The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-06-16
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
THURSDAY, June IA.

The bill to authorize the issuing land warrants in
certain eases was read the third time. passed and
sent TO the Senate for concurrence
joint resolution in favor Of the authorities of The
city OF Savannah, Georgia, was read fhe third time
and passed.
The amendment OF the Senate 10 the bin MAKING
an appropriation for completing The public buildings
in Wisconsin, was concurlet 10 by HE House So
the bill is passed.
The amendments Of the Senate the amendments
ofthe House 10 The bill appropriating alternate sec.
lions of land TO aid in the s,rnction OF a canal
from Rock river TO Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, /" were
concarred 10 BY The House.
Mr.. G. Ell WILLIAMS moved to take up Mr.
BooN's resolution TO fix day of adjournment OBJ
lection being made, he moved 10 suspend the rules,
and asked The yeas and nays which being taken,
resulted as follows Yeas So nays IS.
There not being two-thrds, The motion was lost
Mr.. POTTS moved 10 publish two thousand extra
copies of report Of the Secretary Of the Navy, on
the Exploring Expedition but the motion was mega
Mr. PAINTER, Of Pennsylvania, on leave, pre-
scented memorial in favor ftbe Subireasury bill.
Mr.. CARTER once more made an effort TO get
day appointed for the consideration ofcerain bills to
extend he provisiol of the pension laws to Indian
wars, but he again failed: Yeas &c. nays 81; (not
two-lhirds)
The House then resumed the unfinished business
Of yesterday morning.
And The question being on the following resou-
ton, reported yesterday by Mr.. DRoMGooLE, from
the Committee on Foreign Affairs!
Resoired That the Committee on Foreign AT
fairs be discharged from the further consideration Of
the whole subject, and that all the papers relating
thereto, and 10 them referred be laid the Ia
bic"
And on the amendment thereto by Mr.. CUSHING,
MIR. HOWARD rose, but yielded the floor at the
Mr.. W. THOMPSON, who moved to amend the
| amendment as follows:
t,.l, M a ...fr ,,.l
F." To report joint resolution, directing the Presi-
dent 10 take the proper steps for the annexation of
Texas to the United States, as ii can be
done consistently with the treaty siipulaons Of this
| Mr. HOWARD said that he regretted that The
I proposition Of the gentleman from New Hampshire
/ (Mr. CrsHMAs) for the previous question had not
been sustained Yesterday by The House he could
not nticpaie single cd result from the prolun-
CATION OF general debate upon the subject OF Texas
bur, the contrary, many evils, even greater than
the useless consumption of valuable time. As The
vote OF the House, however, had been against the
previous question: he had risen yesterday 10 yindi-
cate, as far as he could, The Committee on Foreign
Affairs from the implied charge Of filure 10 per-
torn duty entrusted 10 them by the House The
amendment now offered by the gentleman from
South Carolina, (Mr. THoMpsoN) gives to the ques-
lion an entirely new aspect, and be would be com
PEELED to digress from what had been his sole, and
stI was his main purpose, in order to make some
remarks upon the new stale Of the case. The House
was master OF lis own actions and could no doubt
originate proposal for the annexation OF Texas TO
the United States; but committee could only act
upon the matters referred 10 them and he intended
to show that no proposition had been heretofore be-
fore the House, and, consequently the committee
could have made no other report with propre,y than
The one which they had made. A reference TO the
journal would show that, at an early period of the
session, the House had BY the decisive vote of l27
to 6S i've more than majority Of The entire House.
determined 10 lay upon the table all memorials upon
The subject Of Texas All committees ought 10 repu-
q SSed viIl ofrh he
He thought this position would not be dispu ed
The Subjec. would, therefore, have slept upon the
Clerks table, II petition, presented afterwards by
one Of the Delegation from Maine, (Mr. NoYEsO
had not been referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, when the attention Of the House was not
called TO IT, Jurisdiction having been thus given 10
the committee by the reference of this struggling pc
iIion there ceased 10 be any objection 10 the adop
ton OF a resolution offered by The gentleman from
Massachusetts, (Mr. ADAMS sending 10 them the
entire mass Of petitions from individuals, the nagn-
tude OF which m ght be measured by cubic feet, and
Also the resolutions Of several Legislatures, which
had expressed their opinions upon The subject. But
he did not consider these papers raising question
They were only intended he thought, 10 bear upon
the question after ii raised in some other way
Al the extra session We had printed and circulated
q rye edition Of the correspondence between Mr.
Forsyth and General Hunt, and, although the pro-
position for annexation was not entertained by the
President, YET there was reasonable ground for
supposing that the subject might be renewed, and all
these evidences of public opinion were probably
prepared to meet the contingency when il should
happen. But it had not happened. The documents
before us show that il bad not On the 4th August
1887, General Hunt addressed letter to The Secre
tary oi State proposing the annexation Of Texas 10
the United States: and in his reply Of the 18th Of
August, Mr.. Forsyth not only declines the PROPOSE
ton, but declines "a reserre for ptape console
ration. No language could be explicit than this
II was impossible TO mistake II. The Minister Plen-
potentiary of Texas In his answer OF September IL,
showed that he did not mistake it, as will be evident
from the following paragraph:
/ THE undersigned most respectfully assures the
honorable Mr. Forsyth and, through him. his Excelen
cy the Pfesden, Of the United Stats. that the prompt
aud decisive rejection OF the proposition Tor the anne1a
ton Of Texas TO the United States will not be imputed
to an unfnendy spirit towards the Government and
| people OF Texas
The prompt and deeisirc rejection of The PROPOSE
ton. IL was, indeed, so. There no proposition,
therefore, pending before the Executive branch OF
\ the Government, and, Of course this House had
none before IT, derived from the documents commu
nicated by the President From what quarter, there
fore, could any proposition have come, so as 10 place
before the committee subject upon which iheey
could act 7 There was none from Texas and be
thought there was none either in the resolutions OF
Legislature, or petitions Of individuals, "hich haa
| flooded the House in snch numbers -
AT this point the morning hour expired, ana inc
| discussion went over 10 tomorrow
The House then proceeded TO the unfinished
| business Of Yesterday and resumed the consldeta-
| ton ol the
PREVENTION BILL.
Aner some desultory conversation, the question
was nut on the first amendment reported from the
Committee of the Whole, as follows:
4 Strike out all after the word /" provisions ara
insert Certain fraction regular legal slpdVS,
ions Of the public lands which have been reserved
from, sale in consequence Of the ming oil cis' "
4 a French or Spanish grant or donation which was
i k;>h horea ffer found,