[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 22287-22290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



CELEBRATING 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM PENN'S CHARTER OF PRIVILEGES, 
 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERTY BELL, AND 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST 
             PUBLIC READING OF DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 254) encouraging the people 
of the United States to celebrate the 300th anniversary of William 
Penn's Charter of Privileges, the 250th anniversary of the Liberty 
Bell, and the 225th anniversary of the first public reading of the 
Declaration of Independence.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 254

       Whereas William Penn was a distinguished statesman and a 
     principled defender of human rights and religious liberties;
       Whereas in 1701, William Penn wrote Charter of Privileges, 
     which set a new standard for religious liberty that 
     profoundly impacted the Nation's history and still provides 
     an example for the world today;
       Whereas religious freedom is still one of the most fragile 
     liberties, and today, millions of people around the world are 
     persecuted for their religious beliefs;
       Whereas the year 2001 marks the 300th anniversary of the 
     publication of Charter of Privileges;
       Whereas the Liberty Bell was designed to commemorate the 
     50th anniversary of Charter of Privileges and is a powerful 
     reminder of the Nation's commitment to freedom and justice;
       Whereas the Liberty Bell became a defining symbol of the 
     abolitionist movement, which sought to rid the Nation of 
     slavery;
       Whereas the year 2001 marks the 250th anniversary of the 
     completion of the Liberty Bell; and
       Whereas the year 2001 is also the 225th anniversary of the 
     first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, 
     which contains the immortal phrase: ``We hold these truths to 
     be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they 
     are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable 
     Rights'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) encourages the people of the United States to celebrate 
     the 300th anniversary of William Penn's Charter of 
     Privileges, the 250th anniversary of the Liberty Bell, and 
     the 225th anniversary of the first public reading of the 
     Declaration of Independence; and
       (2) encourages the Nation's leaders to reaffirm their 
     commitment to promoting human rights and religious freedom in 
     the Nation and around the world.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).


                             General Leave

  Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H. Con. Res. 254.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 
254 today, and I commend my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), for introducing this resolution and for 
working so hard to bring it to the floor.
  House Concurrent Resolution 254 encourages the people of the United 
States to celebrate the anniversaries of three important events in the 
history of Pennsylvania and indeed in our Nation's history. This 
resolution also encourages our country's leaders to reaffirm our 
commitment to promoting human rights and religious freedom in the 
United States and around the world.
  The year 2001 marks the anniversaries of three historic events which 
have profoundly influenced the principles upon which this great Nation 
was founded. It is the 300th anniversary of William Penn's ``Charter of 
Privileges,'' the 250th anniversary of the completion of the Liberty 
Bell, and 225th anniversary of the first public reading of the 
Declaration of Independence.
  William Penn, author of the Charter of Privileges, was a 
distinguished statesman and a principled defender of human rights and 
religious liberties. When William Penn wrote the Charter of Privileges 
in 1701, he set a new standard for religious liberty which impacted the 
Nation's history and still provides an example for the world today. 
Both the concepts underlying the ``free exercise'' and the 
``establishment'' clauses of the First Amendment were embodied in that 
charter.
  Moreover, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Penn felt so strongly about the importance 
of religious liberty that he guaranteed that this provision of the 
charter would remain inviolate forever because, in his words, ``the 
happiness of mankind descends so much upon the enjoying of liberty of 
their consciences.'' This was the only provision so guaranteed.
  The Liberty Bell was designed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of 
the Charter of Privileges. Later, the Liberty Bell became a defining 
symbol of the abolitionist movement, which sought to rid our Nation of 
slavery.

                              {time}  1445

  And to this day, Mr. Speaker, it remains one of the most recognized 
and most powerful reminders of our Nation's commitment to freedom and 
justice.

[[Page 22288]]

