The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-15
p % Z 5 T. kIP L.
Washington.
Correspondence Of the Herald
Proceedings I'm the Se~nate-Passage OK the
Loan BNl-The Steam Frlgntes.

W NN0 1AANS Ot0H 1880 - |
lions imnosed by Great Britain on the trade oil lhe
United states with the West Indies and other bfns1
North American colonies. The resolutions assert
that those restrictions operate most inJurlousty ohths
c,mmsrcs Of the limited States, and call upon Cen
oress 70 nro.ect our rights by imposing counterval
;n1 dp,iss where there is not a perfect reciprocity In
trade.
Nv. y, ,eUM, introduced the following bills, which
vv,re read and referred TO the Committee on Naval
Affairs, wiz
bill to authorize the Secretary Of the Navy to regu.
late with reference to climate and service, the rations OF
the Navy, and
A bill to regulate e~nlistments in the naval service.
A bill to provide for the occupation and settlement
OF the Oregon Territory was taken up, and Mr.. Sc
yier spoke upon it until the hour arrived for going
on with the special order. He entered into a histc-
fical Of the discovery of this section OF the
American continent, with a view to show the un-
doubted title of the United States to the same. He
pointed ont the pretensions of title being set up by
Great Britain to it, which he maintained she had
been encouraged in doing by the mild course of the
United States, and their inattenuon 10 the impor-
lance OF exercising jurisdiction over this interesting
country, and by an acquiescence Ia the encroach.
m ,nts Of the Hudson Bay Company. This is a sub
j ct OF great and growing interest 10 tEis country, and
No man understands it better than Mr.. Sewer
in the valley Of the Mississippi a strong desire
prevails for the military occupation of this territory,
and the time is not far distant when the general
Covemmen, will be constrained to move decisively
in this matter.
The loan bill was passed by a vote of 26 to Is, at a
late hour, after a very animated discussion.
The two steam frigates came up the river this
morning and anchored about five miles below the
city. 1t is expected tn t they will 90 up to the yard
tomorrow. The performance Of these vessels in
smooth water, is perfectly satisfactory, but it seems
TO be doubted whether either will fulfil he expecta.
tions that have been so studiously held out to the
public as sea steamers. 1t is feared that there ia some
great mistake in their construction which cannot
easily be obviated. Tie magnitude and comp lica.
ton of the machinery is Objectionable, and neither
has The capacity sufficient to carry the stores, fuel,
&c, necessary to render them fit for foreign service.
That they are fine specimens of naval architecture,
and their works s~plendidly constructed, is not to be |
questioned, and when properly fitted for the purpose,
will always perform admirably in smooth water.
They come round here for exhibition under cir.
cumstances calculated to make the most favorable
impression on the public mind, regardless of what
their character and performance may be when fully
equipped and made to encounter the vicissi,udes of
sea'service.
The calculation was that the Mississippi would |
draw Is feet 4 inches water, fully equipped and
stored. She now, with less than a months provi-
sions, draws nearly IL feet. With stores, provisions
and fuel adequate to a foreign voyage, she could
hardly draw less than 20 feet. In this condition she |
could not safely use her power at sea, her action and
character being entirely deficient. The response.
bilty, no doubt, rests upon the Navy Commissions rs,
who have nearly ruined every thing they have un-
dereken for the last twenty years. The expert.
ments that have been made with the vessels, how |
ever satisfactory, furnish no proof of what their qua |
lues may be under other circumstances. On the
contrary, it can hardly be doubted that they are
united for foreign service. They may DO well for
harbor defence. Take out the spars and diminish
their size about one-third, and with a months stores, |
and fuel for two weeks, they will do well enough to
dodge from place to place along shore, but when
we undertake to construct sea steamers, the Secre-
tary of the Navy must say to the Commissioners,
"hands off"
House OF Representatives Appropriation
BIl-.The Diplomatic Corps u Ission to
MexIco-The War Fever rising.
As soon as a quorum could be got together, this morn. |
ing, which was only accomplished on the ayes and noes |
being taken for a call Of the house, the committee OF
the whole resumed its consideration Of the Civil and Di- |
plonatic Appropriation Bill. The branch of the bill to
winch II COInuItttc y y dITlNtu y tuat ulsuu- l
gutshed by the title of " intercourse with Foreign Ma
tons" The first section appropriates $72 900 for the sa.
laries ofthe Ministers to Great Britain, France, Russia, |
Prussia, Austria, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil, which Mr..
LINN NOV ed to reduce, by striking out the appropriation |
for a Minister to Mexico, AMI thus a long debate origi. |
mated, which occupied the committee until a late hour
Some of the reasons urged by Mr. LINN were, first, that
Mexico was not ofsuficient commercial importance TO
warrant the continuance Of a Minister, but more espe. |
r,an 81 ~ Ia N 80, ~ 80 80 o,r .,:.. -..--t i
ed the annexation Of Te xas to the United States, and
nigh, thereby inv olive US in a war with Great Britain.
!. To all this Mr.. PIcxsN, replied that a minister was |
more important at Mexico at the present than at any an. |
tecedsns period. Political position and relations, and
not commercial intercourse, were the basis of such mis-. |
sions, and what we're our political relations at the pre-. |
sent moment 2 England, in her struggle for empire, was |
looking wistfully to California she had designs on |
Cuba-she had purposes to gain b. her interference |
with Mexico and was it not important then, that this |
country should have q minister at Mexico to guard her |
interestsl England, too, viewed the young Republic of
Texas with no friendly eye, and she sough,. to msnopo. |
lie the navigation of our seas. Greece struggling for |
freedom, had had their sympathies, but here was flesh Of
their flesh, and bone of their bone, brethren of their
own household; and should they then see those
people borne down either by European tyranny or
Mexican despotism, and not aid that g,llsnt people TO
maintain their independence. 1t was rumored tina.
Grea. Britain, our rival on the ocean, was ai!isg Mexico
BY supplies for this unholy, this unhaliowed war, and
should they under such circumstances refuse their
countenance to the people OF Texas, and forget every
principle OF honor which binds man 10 his fellow man 2 |
but further, our Secretary Of State had given ins,ruc.
uohst 70 our Minister to Mexico 10 demand the release Iof
the American prisoneisheld there in degrading bondage |
Uand was THIS then a time to strike do Sn that missio57
lie expressed his scorn and contempt for the propo- |
sition which had been made. f
Mr. htrsSLp. followed Mr.. Pickens, as a farce fol.
IoNsarsseoy, 70 relieve the overchargei feelings which
graver nstters nave engendered. He PLAY ed the Mitchell
sishe Gongre:,ionsl drama and e~urlesqued debate as the
but with less than Mitchells humor I'm, liz Lax,
laughed, and he had his guerdon. ""
M, FILLMORE intIeated the House to discoun,ensnce
were pressing, and would remain so until tins Mi ny
passed and as the subject now under discussion had
been referred 10 the committee on foreign relations sas
might be legItimately discussed when that commi,.as