H. or R.]

ral will take place in the Senate chamber at half past 12 o'clock. Whereupon,

Mr. CASEY, of Illinois, moved the following resolution, which was adopted:

[DEC. 15, 16, 1835.

On Invalid Pensions.-Messrs. Miller of Pennsylvania, Beale, Evans of Maine, Schenck, Taylor of New York, Harrison of Pennsylvania, Doubleday, Hoar, and Howell. cher, Lucas, Reynolds of Illinois, Hannegan, Steele, On Roads and Canals.-Messrs. Mercer, Vinton, RenJackson of Massachusetts, and Caihoon of Kentucky. On Revisal and Unfinished Business.-Messrs. Huntand Farlin.

On motion of Mr. REYNOLDS, of Illinois, the House then adjourned for the purpose of attending the funeral.

STANDING COMMITTEES.

The standing committees of the House were announced as follows, in pursuance of the order of Thursday last:

On Elections.--Messrs. Claiborne, Griffin, Hawkins, Hard, Burns, Kilgore, Buchanan, Maury, and Boyd.

Of Ways and Means.--Messrs. Cambreleng, McKim, Loyall, Corwin, Johnson of Tennessee, Smith of Maine, Lawrence of Massachusetts, Ingersoll, and Owens.

Of Claims.-Messrs. Whittlesey, Forester, Banks, Bynum, Grennell, Davis, Taliaferro, P. C. Fuller, and Chambers of Kentucky.

On Commerce.-Messrs. Sutherland, Pinckney, Pearce of Rhode Island, Gillet, Phillips, Johnson of Louisiana, Ingham of Connecticut, Cushman, and McKeon.

On the Public Lands.-Messrs. Boon, Slade, Williams of North Carolina, Lincoln, Casey, Kennon, Dunlap, Chapman, and Harrison of Missouri.

On the Post Office and Post Roads.-Connor, Briggs, Laporte, Hall of Vermont, Mann of New York, Cleveland, French, Shields, and Hopkins.

For the District of Columbia.-Messrs. W. B. Shepard, Hiester, Vanderpoel, Bouldin, Washington, Lane, Rogers, Fairfield, and Towns.

On the Judiciary.-Messrs. Beardsley, Thomas, Hardin, Pierce of New Hampshire, Robertson, Peyton, Toucey, Jones of Virginia, and Martin.

On Revolutionary Claims.-Messrs. Muhlenberg, Crane, Standefer, Turrill, Kinnard, Beaumont, Craig, Chapin, and Underwood.

On Public Expenditures.-Messrs. Page, Clark of Pennsylvania, McLene, Mason of Maine, Deberry, Leonard, Haley, White, and Weeks.

On Private Land Claims.-Messrs. Carr, Galbraith, Patterson, Chambers of Pennsylvania, May, Garland of Virginia, Hammond, Huntsman, and Lawler.

On Manufactures.-Messrs. J. Q. Adams, Denny, Dickerson, McComas, Webster, Gideon Lee, Judson, Holsey, and Granger.

On Agriculture.-Messrs. Bockee, Bean, Roane, Shinn, Deberry, Bailey, Logan, Phelps, and Efner.

On Indian Affairs.-Messrs. Bell, McCarty, Everett, Graham, Ashley, Haynes, Lyon, Hawes, and Chaney. On Military Affairs.-Messrs. Johnson of Kentucky, Speight, Ward, Thomson of Ohio, Coffee, Bunch, McKay, Anthony, and Dromgoole.

On the Militia.--Messrs. Glascock, Henderson, William K. Fuller, Wagener, Calhoun of Massachusetts, Joshua Lee of New York, Carter, Coles, and Williams of Kentucky.

On Naval Affairs.-Messrs. Jarvis, Milligan, Lansing, Reed, Grayson, Parker, Wise, Ash, and Grantland.

On Foreign Relations.-Messrs. Mason of Virginia, Howard, Campbell, Cramer, Hamer, Allan of Kentucky, Parks, Cushing, and Jackson of Georgia.

On the Territories.-Messrs. Patton, Potts, Brown, Fowler, Pickens, Sprague, Pearce of Maryland, Borden, and Montgomery.

On Revolutionary Pensions.-Messrs. Wardwell, Lea of Tennessee, Lay, Janes, Storer, Morgan, Klingensmith, Bond, and Fry.

On Accounts.-Messrs. Lee of New Jersey, Darlington, Hall of Maine, Johnson of Virginia, and Turner. On Expenditures in the Department of State.--Messrs. A. H. Shepperd, Calhoun of Massachusetts, Hunt of New York, Morris, and Sickles.

