4 January 1836
adams-john10 Neal Millikan Anti-Slavery Petitions Recreation
153

4. V. Monday.

Frye Nathaniel Mrs Frye Thomas J. Frye Smith William S Mrs Smith Barrell S. B. Mrs Barrell Bailey Jeremiah Lawrence Abbott Palfrey Professor Phillips Stephen C

I attended the house with feelings of no small anxiety. After the reading of the Journal, the Speaker called the States for Petitions, beginning with Maine—when he came to Massachusetts I presented the Memorial of F. C. Gray, and others, praying for an act similar to that which passed the Senate at the last Session of Congress to indemnify them for French Spoliations prior to the year 1800. The memorial was at my motion without reading referred to the Committee of foreign Affairs.— I next presented the petition of Albert Pabodie and 153. inhabitants of Millbury in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts praying for the abolition of Slavery and the Slave-trade in the District of Columbia. This Petition was couched in the same language, with that which Briggs had presented last week, and which after it had been referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia, was by a reconsidered vote laid on the table together with the motion that it should be printed— I therefore now after stating the contents of the petition from Millbury, said it was my intention to move that without reading it should be laid on the table— I was instantly interrupted by my next neighbour John M. Patton, who inquired whether the Petition had been received, to which the Speaker answered that it had not, whereupon Thomas Glascock, a new member from Georgia moved that it be not received, and was proceeding to make a Speech, when I called him to order, and appealing to the 45th. rule of the House which prescribes that there shall be no debate upon Petitions on the day when they are presented, I demanded that the debate should now be postponed to a day certain, that this day might be free for the receipt of Petitions from all the States. The Speaker decided that as the Petition had not been received, it was not in possession of the House, and that the 45th. rule of the House interdicting debate did not apply; from this decision I appealed, and asked for the yeas and nays which were ordered, and a debate arose upon the appeal, which consumed the day.— I spoke twice; the second time after a clamorous call for the question—but after I had spoken Vinton of Ohio moved an adjournment which was carried, leaving the question undecided— We had a family party to dine, with whom I invited this morning Mr Jeremiah Bailey, a member of the House of Representatives from Maine, and the husband of Dr Welsh’s eldest daughter, Charlotte—Mr Abbott Lawrence with Professor Palfrey of Cambridge, and Mr Stephen C. Phillips—and they all came. After they went away in the Evening we had a family party at whist.

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