Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-10-01
var. aeii ON AboltIon petitions.

Of Virginia on the 9th OF November!
ur. Eer on ABOLITION n, tltIons.
Mr.. Bel has been so trumphanty yindieated on this
s ict tha; Is looks like work of supererogltion to
aiaw1ri rror,; but in the following proceedings we
fad clue TO bis whole course. We give the proceed
.s in the House O. Representative, Monday, Feb
r,ry s.. 1886, on Slavery in the District Of Columba,
as furnished b. our contemporary Of the Montgomery
Post
~ Prckney. of South Carolina ssked the ccnselt Of
the House to cr the resolution heretofore indicated
hm on :ae subject OF the abolition of slavery and
oae tons teirg made he moved the suspension OF the
rule. TO enable him to oar the resolution, aud it was
s,cido i1 the sfrsaa,iyc. Nc Puekuey then submit
tel The io,oviug resolution:
Rss1'rt}. Tha; al the memorials which have been
Ell red or may hsgta' ter De prgseulcd to this House.
D-,yns for the abolition OF slavery IN the District Of
Columbia and also the resolutions cieT by honor
able member IRON Maine, Ne JARVIS with the amend
mart thereto proposed by an honorable member from
Virginia (Ar Wisel ard every other Paper o. PROPOSE
ion thli nav be submitted IN relation 10 that subject
be rrej 90 a select committee.
o. iHstri.rt.as forspor that Congress possesses
no con u,oral agtl Ogty 10 iucrtrc in any way With
he Institution @. slavery in any oil the States Of this con-
.ederscy.
And that. in the opinion Of this House, Congress
ought u.t interfere IN any way viii slavery in the Dis
.rct OF Columbia because it would be violation OF the
pu f, faith, uIwise impoIte, aud dangerous to the
U..Jl.
Mr. Boyj )Esu,uekyl moved Che previous question,
,ad vas decided ia the affirmative. So tie main ques-
.i5a was ordered To be put.
Nr viltcu Ohio called for the division Of the resou.
o1 into three several parts so that the question should
D., taken Oh the clauses separately; and divided
. II H.. IL, q
The first clause was agreed to.
The second clause agreed to BY yeas 200 nays 7.
Mr. Understood tSeaJu,kyl called for a division of
le question in the thirl clause to take the ques
SON on the clause declaring that Congress 'ought 70.
70 interfere in any way vh slavery in the District Of
Columbia" and emitting the reasons therefor, aud it
,as dsc;i in tbe affirmative BY yeas le3, nays Al.
This being considered the test vote the yeas and nays
we're takeu Mr. Bel voting yea in company with all the
soa.heru members:
Chapman, Ltalcr, Lyon and Martin from Aabama.-
The Hcu. Dixon H. Leafs had not We; arrived in Wash
ngJon.
Allan. Lynn Boyd, Chambers French, Graves Hardin
uarIau Harris, Johnston, Underwood, White, Williams
o. Kentucky
Howard Jauif,r. McEim, Jas. A. Pearce, Steele
Thomas. Washington. Of Maryland.
B,al, B5uli.u Claiborne, Coles Craig, Dromgoole
Gtslul. Hopkins, Johnson, Loyal, JouN y. Mason,
Mercer Patton, &, OF Virginia
Byuum. Countr, Dehzrsy, Graham, PettigTeW, Reuch
or. Wilkins. g., Of North Carolina
Manning, Prckaey, Rogers g., Of South Carolina.
Claiborne Of Mississippi.
Garland johnson. Ripley, OF Louisiana.
Buuch Carter, Duullv, Forester, Hgutsmlp, CAVE
JouSsuN, Lea Many Shields Staudefer OF Tennessee
Mr.. Wise, Of Virginia, lsSei to be excused from yo
ing; Mr. PO'k the SoeAks, Of the H9uel lodged aud
50 did al the members fom Sou Carolina excep. the
bree mentioned.
c. C. Caubreiug, Franklin Pierce, Isaac Toucey and
other distinguished Democrats also voted the way
The remainder o. the third clause was agreed TO BY
I2S yeas to 80 nays.
The remainder Of the resolution which in the fol-
losing words Assigning such reasons for these con-
Illusions as in the judgment Of the committee, may be
To-, best calculated to ea'ghseu the public mind to
press agitation, to alIay excitement, 10 sustain AID pre-
srs tb. jest rights Of De s'l,sboi,Hg States and Of
~, D,sois Of this district and to Te-cstabsh harmony
.ud tranquility amongst the various sections of the
Union"-xas agreed to by l67 yeas to nays.
Mr. Bell and the Southern members evidently had three
principal objects in view:
To preserve invioate the constitutional right Of Pc
tton so as to give the Aboltioniss haHdlo on tina,
score.
.. To get rid Of the food Of Abolition petitions which
vas constantly flowing In upon Congress on account OF
the right OF petition being denied.
g. To get an authoativs declaration Of Congress as
to the rights Of the svehoding States aud auhors-
tive denial Of the power claimed for il by the Abolition
lists.
All these they did b. adopting this resolution, and
taking the course p posed by it the sutss Of abol
ton petitious fer dc committee 10 which they to
be referred was instructed - report that Congress pos
seses no constitutional authority interfere in any way
with the Institution Of slavery in any OF the States oftbs
conf deracy and that Congress ought to nterrc in
any vay with slavery in the District Of Columbia, De-
cause t would be a violation Of the public faith unvisc
impoitc aud dargercu to the Union. These views were
eonourred in by large msjority Of the Southern
bers Of Congress aud We az bound to believe from the
large Southern vote which the resolution received that
il cane fully up TO the mark of Southern IDEAS aud pro-
vded for The best course by which dspos, of the ps
tio0s with which the two Houses Of Congress were a.
most inund rcd.
Tbs vote on thsse esocton' gives clae, repeat,
20 Nc Bills whole course upol the subject Of sbooa
petitions and that that cour5, the wisest one that
could be pursued IN Ter he circumstances, Is evident
from the fact that an immense ms lry of the Southern
members Of the House coucided with him. and voted for
the resolutions aud thus his wisdom sagleiy aud patri
otisu is fully vndicated by the action Of the who
served with him in Congress and were best able tojudge
Of his course.