Wednesday, February 14.
Quakers' Memorial.
Mr. Sitgreaves moved the order of the day on the report of a select committee on the memorial of the people called Quakers; which motion being agreed to, the House went into a Committee of the Whole on the subject, Mr. Dent in the chair. The report having been read as follows:
"That, inasmuch as the said memorial and address presents, in general terms only, certain subjects to the consideration of the Legislature, without containing any definite state of facts, or any specific application for its interposition, the memorialists were desired to exhibit a particular view of the grievances of which they complained, in order that the attention of the House might be directed to precise objects, and that it might be better discerned whether the complaints of the memorialists were of a nature to justify Legislative interference:
"That, in consequence of this request, the memorialists laid before the committee the representation and documents which accompany this report:
"That, on the subject of this representation, the memorialists were invited to confer with the committee, and were solicited to suggest the remedy which they conceived it to be in the power of Congress to apply to the case, as stated by them:
"That the committee, after several conferences with the memorialists, and an attentive consideration of the subject, are very clearly of opinion that the facts disclosed in the said representation are exclusively of judicial cognizance; and that it is not competent to the Legislative authority of Congress to do any act in relation to the matter thereof:
"Wherefore the committee recommend the following resolution:
"Resolved, That the memorialists have leave to withdraw the said memorial and address."
Mr. Thatcher could not say that he was perfectly satisfied with the report of the committee in all its parts. He wished the business disposed of without coming to any decisive resolution upon it, so as either to approve or disapprove of it. He was not ready to say that the facts disclosed in that memorial were exclusively of judicial cognizance, and that the Legislature of the Union was incompetent to do any thing in it. It might, however, be true, but it was not clear to him. He would rather that the subject should not now be acted upon: he would, therefore, propose an amendment to the report, which might conclude the business without coming to any resolution upon it, which had been the course heretofore taken with similar applications. He moved, therefore, to strike out the resolution giving the petitioners leave to withdraw their petition; and if his motion was agreed to, he should wish the committee to rise, and that the House would not act further upon it at present.
Mr. Rutledge said, he, as well as the gentleman from Massachusetts, was dissatisfied with the report of the select committee. He thought the report ought to have stated that the peace of certain States in the Union had been much disturbed by applications of this kind. He had prepared a resolution to this effect, which he would read in his place. It was as follows:
"Resolved, That part of the memorial of the people called Quakers has a tendency to disturb the tranquillity of some of the States of the Union; that this House is not competent to act upon it, and therefore they have leave to withdraw their memorial."
There could be little difference of opinion on the assertion that the internal tranquillity of several States had been disturbed by these applications; and he believed there would be no difficulty in obtaining a majority of the House to declare it; as, if the Representatives of three or four States were to rise and declare the fact, it must have sufficient weight to carry a declaration of this kind. He had, however, mentioned the matter to some of his friends, and found it was not very agreeable to them, as they wished to get rid of the business without debate. But if the present motion were to obtain, he should afterwards bring forward this resolution.
The Chairman declared the motion of the gentleman from Massachusetts out of order.
The question on the resolution, as reported, was put and carried, there being 74 votes in the affirmative. The committee then rose, and the House concurred in the report.