Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-18
TWENTY-slXTH CoNGREss---Ist SESSION
Thursday, February is,
IN SENATE,

TWENTY-SIXTH CONGRESs---lst SESSION.
Tau7sday, Fe5,as,gls' 1910.
Mr. BUCHANAN presented sixteen ihenio u g ,h
c;,;,ans of PENNSYLVANIA praying an increase u "a.
duties on silks; which were referred 10 'ne oo"'N'
Mr. RoANE presented petition OF thomas i.,as ~ ~
Saunders; which was referred 10 INC o''"'
Pensions. .,o ,,o,o-;,,s If n number
Is n;,zens of New York, praying the passage oil uni
form, law on the subject of bankruptcy; winch "efe
tered to the Committee on tn judiciary, ,.u
Mr STURGEON presented memorial OF a hu"ioei
&c women inhabitants of Allegheny county, pray my
m the abolition of slavery the motion to receive WHICH
was laid on the table ,.. o,;t;on nc tho
Mr. CLAY of Kentucky presented the Petieo " el'
Kn,nckv State Agricultural Society, praying the en-
Ient of an agricultural school or college out OF 'e
fnnds of the Smithsonian legacy; which was feierre0
IN the Committee on Agriculture. c,,.,,t,
NJ ri Az also presented the petition of Nllchaei II
. -. ,,np for the abolition of slavery: motion
ho;n made that the petition be received, discussion
Dross in which Messrs CLAY, CALHOUN, IALn-
MSDGE BROWN, BUCHANAN, WEbs 4 L n
SMITH of Connecticut, Whiuhl, ~ D,o,;an ~
and HENDERSON, participated; when, on MOTION Oh
Mr. BUCHANAN, the motion OF reception ""s '"'' "a
the table. j., : p:n prowr
Mr. c. also presented memorial OF NIX pio"n
and others, praying for the imposition ., ~ r.
silks; which was referred 10 'ie
nance.
On motion, the Senate adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
On motion of Mr.. SERGEANT,a compah'cat'oi
from Samuel Hazard enclosing copy OF inc toi,ei
c;al and Statistical Register of the u D was feieite'
to the Committee on the Library ),
The SPEAKER announced, that the first business IL
order WINS the motion of Mr. CASEY to refer the memo
rial of the National Road Convention, heid a. ielie
Uante Indiana to the Committee OF Ways ana Means
with instructions to report biii approprat'hs
TO each of the States of Ohio Indiana ana iho's' :
lao a,pnnIcd on the Cumberland road.
Mr., RUSSELL remarked that it was known 10 lhe
House. that the committees had not been Afforded a
opportunity, at the present session. 10 make reports
lie hoped the House would therefore agree 10 ssPt
sion of the rules for the purpose Indicated ana, WIN
the consent of the gentleman from South Iarol'ra
(llr PfcRExs) he made the motion that the rues "
suspended to enable him to nroduce proposuoh ~ ~
receive reports from the committees on to-ioio"' "
The hour of o'clock.
Mr. PlCKENS had no objection to yield the iioor LOT
the purpose. - -
Mr. RUSSELL'S n,otions-to suspend the rules, ana u
10 set apart one hour tomorrow Tor the reception -
reports-were then agreed to- a.,
Mr. CAVE JOHNSON suggested to the House tne
prapriety of referring the many bills on the epeaAe
liable to the various committees; but, on)ectoh wa
made
Mr.. DROMGOOLE begged the gentleman from ,.
Carolina MIR Pckens to yield the floor to him TO make
motion to refer the President annual message 10 ''e
Committee of the Whole 1t struck HIM that there was
GREAT improperly in referring particular documents ac
companyna the message, the committees and not TO
refer the message itself He thought IT was due 10 ihe
character of the MEMBERS and due to the country, a
should be taken from the table and REFEREED tat he
House might when it thought proper, go mic commit
tee on it,.
