the principles of that charter could not be improved upon. It was the pride of a little territory, not more than thirty miles square, that the principles of its charter for civil and religious liberty had become the principles of liberty throughout the civilized world. He would conclude by saying that, if the Senator who now decries this charter understood it properly, he would cherish it to his bosom as a treasure beyond price, and value it as the apple of his eye.

Mr. Crittenden asked the Senator from Ohio whether he understood him. to say that he had told the President of the United States that he dared not employ the troops of the United States to put down insurrection against the government of Rhode Island?

Mr. Allen explained, that what he did say was, that he had told the President of the United States, face to face, that if he attempted to employ the army of the United States in preventing, by bloodshed, the mass of the citizens of Rhode Island from establishing a republican constitution and government, he would be attempting that which the American people never would permit him to effect.

Mr. Crittenden observed, that, however he might feel bound to take the Senator's own explanation of what he did say, he and the Senators around him had understood the Senator as having stated that he told the President of the United States that he dared not employ the army of the United States to support the government of Rhode Island against insurrection.

Mr. Allen observed that he had already herein stated, in substance, what he had told the President of the United States. If the Senator from Kentucky wanted further information on that point, he could make inquiry of the President himself.

Mr. Crittenden did not choose to ask the President-he asked the Senator himself; and since it had come to that, he would say that the Senator had asserted that he told the President of the United States, face to face, that he dared not, on this occasion, actually employ the army of the United States. Mr. Simmons asked leave to make a few remarks on a point which did not occur to him when he was addressing the Senate before. He then proceeded, and made some further observations, illustrating that the principles of civil and religious liberty, guarantied in the charter of Rhode Island, were such as pre-eminently entitled that State to admission into the confederation.

Messrs. Preston and Crittenden, from their seats, expressed a strong wish that the subject might be passed over informally, to be taken up to morrow morning.

This proposition was agreed to, and the resolutions were ordered to be printed.

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 1842.

Mr. Allen observed that his resolutions, under discussion yesterday, was the unfinished business, upon which there was a pending motion to print. The subject was informally passed over yesterday evening, at the request of the Senator from Kentucky, (Mr. Crittenden.) He now moved to take it up.

The resolutions are as follow:

Resolved, That it is the right of the people of Rhode Island to establisla for themselves a constitutional republican form of State government, and in any particular to alter or modify it, provided its form be left republican.

Resolved, 'That it is not the right of the Federal Government to interfere in any manner with the people to prevent or discourage their so doing; but that, on the contrary, it is the duty of the Federal Government to guaranty to them, as a State, such republican form of State government when so established, altered, or modified.

The resolutions were accordingly taken up, the question being on the pending motion to print.

Mr. Tallmadge moved to lay the whole subject on the table.

Mr. Allen called for the yeas and nays; which were ordered. The question to lay the whole subject on the table was accordingly taken by yeas and nays, and decided in the affirmative, as follows:

Yeas-Messrs. Archer, Bagby, Barrow, Bates, Bayard, Berrien, Choate, Claytop, Conrad, Crafts, Crittenden, Evans, Graham, Huntington, Kerr, Mangum, Merrick, Miller, Morehead, Porter, Preston, Rives, Simmons, Sinith of Indiana, Sprague, Tallmadge, White, and Woodbridge--28.

Nays-Messrs. Allen, Benton, Buchanan, Calhoun, Cuthbert, Fulton, King, Linn, McRoberts, Sevier, Smith of Connecticut, Sturgeon, Tappan, Walker, Wilcox, Woodbury, Wright, and Young-18.

MONDAY, May 23, 1842.

Mr. Tallmadge rose and gave notice that, when the resolutions heretofore offered by the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Allen) on the subject of the Rhode Island matters came up for consideration, he would offer the following resolutions as a substitute for them, viz:

Resolved, That, by the coustitution, the United States are bound not only to guaranty to every State in the Union a republican form of government, but also to protect each one of them against invasion, and, upon proper application, against domestic violence.

