Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-01-23
OF FOREIGN PAU
PERS.

80 fkMSs
Mr. zollicoiier of Tennessee submitted the
following resolution on Monday last, in the
Houss OF Representatives, to wit;
Rssoiosd, That the Committee ON the Judiciary be
instructed b inquire into the expedency Of reporting
bill TO regulate and restrain the immigration or
importation into the United States OF foreign pau
pers and criminals.
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee, called for the
yeas and nays on the passage of the resolution,
and they were ordered, and being taken, re-
sulted---yeas 1877, nays 8S -as follows: s.
YEAS.-Mes Abbott Adrian, Anderson, An
drews, Atkins, Avery, Bennett Bingham, Bocock,
Boyce, Branch Braytoq, Bryan, Burlington, Bp %
caskie, Chaffee, Clark, Of Connecticut, Clawson,
Clemens, Clingman, Cobb, Colfax, Oomins, Covpde,
Cragn, Craig, of Miss, ur, Crawford, Curry, Cur
It's, Damre Davis, Of Indiana, Davis, Of Mississip-
Dawes, lean, Dodd, Duriee, Edmundson, English,
Eustis, Faulkner Foley, Foster, Gartrell, Gilman
Gilmer, Goodwin, Granger, Greenwood, Gregg,
Grow, Hall of Massachusetts, Harlan, Harris Of Iii
nois,. Hickman, Hopkins, Horton, Houston, Howard,
Leach, Letter, Mcqueen, Marshall, OF Kentucky,
Marshall, of Illinois, Maynard. Nilsson. Moore
Morgan, Morrill, Morris of Pennsylvania, Morse Of
Maine, Mott Murray, DIN, Palmer, Parker, Petit
Ready Reagan, Ricaud, Robbins, Roberts, Royce,
Rufin, s92didge, Savage Scales, Scott, Seward
Shaw, of North Carolina, Sherman of Ohio, Sher.
man Of New York, Shorter, Singleton, Smith Of
Virginia Stanton, Stevenson, Stewart of Maryland
Talbot Tappan, Taylor Of louisiana Thayer Thomp-
son, Tompkins, Trppe, Underwood, Wade Wei
dron, Walton, Warren, Washburne OF Ii1oia
Watkins. Wilson, Wood, lWoodson, Wortandyke,
NAYS.~Messrs. Barksdale, Blair. Bow;e cl.,s
of New York, Clark of Missouri, Cay, 6. B. Goch.
rane of New York. j. Cochrgne az New YORK
Cockerill Cox, Davidson, Dc'wdell. Florence. Gid.
dings, Groesbeck, Hall Of Ohio Hatch, Hughes,
Jones Of Tennessee, J. CLANCY Jones Of Pennsyl.
Maclay, Mason, Morris Of Illinois, Morse Of New,
York, Pendleten, Phelps, Potter, RUSSELL Stephens,
Mashburn OK Wisconsin, Wright of George, and
Wright OF TeEnessee-8s.
S>3the resolution was adopted.
twill be seen by the yeas and nays above
given, that there were great number Of mem
bers who did not vote. The Introduction Of
the resolution and the demand for the yeas
and nays upon it produced great consterna-
ton, and terrible scampering out of the Hall
in order to /" dodge the vote; such an exhibit
ton Of political cowardice we have not witness
cd in many day, and we know not whether
the spectacle were more laughable or lamenta-
BILE; we thought it both. &
There were some who voted no, because,
said they, Congress has no power to prevent
the introduction of immigrants. Congress no
power to prohibit the introduction of immi-
grantsl Well, this is something new under
the sun. But such an assertion is not worthy
Of a serious reply it can only call forth laugh
of derision from an intelligent man, and excite
pity or contempt for the ignoramus who makes
it H4al G .'1u af nW ~ 4
Congress has power to declare upon what
terms foreigners may become citizens, and of
course to say whether they shall become citi-
zens at oil or not Congress has also the power
to regulate commerce with foreign nations,
or to prohibit it altogether Congress can
therefore prohibit the importation of persons if
it thinks proper to do 50. By the 9th section
of the first article of the Constitution it is de-
clared that "The migration or importation of
such persons as any of the States now existing
shall think proper to admit, shall not be pro-
hibited by the Congress prior to the year
eighteen hundred and eight"
This of course admits the power Of Congress
to prohibit immigration or importation of per-
sons, but restrains the exercise of that power
as respects certain description of persons
(blacks) until after the year 1908. We cannot
but think that the denial Of this power in the
presence Of such statesmen as Mr.. Madison,
j. @. Adams, Judge Marshall, Henry Clay,
Daniel Webster, and j. G. Calhoun, would
have drawn from them only smile of con-
tempt
But the adoption of the resolution by vote
of 1877 to 3s, was most gratifying triumph Of
one Of the leading principles Of the American
party. II shows most emphatically that these
principles have made Judgment deep in the
American heart; and that, although the Ameri-
can party has itself been crushed mot crushed
OUT between the upper and neither milestone
Of Democracy and Republicanism, its princi-
pies are strong enough to carry 1877 members
Of the House, while sixty others not having
the courage to vote against them, and not
wishing to vote for them, skulked, ran, and
lodged like frightened rabbitsi
We hope the two branches of Congress will
be brought to direct vote on bill to prohibit
the introduction, under heavy penalties, Of
foreign paupers and persons who have been
convicted of any crime or misdmeanor in the
country from whence they come or have lived
Let us see who will vote to allow the United
States to be made, as they are now made, the
Botany Bay Of the world a place to which all
the paupers, lazaroni, beggars, thieves, pick
pockets, burglars, counterfeiters, forgers, and
murderers Of Europe, Asia, and Africa may
be shipped off "An asylum for the oppressed"
is our country-it is Just such an asylum for
the oppressed as every State Prison or Peniten-
tiary isl And yet these miserable outcasts Of
the world who have left their country for their
country's good, are the very creatures by whom
our ballot boxes are defrauded, and elections
are carried. How long are we to suffer such
evils and burdens as now curse our
country, merely that the Democrats may have
a never falling supply Of new voters to enable
them to retain power and the spoilsf
The DExooRArrc PARTY. May Heaven snatch
the country from the deadly embrace Of ambi-
tiot,a doxna ooo,,oo and vocLio,e 49, t..-4.-.