Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-02-05


~ given to the country without his su-
M, Merrick Of Nd, had the floor
vhen the Senate adjourned.
IN the House, the proceedings were as
interesting as in the Senate. The motions
h reference 10 raising Select Commit.
&c on the recent defalcations were on the
'tSDiS. whereupon a very animated debate
ensued, in which Messrs. Wise, Mason,
Garland. Cambreleng, Cushing and Pick.
ons. participated.
M. wise accepted Of Mr.. Garland's
amendment 70 bis resolutions.
M. Cambreleng was very urgent that
he Committee of Investigation, if APP
pointed, should be appointed by the Spea'
er as. in that case some responsibility
would attach to the administration, where
ne. Il the committee should be appointed
81 elected by the House, there would be
no responsibility-the committee would
be raised in the dark.
& He was most severely taken to task
bv both Mr.. Mason and Mr.. Garland,
two Virginia C Conservatives, for his temeri.
~.
- Mr.. Pickens declared his intention to
70 for eIecting the committee by ballot.
This, we think, decides the question. The
i-ssiiis of S~.,es4;ey~s;-.. must prevail.
Mr.. Bondhad the hnnr when the House
pr January o,
In the Senate, Mr.. Prertiss Of Vermont,
presented some resolutions from the Le-
pislature Of his Stats, respecting the an-
1exation of TexEs 70 the United States,
and the abolition Of slavery in the Dis
trict Of Columbia. He moved that they
he laid on the table and printed.
e Mr.. Foster moved that the question be
divided he objected to the printing. AT.
ter some discussion, it was moved and
carried that the motion to print should lie
on the table.
Mr.. Merrick of Md. then took the floor
and delivered an able speech on the Ora.
duation Bill, in which he took and defen.
ded the side of Henry Clay upon the
great land question.
Mr.. Fulton followed on the other side,
and in favor of the Bill.
Mr.. Buchanan offered some amend
tnents 20 the Bill.
Mr.. Clay, of KY, moved a substitute
for tho whole Bill, which embraces his
plan for the distribution of the proceeds of
the public lands.
The Senate adjourned without taking
any question.
In the House, Mr.. Bond delivered a
scorch:ng speech upon the question of raj
sing committee to investigate tie mat
'ters relating to recent defalcations. He
spared neither the powers that be- nor
those that recently hare been.
He was followed, first by Mr.. Taylor
Of New York, and then by Mr.. Thomas
Of Maryland, both Loco Focos, who con-
tended hard for the appointment of the
eommiltee-by the Spedker-that impartial
Prcsid:ng officer in all such matters.
Mr.. Menifee then got the floor and de-
livered a speech, pronounced to be in
nerve, spirit and eloquence, equal to any
that ever had fallen from him on any oc.
casion.
Mr.. Robertson, Of Va, also made a
speech on the occasion.
Mr.. Legarc had the floor when the
House adjourned.
-, JANUARY 10.
In the Senate, Mr.. Robins made a. re.
port from the Committee on the Library,
and very classical and chaste speech on
The subject of npPropriating the Smithso.
Man Request.
Mr.. RiVes' resolutions calling for in.
formation as to the connection between
tho Secretary of War and the Bank Of
the United States, were taken up and
adopted.
Mr.. Clay of Ky, made great speech
u favor of his amendment to the Gradua-
ton Bill. A portion Of his amendment
was rejected and portion adopted. The
portion adopted was that which allowed
settlers to enter eighty acres or less, at
fifty cents per acre, after the land has been
fifteen years in the market.
In the House, motion, was made TO
strike out part of Mr.. Wise's PROPOSE
ton to print 10000 copies of Mr.. Secre-
tary Woodbury's Report, last year, in re-
lation to defaulters but the motion was
lost.
A long debate afterwards sprung up in
relation to favorable positions for naval de.
JANUARY IL.
In the Senate, the Graduation Bill, as
amended in Committee Of the Whole was
taken up.
After some remarks from Messrs. Niles
and Hubbard in opposition to particular
parts Of the measure, NJ a...
Ne. Preston took the floor, and spoke
AZ great length, and with unusual force
md spirit against the whole principle o
the bill. have often listened to this gen
tleman with admiration and delightful
there was some passages in his speech, to
day, marked by far higher degree of elo
queqce and power, than he ever reache,
en- any previous occasion. His remark
Q1 The course Of Henry Clay, and his de
fence Of that gentleman, viii be long re
membeTed by all present, as among III,
most splendid specimens of oratory they
ever heard.
Mr.: Rives also spoke very ably agains
the Bill,
T. In the House, the motion to print 10000
copies Of certain defalcalion document
was taken up.
- -. WhitiIesey, Of Connecticut, NOV
shss 5000 copies Be printed, instead Q
Mr.. Mitchell, Of New York, moved III,
previous question, which was seconded.
Mr.. pefriken ~ panne,,I,,,.{; $3.50,