  The Declaration of Independence has also been one of the most potent 
symbols of our commitment to liberty. Its first public reading marked 
the first public utterance of a phrase that has since been revered by 
Americans and freedom-loving people around the world: ``We hold these 
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they 
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.''
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to vote for this important 
resolution. That vote will reaffirm our commitment to promoting human 
rights and religious freedom in the Nation and around the world, and it 
will encourage all Americans to reflect upon these important events.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, William Penn was a distinguished statesman and a 
principled defender of human rights and religious liberty. Born on 
October 14, 1644, to Anglican parents, William Penn converted to 
Quakerism after hearing the famous apostle Thomas Loe. He spent much of 
his time in prison for his radical preaching for personal property and 
religious rights. In 1672, he wrote the concessions and agreements 
charter for a group of Quaker colonists who were settling in the newly 
acquired New Jersey. Among its provisions were the right to trial by 
jury, the freedom from arbitrary imprisonment for debt, and edict 
against capital punishment. Penn also strongly urged religious freedom, 
writing, and I quote, ``No men hath power or authority to rule over 
men's consciences in religious matters.''
  Penn is more famously known, however, as the founder of Pennsylvania. 
He designed the city of Philadelphia as a rectangular gridiron with a 
center square that divided the city into four quadrants. Penn planned 
for the city's principal public buildings, the meeting house, school, 
and statehouse. His conception of Philadelphia has been characterized 
as one of the earliest attempts at utopian city planning and 
represented the most extensively preplanned American city at that time. 
I must confess, Mr. Speaker, that every time I visit Philadelphia, I am 
always amazed at the ideas and concepts that Penn had even at that 
time.
  Penn's Charter of Privileges, which was Pennsylvania's original 
constitution, speaks of valuable rights and freedoms. In the charter, 
Penn ensured that no citizen would be discriminated against because of 
his or her faith, nor would any citizen be denied a role in civil 
government because of the expression of his or her faith. Penn 
recognized the role of religion in public life and affirmed its 
importance.
  In 1751, 50 years after Penn wrote the Charter of Privileges, the 
Pennsylvania General Assembly commissioned a bell for the statehouse to 
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the charter. The bell was rung to 
call the citizens of Philadelphia to the first public reading of the 
Declaration of Independence and became known as the Liberty Bell as 
abolitionists adopted it as a symbol of their cause.
  H. Con. Res. 254 encourages the people of the United States to 
celebrate the 300th anniversary of William Penn's Charter of 
Privileges, the 250th anniversary of the Liberty Bell and the 225th 
anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of 
Independence.
  Given Penn's profound impact on religious liberty and this Nation's 
history, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, as we 
shall always remember the words: ``We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator 
with certain unalienable rights.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to yield 5 minutes to 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), the author of this 
resolution.
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 254 and to 
celebrate our American legacy of religious liberty, to honor the 300th 
anniversary of Penn's Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's first 
constitution, the 250th anniversary of the Liberty Bell, and the 225th 
anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of 
Independence.
  Mr. Speaker, the events of September 11 serve as a powerful reminder 
that religious faith is deeply embedded in the hearts of many 
Americans. In times of chaos and uncertainty, many Americans turn to 
religious faith to reestablish priorities and to gather strength for 
the days ahead.
  Our Founding Fathers knew that our American experiment would only 
succeed if men and women acted in good faith. Our American way of life 
is based on the belief that people will do what is right instead of 
what is easy or convenient. But the Founders also believed that that 
would happen only for as long as we had faith in God. And so they 
encouraged religious expression.
  William Penn was born in England on October 24, 1644, the son of a 
wealthy English admiral. He grew up in a time of tremendous tension 
between England, France and Spain and the New World. He assumed that he 
would become a soldier, and he did. But in 1681, after the death of his 
father, Penn was granted a tract of land from King Charles II that 
later became known as Pennsylvania. Penn called Pennsylvania a holy 
experiment, a place where religious freedom and religious faith would 
be celebrated. Penn believed that religious faith contributed to good 
government. Penn's beliefs about the role of religion in public life 
were clearly demonstrated in his Charter of Privileges in 1701.
  As a result of Penn's emphasis on religious liberty, Pennsylvania, 
and particularly Philadelphia, became a haven for those who had been 
persecuted for their faith. In fact, Philadelphia was one of the only 
places in the English-speaking world where Roman Catholics could 
legally worship. A plaque on St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in 
Center City Philadelphia reads:
  ``In 1734, the provincial council of Philadelphia, defending the 
liberty of worship granted by William Penn to this colony, successfully 
withstood the demand of the governor of the province that this church 
be outlawed and such liberty suppressed.
  ``Thus was established permanently in our Nation the principle of 
religious freedom, which was later embodied into the Constitution of 
the United States of America.''
  Mr. Speaker, Americans of all faiths are indebted to William Penn's 
vision of religious pluralism. These days we seem to want to say that 
it does not matter what a person believes as long as he or she does not 
believe it very strongly. Well, Mr. Speaker, deep-seated religious 
faith and a commitment to moral absolutes served as the bedrock of the 
founding of our Nation. The abolitionist movement, the civil rights 
movement and the women's suffrage movement all have their roots in 
religious faith and convictions. Those brave men and women fought 
diligently to ensure justice in our Nation. Those men and women were 
not merely invested in religious rhetoric. They earnestly believed that 
through their work, they were being faithful to God and His precepts.
  Philadelphia's famous Liberty Bell was commissioned to honor the 50th 
anniversary of Penn's Charter of Privileges. The inscription on the 
Liberty Bell is a quotation from the Bible, the book of Leviticus: 
``Proclaim liberty through all the land to the inhabitants thereof.''
  And so, Mr. Speaker, we should not be embarrassed to speak about the 
religious faith of our forefathers or to speak about our own religious 
faith. There is nothing to be gained by rewriting history and editing 
out God or by emptying religious quotations or symbols of their 
original meaning. There is nothing to be gained from suppressing 
religious faith in public life.
  But there is everything to be gained from working to maintain the 
kind of pluralistic spirit of William Penn. This spirit allows 
individuals to hold deep religious convictions, to defend those 
convictions, and even express those beliefs.
  Mr. Speaker, we are all proud of our Nation's history. We recognize 
that religious bigotry is fundamentally un-

