Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-04-14
TwENTY-sIxTH coNGREss-.-lst SESSION
Thursday, april Q, le40.
IN SENATE

l.
Tho VICE PRESIDENT communicated 10 the Sc
nate letter from the Treasury Department, showing
the accounts Of persons entrusted with the dsbuse
ment of money, goods, oi enecls iof ING = ''
Indians.
Mr. BENTON submitted the following:
RrsoIued That the Senate will not consider dis.
cuss any bill for the renewal ola bank charter IN the
District of Columbia while said bank refuses to pay
specie for its notes. and deposes or clrcuates notes OF
any bank so refusing. :,
The following Joint resolution was introduced y MT.
PRESTON
Rssoloed by The Senate and House Of Representatives,
of the United States Of 7merica IN Congress ASSEMBLED
That the Committee the Library be authorized and
instructed to take for the importation and
erection Of the statue of Washington by Greenhougl
On motion Of Mr.. PIERCE, the bill authorizing the
President to raise fifteen hundred men for the Florida
service was recommtted in order to make some YER
bal amendments. !,
The bill TO revive the act entitled Gan act TO enable
claimants to lands within the limits of Missouri and the
Territory of Arkansas to institute the proceedings 70
try the validity Of their claims, approved the 10Th OF
Nav 1924 and an extending the provisions OF sad
act to S,i slama 10 aeas
a nsST De's MOTION, KING, CLAY and HENDER-
CON ia fnrtber consideration postponed ana 'Ie
sun, It's ia.'.e' -..o'a~-..o. Of Executive hus''
ness, and afterwards adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
The Journal having been read
Mr. LINCOLN asked The unanimous 1s eayS t Of the
House, in beL.f Of hts coiieas"e, Hii' ;,ooo,
still oosined to his BY sickness, 10 submit CON
runication from the Hon Tho II. Perkins, Of Boston
and great number of the merchants OF boston and "a
lem Massachusetts,, interested in the China trade con-
tanning statement of intelligence recently received
from that country which has not before been made pub
cly known, with view to the reference OF the COM
munication 20 the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Leave being granted, Mr.. Lincoln presented the
communications and upon his motion, was referred
20 the Committee Foreign Affairs and ordered 10 be
printed. =,
The business first in order the resolution of Mr.
Hand for the reception Of which the rules were sus
pended Tuesday last, but acton on which had been
arrested by the enumeration oi the death OF member
Of the body and which is in the following words:
Resoieed, That the Secretary Of War be requested
communicate to this House what works he consider
necessary be constructed in order to place the North
ern and Northeastern frontiers in proper and perma
nent state Of defence.
DIR WISE requested MIR. Hand to accept as sub
stiiute therefor, or, if substitute modfca
ton, the fotiowing resolution offered 10y Mr. W. on
Monday last.
Resoired, That the Secretary Of War be, and he is
hereby requested lay before this House as soon as
practicable report Of full and connected system Of
national defence, embracing steam ara other vessels oil
war, and foating batteries" for coast and haIbor de-
fence and national foundres, and the internal means
auxiliary to these Tor transportation and other warlke
by and and that he be requested to furnish THIS
House with the reports submitted to his Department at
any time by Major. General Edmund P Gaines, other
person persons of professional experience, of their
'.pans Of defence, if any such have been submitted
with the of the Secretary of War thereon And
hat the Secretary furnish estimate of the expenses
his and other plans he may report, distinguishing
such parts Of plans ought to be Immediately adopted
and prosecuted with the probable cost and time their
prosecution and commencement
Mr. HAND replied to the request of Mr.. WISE in a
voice 80 low not to reach the ear of the Reporter
but he accepted the resolution of MIR. WISE as a mod
fcation, by way Of additional resolution to h's own
hnp ON
fed
Mr. WISE said that his resolution embraced an en-
tire system of national dctcnce-a system which, II
seemed to him, ought TO have been entered on long
ago. This Government, he would venture to say, IN
the face Of threatened war, was in the most defence
less condition Of any in the world. There was not
Power earth, civilized or barbarous, with tithe
of the ply steal force which this country could employ
that had not now in active operation more h'"i's ~
defence than We. In fact, our CONDITION was wo's.
than f we had never spent dollar on our system o'
Notifications There was scarcely fort on a. of
board that not in condition f. e " would not now
enemy, and to be used Adult it was from the time
being fort Tor 9ebratcd excitement on the three mil
go-iuPPtopriation down to this moment when stood
now in the presence of the British Lion himsef-he
would not now stop to inquire who to blame for
the helpless condition of our country, left, was to
the mercy of any foe that possessed maritime power.
He would not stop TO comment on the utter, reck.
less folly of talking of with Great Britain about
few pine logs in Maine, when our commerce. our
.tionni honor our lives, and every portion of our
frontier, exposed to British aggression and British
bayonets.
MIR. HAND made remark which the Reporter could
not hear but the purpor of which may be inferred from
Mr.. Wise's response, and then moved the previous
question.
Mr.. WISE. am no alatynist. have no idea that
there is to be war. But go for the necessity OF
Notifications upon the most liberal scale for peace es
adjustment
Mr. ADAMS appealed to Mr.. Hand to withdraw his
motion for i;s previous question.
Whether Mr.. i did so or not, the Reporter can i'm
part information beyond the inference to be drawn
from the statement which follows
Mr.. ADAMS said he wished TO say word on this
,ubject because he found that there among his
constituents and among that portion Of the people of