.
So far as he knew, there was nobody of any
consequence who desired to interfere with the
| institution of Slavery in the States.
Mr.. Brown thanked the President for h;s
fidelity in sounding the voice of warning against
sectional strife, and took occasion to charge
the supporters of Fremont with the intention
of abolishing Slavery everywhere and in this
connection alluded to the views of Messrs
Seward and Wilson.
Mr.. Hale repeated, he had never met an indi
vidual who advocated the doctrine that Con
gress had the power to abolish Slavery in the
Southern States. There were, no doubt, sucl
persons, but their numbers and influence wer,
very small. He had no doubt the lannuagt
used, relative to the abolition of Slavery S(ery
where, contemplated its abolition BY The, con
sent OF those States in which it existed, and
not through any insurrectionary movement.
Nv 9ewsrd did MT know tn which If hi