Mr. PICKENS was willing to yield the floor; but
objection was made to the motion, and II was not
pressed.
Mr. PICKENS then proceeded 10 discuss the ques-
lion before the House. He made strong argument
AGAINST the expcdiencv and consttutionalty of appro-
priatng moneys from the National Treasury to objects
OF acknowledgements in the States. lie replied 10
the arguments of Mr.. Mason OF ONO, ana MI Howard
Of Indiana that the National Government was bound
by contract to complete the Cumberland road, ana
contcnded that the compact had been complied with
TO its fullest extent and showed to the House that Sc
yeral millions more had been appropriated to that OBJ
ect than the means which formed the basis OF the con-
tract justified.
Mr. P after concluding his remarks on the PROPOSE
ton before the House, which he opposed as being I'M
preccdented and supplementary, and because it was
improper TO bind the committee to do certain thing
without allowing them the privilege of examining into
lis rxpediency and propriey, moved the following
amendment rs a substitute for it:
sand that the memorial be committed TO the Com
mittee Of Ways and Means, with instructions TO consi-
der the expedcncy Of reporting bill in favor of the
measure
Mr. PROFIT then obtained the floor, not with a
view he said of discussing the merits of the Cumber
land road but to hold the present Administration to
the censure of the people He in favor of the
amendment ofthe gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Casey,
and opposed 10 the substitute of Mr. Pckens, because
he said it evaded the question: and Preferred to the
committee in that form, It would never be reported
upon He had understood already that the Committee
OF WAYS and Means would not report bill without
having before il estimates He justified the commit.
that the ground that they were bound
TO consult the report of the proper Department lie
censured the Department of the Treasury for emitting
the Cumberland road in the estimates, and commended
that ii done Intentionally. Mr. Z. then denounced
all the land schemes, propositions to graduate and
reduce the prices Of land, as humbugs to deceive the
people in the West and commented on the message OF
the President recommending reduction as part OF
the same system of deception and said he had heard
st every cross road in Indiana, the arguments
preached nine hundred and ninety mine times over
barrel Of hard cider Mr.. p. then censured and dc
nouneed the Administration for the manner in which
the Florida had been conducted, and made some
humorous remarks in characterizng the officers which
had returned from that war, as handles. tie then en-
tered at large into discussion of the State politics Of
Indiana, the of which he alluded to his col
league, (AIr Wck,) and charged him with having de-
nounccd the Wings as Federalists, party to which
that gentleman, he said, had Tut recently Belonged
having been of the electors for President in favor
OF Mr. Clay, and having always acted with the
wings.
Mr.. WICK denied that lie had ever been Whie
since the Federal party had assumed that cognomen-
lie understood to say that he had never acted with
this newborn Wing party; which made up
with the Tag ends of all parties and all principles. He
lowed in the footsteps Of those who had acted upon the
great principles upon which that party arc united. II
avas true he had been elector in favor of Mr. Clay
but since that time that gentleman had repudaed hi:
old Democratic principles and melancholy change had
been effected in his opinions. lie was, however, con-
scious (even If he was in the wrong) that he now
right, and that he should remain So
MIR. PROFIT then resumed his remarks, and con.
tinucd in the strain ofdenunciation He then ex
amned into the claims of Gen Harrison for the Pres
dency and having eulogized his military exploits al
Tppecanoe the Thames, Fort Meigs, and the river Raj
sin, he concluded by saying that his advancement the
Presidential chair could add laurel to his brow
but might do him an act Of justice.
Mr.. MARVIN rose, not for the purpose of making a
Speech but to offer substitute for that of Mr. Pckens
and amendment for the original proposition
His amendment contemplated that the Committee OF
Ways and Means should discharge duty which it had
done at every previous session of Congress. Until
the last session, it had been in the habit of reporting
bills for the Cumberland road, and for constructing
harbors and building lighthouses; but it had refused
that time TO take the responsibility and if it be left to