Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-05-22
CONG IL II s s.

In the Senate, on Thursday, the Vice President
presented Report from the Navy, giving some
details and explanations of the Annual Expendi-
lures Of the Government from 1929 TO 1910, in
answer TO resolution prcvions adopted. mo-
ton of Mr.. Hubbard to print 10000 copies of the
Report, led TO an animated debate on the charac-
ter of the Expenditures Of the Government, in
which Messrs. Benton, Hubbard, Brown, Preston
and others, participated.
In the House, the greater part ofthc day was
| consumed in the discussion in Committee of the
Whole ofMr. Adanls's bill to insure the more faith
full execution of the laws relating to the collection
OF duties on imports. Before the debate was
| brought TO close the Committee rose, and the
| House took up the amendments of the General APP
proprlate Bill, i'll which they concurred by Il vote
of 70 TO 4S.
In the Senate on Friday no business was tram
until Monday.
In the House on Friday and Saturday the discus
sion of Mr.. Adams's bill was continued. The
principal speakers were Messrs. Adams, Lincoln,
Sergeant, Briggs, Holman, Curtis, Monroe,
Rhett, Vanderpoel, Underwood and Craig. The
particular subject OF debate was the amendment to
the 9th section, and the substitute proposed bv
mr.. Adams. The amendment provides, that
whenever suit against any Collector or other
officer of the CUSTOMS for the seizure of goods,
wares, or merchandise, unlawfully imported into
the United States, Or forfeited tor the unlawful entry
|.
States, in which suit is involved any question of
duties on llnportion of goods, wares or merchan-
dlZe, no person having the same interest with
mat OF the party to the suit, in the question at is
sue, shall be competent as a witness on such trial.
unless called TO testify by the adverse party" 1t
was objected 10 the proposition that il was subyer
sve of common law and of individual rights. The
question was then taken on the motion to STRIKE,
out the section and insert the amendment, 1t was
intended by the opponents OF the motion, in case
the motion to strike ont and insert succeeded, then
to strike out the motion amended. The vote
was 40 for the motion, and SO against 1t. As there
was no quorum, the House adjourned.
On Monday the same discussion was confined
the whole day in the House. The motion TO strike
out the 9th section and insert Mr.. Adams's amend
ment, providing that in a suit against the Col
lector, for goods, seized for fraudulent importa-
ton orentry, the testimony ofmerchants interest
ed in the question involved in the suit shall NOT he
taken, was agreed to. Mr.. Rhett then moved To
strike out the section, as amended, but it was lost
A debate followed on several points involved in the
measure, and, at length, the bill was reported to
the House, without further amendment. Mr..
Holmes, OF ). o., took the floor to speak in oppo-
stion to the bill, and the House then adjourned
In the Senate Message was received from the
President, IN answer to the resolution of Mr.. Ben
ton, calling for the names of all officers, agents OF
contractors who had sold post drafts or exchanged
them for notes OF any banks. 1t appears that Mr.
.I(
Q Crittenden, residing in Georgetown, a kind o.
agent or empioye OF the Government, that abuse.
have taken place in relation TO the sale of govern
mcnl drafts, which induced the call he had made
On the motion TO print the answers of the different
:, agents. Mr.. Benton took occasion to denounce il
II unmeasured TERMS the Bank ofthe United Stale
It OF Pennsylvania, which he charged with sendine
r agents all over the country IN search of govern
If ment agents TO buy up government drafts Mr.
i Webster said thought if the agents of the govern
: lnent had acted corrupty in selling drafts, the cor
$ receive was with the executive, and need not cal
d iorth denunclations against an institution owe
= which the government had no control. The ligh
d, gwen by the papers presented there to-day, afor
'e ted the best commentary on the present vitiate
IS Stale OF the currency, which so much needed
l. corrective. 1t was in vain for the government T.
re attempt 10 pay specie in any case, when the &c
s. neral currency of the country was not specie
p would always end in having one currency for tn
~ people and another for the government, while IN
lers OF the soil and the honest producers ofwealt
were always sure to be the injured party. Th
m document was ordered TO be printed. private hi
- excited considerable interest. 1t was for the re
" OF Hannah Leighton, widow of the first oifc,
l. killed in the Revolutionary War. Mr. Websle
&c Mr.. Preston and Mr.. Crittenden were eloquent
20 ITS support. 1t was opposed by Messrs. Beno
= Hubbard, Allen and Calhoun, but was ordered
3. be engrossed by vote of31 to 8.
In the Senate, on Tuesday, the bill establishn
10y '."' vs. ",'ioihi bankruptcy was Cdlleu up |
l. Mr.. Wall, who spoke at great length against Il
In bill reported by the committee which provides on
for voluntary bankruptcies. He was followed |
u Mr.. Clayton, who defended the report oflhe con
ne mittee, OF which he is member. Mr.. Tamad.
III introduced resolution inquiring into the exp
- dienCy OF grant Of land from the General Go,
m eminent 10 aid New-York in making a railroad
to as to connect the waters of Lake Ontario wi
Champlan, parallel with the waters Of the Riv
st. Lawrence, and to enquire what effect the san
would have on the transportation of the maj
and munitions of war
n In the House the discussion of Mr.. Adams's
was continued. Several amendments were offer
70 by Mr.. Holman and others, but Mr.. Adams stree
at uoisly contended against all amendments, and t
~ bill was ordered 10 third reading and final
y passed, substantially as reported The vote WI
at yeas 1879, nays so. This is ma jority much mo
" decisive than that by which some ofthe most in
10 portant measures have been carried Whatcv
10 may be the effect Of the bill on the revenue,
or decidedly unpopular among the importers, as
r. evidenced by the measures they have adopted
. this city and elsewhere 10 secure its defeat.
u On Wednesday the Senate was occupied with a
q animated discussion of the General Bankrupt La,
Mt The House was engaged on the subject Of Il
Printing OF Congress; but no action was had