whatever."

Finally, by a vote of 43 to 11, the memorials were committed, the South
Carolina and Georgia delegations, Bland and Coles of Virginia, Stone of
Maryland, and Sylvester of New York voting in the negative.[26] A
committee, consisting of Foster of New Hampshire, Huntington of
Connecticut, Gerry of Massachusetts, Lawrence of New York, Sinnickson of
New Jersey, Hartley of Pennsylvania, and Parker of Virginia, was charged
with the matter, and reported Friday, March 5. The absence of Southern
members on this committee compelled it to make this report a sort of
official manifesto on the aims of Northern anti-slavery politics. As
such, it was sure to meet with vehement opposition in the House, even
though conservatively worded. Such proved to be the fact when the
committee reported. The onslaught to "negative the whole report" was
prolonged and bitter, the debate _pro_ and _con_ lasting several
days.[27]

46. ~The Declaration of Powers, 1790.~ The result is best seen by
comparing the original report with the report of the Committee of the
Whole, adopted by a vote of 29 to 25 Monday, March 23, 1790:[28]--

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE.

That, from the nature of the matters contained in these
memorials, they were induced to examine the powers vested in
Congress, under the present Constitution, relating to the
Abolition of Slavery, and are clearly of opinion,

_First._ That the General Government is expressly restrained
from prohibiting the importation of such persons 'as any of
the States now existing shall think proper to admit, until the
year one thousand eight hundred and eight.'

_Secondly._ That Congress, by a fair construction of the
Constitution, are equally restrained from interfering in the
emancipation of slaves, who already are, or who may, within
the period mentioned, be imported into, or born within, any of
the said States.

_Thirdly._ That Congress have no authority to interfere in the
internal regulations of particular States, relative to the
instructions of slaves in the principles of morality and
religion; to their comfortable clothing, accommodations, and
subsistence; to the regulation of their marriages, and the
prevention of the violation of the rights thereof, or to the
separation of children from their parents; to a comfortable
provision in cases of sickn