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Story
February 20, 1819
Richmond Enquirer
Richmond, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
U.S. House debates and votes on admitting Missouri as a state with restrictions on slavery, including Tallmadge's amendment prohibiting further introduction of slavery and freeing children born after admission at age 25. Amendment passes narrowly amid heated arguments on rights and expediency. Other petitions and bills presented on Feb. 14-16, 1819.
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Slavery in the new state; by declaring all free who should be born in the territory after its admission into the Union, and providing for the gradual emancipation of those now held in bondage.
This motion gave rise to an interesting and pretty wide debate, in which the proposition was supported by the mover, and by Messrs. Livermore and Mills; and was opposed by Messrs. Clay, (Speaker) Barbour and Pindall; but before any question was taken, the committee rose: and the House adjourned.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15.
The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Treasurer of the United States, transmitting statements of his accounts; which letter and statements were ordered to lie on the table.
Among the memorials presented to day was the following:
By Mr. Sergeant the petition of sundry merchants of Philadelphia, stating, that late in the year 1800, they made large shipments in American and Colonial produce from ports of the United States to the port of Antwerp, in France: That the vessels in which their shipments were made were carried into England, under the Orders in Council of Great Britain, and, after being subjected to illegal duties, were released; that, upon their arrival at the port of Antwerp, the ships, with their cargoes, were seized under the decrees of France, commonly called the Berlin and Milan Decrees, and were sold, and the proceeds paid into the Treasury of France; that all their efforts to obtain redress have been unavailing, and praying that such measures may be adopted by the government of the United States as will induce that of France to grant them compensation for their property, as well as for its detention.
The Memorial was read, and referred to the Secretary of State.
A petition was also presented by Mr. Pindall, from sundry inhabitants of the state of Virginia, praying to be permitted to settle on Columbia river, in the Missouri territory, at a point below the head of the navigation on said river; and referred to the committee on public lands.
A memorial was presented, also by Mr. Speaker, from George Williams, explanatory of his conduct as a Director, on the part of the government, of the Bank of the United States: which was read and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Smith, of Md. reported a bill making an appropriation for carrying into effect the provisions of an act passed on the 1st day of March, 1812, "making reservation of certain public lands to supply timber for naval purposes;" which was twice read and committed.
Mr. Johnson, of Ky. reported a bill for establishing an additional Military Academy, and a Military School of application; which was twice read and committed.
The house having again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Smith, of Md. in the chair, on the bill to authorize the people of the Missouri territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of the same into the Union.
The question being on the proposition of Mr. Tallmadge, to amend the bill by adding to it the following proviso:
"And provided, That the further introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude, be prohibited, except for the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been fully convicted; and that all children born within the said state, after the admission thereof into the Union, shall be free at the age of twenty five years."
The debate which commenced on Saturday, was to day resumed on this proposition; which was supported by Mr. Taylor, Mr. Mills, Mr. Livermore, and Mr. Fuller, and opposed by Mr. Barbour, Mr. Pindall, Mr. Clay, and Mr. Holmes.
This debate, which was quite interesting, involved two questions: one of right, the other of expediency. Both were supported by the advocates of the amendment, and generally opposed by its opponents. On the one hand, it was contended that Congress had no right to prescribe to any state the details of its government, any further than that it should be republican in its form: that such a power would be nugatory, if exercised, since, once admitted into the Union, the people of any state have the unquestioned right to amend their constitution of government, &c.
On the other hand, it was as strongly contended that Congress had no right to annex conditions to the admission of any new state into the Union; that slavery was incompatible with our Republican Institutions, &c.
We have no idea of giving any thing like a view of the Debate in this hasty account of the Proceedings. We shall take an opportunity hereafter of giving one or two of the Speeches on each side of the question.
Besides the above gentlemen, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Hendricks spoke on points incidentally introduced into the Debate.
The question being put on the motion of Mr. Tallmadge, to amend the bill, the vote was
For the amendment 79
Against it 67
So the amendment was agreed to.
The House then proceeded in the further consideration and maturing of the provisions of the bill; which occupied the House until the usual hour of adjournment.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16.
Among the petitions presented this morning, was one from the Postmasters of the Cities of Boston, Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, praying for an increase of their compensation.
Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, moved to proceed again to the consideration of the proposition to reduce the Army: which motion was rejected by a majority of about 10 votes.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the amendments reported by the committee of the whole to the bill for authorising the People of the Territory of Missouri to form a Constitution and State Government, and for the admission of the same into the Union.
The whole of the amendments made in committee of the whole were agreed to, with the exception of that which prohibits slavery or involuntary servitude in the proposed state.
