The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-31 00:00:00

UNITED STATES. MEXICO.

On Saturday we gave the substance of the news
received bye e Caledonia, Captain Lott, arrived at
Liverpeol, h dates froai New York to the 14th,
Boston 15th, and Halifax, 18th inst.
The congremional preceedings of the fortnight,
which has elapsed between these and the last dates,
contain much that is interesting.
In the senate, on the 4th, the resolutions submitted
by Mr. Calhoun, came under discussion. are
to the effect that—
Toit tier Mexico and to bold.it, either as a province or to UMW.
m ito .man, would be mconsutent won the avowed allied
fpr which the war had bees proeecutel, a et:mature from the eettisd
policy of the government, in conflict with Ito character and genies,
sad m the end rubref aye of the free and popul it IrtilatUtio2ll of
America: and that no line of policy,. in the further prosecution 54
the war, ahould be adopted, which might lend to consequences so
Mr.. Mr. Calhoun addressed the senate for somewhat
more than an hour, justifying and explaining his
original opposition to the war, and asserting that,
from the outset, he bad foreseen the evils it must of
necessity inflict on American institutions. Un-
less the defensive line which he suggested should be
adopted, these evils could not bo avoided. There
would then be left no alternative but to fall in with
the recommeudation of the President, and carry on
the war to its termination. lie protested against the
subjugation of Mexico, to be held as a province, or
the annexation of her as territory to be admitted into
the States of the Union. As experience had taught,
it would require the constaut presence of a
standing army of 40,000 men to keep her in
tranquillity and submission; and as States of
the Union, they could never admit an Indian
and mixed-blood population to an equality and
association with the free white citizens. There
was, in Mr. C.'s opinion, net the smallest chance for
America to disentangle itself from the difficulty it was
in, except to take a defensive line—to take iudemnity
into its own hands. He would now propose to la
back upon a line—he would nut say what one. He
would withdraw the American troops from the centre
of Mexico. Ile warned gentlemen that, if they went
on in this career of war and debt, they would seal the
death warrant of the constitution. tree trade would
become but a mere uame. High taxation of every kind
would be inevitable. All the cardinal principles of
the administration would be reversed, and they should
have debt, high tariffs, and paper money. He
appealed to his friends of the administration side
—for he considered them his friends—to retrace
their steps. Retractation would confer on them the
highest honour. He appealed to gentlemen on the
other side, who were responsible for this war in some
measure—not by voting. to relieve luylor, but by
voting money to get territory which they did not in-
tend to accept—to take a diffisent course, and to agree
to a defensive line. lie would remind gentlemen of
that side that the public sense—the general voice of
the country—called for some territorial indemnity;
and it was idle to resist it. lie should not now pro-
pose anything; but if he found that he would be sup-
ported, lie would propose to construct a committee
to consider what would be the best defensive line, and
who would avail themselves of the opportunity, for-
tunately presented, of consulting officers of the army
now in this city. The resolutions were then, on
motion of Mr. Sevier, laid on the table, with the
assent of Mr. Calhoun ; and the senate proceeded to
the consideration of executive business.
On the .sth the senate proceeded to consider the
Ten Regiments' Bill to increase the regular army.—
Mr. Crittenden moved to amend the bill, but his
amendment was rejmted.—'flit: bill was then ordered
to be engrossed.—On motion of Mr. Cass, the 'fen
Regiments' Bill was taken up on the 6th, and read a
third time.—On the 10th Mr. Hanuegan submitted
his resolutions' declating that no treaty of peace can
be made with Mexico.—On the 12th, in senate, on
motion of Mr. Sevier, the resolutions recently sub-
mitted by Mr. Dickinson were taken up. Mr. Dick-
inson made a Belies of remarks on the necessity of
annexing the whole of the territory occupied in
Mexico, in order to prevent the establishment of Eu-
ropean monarchical power in that territory.—Mr.
Yulee offered a substitute for the resolutions, as fol-
lows :
Resolved, That the territory belonging to, or which may be ac-
quired by the United Metre, a the common property of the Union,
and the iovereiguty over the same is vented in the penple of the
several states composing this Union.—That the Wend government
has no delegated authority nor the territorial community any inhe-
rent right, to exercise any legislative powers waain the said territo-
ries, by which the equal right of all the citizens of 611 c United States
to acquire and enjoy every part of the common property may be
impaired or embarrassed.
Mr. Hale gave notice that he should move to sub-
stitute the following :
Resolved, That it should be one of the fundamental rules and con-
ditions of all territory hereafter to be squired by purchase,
conquest, or othe. wise, that slavery and involuntary servitude,
except tor the punishment of crime, whereof the party shall be duly
convicted, shall be for ever prohibited in mud lei moo..