Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-15
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.

TwENTT-sEvENTH CoNGR
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
U. S. SENATE.
The Journal Of yesterdays proceedings have bee
read.
BANKRUPT LAW.
MIR WRIGHT presented two memorials from y
York city, sskips for repeal Of the Bankruy
Law. Asv. four memorials demonstrating again,
the repeal, and two asking for amendments Ais,
one from Utica, New York, in favor Of the rcpea
Memorii;s demonstrating against the repeal c
poStponement, were presented by Mr. TALL
MaDGE, Of y. V, the Senators from Indian,
(Messrs. SMITH and WHITLEY by Mr. SIM
MONDS, of Il. l., MIR PORTER, of Michigan
MIR HUNTINGTON and others, all of which wer
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Other memorials of interest were presented dur
ing the morning, aud among them, two Ivy Nj
WRIGHT, from the towns Of Lawrence and Lew
is,on. N. ", asking the interference of the Execu
tive Government 10 procure the release Of the Amc
rican prisoners from Van Dieman's Land.
OREGON TERRITORY.
MIR LINN moved that this resolution nstructin,
the President Of ,Nc United Ststes to put an end L
the treaty with the Government OF Great Britain
be made the SPECIAL Osder OF the day or this dal
week. The Senate eoncurred.
The spdoal order in relation 10 the Land bill wa
also further postponed.
THE CASE OF THE CREOLE.
MIR GALLUP No resolution, offered yesterday
having been called up and read rs follows:
R.solped, Tha, the President of The United State.
be uucsted To furnish TO the Senate copy of tn;
officers and cscw OF the brig Creoo her late pas
sage from Richmond to New Orleans, should any
such have bsen received, or any authenticated ac-
coun, which may have been received OF the murder
of a passenger on board, and the wound!ng of the
cap;ain ard mae by the slaves on board and OF the
occurrences which afterwards took place, particular
" after the vessel was taken into Nassau, New
Providence; and also, inform the Senate, II in his
opinion IL could ne dpns consistently with the Pub
lie interests. what step has been taken by the Ex-
ocutiyc IN reference TO the transaction, hav ne for us
object the punishment Of the guilty, the redress OF
tn wrong conc citizens, and the insult Offer.
ed 10 the American flag.
MIR PORTER moved 20 amend the resolution by
striking out "slsvcs'' and inserting persons.
Mr. CALHOUN said that lie should like to know
the reason ot the motion.
Mr. PORTER answered that it word I'm
known to the Constitution OF the u States and that
was the reason.
Mr. CALHOUN said he believed there could be
but one motive, and that TO deny the rights OF
the South in regard slaves. Ii thece WAS any
other motive. he should like to know it, II there
was more Than one individual IN the Senate who
I'd these views. lie should like TO know it. There
was such a thing as slaves known to the Cons,itu-
zion, and upon almost every page Of it they wee
r .cogniseA.
Mr. ARCHER called for the reading of the re-
solution; aud i. was read by the Secretary accord
insly.
Mr. BERRlEE said that the mover had presented
tho suGicc; without any explanation Of his object
lie was ~ loss to comprehend the motive. The
right OF the South 10 hold property in saves was
not question 10 be called into controversy here or
elsewhere.
He asked, then, wha, was the Object Of the mo.
tionl Was it TO deny the rights of the South 10
conttol slave property or do with it thought
proper. II it was he should he glad 10 have i,
known, that the South might BE- prepared to NEE {,
the question whenever !, was presented.
Mr. PORTER said the word "slavcs" was no,
used in the Constitution, aud hence the form and
purpose of his motion. Gentlemen, by looking OF
the acts of legislation OF the country, would find
that the wor slaves was no, used | disclum,
said Mr. Porter, and most solemny disclsim, the
motives imputed to me by distinguished Senators.
| had M such ohjec'sn view, and am utterly inca
pable Of understanding why such n motive should
he attributed to me has been by the Senator fram
South Carolina. My object was to place the sub
ject in the same light that the Constitution had
placed 1t, and to use 1he language Of the Constiu-
tan, which, in terms at least, did recognise slave
rY.