On this question the Debate which commenced yesterday was renewed, and prosecuted with considerable spirit. Messrs. Scott, Colston, Tallmadge, Storrs, Taylor, Simkins, Mills, Spencer, Holmes, Barbour, Campbell of Ohio, Butler of Lou., Terry and Beecher taking part in it.
After a long debate on the subject, the question was taken on agreeing to the first member of the proposed amendment, in the following words:
"That the further introduction of slavery, or involuntary servitude, be prohibited, except for the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been fully convicted."
On which question the yeas and nays were as follows:
YEAS--Messrs. Adams, Allen, Me. Anderson, Pa. Barber, Ohio. Bateman, Beecher. Bennett, Boden, Campbell. Clagett, Comstock Crafts, Cashman, Darlington, Drake. Ellicott Folger, Fuller, Gage. Gilbert, Hale, Hall, Del. Husbrouck. Hendricks. Herkimer, Herrick. Hiester, Hitchcock. Hopkinson, Hostetter Buford, Butter. Huntington, Irving. N. Y. Kinsey, Kirtland Lawler. Lincoln, Linn, Livermore, W. Maclay, W.P. Maclay, Marchand. Mason. R. L. Merrill. Mills, Ront. Moore, S. C. Moore, Morton, Moseley Murray. Jer. Nelson, Ogle, Orr, Palmer, Patterson, Pawling, Pitkin, Rice, Rich, Richards, Rogers, Ruggles, Sampson. Savage, Schuyler. Scudder Sergeant. Sherwood, Silsbee, Southard. Spencer. Tallmadge, Taylor, Terry. Tompkins, Townsend, Upham, Wallace, Wendover, Westerlo, Whiteside, Wilkin, Williams, Conn. Williams, N. Y. Wilson, Mass. Wilson, Penn.--87.
NAYS.--Messrs. Abbot, Anderson. Ky. Austin, Ball, Barbour, Va. Bassett, Bayley. Bloomfield, Blount, Brown, Butler, Lou. Cobb. Colston, Cook, Cruger, Culbreth, Davidson Desha, Edwards. Ervin. S. C. Fisher. Garnett. Hall, N C. Harrison, Holmes. Johnson, Va. Johnson, Ky. Jones. Lewis. Little, Lowndes. M'Lane, Del. M'Lean, Ill. McCoy, Marr, Ma. son. Mass. Middleton N. Nelson. T. M. Nelson. Nesbitt, New, Newton. Ogden, Owen, Parrott, Pegram, Peter Pindall, Pleasants, Poindexter, Porter, Reed, Rhea, Ringgold, Robertson, Sawyer, Settle, Shaw, Simkins, Sloomb. S.Smith, Balt. Smith, Alexander Smyth. J.S. Smith, Speed. Stewart, N C. Stouis. Stuart. Md. Terrell. Tazewell, Tucker, Va Tucker. S. C. Tyler. Walker, N. C. Walker, Ky. Williams, N.C.--76.
The question was then taken on agreeing to the second member of the said amendment, which is in the following words:
"And that all children born within the said state, after the admission thereof into the Union, shall be free at the age of 25 years."
On which question the vote was, by yeas and nays, as follows:
For the said second part 82
Against it 78
So the whole of the amendments, as proposed by Mr. Tallmadge, were agreed to.
Some other amendments having been made to the bill--
Mr. Storrs moved to strike out so much of the bill as says that the new state shall be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states. After the vote just taken, Mr. S. said, there was a manifest inconsistency in retaining this provision.
The motion was negatived.
Some remarks were made by Messrs. Desha, Cobb, and Rhea, to shew why they should now vote against the bill, and by Mr. Pindall on the other side.
Mr. Scott and Mr. Anderson, of Ky. greatly as they had been opposed to the insertion of the provision, which had been so much debated, yet preferred taking the bill as it stood, to rejecting it.
The question on ordering the bill to be engrossed for a third reading, was then decided in the affirmative, 98 to 56; and the House adjourned.
This motion gave rise to an interesting and pretty wide debate, in which the proposition was supported by the mover, and by Messrs. Livermore and Mills; and was opposed by Messrs. Clay, (Speaker) Barbour and Pindall; but before any question was taken, the committee rose: and the House adjourned.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15.
The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Treasurer of the United States, transmitting statements of his accounts; which letter and statements were ordered to lie on the table.