Resolved, That the form of government with which a State came into the Union, and has been recognised and represented as a member of the Union, must be taken and regarded as republican; and that such State is entitled to all that protection against invasion and domestic violence, which is pledged by the constitution of the United States.

Resolved, That the government of a State so coming into and recognised as a member of the Union, can only be changed or superseded, consistently with the principles of our American republics, when it is done in pursuance of, and in the mode prescribed by, the laws of such State; and that any attempt by force to overthrow that government is disorderly and revolutionary, tending to anarchy and bloodshed, and, in the end, to the destruction of public liberty; and is such a domestic violence as entitles that State, by her legislature, (or executive, when the legislature cannot be convened,) to apply for and obtain from the United States, protection against the same.

Resolved, That the application made by the legislature of Rhode Island (one of the "old thirteen") to the President of the United States for protection against domestic violence, was within the meaning and terms of the constitution; and that it was the duty of the President to take such preparatory steps as a wise and prudent forecast demanded, and to adopt such efficient measures as are contemplated by the constitution, and the laws made in pursuance of it, for giving such protection.

On motion of Mr. Allen, the resolutions and substitute were ordered to be printed.

TUESDAY, June 21, 1842. Mr. Allen asked the Senate to take up the resolution submitted by him some time ago, calling upon the President of the United States for information on the subject of the difficulties in Rhode Island, and how far he had interfered by the power of the national Government; and the amendment thereto, submitted by Mr. Tallmadge, asserting the powers and duties of the President, touching insurrectionary movements in the States, and approving the course of the President with reference to the difficulties in Rhode Island.

Mr. A. merely wished these resolutions to be taken up for the purpose of making it a special order for some day next week.

Objection being made, Mr. Allen demanded the yeas and nays on the motion, which were ordered; and, the question being put, was decided in the affirmative-yeas 21, nays 15, as follows:

Yeas-Messrs. Allen, Archer, Bagby, Benton, Buchanan, Choate, Crafts, Fulton, King, McRoberts, Merrick, Preston, Sevier, Sturgeon, Tallmadge, Tappan, Walker, Wilcox, Woodbury, Wright, and Young-21.

Nays-Messrs. Bates, Berrien, Clayton, Conrad, Crittenden, Cuthbert, Evans, Henderson, Huntington, Kerr, Mangum, Morehead, Smith of Indiana, White, and Woodbridge-15.

Mr. Allen now moved to make the resolution the special order for Wednesday week.

Mr. Merrick suggested Monday week, which was accepted by the mover; and the question being put, the resolutions were postponed till Monday week, and made a special order for that day.

ADDENDA.

No. 242.

Arrests of Women-Statement of Mrs. Abby H. Lord.

PROVIDENCE, June 5, 1844. · SIR: I send you a correct statement of the arrests of the women, and leave you to do as you see fit with it. A man presented himself at my door, and asked me the names of the members of my family over 18 and under 45. Knowing him to be an agent of the charter government, and having been subjected to military power in having our houses broken open and rifled, and our husbands imprisoned, we felt suspicious of him. I asked him his object. He said he came to enroll the militia. I told him I had no one to train in his company; that we were all Dorrites, and that my husband he.d a commission in the army of the United States during the last war; that he fought for the liberties of the American people, and for daring to defend their rights they had put him in the State's prison-that was the truth. My oldest son was not 14. He then told me I was subject to a fine of twentyfive dollars. I thought no more of it. He did not say he had any authority to question me. Five weeks from that day there came two sheriffs with a capias, to arrest me without a moment's notice-- the grand jury having found a bill against me for a violation of the militia law. One of the sheriffs guarded us, [the women,] while the other picked us up, and read over the process. Mrs. Pettis (one of the ladies arrested) had been confined one day when this apology for a man burst into her room, (after having been told

by her nurse that she was sick,) and ordered her, in the most insulting manner, to give the names of her family of the ages aforesaid. She being very much frightened at the forcible intrusion of a man at such an improper time, told him her physician had forbid her talking. After having abused her, he then told her she was subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars. Five weeks from that day, she, together with myself and three others, were taken, as I have stated, with a capias. She asked for time to call in a neighbor to take care of her family. She was told that she must go immediately to the court house. Accordingly, with her baby of five weeks in her arms, she was taken from her family, in the absence of her husband, and carried to the court-house. The next woman that was arrested was a Mrs. Collins-a woman, I should think, 50 years old. She had her oven heated, and her baking ready to set in. She was told she could not stay to put her bread in, nor call in a neighbor. Mrs. Luther and Mrs. Danforth complete the number of women that were arrested at the time that I was. On our way to the court-house, the sheriff offered himself as surety for us; whether the court had so instructed him or not, I do not know. I told him