[[Page 22289]]

American. Recently, I was deeply disturbed to learn that two Americans 
who own a diner in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, were singled out for 
discrimination because of their religious faith and ethnic background. 
They are Muslims and Egyptian Americans. These two men, owners of a 
local restaurant, were the subject of groundless rumors and speculation 
simply because one of them has Osma as his first name.
  Religious bigotry is contrary to the spirit of the Declaration of 
Independence. In this country, we believe all men are created equal, 
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, 
that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The 
role of government is to allow the free expression of religion, not to 
hinder it. We tamper with religious freedom at our peril.
  Mr. Speaker, over the past 2 months, many Americans have been faced 
with a type of uncertainty that they never thought possible. Yet this 
fear has caused them to reflect on what it means to be an American.
  I urge my colleagues to support the freedoms that made our country 
great. Support H. Con. Res. 254.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time.
  I rise in strong support of the religious liberty resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 254, celebrating the 300th anniversary of William Penn's Charter 
of Privileges and other historic items.
  Mr. Speaker, three centuries ago, the Pennsylvania Charter of 
Privileges was enacted. You may be wondering why a son of Indiana is 
standing before you to recognize an event that took place in 
Pennsylvania. Very simply, the liberties we enjoy in the Hoosier State, 
I believe, were cultivated by this document, the Charter of Privileges 
from the Keystone State; and I rise in proud support of them.
  Called the most famous of all colonial constitutions, the Charter of 
Privileges proved to be a major breakthrough in the history of 
government. This is because the charter had at its very core a liberty-
of-conscience clause that granted religious liberty to the inhabitants 
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What is more, the charter's 
author, William Penn, ensured that this liberty clause, quote, ``shall 
be kept and remain without alteration, inviolable forever.'' Other 
provisions of the charter could be changed by the will of the people, 
but not the liberty-of-conscience clause.
  Mr. Speaker, this marked an enormously important advance in American 
liberties, one which should be celebrated as we do so today. As a 
result of this commitment to religious liberty, Pennsylvania, and 
especially the city of Philadelphia, became a haven for all religions. 
Historian Paul Johnson noted that Philadelphia in the 18th century was 
a bustling center of activity for people of every religious faith. Not 
coincidentally, Philadelphia also became the home to our Nation's very 
first independent African American denomination, the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church.
  Mr. Speaker, today in any number of cities and towns across this 
great land of liberty, you will find dozens of religious denominations 
represented, even many sharing a street corner or even a building. I 
would offer that in 1701, such a scene would not likely have been 
repeated anywhere in the world except in colonial America, perhaps 
outside of Philadelphia, which was aptly named the City of Brotherly 
Love. And it was all a result of Pennsylvania's visionary Charter of 
Liberties.
  For it is religious liberty, the freedom to worship the Creator after 
the dictates of one's own conscience, that provides the firm foundation 
for all liberties. Thus Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men were 
created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable and 
inviolable rights.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit to you that it is religious liberty which gave 
birth to this Nation, to our unquenchable thirst for freedom, our 
unparalleled pursuit of innovation, our unyielding love for 
representative government, our unabashed sense of a higher national 
purpose, and our unprecedented tolerance of our fellow man. Each of 
these symbols that we celebrate today stands in broad opposition to the 
trends in the world that move in the opposite direction of tolerance.
  Mr. Speaker, I simply could not let this moment pass without 
connecting the dots between this great event in American history and 
those we also celebrate, the commemoration of the Liberty Bell, the 
public reading of the Declaration, without reflecting on what we see in 
tragedies unfolding when religious liberties are forsaken around the 
globe. In Sudan, slavery and brutality arise out of religious 
persecution. Tens upon hundreds of thousands are on the brink of death 
because the Sudanese Government fails to recognize the liberty of 
conscience that was established in Pennsylvania on our shores 300 years 
ago. And in Afghanistan, a great religion has been twisted by some into 
one that supports persecution and violence and murder rather than 
freedom and transcendence, one that uses terrorism to stifle the voices 
of religious liberty.