On Expenditures in the Treasury Department.and Barton. Messrs. Allen of Vermont, Harper, Spangler, Russell,

Jones of Ohio, Bovee, Johnson of Virginia, Love, and On Expenditures in the Department of War.-Messrs. Hubley.

On Expenditures in the Navy Department.-Messrs. Hall of Maine, Sloane, Seymour, Pettigrew, and Mason of New York.

On Expenditures in the Post Office Department.-Reynolds of New York. Messrs. Hawes, Burns, Childs, Bailey of Maine, and

Darlington, Hazeltine, Pearce of Rhode Island, GalOn Expenditures on the Public Buildings.--Messrs. braith, and Beale.

SELECT COMMITTEES.

On the Rules and Orders of the House.-Messrs. Mann Maryland, Williams of North Carolina, Cambreleng, of New York, Adams of Massachusetts, Thomas of Everett, Parks, Parker, and Chambers of Pennsylvania.

Adams, Hardin, Patton, Pierce of New Hampshire, On the Northern Boundary of Ohio.--Messrs. J. Q. Haynes, Dickerson, McKay, Grayson, and Judson.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15.

Oliver Pease, Scattering,

122

92 4

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16.

RODERICK DORSEY, elected Sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives, presented himself and was qualified.

SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Mr. FAIRFIELD, understanding, he said, that by a presentation of a petition, a member was not made responsible for its propositions, presented a petition signed by 172 females, praying the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and moved that it be referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia.

Mr. CRAMER_moved that it be laid on the table; which was agreed to.

Mr. FAIRFIELD then presented a similar petition, which he moved to lay on the table.

Mr. MASON, of Virginia, said, as it was extremely desirable to have an expression of sentiment on this subject, by the House, he would ask for the yeas and nays on the motion; and they were ordered.

Mr. BOON called for the reading of the memorial. After it was read,

Mr. EVERETT rose to ask whether the motion to lay on the table was made by the member who presented the petition.

Mr. FAIRFIELD replied in the affirmative. Mr. SLADE moved that the memorial be printed. Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, asked the division of the question.

Mr. MASON, of Virginia, asked the yeas and nays on the motion to print, and they were ordered.

The question being taken on the motion to lay on the table, it was decided in the affirmative, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. C. Allan, Anthony, Ash, Ashley, Bailey, Barton, Beale, Bean, Beardsley, Beaumont, Bell, Bockee, Bond, Boon, Bouldin, Bovee, Boyd, Brown, Buchanan, Bunch, Burns, J. Calhoon, Cambreleng, Campbell, Carr, Carter, Casey, George Chambers, John Chambers, Chaney, Chapman, Chapin, Claiborne, Coffee, Coles, Connor, Corwin, Craig, Cramer, Crane, Cushman, Davis, Deberry, Dickerson, Doubleday, Dromgoole, Dunlap, Efner, Everett, Fairfield, Farlin, Forester, Fowler, French, Fry, Philo C. Fuller, William K. Fuller, Galbraith, James Garland, Rice Garland, Gillet, Glascock, Graham, Granger, Grantland, Graves, Grayson, Griffin, Haley, Joseph Hall, Hammond, Hannegan, Hard, Hardin, Harlan, Samuel S. Harrison, Albert G. Harrison, Hawes, Hawkins, Haynes, Hoar, Hopkins, Howard, Howell, Hunt, Huntington, Huntsman, Ingersoll, Ingham, Jabez Jackson, Jarvis, Joseph Johnson, Richard M. Johnson, Cave Johnson, Henry Johnson, John W. Jones, Benjamin Jones, Judson, Kennon, Kilgore, Kinnard, Klingensmith, Lane, Lansing, Lawler, Lawrence, Lay, Gideon Lee, Joshua Lee, L. Lea, Leonard, Lincoln, Logan, Loyall, Lucas, Lyon, Abijah Mann, Job Mann, Martin, John Y. Mason, William Mason, Moses Mason, Samson Mason, Maury, May, McComas, McKay, McKeon, McKim, Mercer, Milligan, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Owens, Page, Parks, Patterson, Franklin Pierce, James A. Pearce, Pettigrew, Phelps, Phillips, Pickens, Pinckney, Reed, John Reynolds, Joseph Reynolds, Ripley, Roane, Robertson, Seymour, Shepard, Shepperd, Shields, Shinn, Sickles, Spangler, Steele, Storer, Sutherland, Taliaferro, Taylor, Thomas, J. Thomson, W. Thompson, Toucey, Towns, Turner, Turrill, Underwood, Vanderpoel, Vinton, Wagener, Ward, Webster, Weeks, White, Lewis Williams, Sherrod Williams, Wise-180.

