Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the Second Session of the Twenty-Fourth Congress Page: 1,397

                                
1397
OF DEBATES IN CONGRESS.
1398
Jas. 17, 1837.]
Memorial from District of Columbia—Protection to Commerce, &c.
[H.or R.
,,
should suspenrl the rule, to enable the member from
Maryland to submit his resolution.
Mr. ADAMS said he hoped the rule would not be
suspended. He begged the House and the Speaker to
recollect that this state of things—
Mr. W. B. SHEPARD rose to a question of order.
A motion to suspend the rule he understood not to be
debateable, and he hoped the Chair would enforce the
rule.
The SPEAKER said the motion could not be de-
bated.
Mr. ADAMS called for the yeas and nays on the mo-
tion to suspend the rule; which were ordered, and were:
Yea3 123, nays 58.
So the rule was suspended.
Mr. HOWARD then offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That in calling the States for petitions on
this day, the Speaker do call in the reverse order, be-
ginning with the youngest Territory.
Mr. ADAMS called for the yeas and nays on the
adoption of the resolution; which the House refused to
order.
And the question was then taken, and decided in the
affirmative: Yeas 125, nays 33.
So the resolution was adopted.
Petitions and memorials were then called for in the
reverse order of States and Territories.
Mr. E. WHITTLESEY said, it having, been the sense
of the House that petitions relating to the "abolition of
slavery should not be discussed to-day, he begged to
state that he had several such in his possession, but that
he refrained from offering them, under the hope that,
when lie did offer them, he might be heard for a few mo-
ments in relation to the direction which he thought
should be given to them by the House.
MEMORIAL FROM DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
The SPEAKER presented a memorial from the grand
jurors of the county of Washington, in the District of
Columbia, soliciting that hereafter no petitions may be
received or entertained by Congress, from societies or
inhabitants of the non-slaveholding States, for the abo-
lition of slavery in the District of Columbia.
Mr. PINCKNEY moved to lay the momorial on the
table. ,
Mr. WASHINGTON called for the reading; and it
was read accordingly.
Mr. GRAHAM called for the yeas and nays on the
motion of Mr. Putckseit ; but the House refused to order
And the question was then taken, and decided in the
affirmative. n
So the memorial was ordered to he on the table.
Mr. JENIFER moved that the same be printed.
The SPEAKER said the motion was not now in
ordfift
Mr. HIESTER presented the petition of 240 females
of his congressional district, praying for the abolition of
slavery in the District of Columbia, and moved that the
same be refefred to the Committee on the said District.
Mr W. B. SHEPARD objected to its reception. Mr.
S. said that, whenever a proper opportunity presented
itself, it was his intention to offer a few remarks ori this
subject. He did not feel disposed now to violate the
agreement \%hich had been made with his C°u-*SU«'
[Mr. Br mum,] that this discussion should .ie ovel, and
moved, therefore, that the further consideration of the
tarss nvvsaw —
lay on the table, should it prevail, would not be to
ject the petition for the time being.
The SPEAKER said the effect of the motion would
be to suspend all action, and to leave the petition exactly
where it was.
And the question was taken, and decided in the af-
firmative: Yeas 89, nays 37.
So the preliminary question was laid on the table.
PROTECTION TO COMMERCE.
Mr. LAWRENCE presented the memorial of George
Hallett, and four hundred merchants of the city of Bos-
ton, praying Congress to establish steam and other ves-
sels for the protection of the navigation of ships of the
United States coming on our coast in the winter.
Mr. L. adverted briefly to the fearful loss of life and
property which had taken place on our coast during
the last year, to an extent unprecedented in our history.
This loss was to be attributed in part to the want of
a good system of pilotage, but mainly to the fact that
vessels coming, after very long voyages, on a bleak and
wintry coast, and short of provisions, required some pro-
tection and assistance which their own crews were not
able to render. He moved that the petition be refer-
red to the Committee on Commerce, and expressed a
hope that some action would be speedily had upon the
subject.
The petition was referred accordingly.
During the day, a number of petitions, praying for
the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, were
presented; which were, in every instance, met by the
motion to lay the preliminary motion of reception on the
table, and which motion prevailed.
After the reception and disposal of several resolutions
of inquiry,
The House adjourned.
Tuesday, Jascabt 17.
KEEPING THE JOURNALS.
Mr. UNDERWOOD asked the consent of the House
to submit a resolution, which he desired might be read
for the information of the House.
Mr. JARVIS objected to the reception of the resolu-
tion and to its reading.
Mr UNDERWOOD said,.if the Clerk would return
the resolution, he (Mr. U.) would state briefly its sub-
stance to the House.
Mr. ADAMS said, if the gentleman from Kentucky
was Dermitted to read the resolution, he (Mr. A.) hoped
no more objection would be made to members reading
papers in their places.
ners 111 wen pnn-ca. , i
The SPEAKER said the question could not be de-
^Mr." UNDERWOOD inquired if it was in order to
brief statement of the contents of the resolu-
tmake a I
tl0The SPEAKER said it was in order so to do, but it
was not in order to read the resolution itself.
Mr. UNDERWOOD said his object was to submit a
series of resolutions, declaring the sense of his House
tblt it was not competent, under the'constitut.o,. ot the
United States, to change, alter, expunge, mutilate, r
destroy, the journals oftither House of Congress; at
the preservation of the journals of e.ther House of Con-
t0MrdeUNDEUWOOD declared that he had not yet
completed the brief statement of the contents, of the
K.S"*o submit hi. HOT"'