On  the  7th  of  June,  1841,  during  an  extra  session,  the  vote
by  which  this  rule  was  "discarded"  was — Yeas  112 — Nays


:*v


SLAYSRT  AND  FREEDOIL  438

104.  This  was  done  by  a  vote  adopting  all  the  standing  ruleSi
excepting  the  2lst,  but  a  special  rule  was  immediately  afterwards
adopted,  applicable  only  to  the  extra  session,  by  which  it  was
established  that  on  the  presentation  of  petitions  on  subjects
not  included  in  the  President's  Message,  (except  a  bankrupt
law)  "  objection  to  the  reception  shall  be  considered  as  made^
and  the  question  of  reception  shall  be  laid  on  the  table."  This
was,  in  effect,  a  new  gag  of  a  general  character,  operating  upon
anti-slavery  petitions,  but  not  confined  to  them.  All  petitions
as  well  as  abolition  petitions,  were  excluded,  and  people  began
to  open  their  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  entire  nation,  as  well  as
the  troublesome  agitators,  were  gagged !
The  original  gag  of  Mr.  Pinckney  was  as  follows :

**  Resolved^  That  all  petitions,  memorials,  resolutions,  and  propositions,
relating,  in  ant  way,  or  to  any  extent,  whatever,  to  the  subject  of
slavery,  shall,  without  being  either  printed  or  referred,  be  laid  on  the  taUa,
and  no  further  action  whatever  shall  be  had  thereon.''

The  succeeding  ones  were  substantially  the  same.
In  the  session  of  1841-2,  a  Report  was  prepared  re-enacting
the  gag ;  but  fearing  to  trust  a  vote  upon  it  in  the  House,  its
authors  adroitly  laid  it  on  the  table,  under  the  previous  ques-
tion, where  it  could  not  be  taken  up  without  a  two-thirds  vote.
The  eflfect  of  this  (the  extra  session  having  passed)  was  to  re-
store the  21st  Bule.  This  was  continued  until  December,
1845,  when  it  was  finally  rescinded.
JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS.
