Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-02
Twcasy-Gdth Coagress---ea scss.
Wursdny. D'ecmLer 70.
IN SENATE.


bi,ants Of the north. wcst section Of OHIO, praying that
the alternate sections of laad reserved to the u. States
Oh a canal in Ohio and Illinois, might b. sold; aud that
tie excess over 81 % per acre, might be appropriated 10
the construction Of roads, &c, ia that quarter.
BY hr. Buchanan, from the Union Bank of George
town, praying indemnifcation Tor money lest in the Pos,
Office at Baltimore, BY the admission os 4 stranger within
the office.
BY Mr.. Niles, 4 bill to provide for the erection Of q
monument to the memory Of Nathan Hale.
BY Nr. Davis, 4 bill providing for thr fGal settlement
of claims by the States on the U. s. Tor Interest on al.
vances made by them during the war.
MIR. Davis stated lha, this bill had already passed The
Senate, al n former session.; and expressed the hope that
II would now be acIed on speedily
MONEY IN THE NAIL
Tie Senate having taken up the resolution bciure Of
lrret by Sir. Niles, relative 10 an insurance Of Tie saf.
transmission OF money in the mails,
MIR. Niles Offered d substitute for that resolution, re-
curing the Postmaster General to communicate TO the
Senate his opinioa oil The ~pr"priety and advantages of
authorship b. law the transmission in the mail Of sums
OF money, mol exceeding severally a certain amount, at
the risk Of the Department; the rate per cenlage which
ought to be charged b. the Department. for thai risk; and
such other information on the subject as he might think
proper, and within his power.
MIR. Clay, Of Kentucky, asked whether it had ever
been the practice UI the Senate to call on the Heads Of
Departments Tor their opinions on cny measure %propused?
Congress had the right 10 call on the Secretary Of the
Treasury Tor plans, &c and to require him 10 attend per-
sonalIy in either House but MIR. {. knew Of no exam
pie in which the Postmaster. General had been called ON
for his opinion on the expcdiency Of any ilrasure. II he
might CIV. his opinion III writing, why not Us well have
4 srat III the Senale, to defend that opinion, aud take Il
parl in the discussion o: questions, rs was the practice of
members of The British cabinet? II such opinions ought
To come here, they ought 10 be explained and defended.
A call for information as 10 facts, or any thing Of that
kind, Mr.. G.. thought proper and parliamentary.
Mr.. Niles was willing to modify hi5 resolution, so -
to make il a call Cor information ca the subject. He ad-
mitted the improperly Of a call Scr q mere opinion; and
inflammation in dntuji wa tho nhipci whipb bo had H.,
view. He went into q minute detail OF the advantage.
of plan of insurance OF this kind, and of what he deeuI.
ed the best means Of attaining those advantages. Tho
objection, he said, was merely technical.
Mr.. Clay said he did not mean TO give any opinion, or
make any objections 10 the plan which the Senator had
in view. His objection was to the practice of calling or,
the Head Of a Department Tor his opinions. The Sena-
tor from Connecticut might attain his object in the Gus.
t"mary mode, by n resolution authorizing an inquiry on
the subject by the Committee on the Post O:iice and
Post Roads, who would, of course, call on the Depart
ment for information, if they thought proper. His OBJ
lection, he said, was not technical, but grave and import
ant, involving the dignity as well as the parliamentary
order of the body itself
Mr.. Grundy said he SHOULD feel obliged 10 vote against
this resolution. He never knew, and hoped he never
should know, Of an instance of II call by the Senate for
the opinions Of any executive officer Of this Government.
II wns proper to call on them far information; but this
resolution did not call for information but a mere matter
of opinion. Mr.. G. also express his opposition to tho
plan proposed. 1t would make a grea, many postmas.
'ls I'bo'J uF' Eh VIZ ~ '''S" 't - E'"S'
many small affairs Of money. be was willing, however,
that a committee should make the usual inquiry; but he
had never voted to cuLl fur an opinion, as was proposed,
and he did not think he ever should.
hlr. Niles, after a few remarks, moved ~ lay his reso-
luton on the table; which was done accordingly.
