The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-12-28
Taking the BEARINGS


On Monday, the 18th, the House of Rep
resentatives adopted, by a vote of ayes 1853,
nays Ia, the following resolution offered by
Mr.. ADRIAN, anti-Lecompton Democrat, of
New Jersey:
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the United
States is the supreme law of the land, and it's
ready and faithful observance the duty of all
good and law.abiding citizens: Therefore,
RESOLVED, That we deprecate the spirit of
disobedience to that Constitution wherever
manifested, and that we earnestly recommend
SONAL LIBERTY BILLS, SO called, enacted by
State Legislatures, conflicting with or in viO-
latlon OF, that sacred instrument and the laws
OF Congress made in pursuance thereof.
Col. ALDR1cH, of this State, voted for
the resolution but Mr.. WINDOW was not
present. The fourteen negative votes were
all Republicans, and are as follows:
NAYs--Messrs. Alley. Carey, Edwards, Eliot.
Hutchins, Potter, Edwin R. Reynolds, Sedg.
wick, Spinner, Tappan, Vandever, Cadwalader
=. Washburn. Israel Wasburn and Wells-14.
Mr.. LovEJoY, of Illinois, Immediately
afterwards offered resolution, copy of
the above, except that it called for the re.
peal of "all notification laws" and con.
tanned clause stating that I" it is the duty
of the President of the United States to
protect and defend the property of the
United States" This was intended as an
offset to ABRAMS resolution; but after
some little parliamentary fnesse, it passed,
ayes 136, nays none! One or two extreme
Southern members declined to vote on the
resolution, stigmatizng it as a cheat,
coming from man LovEJoY) who had
boosted on the floor of the House he would
always oppose the execution of the Fugitive
Slave Law.
Mr. MORRIS, of Illinois, then succeeded in
getting vote upon his resolution, which he
had presented daily since the session com.
menced. After quoting the language OF
WAsHINGToN's Farewell Address, as to the
value of the Union, the resolution states:-
''That we have seen nothing in the past, nor
the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presi-
dency of the United States, or from any other
existing cause, to justify its dissolution; that
we regard its perpetuity as of more value than
the temporary triumph of any party or any
man; that whatever evils or abuses exist under
it ought to be corrected within the Union, in
peaceful and constitutional way; that we be-
lieve it has sufficient power to redress every
wrong and enforce every right growing out of
its organization or pertaining to its proper
functions; and that it is a patriotic duty to
stand by it as our hope in peace and our de-
Tense in war.
This resolution did not secure such unan-
unity as the others. 1t passed ayes 116,
nays Al. The nays were from the south,
but great many members gave as reason
for voting against the resolution, that it
was irrelevant. A good proportion of the
negative vote however, comes from the dis
unionists. 1t is as follows:
NAYs.-Messrs. Thomas l.. Anderson, Avery.
Barksdale, Bouligny, Branch, Burnett, John
B. Clarke, Clopton, Cobb, Crawford, Curry,
DeJarnette, Edmundson, Florence, Garnet,
Gartrel, Hardeman, Hill Hindman, Hughes,
Jackson. jenkins. Jones, Landrum, James NJ.
Leach, Leake, Ebert S. Martin, Sydenham
Moore, Noell Pryor, Quarles, Reagan, Ruffin,
Scott, Sickles, Singleton, William Smith, Stall,
worth, Stevenson, Thomas, Underwood, Vance
Webster and Wright-44.
The following resolution offered by Mr..
CRAWFORD, of Georgia, was laid on the
table, ayes "a, nays 81. 1t would probably
have passed, had the House been full:
RESOLVED, That the Constitution of the
United States recognizes property in slaves.
That the Congress of the United States has
passed laws to aid shareholders in recapturing
their slaves whenever they escape and make
their way into the free States. That the Su.
preme Court of the United States have decided
that negroes were not included either in the
Declaration of Independence or in the Consti-
tntien of the United States except as slaves;
and that they cannot become citizens. And
we, the members of the House, hereby sustain
and will support this construction of the Con-
stitution, the laws, and such decisions of the
Supreme Court.
NyE,o 10 nrrf of E..io Sc Dol