NAYS-Messrs. Adams, H. Allen, Banks, Borden, Briggs, W. B. Calhoun, Clark, Cushing, Darlington, Evans, Grennell, Hiland Hall, Harper, Hazeltine, Henderson, Hiester, Hubley, William Jackson, Janes, Laporte, Love, Morris, Parker, Dutee J. Pearce, Potts,

[H. OF R.

Russell, Slade, Sloane, Sprague, Wardwell, Whittlesey-31.

Mr. SLADE said that, having made the motion to print, he would beg leave to say a few words in its support. He should not be discouraged in pressing the motion, by the vote which had just been given to lay the memorial on the table. Many gentlemen, he knew, had voted in favor of that motion, simply upon the ground that it had been made by the gentleman who had presented the memorial, but who would not, he was persuaded, deny the memorialists the privilege of laying their views before the House and the country, in the manner contemplated by the motion he had made. He thought the printing was due to the memorialists, and to the subject of their memorial. It was, confessedly, one of great national importance. It had long occupied the anxious attention of a large and highly respectable portion of the country, who had repeatedly pressed the subject upon the consideration of Congress; and whatever might be the views of gentlemen in regard to the expediency of granting the prayer of the memorialists, it seemed to him that it was due to them, as a matter of common courtesy and common right, that the memorial should be printed, to the end that it might receive that attention which the importance of the question and the character of the memorialists demanded.

He was, indeed, personally unacquainted with them; but they belonged to a section of the country as much enlightened on the subject of human rights, and as well informed in regard to their constitutional privileges, as any other portion of the Union. If they were of the same stamp with those of his constituents who entertained the same views, and who had instructed him to present memorials similar to that now before the House, he was sure that none could deny to them a respectful hearing, and to their memorial the regard, at least, which would be indicated by ordering it to be printed.

These memorials for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia were less connected with the efforts for a general and immediate abolition of slavery in the southern States than was commonly believed. He had charge of memorials of the same character, which he knew contained the names of many individuals who had no connexion with abolition societies, and who did not harmonize with their views in regard to the object of their efforts; but who, nevertheless, felt deeply impressed with a conviction of the right and the duty of Congress to act upon this subject, and to abolish slavery, and erase from the national escutcheon the foul blot of the slave trade within the limits of this District.

[The CHAIR here interposed, and remarked that it was not in order to go into the merits of the petition on the motion to print.]

Mr. SLADE said he was well aware of the rule suggested by the Chair, which he did not intend to transgress by any attempt to discuss the merits of the question involved in the memorial. He only insisted on the propriety of printing it; and he felt warranted in pressing his motion, not only by the considerations he had suggested, but by the additional one that former memorials to the same effect had been printed by order of the House. He referred, especially, to one which had been presented in 1828, signed by more than eleven hundred citizens of this District, great numbers of whom were slaveholders, and many of whom he knew to be among the most respectable inhabitants of the District. That memorial set forth in strong language the evils of slavery, and painted, in vivid colors, the abominations of the slave trade within this territory over which Congress is invested with the right of exclusive legislation. The signers of the memorial were not in a situation to be accused of fanaticism, while they were in a condition to

DEC. 18, 1835.]

eral Land Office, and to improvements in the land system, be referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the report of the Secretary of War, and the public interest intrusted to the War Department, except so much thereof as relates to Indian affairs, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the militia of the United States be referred to the Committee on the Militia.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the Indian tribes, and every thing connected therewith, be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the political relations of the United States with foreign nations, including "the ascertainment of the claims to be paid and the apportionment of the funds under the convention made with Spain," be referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the commerce of the United States with foreign nations and their dependencies be referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the finances, and every thing connected therewith; the custody of the public moneys, and every thing connected therewith; the offices of commissioners of loans and of the sinking fund, and every thing connected with the operations of those offices; and the Bank of the United States, including the books and stock of the United States in that institution, be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the report of the Secretary of the Navy, and the public interest intrusted to the Navy Department, be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to the report of the Postmaster General, the condition and operations of the Post Office Department, and every thing connected therewith, be referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates to "amending that part of the constitution which provides for the election of the President and Vice President of the United States," be referred to a select committee.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates "to the present condition of the District of Columbia,” and which recommends a revision of its laws and the extension of political rights to its citizens, be referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia.

