The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-30 00:00:00

THE UNITED STATES.
WASHINGTON CITY, MAI; 14.—Events of great im-
portance are transpiring.
The Mexican army, under command of General Arista,
having crossed t'ae 'Rio Grande Del Norte and sur-
rounded General Taylor, who was posted opposite Ma-
tamoras., the latter sent out a company of dr:goons,
consisting of 63 men, as a scouting party. This party
coming upon some Mexicans charged upon them, were
driven into an ambuscade, from 13 to 26 killed, and the
remainder captured, with the exception of Captain
Thornton, who was in command of the party, and cut
his way through the Mexicans and reached the Ameri-
can camp in safety.
The news, as it reached this city on Saturday, the 9th
instant, was, that the Mexican army amounted to about
8,000 men, and had surrounded General Taylor, who
has 2,300 effective men, cutting off his communication
with Point Isabel, whence all his stores and supplies
were drawn, and further, that General Taylor had only
15 days' provisions in camp. He had immediately made
a requisition on Texas for two regiments of mounted
riflemen and two of infantry, and also one upon the
Governor of Louisiana for four regiments of infantry.
The news caused tremendous excitement everywhere
it was received.
On Monday, the 11th instant, the President sent in a
message* to Congress, saying that a state of war existed,
and calling on Congress to recognise its existence, and
make provision for carrying it on.
The House of Representatives immediately took up a
Bill which had been reported in anticipation of the diffi
culties respecting Oregon, and amended it and passed it
before adjourning. The preamble reads—
" Whereas, by the Act of the republic of Mexico, a
state of war exists between that Government and the
United States."
It then goes on to give the President power, in order
to prosecute this war—
To employ the militia and naval and military forces of
the United States.
To call for and accept the services of fifty thousand
volunteers.
To complete all the public armed vessels now in pro-
gress, and to purchase or charter, arm, equip, and man
such merchant vessels and steam-boats as he may think
proper to convert into armed vessels.
And it places at his disposal 10,000,000 of dollars to be
employed for these objects.
This Bill was finally passed by the House by a vote of
174 to 14.
The Senate, on Tuesday, took up and passed this Bill
with slight amendments by a vote of 40 to 2.
The same night the House met and concurred in the
Senate's amendments, and
On Wednesday, the 13th of May, the President sent
a message to Congress, announcing that he had ap-
proved the Bill, and that it was therefore a law.
A Bill has also been passed by both Houses, and ap-
proved by the President, to increase the rank and file of
the army to 100 men per company; they were 40 and 50
strong previously, so that this Act doubles the strength
of the army.
The following is a summary of the proceedings of
Congress since the departure of the Great Western:—
On the 6th and 7th inst. the Senate transacted some
unimportant business, and then adjourned over until
the 11th.
In the House, on the 6th inst., a Bill was passed, mak-
ing appropriations for deficiencies in former appropria-
tion Bills.
On the same day also a Bill was passed, removing
discriminating duties from Java coffee imported into the
United States from European ports in Dutch vessels,
and also for the purpose of refunding certain discrimi.
nating duties which had been levied on Spanish vessels.
On the 7th inst. Mr. Giddings, of Ohio (an abolitionist),
made a speech, in which he endeavoured to show that
General Taylor had murdered certain deserters, who had
been shot in the act of swimming across the Rio Grande
to the Mexican camp. The House, however, refused to
listen to him, and pat him down on questions of order,
having previously refused to receive a series of resolu-
tions on the same subject from John Quincy Adams.
The same day they also passed the usual annual ap-
propriation Bill for the Post-office Department.
An attempt was also made to suspend the rules for
the introduction of a resolution that Congress should
adjourn on the 13th of July, but without success.
On the 18th inst. the whole day was occupied in the
discussion of a Bill, which was finally passed, to retro-
cede part of the district of Columbia (the district as it
now stands is ten miles square, and is under the ex-
clusive legislation of Congress, having formerly belonged
part to Virginia and part to Maryland), which formerly
was part of Virginia, to that state.
On the 9th inst. no business of public importance was
transacted by the House.
On this day, in the evening, news arrived from the
army in Texas of its being surrounded by the Mexicans,
and in great peril.
On Monday, the 11th inst., both Houses of Congress
met at at twelve o'clock. A message was sent to them by
the President on Mexican affairs. (This message is pub-
lished in all the papers.)
It was immediately opened and read. In the Senate a
debate sprung up on motions which were made to print
it, and also to refer it to the Committees on Foreign Re-
lations and on Military Affairs.
The debate was opened by
Mr. Calhoun, who expressed his hope that the Senate
would give that high, full, and dispassionate considera-
tion to the subject which its grave character, and the
importance of the consequences which might result,
would demand. He, therefore, objected to printing any
unusual number (20,000 copies had been proposed) of
