11



  MVr. Carrigain said, he was under the necessity of moving
the committee to recommend the postponement of the hear-
ing on these petitions to the next session of the Legislature.
The petitioners, he said, were numerous and respectable-
they had no private object in view-no personal pique to
gratify-no personal interests to secure. They lay before
the Legislature the grievances of the helpless and oppres-
sed, and ask for redress. Their cause of complaint is of a
public nature; the injuries complained of affect the com-
munity. Although extensively known and widely felt, it
is still necessary, by living and intelligent witnesses, to
make them correctly understood by the committee and the
legislature. These witnesses we have not here for exami-
nation. At the commencement of this session, it was
not known what direction would be given to the petitions,
and seasonable preparation was not made for a public
hearing. At a former meeting of the committee, the pe-
titioners supposed they might be prepared by this time,
and agreed to be heard this afternoon. Mr. Willis however
who is one of the petitioners, and is agent for the petition-
ers, having other and public duties to attend to, soon found
that he should be unable to collect the evidence which it
would be desirable to offer at the present session, and he
gave immediate notice to the remonstrants that he should
not be able to go into a public hearing at this time. He
supposed the Shakers could have no objection to a post-
ponement, as it would be more convenient and less expen-
sive for the parties and witnesses to attend here in June
than in December. This is not like the trial of an individual
in a court of law; and it is not necessary to support this
application for a postponement in the same way, and by
the same evidence which ajudicial tribunal might require
on a motion for continuance. Here the public interest is
concerned. A powerful society is complained of-a so-
ciety against which causes of complaint have existed for
many years.  It is time they should be investigated-
fairly and fully investigated. The public require it, and
will not be satisfied till a thorough investigation is had.-
Should the petitioners be now driven out of the Legisla-
ture, other petitions will be presented and the Society will
gain nothing by getting rid of a hearing on these complaints
at this time. It will then be for the interest of all concern-
ed to postpone the consideration of the whole subject to the
next session, and then go into a full examination of it.