Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-26
Friday Juiy %.
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ampton county, fennsylVania, ASKING congress Poe'
a Protective Tariff bill.
The bill providing for the settlement Of claims for
property destroyed by Of the military occupation
of Florida was passed by vote OF 20 TO 10.
The Senate took up The bill to amend the laws re-
a:ing to the Peuitenary in the District OF Columbia
so as to IT qure the appointment by the warden, Of
subordinate officers Of that institutions 10 be confirmed
by the board of inspectors.
The bill also TO reduce and equaze the rates oil post
are limit the and correct the abuse oil The frank
ing privilege and for other purposes having been read
Mr. BUCHANAN inquired of the Senator from Ma
ryland what amount Of the Of the Department
would be reduced by the first section Of this bill
Mr. MERRlCK replied that lie was unable to say.
The section proposed to change the rates OF POSTAGE
to correspond with the coin of the u s. For instance,
letters now charged with SIX and quarter cents post
age would pay five cents; those now charged twelve
and half would pay ten cents; and those charged
eighteen and three-iourlls, twenty cents. Although
tins arrangement might reduce the receipts OF The e
partment, there other parts of the bull winch
would AUGMENT them Of the bill should pass substan.
tally as repored) and afford means to increase mail
facilities as they should be required by the rapid growth
Of the country. 80
MIR. CALHOUN was of the opinion that something
should be DONE and that the bill might be passed IN
single day. And for the purpose OF aiiordng gen'le
men an opportunity of looking further into the subject
he moved that the Senate do adjourn, but he with
drew his motion 10 enable
MIR. LINN 10 say he thought that, if the Senator
from MARYLAND had introduced one or two parts OF The
bill only, for the purpose ct correcting some pressing
evils they might come TO some satisfactory conclusion
But it was utterly impossible to get the whole bIii
through this session. They had cniaed on the conn'
try The curses of hasy legislation, and he hoped mat
this measure, delicate II was, would not now De
taken up.
Mr.. CALHOUN renewed his motion to adjourn, and
said they could proceed TO consider the bill to morrow
Mr. LINN remarked that they might thereby lose
the calendar :. =.
MIR. MERRICK said that the Senate could, if it
thought proper strike out cerlan parts OIL 'he DILL ao
mass the remainder.
And the Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr. Bolts asked leave TO present petition praying
that the President should be required to resign, and u
he did comply with The request, that he should be
NAVY APPROPRIATION ELL.
Mr.. CAVE JOHNSON moved TO go into Committee
Of the Whole.
After some conversational discussion, and variety
of motions the motion 10 20 into committee prevailed
MIR. CARUTHERS, of Tennessee, who was entitled
to the floor invegbed against the extravagant propo'
sons Of the Navy. He condemned the large increase
in the number Of officers ofevery grade, which involved
the country the useless expense of paying an army
of officers for doing nothing. He accused the Secretary
of favori,ism in making many appointments from
Virginia and Maryland. The increase in The number
of officers he maintained TO be Illegal and insisted that
the appropriations should be withheld if that were the
only method to con troll the acts OF tie Executive
Mr.. KING, of Georgia, said that the new fashion OF
nverhing against the officers Of the Navy and wrang-
ling about appointments unworthy OF statesmen
egslang for The great interests OF the nation, and on
the nomenlos question Of providing for war in time oil
peace Similar debates took place just previous TO The
last war.
AT The last session the gentleman from Massachu.
sets had declared tina, half enough had been asked:
but since that q change had come over him, and he
pronounced the Navy humbrg. And yet that gen.
erlan had given his opinion of the probability of war
in more than one qnarer-n some or all OF which the
u. S. would be involved. To prepare for the emer-
pency is part of wisdom. part OF that preparation
consists in obtaining officers supcrnumerary in peace,
but whose services would inevitably be required in time
of war If defects exist in the Navy let them he cor
ected-but let not blow be struck at this great arm
OF national defence
The hour OF II having arrived, the Committee pro-
ceeded to vote on concurring with the various amend
menis made BY the Senate.
On the first which strikes out So 35, G00 and in
ser So 800 eco, the vote taken by ellers, and the
House refused with the Senate, by vote OF
&C 10 50.
The next amendment on which vote was 10 be taken,
was the proyiso inserted BY the Senate in lieu of that
made by the House The House provso requires, that
no part Of this, any existing appropriation, shall be
applied 10 the payment OF officers appointed alter THIS
date beyond the number in each grade the first day
Of January, 1871, &c The proviso inserted by the
Senate reads MS follows
prorSa Tina, Ill, ordered by Congress the officers
of The Navy shall increased beyond the number in tie
pece grades that exist al II" end Of The present session OF
Congress nor Of itrmen beyond tie number in service
And an vacancies dsh, wien flied, shall be supplied
2u, states Territories, and The District Of Coumba which, at
,me shall not have their due proportion Of hay
ua regard Federal numbers in the service provided suitable
app calons are made for the same
After various attempts to insert partial amendments,
the vote was taken concurring with the provso of
the Senate and the concurrence was negatived.
To the clause appropriuting $4,000 for The dry.
dock at Brooklyn-the Senate added 10 the provlso,
that nothing Of this or former appropriations shall be
applied for constructing dry-dock at Brooklyn, the
following words st1cept in payment for materials pre-
piousiu contracted for and get to be deiirered This
amendment was concurred IN.
The proviso from the Senate, authorz ng the Secre.
ary apply 100000 10 the construction OF tioal'ng,
dock, Sc was coucurred in, with an amendment, 'if
in his opinion the floating dock would supersede the
necessity cf dry dock ~
The Senate amendment substituting Sloo'Vco Tor
$50, 900 in the appropriation for Pensacola was lost
The Senate amendment appropra!ing $1,000 for the
charter of The steamboats, Splendid and Carion ST.