Resolved, That so much of said message as relates "to the defects which exist in the judicial system of the United States," and which recommend an extension of that system to all the States, be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

On motion of Mr. MASON, of Virginia, the Committee rose and reported the resolutions, and they were concurred in by the House.

The select committee on the subject of the election of the President and Vice President of the United States was ordered to consist of nine.

ELECTION OF CHAPLAIN.

Mr. THOMSON, of Ohio, moved the adoption of the customary joint resolution for the election of two chaplains to Congress.

Mr. WARDWELL stated that he had intended, when this resolution should be considered by the House, to of fer an amendment, prohibiting the use of this hall on the Sabbath to the chaplains of Congress, or for any other purpose whatsoever. As he did not, however, wish to embarrass the election of chaplains, which he should not oppose, and as some members supposed that such

[H. OF R.

would be the effect, he would not now offer the amendment, but would give notice that he should, at some future day, offer a resolution, the effect of which will be, if adopted by the House, to close this hall on the Sabbath.

The resolution heretofore offered by Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, for supplying the heads of Departments and bureaux, and other officers of the Government, with copies of the public documents printed by order of Congress, was taken up for consideration.

Mr. PATTON objected to the resolution, on the ground that no object of public utility could be gained by it.

After some remarks from Messrs. MANN, WISE, MILLER, and JOHNSON of Kentucky.

Mr. MASON, of Virginia, moved the reference of the resolution to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to inquire and report whether, in the transaction of public business, the public interest would be promoted in whole or in part; which was agreed to. Mr. WARD moved that when the House adjourns, it adjourn to meet on Monday next.

Mr. WHITTLESEY offered some reasons connected with the private bills long before Congress, which have heretofore failed for want of time, in opposition to the motion.

After a few words from Mr. WARD, and a suggestion from Mr. MERCER, that next Friday being Christmas, the House would not probably sit, nor on the following Friday, which would be new-year's day,

Mr. BOON moved that the motion be laid on the table; which was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. CAMBRELENG, the annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury, and the estimates of the Treasury, were referred to the Committee of Ways

and Means.

The House then adjourned till to-morrow.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18.

Mr. MCKENNAN appeared, was qualified, and took his seat.

SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Mr. JACKSON, of Massachusetts, presented a petition from sundry citizens of Massachusetts, praying Congress to provide for the immediate abolition of slavery within the District of Columbia; which he moved to refer to a select committee.

Mr. HAMMOND moved that the petition be not received. The large majority by which the House had rejected a similar petition a few days ago had been very gratifying to him, and no doubt would be very gratify. ing to the whole South. He had hoped it would satisfy gentlemen charged with such petitions, of the impropriety of introducing them here. Since, however, it had not had that effect, and they persisted still in urging them upon the House and upon the country, he thought it was not requiring too much of the House, to ask it to put a more decided seal of reprobation on them, by peremptorily rejecting this.

The SPEAKER said he was not aware that such a motion had ever been sustained by the former practice of the House; and in addition to that, by a standing rule of the House, (the 45th,) petitions and memorials could not be debated or decided on the day of their presenta tion, but must lie over one day, unless the House should direct otherwise.

Mr. GARLAND, of Virginia, then moved to lay the petition on the table.

Mr. HAMMOND said, as he was aware of no rule of the House restricting the rejection of petitions, he would modify his motion accordingly, by moving that the House reject the petition.

The SPEAKER remarked that the motion of Mr. GARLAND Would take precedence.

Mr. HAMMOND begged the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. GARLAND] to withdraw his motion to lay on the table, that we might have a direct vote upon this matter. He was not disposed to go into a discussion of the question involved in the petition; though, should it be urged, he would not shrink from it a hair's breadth; but he did think it due to the House and the country, to give at once the most decisive evidence of the sentiments entertained here upon this subject. He wished to put an end to these petitions. He could not sit there and see the rights of the southern people assaulted day after day, by the ignorant fanatics from whom these memorials proceed.

The SPEAKER requested the gentleman to suspend his remarks until he read the 45th rule of the House, which was as follows: "Petitions, memorials, and other papers, addressed to the House, shall be presented by the Speaker, or by a member in his place: a brief statement of the contents thereof shall verbally be made by the introducer, and shall not be debated or decided on the day of their being first read, unless where the House shall direct otherwise, but shall lie on the table, to be taken up in the order they were read." Unless, therefore, the House should direct otherwise, the Chair would be compelled, under the rule, to arrest any discussion, and direct the petition to lie over till to-morrow. Besides, the question to lie on the table, having precedence, was not debatable.

