Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-04-12
CONGRESS-.
From the United States telegram, .4Dra 10.

From the United States Telegraph, .4pril 10.
The Senate, yesterday, acted on the reports
OF various committees, and referred several pe-
titions which were presented. The bill reported
by the Committee on Finance, for altering the
times of credit on Custom House bonds, was,
with the amendments, after short discussion
laid on the table for further consideration. The
bill for the Improvement of harbors, removal of
distractions, building of piers. and for certain
surveys, was ordered to third reading. Mr..
Frelinghuyse continued his speech in opposition
to the bill providing for an exchange of lands
with the Indians residing in the States. and max
ing an appropriation for their removal beyond the
Mississippi; and when he had concluded, Mr..
Nc RiaIey occupied the floor, in reply, until the
adjournment of the Senate. He argued that
the State of Georgia, at the close of the revo-
lutiOnary war, stood in the same relation to the
Indians as Great Britain did previous to the De-
claration of independence; that the British Co
vernment never recognized in the Indians the
right of sovereignty in the soil, and consequent
ly had never treated with them as a sovereign
and independent nation. He argued that the bar
gains or contracts entered into with the different
Indian tribes by Great Britain and the United
States could not be considered as TREATIES"
according to the acceptation of this term by the
laws of nations; because treaties, properly so
called, can only be formed between nations equal
ly sovereign. He replied to that part of the
argument of Mr.. Felinghuysen which went to
prove the sovereignty of the Indians and the pow
er of the General Government to treat with them
as sovereign within the limits of the State of
Georgia, under that part of the Constitution which
gives the Federal Government the power of ere
gulating commerce with foreign nations, among
the different States and with the Indian tribes"
If the General Government had the power to
treat with the Indians as sovereign within the Ii
mits of the State of Georgia, las contended for by
Mr.. Felnguhysen)t the Indians, being sovereign,
had certainly a right to adopt whatever form of
Government, they might think proper: and if
they had right to adopt their own form of Gov
ernment. they might establish within the terrific
rial limityof Georgia, or any other State, No
narchy. But the Constitution Of the U. States
had guaranteed to each State, what it previously
had. Republican form of Governments; and it
appeared, therefore, an absurdty in terms, to
suppose that two such forms of Government, a
Monarchy and Republican, could exist in the
same territorial limits, at one and the same time.
In the House Of Representatives., after the usu-
al presentation of reports, the consideration OF
Mr.. Coulter's resolution for the appointment of a
Standing Committee on Printing was resumed.
Mr.. WickH5s, Mr.. Crockett, Mr.. Taylor. Mr..
Hall, Mr.. &erigere, Mr.. Tucker, Mr.. HiHiams,
and Mr.. Malay addressed the House upon the
subject until the close of the hour. Mr.. Dray-
ton has possession of the floor for to-day. The
House then went into the consideration of private
bills; upwards of twenty of which were passed
through Committee, and ordered to be engross-
ed for third reading to-day.
-ss69eae-
Bank Robbey-Under the head of . Bank
Robbery number s." the Kentucky Commenta-
tor of the 3Oth nit. gives information that the
Branch of the Commonwealth Bank located at
Harrodsburg, was entered by means of false keys,
one ight during the previous week. and all the
money it contained carried off, except about five
dollars in change. How much was not known,
as the Cashier was absent; but the amount is sup
posed to have been '.several Thousand dollars. :"
They manage these things in curious way in
that region of the far west" The COmmenta-
tor says: The Cashier was absent; the person
engaged by him to sleep in the Bank was also
absent, and no person in town knew how much
money there was in the Bank.