Among the memorials presented to day was the following:
By Mr. Sergeant the petition of sundry merchants of Philadelphia, stating, that late in the year 1800, they made large shipments in American and Colonial produce from ports of the United States to the port of Antwerp, in France: That the vessels in which their shipments were made were carried into England, under the Orders in Council of Great Britain, and, after being subjected to illegal duties, were released; that, upon their arrival at the port of Antwerp, the ships, with their cargoes, were seized under the decrees of France, commonly called the Berlin and Milan Decrees, and were sold, and the proceeds paid into the Treasury of France; that all their efforts to obtain redress have been unavailing, and praying that such measures may be adopted by the government of the United States as will induce that of France to grant them compensation for their property, as well as for its detention.
The Memorial was read, and referred to the Secretary of State.
A petition was also presented by Mr. Pindall, from sundry inhabitants of the state of Virginia, praying to be permitted to settle on Columbia river, in the Missouri territory, at a point below the head of the navigation on said river; and referred to the committee on public lands.
A memorial was presented, also by Mr. Speaker, from George Williams, explanatory of his conduct as a Director, on the part of the government, of the Bank of the United States: which was read and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Smith, of Md. reported a bill making an appropriation for carrying into effect the provisions of an act passed on the 1st day of March, 1812, "making reservation of certain public lands to supply timber for naval purposes;" which was twice read and committed.
Mr. Johnson, of Ky. reported a bill for establishing an additional Military Academy, and a Military School of application; which was twice read and committed.
The house having again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Smith, of Md. in the chair, on the bill to authorize the people of the Missouri territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of the same into the Union.
The question being on the proposition of Mr. Tallmadge, to amend the bill by adding to it the following proviso:
"And provided, That the further introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude, be prohibited, except for the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been fully convicted; and that all children born within the said state, after the admission thereof into the Union, shall be free at the age of twenty five years."
The debate which commenced on Saturday, was to day resumed on this proposition; which was supported by Mr. Taylor, Mr. Mills, Mr. Livermore, and Mr. Fuller, and opposed by Mr. Barbour, Mr. Pindall, Mr. Clay, and Mr. Holmes.
This debate, which was quite interesting, involved two questions: one of right, the other of expediency. Both were supported by the advocates of the amendment, and generally opposed by its opponents. On the one hand, it was contended that Congress had no right to prescribe to any state the details of its government, any further than that it should be republican in its form: that such a power would be nugatory, if exercised, since, once admitted into the Union, the people of any state have the unquestioned right to amend their constitution of government, &c.
On the other hand, it was as strongly contended that Congress had no right to annex conditions to the admission of any new state into the Union; that slavery was incompatible with our Republican Institutions, &c.
We have no idea of giving any thing like a view of the Debate in this hasty account of the Proceedings. We shall take an opportunity hereafter of giving one or two of the Speeches on each side of the question.
Besides the above gentlemen, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Hendricks spoke on points incidentally introduced into the Debate.
The question being put on the motion of Mr. Tallmadge, to amend the bill, the vote was
For the amendment 79
Against it 67
So the amendment was agreed to.
The House then proceeded in the further consideration and maturing of the provisions of the bill; which occupied the House until the usual hour of adjournment.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16.
Among the petitions presented this morning, was one from the Postmasters of the Cities of Boston, Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, praying for an increase of their compensation.
Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, moved to proceed again to the consideration of the proposition to reduce the Army: which motion was rejected by a majority of about 10 votes.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the amendments reported by the committee of the whole to the bill for authorising the People of the Territory of Missouri to form a Constitution and State Government, and for the admission of the same into the Union.
The whole of the amendments made in committee of the whole were agreed to, with the exception of that which prohibits slavery or involuntary servitude in the proposed state.
On this question the Debate which commenced yesterday was renewed, and prosecuted with considerable spirit. Messrs. Scott, Colston, Tallmadge, Storrs, Taylor, Simkins, Mills, Spencer, Holmes, Barbour, Campbell of Ohio, Butler of Lou., Terry and Beecher taking part in it.
After a long debate on the subject, the question was taken on agreeing to the first member of the proposed amendment, in the following words:
"That the further introduction of slavery, or involuntary servitude, be prohibited, except for the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been fully convicted."
On which question the yeas and nays were as follows:
YEAS--Messrs. Adams, Allen, Me. Anderson, Pa. Barber, Ohio. Bateman, Beecher. Bennett, Boden, Campbell. Clagett, Comstock Crafts, Cashman, Darlington, Drake. Ellicott Folger, Fuller, Gage. Gilbert, Hale, Hall, Del. Husbrouck. Hendricks. Herkimer, Herrick. Hiester, Hitchcock. Hopkinson, Hostetter Buford, Butter. Huntington, Irving. N. Y. Kinsey, Kirtland Lawler. Lincoln, Linn, Livermore, W. Maclay, W.P. Maclay, Marchand. Mason. R. L. Merrill. Mills, Ront. Moore, S. C. Moore, Morton, Moseley Murray. Jer. Nelson, Ogle, Orr, Palmer, Patterson, Pawling, Pitkin, Rice, Rich, Richards, Rogers, Ruggles, Sampson. Savage, Schuyler. Scudder Sergeant. Sherwood, Silsbee, Southard. Spencer. Tallmadge, Taylor, Terry. Tompkins, Townsend, Upham, Wallace, Wendover, Westerlo, Whiteside, Wilkin, Williams, Conn. Williams, N. Y. Wilson, Mass. Wilson, Penn.--87.
