New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-01-08

'' ,Txx,yprK DowSING, 10 be Surveyor General
of Public Lands South OF Tennessee, IN the place OF
BENJAMIN Ludlow.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
FROM THE REPORTER OF THE SEw-YoKK TRIBUNE.
MIR. cIay-Aboll,ion-Gen. Jackson's Fine.
WAsu;NGroN, Saturday. January.
The SENATE did not sit day.
In the HOUSE, Mr.. NEWTON Of Va. presented
further papers on the cases OF contested elections
in VIRGINIA which Mr. Speaker Jones, having
left the Chair were referred to the Committee Of
Elections.
Mr.. STEWART Of Pa. (Whigl made an unsuc-
cessru attempt to suspend the rule, to enable hm
to offer resolution instruct!ng the Committee OF
Ways and Means to remit the appropriations Tor
the support OF Government for the present year
10 the amount appropriated by the last Congress
for the wear ending 30th December, lol3. 1t
met, however, with but litte favor from the ma
iority Of the House.
The discussion on the report of rules Tor the
House lonlitting the 2lstl by Mr.. ADAMS, from
the Select Committee en- Rules, was continued
bv Mr.. DUNCAN during his hour. He referred to
a former communication of his, IN which he had
denounced Slavery III the abstract, aud, not less,
the measures of the Aboll:lon!stS, and SAD, by
the publication and comment upon the former,
lomlttng the latter, the erroneous impression
had gone forth that he was an Abo.ltl0n!st, winch
he wished now to correct He then proceeded to
give his views on the subject of Abolition pet-
lions and Slavery in general. He held that Con-
gress had the power TO abolish Slavery IN the
District Of Columbia, WHEN It was clearly dc.
manded by majority of The inhabitants OF tins
District, and then only. Upon the policy of KS
abolition here and in the States, he agreed with
Mr.Davis of Y. that large majority OF The peo-
ole of the Free States against Ii, and argued
from the incrioriv of the African race at present
and for centuries past their present condition was
better than if they were to be manumlttcd. lie
referred to the political history of Abolition, de-
nouncing the whole abolition movement as . a
miserable contemplate hobby, too frequently IN
,roduced fox the purpose OF making political cap
ital" ridiculing the idea Of the probability CT a
dissolution of the Union resulting out OF this
question: &c. &c.
He was opposed to the 2lst rule and advocated
the reception reference and report upon these pc
titions, in the same manner as others, as the
mode best calculated to avoid confusion and
consumption Of time
He referred to the statement he had seen IN
some OF the papers that his colleague, MIR. Gid
dimes. had read letter Of Mr. Clay before an alb
clifton meeting in Ohio, stating that he air.
Clay agreed with Mr. e. on that subject
Mr. GlDDINGs explained that he had read to a
meeting of Oberlin students a letter,-not from
Henry CLAY, but from CAssIUs NJ. CLAY, OF Ky.
a man of equal wealth. of equal influence, and OF
equal purity Of character to any IN the State
| He had said to the meeting that he had no autho-
rity 70 speak for Henry Clay upon the subject
but he had no doubt from his known character
and lofty patriotism he would sustain the constl-
tutional rights of the North as firmly as he would
those Of the South. lie had publicly explained
this matter in letter which had been published
in the Richmond Inquirer and he had only to say
that the statement to which Mr.. D. had alluded,
published as it must have been by some of the
papers with view wilfully to misrepresent, was
en- unmitigated fasehood.
Mr. A. v BRowN took the floor, and after
speaking a few minutes, the morning hour hay
ing expired, the subject was laid over
The bill to refund Gen. Jackson's fine was
again taken up in Committee of the Whole on the
Union, Mr.. DAVIS of Ia, in the chair and was
discussed in the well-known and beaten paths OF
arguments uponthi subject during the remainder
of the day by Messrs. WELLER and DOUGLASS Of
| ILL.,, McCLERNAND Of H., and DIcKERsoN of Tenn
in support, and by MIR. ScHENcK of Ohio, In op
position.
A resolution was adopted granting the use o
the Representative Hall for an adjourned meeting
of the friends Of agriculture and manufacture
on Wednesday evening next, and the House adj
journed ARGUS.