The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-19
Cwentp=Sfoenth Congress.
FIRST SESSION.
IN SENATE,

Importance u this Territory He said the subject had
acquired additional degree Of importance from the
facl 1hat Columbia river the only port BY which
the Territory could be safely approached the coasib
ing iron bound and peIIlous all dir, ctons save that
which was the great gate through which the way was
open TO the Pacific, IL a place here vessels
could be reftted, and in time Of peace would be inya
liable To our shipping interest While ia time of il
would be Indispensable. Our country hooked Ia the
accomplishment OF great Navy best means of
defence, and yet instead Of occupying that position,
which ~ right belonged to We had allowed the on
" Power ~ take II that could use IL 10 dsadsan-
iage la case Of war instead Of having this n har
bor for our ships, they would have To gauntlet
o 90 900 miles before they could reach their home
The British discerning lis ads antages bad taken pos
session, aud held on A.
He then glanced al the right which the clai 10
was founded fret il had been Uncovered by the cap
tam Of an American vessel ia l79O who had taken pos
session in the II his country and hsd gwen the
river an American name, Again Ia eO4 and 1905 Il
had been explored under the administration OF Jefer-
son by Lewis & Clarke
he morning hour having expired, MIR. BENTON
concluded he remarks and II being lntlmated that
other Senators might perhaps wish 10 speak on the
subject, II was laid
DISTRIBUTION AND PRE-EMPTIoN BILL.
This bill being now in order, Mr. BENTON sug-
gested, an hour only would intervene between then
and the time agreed for taking up the Veto Mes
sage Of the President the Bank bill that the inter
mediate period had better be occupied 10 small matters
connected with the business Of the Senate. A nd be
moved 10 lay the bill on the table for the present
On this motion the yeas and nays were dena nded
and the vote stood as follows
YEAS Messrs Allen, Archer, Benton Buchan-
an, Calhoun, Clay, Of Alabama, Cuthben Fulton,
King, Linn, McRoberts, Mpuion, NichoIron, Pierce,
Rises, SEWER, Sturgeon, Tappan, Walker, Williams,
Woodbury., Wright, Young-23
NAYS essrs Barrow Bates BayarJ, BeIren
Choate, Clay, OF Kentucky, Clayton Dixon, Evans,
Graham, Huntington Kerr, Mangum, Menrck, Mil
Ter Morehead PHELPS Porter Preston, Simmons
Smith, Of Indiana, Southland Whi,e-23.
So the motion was lost
The Senate then proceeded 10 the consideration Of
the general order Of the day. being the distribution
and pre-emp,ion bill the motion pending being the
amendment Of Mr. Clay, OF Alsbsma that there
should be in the Treasury at the true Of such dsr-
button, surplus equal to the amount of said nett
proceeds, after meeting and satisfying all demands
against the United States for current expenses and
appropriations and the necessary provision for the
payment Of any portion Of the public debt which may
fall due
Mr.. CALHOUN said it was a simple naked ques
ton whether money should be raised for the papose
OF distribution and where in the Con stitulon, did
they find the power to do So He did not how
such measure the distribution bill could
ter into the mind Of man
Mr.. MERRlCK did not consider il a question OF
raising money TO distribute, but whether they gave
the money 10 whom ii Of right belonged.
Mr.. CLAY, of Alabama, said if the surplus war,
above oil the current demands, equal to the nett pro
ceeds, then It might be distributed but the bill now
stood, the whole amount Of the sales Of the public
lands could be distributed if there not dollar in
the Treasury. Now he asked if there was any man,
friendly TO the compromise act, that could for mo-
ment object to the proposition which he had submit
ed And he hoped there would be majority found
in its favor
! The question then taken on the adoption Of
the amendment, and decided in the negative, fol
lows:
YEAS-Messrs Allen, Archer, Benton, Calhoun,
Clay, Of Ala, Cuthbert Fulton, King Linn, Nc
Roberts, Mouon, Nicholson, Pierce Ryes, Sewer
Sturgeon, Tappan, Walker, Williams, Woodbury.,
Wright, Young-22.
NAYS-Messrs. Barrow, Bates, Bayard, Berrien,
Buchanan, Choate, Clay of KY CLAYTON Dixon
Evans Graham, Huntington, Mangum NIerrick, Mil
Ter, Morehead, Phelps, Porter, Prentiss, Preston
Simmons, Smith Of Ind Southland, White Wood
bridge-25
Mr.. BENTON said be desired to know how it
was that the District OF Columbia was inserted 10 the
bill and the Territories were not Did Congress no,
make the roads, bridges and build houses and
Jalls for this Dstrict4 He wanted some reason Tor
the hing The only reason he could was that
the District was here the spot while the Territories
were five hundred thousand miles distant He
should, therefore, move amendment giving to the
Territories Of Florida, Iowa, and Wisconsin ten per
cent on the nett proceeds IN order that they might
have preliminary slice for themselves and on this
motion he demanded the yeas and nays
,o,in., ~ '.,a.5, ,Ja, II, - ' - - y
n,,or f,orn M;ssonr; ~ 49, 49, ~ ~, 'ns ~
,'i'i' ~ Boou
why the District of Columbia should be included and
not the Territories. lie thought il unjust The bill
bi,a,, !; ; - - -. !, ~, 80. -. IA" no
~ M ~, y' ~, 'na' AZ o'ei'' W DC Piacea on me
NJ W a Rwp : "ao w - ,ne oehae 70 40 80,
Senator from Indiana. He could give very good
ILL ~ ~ r. .: oo'ui,p'a ~, n'Rh' Ne ino'u-
cono s,,,es Az ~ m're hp'. ny c"o,n oe
s;,,,r !, ,.a 49, 49, '"u'u anu nsre
yes WIKI, hs D,s,rc, ,yas - ~ w ei,'a'