The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-08-20
CONGRESS.

Il
sentsd the memorial of the New York and A'es"v
Railroad Company, praying for tho 'upofsas'o" OF
| railroad iron free Of duty.
Mr.. ARCHER from the Committee ON Naval AZ
fairs reported the joint resolution Of tbs House. en-
trusting the maps charts, philosophical 'nstru@~sss
and journals Of the Exploring Expston, 10 ths care
of Lieut. Wilkes, until otherwise ordered by Con-
| gress with recommendation that Il b. indefinitely
| postponed
The CHAIR inquired whether the Senator desircs
that the question should be taken At this time.
Mr.. ARCHER replied in the negative.
| Mr.. WOODBRIDGE, from the Committee on
Commerce to which had been referred the ball mak-
ing appropriations for repairing the scswa at 81, Au-
| gustine, Florida, made adverse report thereon !
and on his motion, laid the table and ordered
to be printed.
| Mr. CRlTTENDEN, from tho Committee the
Judiciary reported the bill to regulate the manner Of
taking testimony of contested elections and
for other purposes, without amendment with recon-
mendatlon that it do pass.
| Mr.. CONRAD submitted a resolution requesting
the Solicitor of the Treasury to examine the claims
of Municipality No. to the square Of ground on
which the custom house at New Orleans is situated
and to report the Senate, at the next session, all
facts connected with the said claim and his
opinion to the legality thereof He asked for the
consideration of the resolution with view to lis
| passage.
Mr. HUNTINGTON preferred tina. tho resolu-
ton should lie for the present. he was not now
prepared say whether the Solicitor Of the Treasury
was the proper person make the proposed invesga-
| ton.
| Mr.. LINN asked whether it would not be as well
embrace in the resolution another casethat of the
branch mint at New Orleans.
Mr.. CONRAD would have no objection to the re-
solution lying until tomorrow
Mr.. WOODBURY. moved that it be printed, il
would be very dangerous 10 act upon measure which
involved important principle without first giving
to it due examination.
Mr. CONRAD said that there would he no danger
in asking law officer of the Government to examine
into the matter and to give his opinion 1t was in
consequence Of the suggestion of the Senator from
Pennsylvania, (Mr. Buchanan,) who bad expressed
the opinion that there not sufficient time to
mine into the facts at the present session, that he had
called for the iDformation to be furnished at the next
And he would ask what danger could result from il
Mr.. WALKER did not object to the resolution;
but he not inclined to consider 1t now, would
occupy the lime proposed to be devoted to other bust
ness
Mr. LINN thought that the Senator from Louisa-
right In pressing this question. They knew
that the Peapatch had occasoned the expenditure of
more money and time than it was worth, and they
knew that the title was not yet settled.
Mr.. WOODBURY. said that he had not expressed
opinion against the adoption of the resolution, but
had merely spoken as to the propriety of having it
printed.
MIR. CONRAD believed that it was not customary
to print resolutions which called for information.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON observed that he had not in
tended to say word to the proprety of passing the
resolution not but he wished the resolution to lie
over that 1t might be modified SO to request some
other officer instead of the Solicitor Of the Treasury
TO furnish the information desired
The resolution ordered to be printed, and to
lie on the table until tomorrow.
The resolution, submitted yesterday by Mr.. Crit
endenauthorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to
carry into effect and complete the provisions of
tract for tract of land, which il erected light
house, at the southwest pass of the Mississippi river
and near Its mouhwas referred to the Committee on
Finance.
On motion of Mr. RIVES CATER being in open
session about thirty minute the Senate proceeded to
the consideration Of Executive business.
In the House, Mr.. WILLIAMS, of Connecticut,
from the Committee of Commerce, reported sundry
bills, which read twice and referred TO the Com
| mttee of the Whole.
Mr.. J. R. INGERSOLL moved that the Commit
tee of the Whole should be discharged from further
consideration of the Senate bill to define and estab
lish the fiscal year. No objection was made, The
| act was then read third time and passed.
Mr.. FILLMORE said that he wished to submit a
| resolution from the Committee Of Ways and Means.
| the regular order of business.
| Mr.. FILLMORE asked that the resolution might
| be read
Mr.. Bolts said he had no objection to its being
read but be did object to it's being entertained.
The resolution differing but very little from that sub
| mitted by MIR. McKennan. 1t is as follows:
Resousd, That it is expedent to pass another reve-
nue. bill, the that which recently passed both
| Houses OF Congress, and has been returned by the
President, with his objections, to this House, and on
re consideration lost for want of constitutional ma
ority, entitled can act to provide revenue from I'M
ports and to change and modify existing laws npos
ing duties on imports, and for other purposes, with
the exception of the 9th section of said bill, which
repeats the provisions to the Land Distribution act
and SO modified to make tea imported in American
vessels from beyond the Cape of Good Hope, aud cof
fee free of duty and that the Committee OF Ways
and Means be, and they hereby, instructed to
port such bill to this House with all convenient de-
spatch.
| Mr. WISE beng entitled to the floor continued
| his speech the report and resolution OF the select
committee He said lie had already touched on some
of the why he voted against its adoption In
the first place. he was like the gentleman from Ken
lucky opposed to any alteration of the Const tuition
| His second reason was a practical one. lie was op-
posed to contraction of the Veto power within mar
limits than those prescribed in the Constitution
If It's equivalence the wolhrds abolished, the
only safeguard OF the peculiar rights and institutions
| OF the South would be destroyed. A letter written
by member Of Congress and published in West
ern paper showed that there Is deliberate design TO
| break up these institutions.
| Mr.. GIDDlNGS asked to have the letter lead.
MIR. w lSE replied that he had not time to read 1t,
| but 1t should be printed with his speech. lie then
sad the heIesy of he abolition of avery was at the
bottom of the project abolish the Veto. Ii the four
members of the Committee, who were obliged to stand
by the institutions of the South had united with the
minority this report could not have been adopted by
the committee. He said, in the next place, lie was
opposed the adoption Of the report, because it
sumes for the House the power not of mpeaching
| but of judging and condemning the President
| 1t charges the President with design to abrogale
legislative authority and with usurping the power OF
|