I should give no surety. When we arrived at the court-room, Mrs. Pettis was called first to answer to the indictment. After pleading not guilty, she was asked if she had any counsel; she hardly knew what to answer. She was asked for surety. Mr. Clapp, the sheriff that arrested us, stepped forward as surety. I was next called; and, after hearing the indictment read, pleaded not guilty. I was then asked if I had any counsel. I told them I should plead my own cause. I then turned to take my seat. The chief judge called me back, and called on Mr. Clapp to be surety for me. I told him, going out of the court room, I should give no surety.

Hon. E. BURKE, Member of Congress.

ABBY H. LORD).

No. 243.

Copy of an indictment against Mrs. Abby H. Lord.

PROVIDENCE, SC.

At the supreme court of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, holden at Providence, within and for the county of Providence, on the third Monday of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-three

The grand jurors of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and in and for the body of the county of Providence, upon their oaths present: That heretofore, to wit, on the fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-three, at the city of Providence, in the aforesaid county of Providence, the assessors of taxes in and for said city of Providence, the better to enable said assessors of taxes to prepare, list, and make enrollment of all persons liable to be enrolled in the militia and to do military duty, living within said city of Providence, appointed, authorized, and directed one Jeremiah Briggs to ascertain the names, and prepare a list of all persons liable to be enrolled in said militia and to do military duty, residing in the fourth, fifth, and sixth wards in said city of

Providence; and that afterwards, on the twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty three, at said city of Providence, in the aforesaid county of Providence, the said Jeremiah Briggs, being then and there in the due performance of his said appointment, and acting under the direction and authority of said assessors of taxes in and for said city of Providence, made application to Abby Lord, of said city of Providence, in the aforesaid county of Providence, wife of Henry Lord, of said city of Providence, in the aforesaid county of Providence, trimmer, alias laborer, alias gentleman, to give information of the names of all persons residing in the house of the said Henry Lord, situate in the fourth ward of said city of Providence, liable to enrollment in said militia or to do military duty; she, the said Abby Lord, then and there residing, and being in said fourth ward of said city of Providence, and mistress of said house, and of a family then and there residing in said house.

And the jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do further present: That the said Abby Lord, being then and there so as aforesaid applied to by the said Jeremiah Briggs, so as aforesaid acting under the direction and authority of the said assessors of taxes in and for said city of Providence, for the information aforesaid, then and there knowingly, designedly, wilfully, and contemptuously refused to give information of the names of persons then and there residing in said house, liable to enrollment in said militia or to do military duty, against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State.

And the jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do further present: That the said Jeremiah Briggs, on the said twenty fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-three, at the city of Providence aforesaid, in the aforesaid county of Providence, acting under the direction and authority of the assessors of taxes in and for said city of Providence, made application to said Abby Lord, she, the said Abby Lord, being then and there mistress of a house situate in said city of Providence, and mistress of a family then and there residing in said house, to give information of the names of all persons then and there residing in said house liable to enrollment in the militia of said State, or to do military duty; and that the said Abby Lord, then and there, knowingly, wilfully, unlawfully, designedly, and contemptuously refused to give such information, against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State.

Preferred by

PROVIDENCE, SC.

JOSEPH M. BLAKE,
Attorney General.

CLERK'S OFFICE SUPREME COURT,

June 15, A. D. 1844.

I certify the aforegoing to be a true copy of the indictment returned by the grand jurors, within and for the body of the county of Providence, at the September term of said court, A. D. 1843. Attest:

WALTER PAINE, Jr., Clerk.