Mr. HAMMOND'S object, he said, was not to debate the merits of the question, but to move, if it was in order to do so, the rejection of the petition.

The SPEAKER replied that the rule was imperative on himself to arrest debate or decision on the petition, unless the House directed otherwise, and it must lie over one day.

Mr. MERCER remarked that the motion to reject brought up the whole merits of the question, and would necessarily bring on the very debate the gentleman said he desired to avoid; and he maintained that the motion to lie on the table was in order.

Mr. GARLAND, of Virginia, said he felt compelled to insist upon his motion to lay the petition on the table for the present.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, said that he did not like to take an appeal from the decision of the Chair, but it was of some importance that the rights of members should be clearly ascertained. He was sure that it was perfectly in order for any gentleman to make the point whether or not a paper should be received, and to move its rejection.

The SPEAKER said, as the question was new to him, he had doubts for a moment; he now entertained the motion of the gentleman from South Carolina, [Mr. HAMMOND,] but the motion to lay the petition on the table interposing, took precedence.

Mr. WILLIAMS contended that the latter motion would apply only after the petition had been received, and was in possession of the House.

Mr. HAWES rose to a question of order. Unless the gentleman took an appeal from the decision of the Chair, he was out of order in addressing the House.

Mr. WILLIAMS intended to appeal. He was in favor of the motion of the gentleman from Virginia, that the petition should be laid upon the table, but he could not consent that that motion should ride over one that was prior to it. He begged to refer the honorable Speaker to an example set by one of his predecessors. It was that of a memorial sent to that House a few years ago, from a representative of some one of the South American revolutionary Governments. That representative of this South American Government took upon himself to ap

[DEC. 18, 1835.

peal from the decision of the President of the United States to the nation, through the House of Representatives, and his memorial was presented by the presiding officer of that House. A question was raised by a distinguished member from Pennsylvania, and a motion was made that the petition should not be received, and the House decided that it should not be received. Now, that was altogether preliminary to the question of laying on the table, and had precedence of it. A motion to lay on the table could only be maintained when the subject was before the House; and after the question, whether it should be received or not, or whether it should be laid before the House, had been decided. It was with a view of ascertaining that question that Mr. W. appealed from the decision of the Chair; for he was in favor of the motion of the gentleman from Virginia, to lay the petition on the table, but he was also in favor of first receiving it.

Mr. MERCER well remembered, he said, the case cited by the gentleman from North Carolina, and if he was not mistaken, the question on that occasion was not in relation to the constitutional power of that House to refuse to receive petitions from citizens of the United States, for the right to petition was reserved to our citizens by the constitution; but it was as to whether an individual, not a citizen of the United States, could come there and petition; the petitioner in that case being a commander in one of the South American Governments.

The SPEAKER stated the question before the House as it then stood, and said he should be glad to have the judgment of the House upon it. After reading the fortyfifth rule, and also the thirty-second rule, laying down the order of privileged motions, of which that to lie on the table stands second, he remarked that the Chair considered the petition as having been received by the House, and had entertained the motions for a time; but, under the former rule, the petition ought to lie over. If, however, the House set that aside, still the motion to lie on the table having the preference, the question could not be debated on its merits. If in error, the Chair would be very happy to be corrected. The question then before the House was, Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?

Mr. BELL, of Tennessee, thought it would be better that the petition lie over for one day without being debated at that time. As the question was a new one, or about to be decided for the first time, it would be safest for the House at least to let the petition lie over one day; and he would, therefore, suggest to the gentleman from South Carolina that this course had better be adopted, and at the next day of meeting the House could then either reject it or lay it on the table. Mr. B. thought the decision of the Chair, that the petition should lie over, in substance right, and he thought it certainly the safest course to pursue.

Mr. GLASCOCK said he should have supported the views of the last gentleman, if a different course had not been taken the other day. He could see no reason why the course pursued in relation to the petition presented by an honorable member from Maine, [Mr. FAIRFIELD,] should be departed from now; nor why, after the deci sive vote that went forth to the country, expressive of the views and feelings of so large a majority on that occasion, they should now assume a different shape. Had the question itself undergone any change? If what was then done was wrong, let them say so, and let those who were unacquainted with the rules of proceeding know they were in error; but he saw nothing in the rules that conflicted with the course now sought to be pursued in relation to the petition on the table. He did hope that, so far as related to the memorials and petitions of this kind, some additional views would be given, to satisfy gentlemen who felt it their duty to introduce and present them, and to satisfy their constituents who