NAYS.--Messrs. Abbot, Anderson. Ky. Austin, Ball, Barbour, Va. Bassett, Bayley. Bloomfield, Blount, Brown, Butler, Lou. Cobb. Colston, Cook, Cruger, Culbreth, Davidson Desha, Edwards. Ervin. S. C. Fisher. Garnett. Hall, N C. Harrison, Holmes. Johnson, Va. Johnson, Ky. Jones. Lewis. Little, Lowndes. M'Lane, Del. M'Lean, Ill. McCoy, Marr, Ma. son. Mass. Middleton N. Nelson. T. M. Nelson. Nesbitt, New, Newton. Ogden, Owen, Parrott, Pegram, Peter Pindall, Pleasants, Poindexter, Porter, Reed, Rhea, Ringgold, Robertson, Sawyer, Settle, Shaw, Simkins, Sloomb. S.Smith, Balt. Smith, Alexander Smyth. J.S. Smith, Speed. Stewart, N C. Stouis. Stuart. Md. Terrell. Tazewell, Tucker, Va Tucker. S. C. Tyler. Walker, N. C. Walker, Ky. Williams, N.C.--76.
The question was then taken on agreeing to the second member of the said amendment, which is in the following words:
"And that all children born within the said state, after the admission thereof into the Union, shall be free at the age of 25 years."
On which question the vote was, by yeas and nays, as follows:
For the said second part 82
Against it 78
So the whole of the amendments, as proposed by Mr. Tallmadge, were agreed to.
Some other amendments having been made to the bill--
Mr. Storrs moved to strike out so much of the bill as says that the new state shall be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states. After the vote just taken, Mr. S. said, there was a manifest inconsistency in retaining this provision.
The motion was negatived.
Some remarks were made by Messrs. Desha, Cobb, and Rhea, to shew why they should now vote against the bill, and by Mr. Pindall on the other side.
Mr. Scott and Mr. Anderson, of Ky. greatly as they had been opposed to the insertion of the provision, which had been so much debated, yet preferred taking the bill as it stood, to rejecting it.
The question on ordering the bill to be engrossed for a third reading, was then decided in the affirmative, 98 to 56; and the House adjourned.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Moral Virtue
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Missouri Territory
Slavery Amendment
Congressional Debate
Tallmadge Proviso
State Admission
House Vote
Anti Slavery
Involuntary Servitude
What entities or persons were involved?
Mr. Tallmadge
Mr. Clay
Mr. Livermore
Mr. Mills
Mr. Barbour
Mr. Pindall
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Fuller
Mr. Holmes
Mr. Harrison
Mr. Hendricks
Mr. Scott
Mr. Colston
Mr. Storrs
Mr. Simkins
Mr. Spencer
Mr. Campbell Of Ohio
Mr. Butler Of Lou.
Mr. Terry
Mr. Beecher
Mr. Sergeant
Mr. Williams Of North Carolina
Mr. Smith Of Md.
Mr. Johnson Of Ky.
George Williams
Where did it happen?
United States House Of Representatives
Story Details
Key Persons
Mr. Tallmadge
Mr. Clay
Mr. Livermore
Mr. Mills
Mr. Barbour
Mr. Pindall
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Fuller
Mr. Holmes
Mr. Harrison
Mr. Hendricks
Mr. Scott
Mr. Colston
Mr. Storrs
Mr. Simkins
Mr. Spencer
Mr. Campbell Of Ohio
Mr. Butler Of Lou.
Mr. Terry
Mr. Beecher
Mr. Sergeant
Mr. Williams Of North Carolina
Mr. Smith Of Md.
Mr. Johnson Of Ky.
George Williams
Location
United States House Of Representatives
Event Date
February 14 16, 1819
Story Details
Debate on bill for Missouri territory to form state government and join Union; Tallmadge amendment to prohibit further slavery introduction and free children born after admission at age 25 passes with votes 79-67, 87-76, 82-78; arguments on congressional rights, expediency, and republican incompatibility with slavery; bill advanced for third reading 98-56.