[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 369 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 369

Expressing the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp 
               should be issued in honor of Matthew Lyon.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2004

 Mr. Sanders submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that a commemorative postage stamp 
               should be issued in honor of Matthew Lyon.

Whereas Matthew Lyon, who came to colonial America as an indentured servant, 
        fought with Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys militia;
Whereas Matthew Lyon was an entrepreneur who wrote political commentary and 
        owned Vermont newspapers;
Whereas in 1797, Matthew Lyon was elected to represent Vermont in the 5th 
        Congress;
Whereas in 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, which provided for 
        imprisonment of 6 months to 5 years and fines of up to $5,000 in cases 
        where ``persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with 
        intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United 
        States, which are or shall be directed by proper authority, or to impede 
        the operation of any law of the United States,'' or imprisonment of up 
        to 2 years and fines of up to $2,000 for ``writing, printing, uttering 
        or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings 
        against the government of the United States, or either house of the 
        Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, 
        with intent to defame the said government'';
Whereas Representative Matthew Lyon opposed and voted against the Sedition Act 
        because he feared it would curtail Americans' freedom of speech;
Whereas Representative Matthew Lyon was charged with 3 counts of violating the 
        Sedition Act for writing a letter to the editor criticizing President 
        John Adams, and for publishing a letter of another author which was 
        critical of the President's hostile stance towards France;
Whereas Representative Matthew Lyon was the first person to stand trial under 
        the Sedition Act;
Whereas Representative Matthew Lyon was convicted and sentenced to 4 months in 
        jail and required to pay the cost of his prosecution and a fine of 
        $1,000;
Whereas in 1798, Representative Matthew Lyon was reelected to the 6th Congress 
        from his jail cell, where he continued to author articles critical of 
        the government;
Whereas Representative Matthew Lyon returned to serve out his term in Congress 
        after his release from prison;
Whereas the Sedition Act expired by its own terms, and President Thomas 
        Jefferson pardoned those still serving in prison under the Act and 
        remitted their fines;
Whereas in 1840, Congress passed a law which reimbursed Matthew Lyon's heirs and 
        representatives for the fines he was forced to pay under the Sedition 
        Act;
Whereas Americans now deplore the Sedition Act as an unfortunate example of the 
        Federal Government attempting to suppress First Amendment rights for 
        political purposes; and
Whereas Matthew Lyon courageously stood against the Sedition Act, and his 
        objection to it represented a defense of American values and the First 
        Amendment that is deserving of recognition: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) a commemorative postage stamp should be issued by the 
        United States Postal Service in honor of Matthew Lyon; and
            (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend 
        to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
                                 <all>