all public differences now unhappily existing; regarding, moreover, an appeal to force on the part of the General Government, or on the part of the Government of South Carolina, as a measure which nothing but extreme necessity could justify or excuse in either; but apprehensive at the same time, that if the present state of things is allowed to continue, acts of violence will occur, which may lead to consequences that all would deplore; cannot but deem it a solemn duty to interpose and mediate between the high contending parties, by the declaration of their opinions and wishes, which they trust that both will consider and respect: Therefore, 1. Resolved by the General Assembly, in the name and on behalf of the People of Virginia, That the competent authorities of South Carolina be, and they are hereby earnestly and respectfully requested and entreated to rescind the Ordinance of the late Convention of that State, entitled, " An Ordinance to nullify certain Acts of the Congress of the United States, purporting to be laws laying duties and imposts on the importation of foreign commodities;" or, at least, to suspend its operation until the close of the first session of the next Congress. 2. Resolved, That the Congress of the United States be, and they are hereby earnestly and respectfully requested and entreated so to modify the Acts laying duties and imposts on the importation of foreign commodities, commonly called the Tariff Acts, as to effect a gradual but speedy reduction of the resulting revenue of the General Government, to the standard of the necessary and proper expenditure for the support thereof. 3. Resolved, That the people of Virginia expect, and in the opinion of the General Assembly, the people of the other States have a right to expect, that the General Government, and the Government of South Carolina, and all persons acting under the authority of either, will carefully abstain from any and all acts whatever, which may be calculated to disturb the tranquillity of the country, or endanger the existence of the Union. And whereas, considering the opinions which have been advanced and maintained by the Convention of South Carolina, in its late Ordinance and Addresses on the one hand, and by the President of the United States, in his Proclamation, bearing date the 10th day of December, 1832, on the other, the General Assembly deem it due to themselves, and the people whom they represent, to declare and make known their own views in relation to some of the important and interesting questions which these papers present: Therefore, 4. Resolved by the General Assembly, That they continue to regard the doctrines of State Sovereignty and State Rights, as set forth in the Resolutions of 1798, and sustained by the Report thereon of 1799, as a true interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, and of the powers therein given to the General Government; but that they do not consider them as sanctioning the proceedings of South Carolina, indicated in her said Ordinance; nor as countenancing all the principles assumed by the President in his said Proclamation; many of which are in direct conflict with them. 5. Resolved, That this House will, by joint vote with the Senate, proceed on this day to elect a Commissioner, whose duty it shall be to proceed immediately to South Carolina, and communicate the foregoing Preamble and Resolutions to the Governor of that State, with a request that they may be communicated to the Legislature of that State, or any Convention of its citizens, or give them such other direction, as in his judgment may be best calculated to promote the objects which this Commonwealth has in view; and that the said Commissioner be authorized to express to the public authorities and people of our sister State, in such manner as he may deem most expedient, our sincere good will to our sister State, and our anxious solicitude that the kind and respectful recommendations we have addressed to her, may lead to an accomodation of all the difficulties between that State aad the General Government. 6. Resolved, That the Governor of the Commonwealth be, and he hereby is requested to communicate the foregoing preamble and Resolutions to the President of the United States, to the Governors of the other States, and to our Senators and Representatives in Congress. VIRGINIA-City of Richmond, to wit: I, GEORGE W. MUNFORD, Clerk of the House of Delegates, and Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth of Virginia, do hereby certify and make known, that the foregoing is a true copy of a Preamble and Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia, on the 26th day of January, 1833. Given under my hand, this 8th of February, 1833. GEORGE W. MUNFORD, C. H. D. SIR, (No. 2.) Resolutions of the State of New-Jersey. STATE OF NEW-JERSEY. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, } I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency, Preamble and Resolutions, recently passed by the Legislative Council and General Assembly of this State-and am, very respectfully, TO HIS EXCELLENCY, &c. &c. &c. SAM. L. SOUTHARD. The Governor of the State of New-York. STATE OF NEW-JERSEY. WHEREAS the people of the State of South Carolina, in Convention assembled, have by an Ordinance, dated twenty-fourth of November, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, declared and ordained that the several Acts and parts of Acts of the Congress of these United States, purporting to be laws for the imposing of duties and imposts on the importation of foreign commodities, are unauthorized by the Constitution, violate the true intent and meaning thereof, and are null and void and not binding upon the said State, its officers or citizens have proclaimed their determination to enforce said Ordinance at every hazard, denied the authority of the General Government to enforce the revenue laws within the said State of South Carolina, and transmitted a copy of such Ordinance, together with an appeal to the people of the United States, to the Executive of this State: AND WHEREAS the high obligations we owe to our common country, as a member of this great confederacy, as well as the due preservation of the inestimable privileges we enjoy under this free and happy government, secured by the toils and cemented by the blood of our common ancestors, has rendered it an imperative duty to proclaim our opinions upon this important subject-THEREFORE, in the name and in behalf of the people of the State of New-Jersey, and as their legal representatives, 1. BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council and General Assembly of said State, That the Constitution adopted and sanctioned by the people of these United States, as well as our early history, our common interest, our habits, our intercourse, our love of freedom, the honor, strength, and durability of our country, proclaim that all the States of this Union make one indivisible nation united in prosperity and adversity, in peace as in war, by the sacred and indissoluble bond of their Union. 