The southern members of Congress became alarmed at these demonstrations, and determined to arrest them, even at the sacrifice, if need be, of the right of petition—­the most sacred privilege of freemen.  On the 8th of Feb., 1836, a committee was raised by the House of Representatives, to take into consideration what disposition should be made of petitions and memorials for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade, in the District of Columbia, and report thereon.  This committee consisted of Messrs. Pinckney of South Carolina, Hamer of Ohio, Pierce of New Hampshire, Hardin of Kentucky, Jarvis of Maine, Owens of Georgia, Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, Dromgoole of Virginia, and Turrill of New York.  On the 18th of May, the committee made a lengthy and unanimous report, through Mr. Pinckney, recommending the adoption of the following resolutions:—­

“Resolved, That Congress possesses no constitutional authority to interfere in any way with the institution of slavery in any of the States of this Confederacy.

“Resolved, That Congress ought not to interfere in any way with slavery in the District of Columbia.

“And whereas, It is extremely important and desirable that the agitation of this subject should be finally arrested, for the purpose of restoring tranquillity to the public mind, your committee respectfully recommend the adoption of the following additional resolution, viz.:—­

“Resolved, That all petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions or papers, relating in any way, or to any extent whatever, to the subject of slavery, or the abolition of slavery, shall, without being either printed or referred, be laid upon the table, and that no further action whatever shall be had thereon.”

When the first of these resolutions was taken up, Mr. Adams said, if the House would allow him five minutes’ time, he would prove the resolution to be untrue.  His request was denied.

On the third resolution Mr. Adams refused to vote, and sent to the Speaker’s chair the following declaration, demanding that it should be placed on the journal of the House, there to stand to the latest posterity:—­

“I hold the resolution to be a direct violation of the Constitution of the United States, of the rules of this House, and of the rights of my constituents.”

Notwithstanding the rule embodied in this resolution virtually trampled the right of petition into the dust, yet it was adopted by the House, by a large majority.  But Mr. Adams was not to be deterred by this arbitrary restriction, from a faithful discharge of his duty as a representative of the people.  Petitions on the subject of slavery continued to be transmitted to him in increased numbers.  With unwavering firmness—­against a bitter and unscrupulous opposition, exasperated to the highest pitch by his pertinacity—­amidst a perfect tempest of vituperation and abuse—­he persevered in presenting these petitions, one by one, to the amount sometimes of two hundred in a day—­demanding the action of the House on each separate petition.