Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-03-04
POLITICAL.
CONGRESS.


present Congress, thus far it is not necessary for
us to go back to the beginning of the Session, or
to attempt to give summary of the business which
has already been transacted We commence ap-
ruptly, therefore, with the following account OF the
proceedings of the 22d ult. which we copy from
the Boston Courier the readers Of which have been
highly favoured during the past winter with sue
cinct. vet comprehensive and interesting accounts
of the congressional proceedings, from the senior
editor, who has resided at Washington during the
session, for that purpose -
In the House of Representatives this
morning. Mr.. Ingham, by the direction
Of the committee on the Post once and
Post Roads, offered joint resolution,
comforting on Charles Carroll of Carroll
ton, the only surviving signer of the de-
claration of independence, the privilege
of receiving and transmitting letters, pa
pers, and packages, through the mails,
free of postage. Mr.. M'Duffie hoped that
the mover of the resolution would state
the reasons which had induced the COM
mittee to offer it. Mr.. Ingham said, in
in reply, that he knew of no other motive
than desire to offer mark of respect to
the venerable man to whom it had refer
ence. Mr.. Smith said he had no obiec-
ton to the object proposed, but as it might
be desirable to pass it with some modifica-
ton, he moved it be referred to commit
tee of the whole House.. and made the
order of the day for tomorrow. This
motion was lost, and the resolution having
been twice read, the question being on its
passage to third reading, Mr.. M'Duffie
said he thought this the worst possible
mode of expressing respect for the gentle
man to whom it referred. Such mea-
sure was not necessary in order to testify
to the people of the United States, or to
the world, our feelings with regard to the
only surviving signer Of the declaration of
independence. 1t could not be acceptable
to that individual himself 1t was only
offering very small, pecuniary privilege
to one of the wealthiest individuals in the
nation. 1t involved, also, more danger
Gus principle than any other he had ever
known to be brought forward in Congress.
On motion Of Mr.. Taylor, the resolution
was laid upon the table.
The resolution offered on Thursday, by
Mr.. Wilde Of Georgia, calling on the Pre-
sident of the United States, "to inform
tie House whether and what measures
have been taken to preserve inviolate that
part OF the Constitution of the United
States, which declares that no State shall
be formed or erected within the iurisdic-
ton of any other State, &c. without the
consent of the Legislature of the State
concerned as well as of Congress-" was
taken up for consideration. Mr.. Wilde
very briefly explained his object in moving
the resolution, that it was to ascertain with
what views, and on what principles, GER
tain Indian tribes, with whom the people
OF the United States had an anomalous
connection, had been organized into in
dependent and distinct governments, with
in the limits of the States, and under
constitutions formed by white people. On
motion of MIR. Storrs, the resolution was
so modified as to embrace call for infor-
nation respecting the organizations allud-
ed to. MIR. Storrs supposed that, although
these Indian governments were indepen.
dent of the State jurisdiction, they were
not statements, in the sense of the Con-
stitution. After few remarks by Mr..
Lumpkin and Others, the resolution was
laid on the table.
MIR. Chiffon offered resolution propos-
ing an inquiry into the expediency of re-
ducing the number of Cadets at the West
Point Academy. Mr.. C. said he was not
an enemy to science; but he thought it
his duty to use all the means in his power
to arrest the progress of institutions of an
aristocratical character. He was aware
that many gentlemen did not believe this
to be an aristocratic institution, but he,
nevertheless, was satisfied, from what had
: come within his knowledge, that the sons
of the wealthy had preference over those
of the poor, in obtaining an education at
the expense of the public. He requested
the House to look at the institution of
Capt. Partridge, which had sent forth
thousand young men, educated as well as
those at West-Point-not at the public ex-
pense-but from their own contributions
or those of their friends-all equally well
qualified to enter the army as officers. but
none of which, he believed, had ever re-
ceived commissions. Mr.. Chiffon was
entering, apparently, upon wide discus
sion of the comparative merits of these
two institutions, when he was obliged to
SUSPEND his remarks hv the nxniraf,o,, IS