the message, and documents accompanying, until it had
first been printed for the Senate, and been fully con-
sidered by them, as the printing of such a number would
be considered as an endorsement of the message, when
they did not know what it contained.
Mr. Speight (of Mississippi) was ready to endorse
every word of the message, and believed the Senate
would also. He was also ready to vote any amount of
supplies.
Mr. Allen thought, as the President's message said
there was an existing war, it was no time to deliberate in
such an emergency.
Mr. Calhoun said he had accomplished his object in
part, which was to prevent action without discussion.
He was aware that the President said " war existed,"
but, according to his view, war could not exist without
the action of Congress, to whom the constitution confided
the war-making power. He distinguished between hos-
tilities and war. An invasion might be made, and the
President was authorised to repel invasion without war.
It was the duty of the Congress to make war. When
they declared war, then war existed. He would not in-
dicate earnestness by precipitation.
Mr. Sevier wished the message referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations, as did also Mr. Morehead,
of Kentucky.
Mr. J. M. Clayton, of Delaware, wished the reference
to the Committee on Military Affairs. He agreed with
Mr. Calhoun in his views respecting war. He was ready
to vote all the supplies which were necessary to defend
the country, while he would leave to another time the
discussion of the propriety of sending the troops beyond
the river Nueces and to the Rio Grande.
Mr. Archer, of Virginia, concurred with Mr. Calhoun
and Mr. Clayton, that there was no war. He would
vote any supplies for the defence of the country. He
thought the message should first go to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, afterwards to that on Military
-Affairs.
Mr. Benton, of Missouri, suggested a division of the
message ; that one part was appropriate to the one com-
mittee named, and another part to the other. The de-
fence against hostilities should be referred to the Com-
mittee on Military Affairs ; that of carrying on war
against Mexico to that on, Foreign
Mr. Allen and Mr. Sevier nßelations.
both concurred in this
view.
Mr. Cass took the same view, and madeloun, that they
hh a speech com-
batting the idea put forth by Mr. Ca
were not at war.
Mr. Calhoun approved of the division
repellingsionofthe message
for referenee ; it was proper. a
hostili-
ties required prompt, energetic action.'rhedeclaration
t
of war required grave, deliberate consideration.
Mr. Cass repelled was " the constitution," not observa-
tions of his.
Mr. Morehead, Mr. Cass, Mr. Davis (of Massachu-
setts), Mr. Sevier, Mr. J. M. Clayton, Mr. Allen, Mr.
Houston (of Texas), Mr. Crittenden, and Mr. Hunting-
don (of Connecticut), took further part in this debate, all
professing their readiness to vote any suppieswhatever
which might be necessary ; but the Whigs intimated
their condemnation of the conduct of President Polk,
and their intention at a future time to discuss it, while
they would not now endorse the message.
While this debate was progressing in the Senate, the
message havingbeen read in the House, the Whigs wished
the correspondence also to be read, but the dominant party,
by the operation of the previous question, which cuts off
debate, prevented this, while they immediately re-
solved the House into Committee of the whole, and took
up a Bill which was entitled-04 A Bill to authorise the
President to
other.Perposeaes e.,eyt the Services of Volunteers, and for
tion, it was nece' and which, as it made an appropria-
and, having halsatrhye should be discussed in Committee;
Bill read, the Committee imme-
diately rose and passed
_Ratresolution that all debate in
Committee should einnd
(2.1,70.h0ur5, and then went into
Committee again.
_eranittee, the dominant party
dispatches
sl
permittel the orders tdois
and afTrollorthferocmamthpetloVhaer
Department and the
read, which took up an hour
leaving half an
hour, Mr. Brin-
hour for discussion. During this halfhalf'
Rhett, of
kerhoff, of Ohio, and Messrs. nahn
South Carolina, made some remarks,eBtinlidoirmer advo-
pelaring,
eating the insertion of a preamble to the
" Whereas, by the Act of the republic of' Icaetlixdico,
thata
state of war exists between the UnitedaSdtiastteins
thaton the
republic," and the two latter drawing
tween hostilities and a state of war, and urging
latter should not be declared without due deliberation
inasmuch as it would leave the commerce of the nation
exposed to depredation by privateers.
At the expiration of the half-hour the debate was,
according to order, terminated, and after some three
hours' voting on amendments and substitutes of all de-
scriptions, a Bill was adopted, with the following pre-
amble :

" Whereas, by the Act of the republic of Mexico, a
state of war exists between that Government and the
United States."
And the Bill authorises the President—
To employ all the militia and naval and military
forces of the United States.

To call for 50,000 volunteers.
To finish all the public armed vessels now authorised
bylaw.

To purchase, or charter, arm, equip, and man, mer-
chant and steam •Te..i.s(

And places at his disposal 10,000,0uu dolls., or about
2,000,0001.

This Bill was passed by 174 votes to 14.
On Tuesday, the 12th instant, the Senate met at noon,
and the above mentioned Bill was immediately brought

* The meeeage appeared ill our YeAteWU'l