The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-24

tlon among winch would be one to show that the
Senate, by closing its doors annulled its power under
the Constitution, OF advising with the President of the
United States
THE STEAMBOAT CAROLINE.
The following resolution, submitted by MI. ALLEN
on Monday, was taken up for consideration, viz
| Hesoired, That the President of the United States
be requested inform the Senate, it, his opinion,
it may be done without delrment to the public interest
what proceedings, if any, have taken place between
this and the British Government relative to the mat
ter of the Caroline and the arrest and demand Of Me-
Leod since the date of his last communication on tins
subject, and TO lay before the Senate copy OF the
correspondence which may, subsequently, TO that date,
have passed between these Governments relative TO
! the matters.
! Mr.. RlVES doubted the propriety of adopting tins
resolution The President, in his annual message,
adyered TO this subject and said that the correspon-
dence between the two Governments would, at a li-
ture day of the session. be submitted to the consldera
ton of Congress Besides an agent had been sent TO
this country from Great Britain with view to bring
about friendly termination Of the difficulties now
existing and he thought under this state of things,
that II was due to the Executive department, which
charged with this subject not to press the resolu-
tion and he suggested TO the Senator FROM Ohio,
whether, under our particular relations with Great
Britain, was proper to perseyere IN this call at the
present time, lie would open the door at all times
for any proper information, but he did not think that
this could be done without detriment TO the pub
lie interest and therefore, he felt it to be his duty to
move that the resolution be laid upon the table. lie,
| however, Withdrew his motion for few moments,
at the request of
Mr. ALLEN, who said hat the resolution made
the response OF the President conditional VIZ il IT
should not, in his opinion be to the prejudice OF the
public interest; and that it seemed to him. was ul-
/ iclent answer to the Senator from Virginia. Ger
ainly there could be nothing improper that inquiry,
the country had already had the facts comnunica-
ted on the subject in relation to which the negotiation
was gong One of these facts was the INVASION
of territory by the British, the burning Of the
Caroline, and the murder of an American citizen
and, Notwithstanding the crime unatoned for, and
no apology had been made for the act they had actu-
ally seen proposition made to give up Mcleod TO
the British Governments and this whole matter,
from beginning to end, had been treated with lndlfe
renee by this Government, which, in his opinion the
people of this country We're not disposed to tolerate
much longer
Mr. LINN suggested to his friend from Ohio TO ar-
pend to the resolution inquiry into the facts grow
! ing out of the BrockviIle affair. An American
sci it appeared, left Oswego for Ogdensblrg, with
piece of artillery on board for company
that place. but she was boarded by British soldiers,
who torclby seized the cannon This became a sub
ject ofcontroversy between the two Governments, and
correspondence was carried on, which, if made puG-
lie, would be found TO be the most extraordinary cor
| respondence that ever took place. Colonel Worth.
OF the army, went over and made demand fol the
cannon, but his conduct .eprobated by the Cana
dian Government; and the correspondence would
A show that he told that if the Americans would not
preserve neutrality, the British sol!iers would Come
4 with n our territory to do It fort
/ Mr.. ALLEN SAID that the mixing upof the two
n subjects would produce uslon. iIewas, however,
quite that the matter suggested by the Senator
from Missouri should be i'd before the Senate and lie
would vote Tor ution caculacdto effect that
suit; but tie desired that the vote the Senate should
be taken on his resolution as it now stood.
Mr. RlVES remarke that the Senaor from Ohio
did MT want the facts, because the country al
ready in possession Of them, but he wanted to know
the manner in which the negotiation was conduce ed
and thereby 1t implied that lie Senate of the Uni
ted States shoud take out Of the hands of the Execu-
tive the conduct of our foreign negotiations tie had
been inatlentivc TO the condition under which the
call in the resolution was made; but there were rea-
sons enough, known to the whole country why the
inquiry should not be pressed at this time. There
question Of delicate kind now under negotiation
and they were al the Crisis OF 1t yet the Senator
from Ohio came TO ward and asked for Information
with regard to facts but 10 know in what
the negotiation was conducted, or in other words
TO take the whole negotiation from the Executive ana
vest II in the Senate, the functions OF which in such
matters, did not commence until after the action OF the
Executive He would tell the Sena or that the Ad-
ministation had taken the proper steps, and had also
spoken of the affair of the Caroline tn strongest
terms Of condemnation The Senator talked of su-
pineness and the wanto spirit; but did he not know
that the preceding Administration slept upon the sub
Ject for our years Where the Senator then
doors of the State Department The county cannot
have forgotten the date If this transaction it was
in the noath OF December, 1887 More than four
years had elapsed, during the greater part of which
time the Administration was in the hands OF the party
to which the Senator attached; and h3 hoped
that the Senator would concur with hin the pro-
priey of laying The resolution upon the table.
MIR. ALLEN said that he had spoken Of the tardi-
ness of the Government; and he could give the SEN
ator from Virginia answer to the question as to
his (Nr. Allen's) under the pre-e Xsting adj
minstration Under their administration the British
Government never took upon themselves the respon-
sbility of the act but the overthrow of the Demo-
cratic party and on the announcement OF that fact
the British Government changed their tone, and took
upoB themselves the responsibility OF the invasion and
!, the murder The whole matter then assumed ma
tona aspect which it had not worn prior TO that
time,
the resolution the table and the yeas and nays ha-
wing been ordered
Mr. CALHOUN said that it appeared to be the
impression of those who represented the Executive
upon the subject, that the resolution was calculated to
embarrass the pending negotiation, he should feel
himself compelled TO against 1t, at all events
TO vote that il be laid upon tn, table
The question was then taken, and decided in the
affirmatve-yeas a. nays l3 follows:j
YEAS-Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Bates, Berrien
Calhoun, Choate, Clay, Clayton, Evans, Henderson
King, Mangum, MerrIck, Morehead, Porter, Prem
tiss, Preston, Rives Simmons, Smith, OF Indiana,
Southland, Sprague, ralImadge, Woodbidge-2l
Il NAfS-Messrs A len, Benton, Fulton, Lion,
McRobcrts, Pierce, SEWER, Smith, of Connecticut,
Sturgeon, rappln, Woodbury., Wright Young IT,.
So the resolution was passed.
..t THE BANKRUPT LAW.
The amendments heretofore submitted by Mr.. Ben
TON, tot the Bankrupt law made the order OF the
day for Friday next.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.
i Mr. WOODBURY. addressed the Senate in oppo-
! silion To he resolution of Mr. CLAY, to amend the
Constitution to restrict the exercise Of the Veto
power by the President