The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-15
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON, D. C, JANUARY Is 1857

vidral opinions in regard to the constitution
atty of the fugitive slave law or any other en-
ac5ment, in obedience to the decisions of that
tribunal. The resolutions of l79S-'99 declared
that where there was clear, palpable, aud de.
iberate violation of the Constitution of the
United States, such law was not binding upon
the States. If the Supreme Court was to be
called upon to aid in deciding great agitating
political questions, its organization became a
matter OF paramount Importance. If such aues-
tons were to be decided by that Court, aid it
was to be constituted without any reference to
the population and business of the diferentsec-
tons of the country, gentlemen of the South
would be emphatcally mistaken if they Dup
posed its decision would command the cdnf-
dence, respect, and obedience Of the people, of
the free States. 1t was his deliberate comic
ton that nothing could occur which wouldgo
so far to destroy the confidence of great nor
ton of the people in the Supreme Court, 8 a
decision by it that Congress had no sovereignty
over the Slavery or other questions in the Ter
ritories. Gentlemen from all portions of he
Confederacy were year after year voting in la
vor of exercising the power of sovereignty ohr
the Territories, and decision to the contrdy
would be plain, palpable, and deliberate va
latiOn of the Constitution of the United State.
If such a decision should be disregarded by th
State courts, as it would be; if it should not b
respected by those courts, as it would not b,
such conduct on their part would not be with
out precedent. In his judgment, it was esset
tlal to the preservation of harmony amongst til
different sections of the Confederacy, that the
should each have an equal, Just and fair rep
resentation in all the departments of the Gov
eminent, and every attempt to enforce submis
sion to a tribunal constituted upon such an IN
equal basis as the Supreme Court of the United
States, would only tend still wider to separate
the various sections of the country In conclu
sion, he demanded the previous question:
The previous question was seconded, and
under the operation thereof the resolution was
agreed to.
Mr.. Benson, of Maine, under suspension OF
the rules-yeas l56, nays 47-reported from
the Committee on Naval Affairs the bill of the
ySenate to amend an act entitled " An act to
promote the efficiency of the navy" and de-
manded the previous question upon the third
reading Of the bill.
The previous question was seconded, and the
main question ordered to be put-yeas 154,
nays 56-when the bill was read a third time
and passed.
Mr.. Orr, Of South Carolina, from the select
committee appointed on Friday last, submitted
the following resolutions, which were agreed to.
ReSOt0ed, That the preamble to the resolution
adopted on the 9th instant. authorizing the ap-
pontment of a select committee of five to in
vestigate certain charges of corrupt combina-
tons to pass bills through this House, be amend
ed by striking cut the words " now pending be-
fore" and inserting the words during the
present" so that the preamble to said resolution
shall be as follows, viz: "Whereas certain state
ments have been published, charging that mem
bers of this House have entered into corrupt
combinations for the purpose of passing and
preventing the passage of certain measures
during the present Congress: and whereas a
member Of this House has said that the article
referred to is not wanting in truth" &c.
Resotred, That the said committee be author
lied to appoint clerk
At a quarter to three O'clock the House ad
iourned.