He was about resuming his seat, when he took up a paper, and hastily glancing at it, exclaimed, in a shrill tone-- "Mr.Speaker, I have in my possession a petition of a somewhat extraordinary character; and I wish to inquire of the chair if it be in order to present it." "If the gentleman from Massachusetts," said the Speaker, "will inform the chair what the character of the petition is, it will probably be able to decide on the subject." "Sir," ejaculated Mr.Adams, "the petition is signed by eleven slaves of the town of Fredericksburgh, in the county of Culpepper, in the state of Virginia.

It is one of those petitions which, it has occurred to my mind, are not what they purport to be.

It is signed partly by persons who cannot write, by making their marks, and partly by persons whose handwriting would manifest that they have received the education of slaves.

The petition declares itself to be from slaves, and I am requested to present it.

I will send it to the chair." The Speaker (Mr.Polk,) who habitually extended to Mr.Adams every courtesy and kindness imaginable, was taken by surprise, and found himself involved in a dilemma.