2. Resolved, That we deprecate the acts and proceedings of our brethren of the State of South Carolina, as opposed to the fundamental principles upon which the government of these United States is based, as violating the spirit and meaning of the Federal Constitution, and tending to rend asunder those ties of common interest and fraternal regard, of mutual dependence and reciprocal obligation, which are alike our pride, our glory and our strength, and which have proclaimed us to the world a United People. 3. Resolved, That when South Carolina, together with all the other States, acceded to this Union, and adopted the Constitution, she and they became thereby irrevocably bound that all controversy upon the constitutionality of an act of Congress, should be finally adjudicated by the Supreme Court of these United States. The sacred charter of our liberties never contemplated that each State had reserved to itself an ultimate appeal to its own citizens in their sovereign capacity. 4. Resolved, That the manufactures of America, are one of the elements of our Independence and greatness; not oppressing but advancing hand in hand with agriculture and commerce. These three sources of National prosperity, demand equally the fostering protection of Government; to crush either would be to paralize all; and to the General Government, alone, standing on an elevation to survey the whole ground, belongs the information, the wisdom, and the power to apportion just patronage wherever circumstances may require. 5. Resolved, That the Constitution of the United States, now contains within itself, an ample provision for its amendment, and for the remedy of every evil which may arise from unforeseen events, or ambiguous construction. When this provision shall be legally called into operation, we shall be prompt to concede all to justice, much to fraternal feeling, and somewhat even to local excitement and mistaken enthusiasm. But it cannot comport either with dignity or sound policy to yield aught in the face of threatened disunion and an armed resistance to the laws. 6. Resolved, That the principles contained in the Proclamation, and late Message of the President of the United States, meet our entire approbation; and that we will sustain the Chief Magistrate of the Union in the constitutional enforcement of these principles. 7. Resolved, That we implore our Fellow Citizens of South Carolina, allied as they are to us, by all the heart stirring and inspiriting recollections of the eventful struggle, that made us an independent nation, maturely to ponder over the present crisis in their affairs, and magnanimously to return to more temperate counsels, and a juster sense of that obedience to the general will which constitutes the lasting security, and should be the glory and the ornament of every member of this confederacy. But should our Fellow Citizens of South Carolina, contrary to our reasonable expectations, unsheath the sword, it becomes our solemn and imperative duty to declare, that no separate nation ought or can be suffered to intrude into the very centre of our Territory. 8. Resolved, That the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of these Resolutions to the President of the United States, to each Senator and Representative in Congress, from this State, and to the Governors of the respective States of the Union. House of Assembly, Feb. 18, 1833. These re-engrossed Joint Resolutions having been three times read in the House of Assembly, Resolved, That the same do pass. By order of the House. JOHN P. JACKSON, Speaker of Assembly. In Council, Feb. 18, 1833. These re-engrossed Joint Resolutions having been three times read in the Council and compared, Resolved, That the same do pass. By order of the Council. ELIAS P. SEELEY, Vice President. I, JAMES D. WESTCOTT, Secretary of the State of NewJersey, do certify, that the foregoing is a true copy of the Joint Resolutions of the Legislative Council of the General Assembly of the State of New-Jersey, passed February 18th, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, as compared with the original, now remaining on file in my office. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my said office, at the city of Trenton, in said State, this 18th day of February, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three. JAMES D. WESTCOTT. SIR: (No. 3. ) Resolutions of the State of Delaware. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, } DOVER, DELAWARE, February 14, 1833. I have the honor to transmit to you certain Resolutions, adopted by the General Assembly of this State, recommending the passage of a law by the Congress of the United States, providing for a more perfect and uniform organization of the Militia of the several States. With high consideration, Your ob't. serv't. TO HIS EXCELLENCY, The Governor of New-York. RESOLUTIONS Of the General Assembly of the State of Delaware, as to the Organization of the Militia of the United States. Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware, in General Assembly met, That the organization of the Militia of the United States, being a matter entrusted by the Constitution to the General Government, requires its attention, and can be only efficiently and satisfactorily done by that Go vernment. Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be, and are hereby instructed, and our Representatives requested, to use their exertions |