State of Massachusetts, praying Congress to recognise, in the usual form and manner, and to enter into the customary international relations with, the republic of Hayti.

The question recurred on the motion made by Mr. John Quincy Adams on the 20th instant, that the said petition be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, with instruction to consider and report thereon.

A division of the question on this motion having been called by Mr. Dromgoole on the 20th, the question was put on so much thereof as proposed that the petition be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs; And passed in the affirmative.

The question recurred on the remainder of said motion, viz: the instructions to the committee "to consider and report thereon."

And whilst this question was under debate, Mr. John Quincy Adams was called to order by the Speaker, who decided that his remarks were irrelevant to the question before the House, and in violation of the rule of the House which declares that a member in debate "shall confine himself to the question under debate."

Objection being made to Mr. Adams's proceeding further in his speech, by Mr. Bynum,

A motion was made by Mr. Briggs that Mr. Adams have leave to pro

The consideration of the petition of inhabitants of West Randolph, in the county of Orange, and State of Vermont, praying Congress to recognise, in the usual form and manner, and to enter into the customary international relations with the republic of Hayti, presented by Mr. Slade on the 20th of December ultimo, and laid on the table to be taken up in its order, under the 51st rule of the House, being called for by Mr. Slade:

The Speaker decided that, according to the 51st rule, which provides that petitions, memorials, and other papers shall not be debated on the day of their being presented, "nor on any day assigned by the House for the receipt of petitions after the first thirty days of the session, unless where the House shall direct otherwise," the said petition could not be considered at this time, this being a day assigned by the House for the receipt of petitions, (the first thirty days of the session having expired,) unless directed by a vote of the House.

A motion was then made by Mr. Slade, that the House do proceed to the consideration of said petition;

And the question being put,

It passed in the negative.

JANUARY 7, 1839.

Mr. John Quincy Adams offered to present a petition, and made a statement of the contents thereof."

Objection was made by Mr. Dromgoole to receiving the same, on the ground that the same was not respectful to the House.

And on the question, Shall the petition be received?

Yeas,

It passed in the negative,Nays,

And so the petition was not received.

25, 115.

Mr. Adams moved that the petition refused to be received be entered on the Journal.

The Speaker decided that the petition not being in the possession of the House, the motion was not in order.

JANUARY 17, 1839.

The House resumed the consideration of the message of the President of the United States of the 8th of December, communicated on the 10th, in relation to the recently discovered default of Samuel Swartwout, late collector of the customs at the port of New York.

The question then again recurred on the amendment moved by Mr. Thomas to the amendment moved by Mr. Garland of Virginia, to strike out "ballot," and insert "viva voce;" when

Mr. Wise made a point of order; and stated his point to be, that it was not in order to move the amendment to the amendment, viz: to strike out "ballot" and insert "viva voce," because, by the rule of the House, "all committees shall be appointed by the Speaker, unless otherwise specially directed by the House; in which case they shall be appointed by ballot."

The Speaker decided that it was in order to move the amendment, and that the point raised might be "a fit ground for its rejection by the House, but not within the competence of the Speaker to suppress, as if it were against order;" that if the amendment to the amendment be agreed to by a majority, and the amendment as amended be incorporated into the resolution by a majority, the resolution, in that form, would require, under the 119th rule, which provides, "nor shall any rule be suspended except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present," a vote of twothirds to pass the same.

From this decision, (that the motion to amend the amendment was in order,) Mr. Wise took an appeal to the House.

And, after debate, the previous question was called by Mr. Harian; and being demanded by a majority of the members present, the question was put on ordering the main question, and decided in the affirmative. The main question was then stated, to wit: Shall the decision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the House? when Mr. Wise withdrew his said appeal.

JANUARY 21, 1839.

STATE OF VERMONT.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representatives be requested, to use their utmost efforts to prevent the annexation of Texas to the United States, and to procure the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia and the Territories of the United States, and the slave trade between the several States and Territories of the Union.

Resolved, That the adoption by the House of Representatives of the United States, on the 21st December last, [1837,] of the resolution by which "all petitions, memorials, and papers

touching the abolition of slavery, or the buying, selling, or transferring of slaves, in any State, District, or Territory of the United States," were "laid upon the table without being debated, printed, read, or referred," was a daring infringement of the right of the people to petition, and a flagrant violation of the constitution of the United States: and we do, in the name of the people of Vermont, protest against the passage of the same, or any similar resolution, by the present or any future Congress of the United States.

Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representatives requested, to present the foregoing resolutions to their respective Houses, and use their influence to carry the same into effect.

Resolved, That the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of the foregoing resolutions to the President of the United States, and to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress.

A motion was made by Mr. Everett, that the said resolutions be read, printed, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

The Speaker decided that the resolutions came within the order of the House of the 12th of December ultimo, which directs "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;" and that the said resolutions of the Legislature of the State of Vermont would be laid on the table accordingly, without further action thereon, and without being debated, printed, or referred.

From this decision Mr. Everett took an appeal to the House.
And, after debate,

The previous question was moved by Mr. Bronson; when,

A motion was made by Mr. Parris, that the appeal do lie on the table. A motion was then made by Mr. Morgan, at twenty-five minutes past four o'clock, that the House do adjourn; which was decided in the negative.

A motion was then made by Mr. Morgan, that there be a call of the House; which was also decided in the negative.

And then, at half-past four o'clock, the House adjourned until tomorrow, twelve o'clock meridian.

Continued-FEBRUARY 4, 1839.

The House resumed the consideration of the resolutions of the Legislature of the State of Vermont, presented by Mr. Everett, on the 21st of January ultimo.

The question recurred on the motion made by Mr. Parris, that the appeal from the decision of the Speaker, in relation to the motion made by Mr. Everett, on the 21st of January, that said resolutions be read, printed, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, do lie on table; when

Mr. Parris withdrew said motion; and then

Mr. Bronson withdrew the motion for the previous question, made by him, and pending on the 21st January.

And it now appearing that a part of said resolutions of the Legislature of the State of Vermont did not relate to the subject of slavery within the States and Territories of the United States, the Speaker modified his decision, made on the 21st January ultimo, and decided that so much of said resolutions as relates to the "abolition of slavery and the slave trade

in the District of Columbia and the Territories of the United States, and the slave trade between the several States and the Territories of the Union," came within the order of the House of the 12th December ultimo, which directs "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 ;" and that so much of the said resolutions of the Legislature of the State of Vermont would be laid on the table accordingly, without further action thereon, and without being debated, printed, or referred.

The question was stated, Shall the decision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the House?

A motion was made by Mr. Bronson, that the said appeal do lie on the

table;

And the question being put on this motion,

It passed in the affirmative, {Nays,

122,

44.