Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-16

Mr. SEWER moved to strike out the whole OF me
enacting clause, and TO insert INSTRUCTIONS 10 e e
that all double ratons should be henceforlh dispensed
with
Mr. S. said he thought il was time to put an END TO
nil this subject of back rations double ratons, NC. he
desired his constituents TO know exactly now mucn
officers of the army and navy received lie was tia
that some officers were receriag nonihay iouf oi "'c
hundred dollars when fact, they were receiving 80
many thousand Now, If this were 50, !, was time 10
arrest it. II they did not receive enough he was lot
giving them enough, but let the whole amount appear
on the pages of the Blue Book "
Mr. KING suggested to the Senator, that IT would DE
better to commit the BILL with instructions to prepare
hill in accordance with his views. Mr.. H. SAID, tnat
the system improper one and ought 10 De apo-
Iished In fact said Mr. it is not law OF our ere
anp but law rather construction OF law, oy Ger
tain officers for the benefit OF others
Mr. SEWER assented to the suggestion. ;.
MIR MERRICK explained the causes why oihcerS
received more than appeared
Mr. WALKER thought it would be better to refer II
to the Military Committee, to inquire INTO the matter
He was against the system; but he thought they were
not sufficiently prepared TO vote Without iuftie' 'oi
nation on the subject :
Mr. SEWER said he should adopt the suggestion Oh
Mr. Walker, and lie would move to COMMIT me p.il 70
the Committee Military Affairs, with the Instruc
tons he had before suggested
Mr. BENTON said il would require time, and he
THOUGHT would be better TO defer it until the next ses
sion.
Mr. SEWER insisted on his motion.
Mr. BUCHANAN thought the Military Committee
could not be better employed than in investigating THIS
matter But he doubted whether there was time 10 do
anv thing this session. Mr.. b. had long thought OF
this subject Who could tell how much officers re-
ceived, Who could tell how much Gen Macomo re-
ceiyes: He had understood so much was received LOT
forage for rations for servants hire, &c &c SO that
it was next 10 impossible 10 ascertain the aggregate
amount There might be reason for all this, but ne was
not military enough 10 perceive IT, lie thought IL
would be better for the received TO appear on It's
face, so that it could be at Z ance Mr. g. was
for paying the officers literally.
MIR. BENTON explained but SAID the matter cousu
not be undertaken this session with any prospect OF
success
Mr. SEWER said, if the committee could not act
on it, there would be use in committing It. mere
fore he would 10 hy this bill on the table; ana
on that question he should ask the ayes and noes The
question having been TAKEN there appeared for II ID
against 1t ~.
So the motion was lost.
The debate was further continued BY Mr.. SOUTH
ARD, Mr.. LUMPKIN, and others, in favor of the BILL
and by Mcssrs. WILLIAMS and TAPPAN ngainstlt
The question beng taken, by yeas and nays, there
appeared for the bill TO- against it =, as follows;
Yeas-NIessrs. Benton, Buchanan, Lumpkn, Smith
of Indiana, Southland, Sturgeon, Tallmadge, Walker
Wall, Whte-lO
.yaus-Messrs. Allen Brown, Clay of Ala, Clay of
~,
Hubbard Huntington, King, Linn, Nerrlck, Mouton
Nicholas, Norvel, Porter, Prentiss, Roane, Robinson,
Ruggles Sewer, Smith of Connecticut Strange, Tap
pan, Williams, Young-2S.
And then the Senate ad iourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mr. WICK asked leave of absence for his colleague
(Alr Howard of ndiana,l for two weeks from Monday
next which granted
The SPEAKER announced the unfinished business
ofthe morning hour to be the notion heretofore made by
H., ,,Ioan i'nty
mcrcc the bill reported therefrom by Mr. Hlen, prov
ding for the repeal of the
PILOT LAW.
MIR. HlLLES who retained the floor from yesterday
continued his remarks during the morning honr IN OPP
position to the motion to recomm
He dsclaimed any i'll feeling TO the New York mer
chants He willing he sald and desIrous to pro-
mote their interests when that could be done consist
emily with tho interests of others He wished no ex-
elusive privileges be given 10 the New York pilots;
bu, all he asked was TIM, they should be protected in
the enjoyment of their Just and Legitimate rights lie
went into history of the law in relation TO potage,
and of the facts which, he said, applicable to that
law not denying the constitutional power OF Congress
TO lcgslae on the subject, but conend'ng that Con-
rress had by It's act, coded that power to the Sc
vcra States He then proceeded to contend that the
law which this bill proposed To repeal grew out ol
the loss OF the ships Bristol and Mexico making The
direct issue that the loss of these two vessels, and the
excitement created thereby in the public mind, were
The direct and immediate of the passage OF the
law in the absence of which the law never would
have been passed and conendng that the pilots were
IN no wise blame for those terrible disasters with
this view, he went into minute examination Of Inc
condition and locality of the Bristol and Mexico al the
time they lost, and read number oil dispositions
and documents having reference thereto
In the of MIR. II argument, MIR. CURTIS rose
and indicated himself from the charge which, he said
the gentleman from Maryland (Nlr. Hlen) desired 10
FIX upon him, that of having vfcd the New York pr
I, IIn NJ had ak mr. SncI nS
tenor of his whole argument would show.
Mr. HILLEN had not concluded when the Speaker
announced that the morning hour had expired,
Several Senate bills on the Speakers table were put
on their first and second readings, and referred TO the
appropriate committees.
The bill TO establish uniform rule of mileage for
members of Congress coming up in the order OF bust
ness the Speakers table, and the question beng on
its final passage
Mr. BLACK moved TO lay il on the table
Mr.. LEFT asked the yeas and nays, which were or
dered and, being taken, were-yeas 10, nays 100
So the House determined that the bill should not be
laid ON the table.
rAta subsequent stage OF the proceedings several
members and stated that they had voted IN the al
irmntivc on the motion To lay the table, under the
mistaken apprehension that the question was on the
final passage of the bill They allowed to change
their votes and the list OF the yeas and nays was cor
rected accordingly
And the question recurring on The passage OF the
bill
Mr.. DROMGOOLE demanded the previous ques.
ton, which was seconded.
And the main question (being the passage of the
billy ordered 10 be taken, and being taken by yeas
and nays, the vote stood yeas l4s nays -
So the bill was passed
Mr.. THOMPSON, of Mississippi, moved reconsi-
Iteration of the vote by which the bill was passed
| And the question being on the reconsideration
Mr. L. made remarks expressing the OPINION
that this effort between the two parties as to
who should out-demngoguc the other. lie dweit on
the injustice ofpaying members for direct route when
they obliged TO travel by circuous route as the
Southwestern members were. He predicted that the
bill would be suffered to remain in operation after
the Presidential election, and hoped that the House
would now consider the vote by which 1t had been
passed.
After few remarks from Mes STANLY and
LEFT,
| Mr.. UNDERWOOD moved the previous question;
which seconded, and the main question was or
dcrcd to be taken
Mr. THOMPSON Of Mississippi, asked the yeas and