Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-04-07
TWENrY.sIxTH CONGREss---Ist SESSION.
Tuesday, March 81, lsio.
IL SENATE

L II.
slr SMITH of Indiana presented the Jont resoiu-
tons of the Legislature of Indiana, nstrucng their
Senator's and requesting their Representatives TO vote
for a bill 10 repeal the duty on imported salt
Mr. s. said he would neither resign nor disobey;
bnt when the bill introduced BY the Senator from Mis-
souri, MIR Benton, for the repeal of the duty on salt
came IN for consideration, should have has support
The resolutions were laid the table, and ordered 10
he printed. =, ,,,,,,.,rss
The resolution submitted time since by Mr.
Lnmpkin fixing the adjournment OF Congress on lhe
18th Of May, being taken up
Mr. LUMPklN hoped that a vote might ue taken
=, the resolution His own opinion on the subject was
unchanged and he believed, he had formerly taken
occasion to saw that the business Of the country would
be greatly acccleratedf definite day was fixed Tor The
adjournment He was aware that majority oil Inc
Senate differed with him to the time mcntioneG but
ii was too carlv the resolution might be amended so
as to fix il at more remote day. but he hoped thai some
day would be designated.
Mr. NORVELl. thought that Congress could not
with propriey fix day for adjournment until lneill-
oence was received of the action OF the British Govern
nent on the propositions submitted to hei IN relation
10 the boundary question. With ariew, however, OF
disposng Of this matter for the present, nc would
move that the resolution, with the bill, introduced by
him some DAYS since, fixing the day OF meeting Tor Inc
next session. he referred TO the Committee on the Ju-
dietary.
No one appearing to object, the question was about
being put, when .
Mr.. MOUTON observed that he considered it a
very singular direction to give this resolution, and he
was very much surprised that his friend from Georgia
mir Lunpkinl should acquesce in It, Us he considered
j, equivalent 4 lection of the resolution
MIR LUMPKlN said he compelled to yield to
what he could not avoid His friend from Louisiana
and himself had the same opinion on this subject, bu,
the majority Of the Senate thought differently aud they
had The power TO give any direction TO the resolution
they thought proper lie had endeavored repeated
~ 10 Get direct vote on his proposition, ana had even
\. - :. k,t nat n "a.
ner 10 grant his request and he bowed t. the m o! The
majority He therefore hoped his rleng iTa' ntihg
surprised in the fact of his yielding when he could not
help il
Mr. BUCHANAN said he agreed with the Senator
from Georgia on this subject and had voted with hun
throu hout His legislative experience, which was not
short, had taught him that seldom was there deter
mined purpose evinced transact the business OF Con-
rress until day fixed for the close oil the SESSION
As to this question o! the Northeastern boundary, the
British Government last July (he spoke from recall
lec,on) submitted proposition 10 this Government Tor
,ts settlement This not proving satisfactory, Go
yernn,ent submitted TO the British Government coun
Ter projet TO which, yet, no answer has been c"i
ved No was very glad to learn from the connnnicn,
ton Of the British Minister, which read IN lis
body Thursday last though he lid not lax" the lem.
per displayed III that paper, that an answer might he
shortly expected When the expected answer 10 our
counter propt is received will see daylight this
question We will then be informed whether the Iifi-
;sh Government accedes to the proposition, and dis
posed to settle amicabv, whether she refuses, and
in that event will know what we have TO do lie
was not willing 10 vote for fixing the 18th of May
theday ofadournment but he thought that III all human
probability the reply of the British Government would
be received before The first Of June" Should that
swer be unpropitious which Heaven forbid, can
postpone IL until such measure" "l'' be passed as We
may deem necessary for the protection Of the country
Mr. LUMPklN having accr,"d !" he modification
cf his resolution, as suggested hy SIR Buchanan,
Mr. ALLEN said he would vote against the rcsolu-
ton under consideration, any other proposing 10 fix
day for III, al ournment of Congress, in the present
state Of arr foreign relations. He would consider
vote ylmm day Of adjournment, al the present mo.
i.icnt, when expectation of the receipt Of I'm.
porant intelligence from Great Britain, equivalent
10 declaration that deemed the anticipated answer
of the British Government as Of 10 moment, whereas
that answer might involve in the mos, serious diff
culties with that power.
MIR. BENTON said he opposed to acting on this
question o. adjournment nj the present time. He
Of those who anxiousy desired peace-peace with
al nations but he also of the opinion that pre-
serve peace should show TO the world that we were
prepared to defend ourselves And he also of OPT
that the manner IN which had sqnandercd the
public money among the several States had encouraged
foreign nation to push us TO point. Our immense
frontier embracing extent of not less than thou.
sand miles, is generally known, in decncelcss
4 condition as could be wished by enemy II was
even, in repecs in worse situation than at the
commencement of the last with Great Britain. To
be sure we had some Notifications but many of them
were without ornaments and dctencelesS, and could
he taken possession Of by enemy, and made
Of annoyance to us, instead of defence They would
be turned against u.s. instead being useful against
enemies. The Senate days since passeda rcsou-
ton which offered by the Senator from Michigan,
!Mr Norvell,] calling the Secretary of War for such
information he possessed relative TO warke prepa-
rations by neighbornw nation on the Northern and
Northeastern frontier. The reply TO that resolution
has not yet been received but every Senator
that extensive preparations going on along the
whole line Of our Northern fronter-from Lake Supc
ror to Passamaquoddy bay that along this whole line,
the British Government not only constructing per-
manen Notifications, which every nation has
questioned right to do, but that she is also constructing
field works. which imply approaching operations, and
which, under the laws of nations, we had RIGHT To de-
mand what occasion they were intended for. But we
need not confne observation Northern from
Tier for signs of warke PREPARATION but we NAV look
TO the mouth of the Columbia that important portion of
our territory which my friend and colleague Mr. Linnl
so appropriately and perseverngly cndeavors 10 turn
our attention to- Not only TO the mouth of that import
ant river, but TO the Bermudas may attention be
turned to the warke preparations that are being made
We can also point to the Bahanas-to the greatly in
creased facility of communication between Great BrI
tain and Haltax-to the concentration Troops IN pro-
vnccs bordering on our tronuer all exhibited evidences
oi pre- pairing for state OF hostilitles.
MIR. President, it is time that we cease plundernS
our country, and begin 10 defend it. The miserable
business of dividing surplus revenue and land revenue
should be secuted from councils The arnor oil de-
fence is what the nation should wear. If we wish to
preserve peace, must show will TO resist aggres
sion The nation which refuses to defend itself IN
vtcs aggression. The dark clouds gathering
around us We them FAR above the horizon, North
South East and West. Great Britain prepares at all
points: we remain supinc: Congress remains supine.
An the ad;nomtons Of the late and present Admins
,ra,ions TO prepare peace for have been disrc
parded: and now we are tainted with deenceless
State At The last session of Congress, resolutions re-
curing the heads Of the War and Navy Departments
10 submit plans for the general and permanent defence
Mt from this chamber OQe OF |