Mr. CALHOUN said he could not deem !, rcces.
snry 10 say many words upon this subject. Butt
was time 10 speak out and he regretted that our
ancestors Ind rot spoken out, and unveiled cif ar v
md boldly the ideas they meant 10 convey wher
they smoke Of slaves. In regard to the amend mem
proposed, he would rather his resolution should be-
rejected than strike from the term slaves. Theit
has been manifested in certain parts of New Yorb
Continued MIR Calhoun) a boodlhlrsty disposition
upon this subject. "A mcttin. had been held a;
Williamsburg, opposite 10 the city OF New York
where resolutions were adopted iusiyng the whole
affair IN relation to the Creole. A religious news
paper IN y. FORK had done the same thing, and re.
Gently he had seen with surnr!se an article of the
same character in the New York Journal of Com.
merce. He named il, that the South might he on
their guard against such paper. And now, in re
gard TO the resolution he wanted TO see what Sena-
tor would take ground in aiding Great Britain in
such construction of the Constitution as would be
given by emitting slaves and inserting persons -
For this purpose he would call tire yeas and nays;
which were ordered.
Mr. PRESTON hoped the amendment would lie
withdrawn. Ho regretted, too, with his colleague,
that the Constitution did not speak out and use the
term "slaven our ancestors meant II, inste,d OF
by circumlocution rs the idea was expfesscd.-
Slaves MIR p. cor tended) were not persons. in any
sense. They were 10 be treated ms property, and
not persons Mi p. trusted that the motion
would be Withdrawn, or, il not Withdrawn, dat
very Senator who intended TO stand by the South
would vote it down.
Mr. KING continued the debate. He regretted,
he said, that such motion should be made by any
Senator on this floor. lie was aslonishsd at the
motion, and that Senator could reconcile it ~ lis
sense OF duty To aiG The Government of c. Britain
in recognising tcrl the effect of which was to ROB
the Southern citizens oi rights secured 10 them uo
der the Consiiiu'i7o} foreign power was TO he
aided 10y this construction, they no. recognising tho
right We had Of holding property in slaves, and ~,
log the word "pcrsonS" as the Senator form NJ cli
gan proposed 10 do, to avoid il.
Mi PORTER said The word "persons" was the
word which he found 10 The Constitution of the L.
States. II now was discovered, all at once TO be
Bnouldcring fire-brand, and fsnatcism was imputed
U hln for doping term used by the Cons luton
tic used the word m "a constitutional tense, and "a.
IT had been u-ed IN the legislation Of Congress
He should vote for II, but IN no such sense as had
been imputed TO him by gentlemen upon the other
side.
Mr PRESTON hoped again tina, the amendinen,
rench the case ono, II incorporated in the resou.
ton, II would destroy the meaning Of the fcso'u-
ton. lie might say moro on this point, but heii. ..
cd he hid said enough especially now, when plr.
ton Of our f. low citizens, IN bootthf.ty di'p,.
sliion, had defended the act OF muny on bJIfd the
Creole. To what extent that hld been done Mr.
Preston made known 10y reading tie proceedings oil
the Williams burg meeting.
MIR PORTER said lie had not seen any Of those
proceedings, and OF course ,d made hrs motion in.
depsndently Of them. The Senator from south Ca.
rollnn, Mr. PWsiion, had said. too TIN, me tenn
persons" would nN be Applicable. Might not thc
murder have been committed by Others than slaves
and II w,s cctioiuiy most appropriate to the act
Mr. ltlNES SAID that Inc gave the Senator from
Michigan credit for sincerity In making the motion
nc hoc. But was no not lie would ask Csstdious
IN thi2 TtcslJvcs on b5,ti th, Creole ,,, %, - N.
81 passengers. ], WIS mere miter Of form v h
tho Senator While with us il was r. matter of s,,.,
stance. Would the Senator, then. throw mi. ,tg.,.
enco md the influence of this body on tho AIDE Of
FOREIGN Power who used the fcro, "a ,,.,,,- =.