                              {time}  1500

  The very shaving of the beards that is happening in the capital of 
Kabul today is in many ways driven by the same sentiment that emerged 
in the Charter of Privileges some 300 years ago.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support the religious liberty 
resolution. I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Pitts), for his visionary commitment to religious liberty and for 
his own testimony of faith. Let us today reaffirm our commitment three 
centuries strong on this continent to the freedom of religion and 
continue to be that shining city on a hill that gives hope to all of 
the nations.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, but I would say 
as I yield back the balance of my time that sometimes people ask me why 
this type of resolution is on the floor, and they are wondering what it 
really means.
  I often will say to them, if you forget where you come from, then it 
is hard to understand how you got to where you are, and you really 
would never understand where you need to be going. So it is important 
that we look back and reflect upon the history and development of our 
Nation and continue to acknowledge and revere those things which have 
made America what it is today.
  Madam Speaker, I congratulate the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gekas).
  Mr. GEKAS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
time.
  Madam Speaker, to the Members, I want to say that I have a peculiar 
and unique interest in William Penn, in that after completion of junior 
high school, the high school I entered was aptly named for these 
proceedings, William Penn High School. It was then that I first learned 
of the life and work and significance of William Penn.
  As a 14 year old, a wide new world of American history opened for me 
in the name of William Penn. Our school periodical was named The 
Founder; the yearbook was named The Sylvania, so ``Pennsylvania.'' The 
founder of Pennsylvania and his woods, Penn's Woods, were always firmly 
ensconced in my educated mind at that point as very significant in 
American history.
  Also I learned in my personal study of William Penn that ours was the 
only State, I say egotistically, that was named after its founder. The 
other States, for instance, Washington, the State of Washington was 
named after George Washington many years after he was President of the 
United States; Maryland was named after the Queen of Charles I; the 
Virginias were named honoring Queen Elizabeth; the Carolinas were named 
after King Charles;

[[Page 22290]]

Georgia was named after King George; Louisiana was named after King 
Louis; New York was named after the Duke of York; and Delaware was 
named after the first Governor of Virginia, Lord de la Warr. All the 
rest of the States were named after Indian tribes or Indian phrases or 
Indian words, thus forming the blend that we are so proud of in our 
country. But Pennsylvania was the only one which honored its founder.
  Those principles which have been so well enunciated on both sides of 
the aisle in commemoration of the day which we seek to honor in this 
resolution aptly have put forth the real rectitude of having this 
resolution.
  One other little anecdote: The 4th of July, 1776, Declaration of 
Independence did not reach the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, 
until 10 days after the declaration, around July 10th, 11th, 12th or 
14th. When it reached there, the founder of Harrisburg, John Harris, 
convened the entire town to come before him on River Front in 
Harrisburg, at a mansion which still stands, to read the Declaration of 
Independence as it was transmitted to him from Philadelphia. Thus, the 
founder of Harrisburg, who always revered the founder of Pennsylvania, 
helped found the principles of our country by spreading the word of the 
Declaration of Independence.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Madam Speaker, I speak as a former resident of the State of 
Pennsylvania. When Cuban refugees first started coming over to the 
United States, there were no jobs in Miami, Florida. The Federal 
Government had a refugee resettlement program, and we were fortunate 
enough to be resettled in a town in Pennsylvania called York. My 
brother and I were very much in love with York, Pennsylvania. It was 
our first taste of snow. Coming from Havana, we did not get too much of 
that.
  On the weekends, when we could put together the little pennies we 
had, I remember taking weekend trips with my parents, where we got to 
see the many historic sites that Pennsylvania had to offer. For me, 
Pennsylvania will always be just like this wonderful city, and New York 
also, symbolic images of the freedom and democracy and the liberty that 
we enjoy so much in our country, and we sometimes take for granted.
  I again commend the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Pitts) for introducing this important proclamation and for working hard 
to ensure its passage. In light the challenges facing our Nation today, 
Madam Speaker, it is certainly appropriate in this time for Congress to 
reaffirm our commitment to religious liberty and human rights, and it 
is certainly an appropriate time for all of us as Americans to reflect 
upon the principles underlying each of these three important historical 
symbols of our democracy.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 254.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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