Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-09-27
At the next session, the fl

AT the next SESSION, the former
in regard to the disposal Of Abolition petitions Mr.
Davis moved suspension of the rules in order to adopt
resolution that all such petitions be laid 90 he table
without debate, and without being read MIR Bell voted
with Adams Sade, & Co, in the negative. Page 81
On the Z3d OF January Mr.. Adams, having presented
number OF petitions for the abolition oil slavery In the
District and the Speaker having decided that under the
order OF the House, they to be laid the table
Mr. Adams appealed from the decision of the Chair
On ordering the main question to be pat the yeas
l29, nays 48, Mr.. Bell voting with Adams, Slade &
Co., in the negative On sustaining the decision of the
Chair the yeas were l45, nays 30, Mr.. Bell lodging
the cote!
Mr. Adams then presented another similar petition,
and on the Speaker eiteratng his decision, Mr. Adams
again appealed and the Speaker sustained; yeas
ITO, nays 3. Mr. Bell again refused to vote. Pages
This contest went on in this way until the 9th Of
February, when Mr.. Adams attempted to introduce a
petition from aUeS asking for the abolition of slavery
This threw the House into Juror of excitement Several
resolutions were introduced in reference to bis conduct
one to expel him another to bring him before the bar
of the House to receive the censre OF the Speaker and
still another, declaring that he guilty of contempt,
&c. A motion was made to lay these resolutions on
the table, which voted down, yeas 90 nays IA,
Mr. Bell uot1ng an the Affirmative. Another motion was
made to ley the whole matter on the table, which was
again negatved Mr.. Bell again voting in the affrma-
tive.
by Mr.. Patton amendment to the other resolu-
lions. The first declared against the right OF Offering
petitions from slaves. Mr.. Bell screwed up his courage
to vote for it. The second for arreStng all further pro-
ceedings in the matter and excusisg Mr. Adams, was
voted down. ayes %, noes 137-Mr. Bell voting with
the ustrious % to shield and protect his abolition
friend!'
These repeated insults aggravated the southern mem
bers very much and when on the goth of December,
1887 Mr. Sade presented petition for the abolition OF
slavery in the District of Columbia moved its reference
to select committee with instructions to report bill
in accordance with the prayer OF the petition, and then
proceeded to deliver a most exciting and violent har-
angue upon the subject the House thrown into the
widest state of excitement Hon. Tbos H. Benton thus
describes the scene in his Thirty Years View -
1.-THE most angry and portentous debate which had yet
taken place occurred at this time in the House of Represen
1t brought by Mr. William Sade, Of Yer
mont who besides presenting petitions of the usual abo-
ton character and moving to refer them 10 committee
moved their reference select committee with nstruc
tons report bill in conformity with their prayer This
motion, inammatOry and irritating III ITSELF and without
practical legislative object the great orty OF the
House known to be opposed to it, was rendered still
more eXasperating by the manner OF supporting It,
Repeated efforts were made by Southern members to
prevent the progress of the speech by calls to order and
motions to djourn but Slade having the floor refused
to yield it, and suffered to proceed The excitement
was intense AT last Mr. Mckay, OF North Carolina
made point Of order which the Speaker sustained, ard
Sade forced to give way, still, however, keeping
his feet with the intention of resumng his speech if pos
sbe. Mr. Rencher, another member from North Caro-
na seized the opportunity thus afforded of getting the
floor, and moved adjournment. | he contest had
been bitter and violent to the last degree and the House
in tempest. The South and the conservative
men of the North voted for the adjournment, while
Sade and his hackers opposed it. The list OF nays
headed by John Quincy Adams, and numbered only g.
among whom was included the whole Abolition strength
in the House. Three nominal southern only voted
against adOurning to enable Slade to continue his
speech and one OF them was JOHN BELL, OF Tennessee
Sc IhS opposition to ddjourmle1d" says Mr.. BENTON,
of the aoOrS features Of that unhappy days work
the only effect of keeping the House together being to
crease irritation multiply the chances outbreak
the beginning Southern members had been in favor
of it, and essayed accomplish it, but prevented by
the tenacv with which Mr. kept possession of the
floor; and now at last, when it time to adjourn any
Way-When the House condition which good
could be expected add great harm might be apprehe1ded
there sXtyth MEMBERS being nearly onehird of
the House, willing to continue 1t III session.
In order to avoid these scenes the next day reso
luton offered that all abolition petitions should be
laid on the table without being debated printed read
referred. On ordering the main question to be put
in order to bring the House to vote the resolution
Mr.. Bell voted in the negative with Adams, Slade &
Co. The question then recurring the passage of the
resolution, Mr. Bell found it convenient to dodge the
vote Pages Al, 45, Congressional Globe, I'd Session
25th Congress.
Again, during this same session, (page 474) Mr..
Adams in speech relating to the annexation of Texas
going off the right of slaves to petition Congress or
their freedom and stating that he should have hest
fancy in presenting such petition from slave, was
called to order by the Speaker. Mr.. Adams appealed
from the decision Of the Chair. The House sustained
the decision of the Chair every voting in the ar
native except the Abolitonsts, who voted no, and DIR
| Bell, aUltO did not cote at all.
At the next session. being the Sd session of the 25tI
Congress- Mr.. Anterior brought forward his celebrated
resolutions concerning the power of Congress the
subject of slavery. The last resolution in these
words:
Every petition memorial resolution proposition pa
per touching relating any way to any extent what
to slavery aforesaid, the abolition thereof shall
the thereof without any further action there
on, be laid upon the table without being debated printed
or REFEREED
Various motions were made to stave off a vote on
these resolutions. A call of the House moved fo
the purpose of consuming time, when all but nine
bers answered to their names, being remarkably full
House. In order to get to vote on the resolutions,
motion made to dispense with the call, when Mr.
Bell voted with Adams, Slade & Co, in the negative
The call was dispensed with, however, and the Hous
about to to vote, when up sprang Mr.. Bell anC
moved to adjourn and this too, when the House haC
been in session only hour and forty minutes. The
House refused to adjourn in spite of the votes of Bell
Adams, Slade & Co. The question then required OF
ordering the main question to be put, the object
which to bring the House to vote the resOlu
tion Mr.. Bell again voted with Adams, SIade & Co.
in the negative. motion to adjourn then agai1
made, in order to consume time and delay vote tn
resolution And, true to his Abolition friends, fine
Mr.. Bell again voting with them in the Affirmative
But the House refused to adjourn and Mr.. Bell had
toe the mark" All bis efforts to stave off the cues
tion and dodge the vote were Intellectual ard he wa
compelled to face the music. He voted for all thu
propositions until it to the last one given above
III reference to the disposal OF abolition petitions.
noted Abolitonst from Pennsylvania moved to lay THU
resolution on the table Mr. Bell voted in the afirma
tive with his Abolition friends Adams Slade & Co.
But the House refused to lay it the table, and tn
gainst it, in company with Adams, slade & Co.
Pages ~, %.
The next day. (page 33,) Mr.. Adams moved to sus
pend the rules in order to allow him to offer resou
ton to virtually repeal the Anterior resolutions, whe'
Mr.. Bell lodged the cote!