On motion o. Mr.. Nicholas,
Rcsoirrd. Tina: the Committee on the Public Lands IT.
quirc into the expedisncy OF a (certain) survey in the
Southeast district Of Louisiana.
Ga motion Of Mr.. Linn, the Secretary Of War was
called on for information as 10 (certalD) uIveys in WIS.,
consin.
On motion of MIR. Sewer,
RtS0irsd, That The Coiamittce on Roads and Canals
inquire into the e1pedipncy of making appropriations 10
open the raft on Red River.
MIR NorVell rose to lay some resolutions upon the Ia
BILE, and to move tha, they be printed. Several days ago,
MIR. y. said, after the Vermont resolutions were intro.
dncrd into this body, certain petitions on the subject o.
abolition were put into his hands by the Representatives
from Michigan. who was then i~ndIspused, to be present
ed 70 the Senate. He had communicated with some
friends III relation to ihei. presentation, and had slatr6
Ia them his intention, when they were presented, to sub
init resolutions 10 meet the case. lie had by them been
advised to defer the presentation of the petitions uni:l
the resolutions passed by The Legislature oil Vermont
should again be- brought up: br, the Senator from S"uiii
Carolina having yesterday LAID his resolutions upon the
table, and having inlimated his wish that they should b.
discussed, that the subject generally shoa!d BE- discussed,
before The Vermont resolutions shouts be taken up, Mr..
NorveIl begged leave 10 lay he following on The table,
and ask that they be printed:
D!Cf j nat bE H. w NN - 49," ~SHN'
is a National Government only fur the general purposes
specified in The Federal Constitution
That the States Of this Union: in all their reserved
rights and powers, ae separate independent, aud sovr-
reign political communities:
That any interference by one or more States, or by the
people Of one or more States, with the domestic instltu.
lions of any other Stale Of this Unnn. or with any Of lis
reserved rights and powers over those institutions, IS n
paIpable aud dangerous intrac,ion Of the spirit Of the
Constitution Of the United States, tending directly 10
disturb the peace and tranquility Of the Union, and 10
sever the links wEic!. connect us together as one People:
Tha, the Senate of The u. S composed of the repre-
sen,atives Of the States in their sovereign capacities, an&
bound 10 protect Tie reserved rights aud powers left TO
them in the compact Of Union, would regard any attempt
on the par, Of the Federal Government, under the pre-
text Of regulating commerce among the several States,
or under any other pretext whatever, to prohibit the do
nestle trade between any Of the States, or the cilizens
Of any Of the States, allowed by them in any kind OF
property, recognised as such by their laws, as unconsli-
tuiional in spirit aud in letter Therefore,
Res0iScd, That the Senate of the Omitted States will
neither receive, nor entertain, any petition, memorial,
resolution, or other paper, praying Congress 10 prohibit
any such trade.
Resoircd, That. as Il would be a breach of the public
faith Of the nation TO abolish slavery in the District Of
Columbia, without the consent OF the people OF the Dis-
trict, the Senate will neither receive, nor entertain, any
petition, memorial, resolution, or other piper, praying
for the adoption OF such measures, unless il proceed from
the people Of the District of Columbia.
The resolutions being read, they were laid on l3e table,
and ordered TO be printed.
MIR. Wright, from The Committee on Finance, reported
q bill for the relief Of WIN. II. Robinson and others
which was read, and ordered to u second reading.
INTERFERENCE WITn STATE RIGHTS.
The Senate proceeded 10 the consideration of the re.
solutions offered yesie rday b. MIR. Calhoun.
Mr.. Calhoun spoke in favor of his resolutions, dwell.
ing chiefly on objections which had been, or which
might be, made.
< debate followed, By Mssas. Calhoun, Preston,
Swift, and Strange.
On Motion OF Mr. Calhoun, :hc resolutions were or.
dercd to be made The special order for Wednesday mex,
with all understanding that they should Le considered IN
advance of the Vermont resolutions.
The following bills we're read a third time and passed:
The bill authorizing The States 10 lax lands SOLD by the
United States.
The bill for the relief Of the legal representatives. Of
Samuel White.
The bill for tie relief Of James McCooley.
The bill for tHe relief Of the irgal representatives oil
Henry Morft.