Mr. Hugh J. Anderson John T. Andrews Charles G. Atherton William Beatty Cyrus Beers Andrew Beirne Bennet Bicknell John Chaney Thomas Glascock James Graham Seaton Grantland Abraham P. Grant Hiram Gray Mr. John K. Griffin Robert H. Hammond George W. Hopkins William S. Morgan Mr. James Rariden Joseph Ridgway Leverett Saltonstall Francis O. J. Smith Charles C. Stratton Joseph L. Tillinghast Mr. John L. Murray William H. Noble David D. Wagener Thomas T. Whittlesey The question then again recurred on the second member of the said fifth resolution; when Mr. Pope and Mr. Chambers, severally, asked to be excused from voting thereon; which requests were refused by the House. And the question was then put, that the House do agree to the said second member of the fifth resolution; Yeas, And passed in the affirmative, {Nays, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. Hugh J. Anderson John T. Andrews Charles G. Atherton Andrew Beirne Bennet Bicknell Isaac E. Crary John Dennis George C. Dromgoole Franklin H. Elmore James Farrington John Fairfield Jacob Fry, jr. Albert Gallup Rice Garland James Graham Seaton Grantland William J. Graves Robert H. Hammond George W. Hopkins William Cost Johnson William S. Morgan Mr. John Palmer Amasa J. Parker Isaac Toucey George W. Towns Thomas T. Whittlesey Jared W. Williams Mr. Charles D. Coffin Thomas Corwin Edward Darlington Mr. Thoinas Davee Edward Davies Richard Fletcher George Grennell, jr. And so it was Mr. Hiland Hall William Halsted William Herod Samuel Ingham Levi Lincoln Richard P. Marvin John P. B. Maxwell Mr. David Potts, jr. Harvey Putnam Joseph Ridgway Edward Robinson David Russell Leverett Saltonstall John Sergeant Daniel Sheffer Charles C. Stratton 1. Resolved, That this Government is a Government of limited powers; and that, by the constitution of the United States, Congress has no jurisdiction whatever over the institution of slavery in the several States of the confederacy. 2. Resolved, That petitions for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia and the Territories of the United States, and against the removal of slaves from one State to another, are a part of a plan of operations set on foot to affect the institution of slavery in the several States, and thus indirectly to destroy that institution within their limits. 3. Resolved, That Congress has no right to do that indirectly which it cannot do directly; and that the agitation of the subject of slavery in the District of Columbia or the Territories, as a means, and with the view, of disturbing or overthrowing that institution in the several States, is against the true spirit and meaning of the constitution, an infringement of the rights of the States affected, and a breach of the public faith on which they entered into this confederacy. 4. Resolved, That the constitution rests on the broad principle of equality among the members of this confederacy; and that Congress, in the exercise of its acknowledged powers, has no right to discriminate between the institutions of one portion of the States and another, with a view of abolishing the one and promoting the other. 5. Resolved, therefore, That all attempts on the part of Congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia or the Territories, or to prohibit the removal of slaves from State to State, or to discriminate between the institutions of one portion of the confederacy and another, with the views aforesaid, are in violation of the constitution, destructive of the fundamental principle on which the union of these States rests, and beyond the jurisdiction of Congress; and that every petition, memorial, resolution, proposition, or paper, touching or relating in any way, or to any extent whatever, to slavery as aforesaid, or the abolition thereof, shall, on the presentation thereof, without any further action thereon, be laid upon the table, without being debated, printed, or referred. Pending the calling of the yeas and nays on the several questions taken on the foregoing resolutions, Mr. Wise refused to vote. A motion was made by Mr. Kennedy, that the rules in relation to the order of business be suspended, to enable him to move a resolution; which was read at the Clerk's table; and thereupon The House, at three o'clock, adjourned until to-morrow, twelve o'clock, meridian. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1838. Mr. Kennedy withdrew the motion made by him, and pending yesterday at the adjournment, to suspend the rules to enable him to move a resolution which was read at the Clerk's table. A motion was made by Mr. John Quincy Adams that the rules in relation to the order of business be suspended, to enable him to move a resolution; which was read, and is in the words following: "Resolved, That the powers of Congress being conferred by the constitution of the United States, no resolution of this House can add to or deduct from them." And on the question, Shall the rules be suspended for the purpose aforesaid, Yeas, It passed in the negative, Nays, The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are Mr. John Quincy Adams Heman Allen John W. Allen Horace Everett John Ewing Mr. Richard Fletcher Isaac Fletcher Millard Fillmore Mr. Charles F. Mitchell Calvary Morris Leverett Saltonstall Mr. Robert Craig Mr. John Klingensmith, jr. William S. Morgan Francis W. Pickens Mr. John Robertson Augustine H. Shepperd Abraham Vanderveer Thomas T. Whittlesey The rules being suspended for the purpose, the Speaker laid before the House a report from the Secretary of the Treasury, prepared in obedience to the order of the House of the 29th day of June, 1838, directing him to collect and report to Congress all the information that can be obtained as to the use of steam-engines in the United States, and the accidents and loss of life or property which have attended their use; with all the particulars and details connected with the same. On motion of Mr. Sergeant, Ordered, That the said report be referred to a select committee, and that it be printed by the printer to the House, under the superintendence of the Secretary of the Treasury, with authority to make any additions and corrections which may occur to him in the progress of the printing. And thereupon a committee was appointed, consisting of Mr. Sergeant, Mr. Hamer, Mr. Campbell of South Carolina, Mr. Phelps, Mr. Menefee, Mr. Yell, and Mr. Borden. Mr. Wise moved that the rules in relation to the order of business be suspended, to enable him to move sundry resolutions; which were read at the Clerk's table, and are in the words following, viz : Resolved, That Congress has no power to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, or in the Territories of the United States, whether such power in said District or Territories be exercised “ as a means, or with the view, of disturbing and overthrowing slavery in the States," or not. Resolved, That Congress has no power to abolish the slave-trade, or prohibit the removal of slaves between the States, or between the States and the District of Columbia or Territories of the United States, or between the District of Columbia and the Territories of the United States. Resolved, That Congress cannot receive or consider petitions for the |