Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-23
:, ~ rS:TI rIcUTu c1oNGREss--Firsts Session.
Monday, fsb. 10, l5ll
SENATE.

'ensacoia a.' ,ssen,cd memorial from J. +.
f,,;ho.na ,be commissioner appointed to settle the
claims Of the Choctaws, under .he ue".y u M
Rabbit Creek The memorial sta.es ''iut me i"a'a"s
have been shameiuy deifauoeu " e. ,h
Mr.. WRIGHT presented resolution from '"e
f,tho, Is Commerce a, New York, giving reasons
hv ra,l,c,d IRON ouph, be admitted Tree OF duty
S.ver memorials asking reduction oil postage, were
presented and referred n
NJ ARCHER. from the Committee on Foreign lee
- ~ =, h;.t y,s referred the memorial of Robert
Caenbou uD,n the subject reported bil Tor the puf-
chase nc certain copies Of the History OF Oregon, Cal
nd o,hn, territories on the Northwest coast OF
North America: which was read, ana Tue q-es'''" We
~. shall !, he ordered 10 asecond reading:
II. prNTON denounced the bill (Which approprI-
ATS "a ooo far the purchase OF ,5G0 copes OF THIS
work ~ another attempt. 10 enter INTO he DOCK printing
business. which he had hoped an eisctua stop had been
put TO- ~, ~
.o nv 80, moun,;nr to $4,000 but distribute the
hooks /, members Of Congress. From what he had
seen on such subjects he thought II was time TO stop
If this bill was passed. IT would not STOP mere io ya
after vear they would have propositions OF lie sunni
kind proposing 10 distribute 10 memoers ci So's'
who wopId come after them, Qhat they might De on
l. roo,no with other members of Congress- copies oil
Tho work until hundreds of thousands oil COLLARS
would be drawn from the Treasury inns prac'ce
of nrintinu books for distribution among members
of Conoress he denounced OF the most nlqu'-
tons
C,o,r,esa or the country. He then alluded to the
,roc,,ce which had grown up under former distfou-
lions os books A MIR. Tcmpleman, se,ier OF I'm
! IRE ssional books and documents, he san, nau zee"
IN the habit OF purchasing from members OF congress
FIR the gum of $40 their chances for copy OF WORK
which will cost Congress, when completed, s'me
gour hundred thousand dollars There were mem
bers of the Senate (Messrs King and Cahoun) 80 Ut
ery ayerse to the practice of d'stroulion' 'at ny
would moi touch copy OF the WORK 10 De osl'uu
,l,r q
or ,bose hooks and he should continue to refuse lie
boned the thing would stop The gentleman VINO pre-
Dared this work did IT when ne was ipfa!iah VI one u
the Departments under the Government; ana AZ Tue ie
no was receiving salary OF 81 Uo per anhum rom ,is
Govarnment lie compiled II from our own BOOKS
ia ner !, was M, usual 10 say anything on bills al
no stare IN which the bill then was but the ehor'y
of thu practice Of printing books Tor ds'f'on''oh
so great that he could not refrain from expressing MS
adherence Of il and he gave notice To the oeha,o
who reported the BILL that he would hight u, 1904 D!
foot TO the last stage of acton upon A. hr .. con-
,pued 10 denounce the pracice when the oH pro-
nosed TO revive So mnc had he been opposed 10 H.,
that he refused 10 receive a copy oil Inc Madison pa
pers authorized TO be distributed to members oil Con-
,ress as much as he stood need OF that work. lie
Purchased copy for himself He reiterated his defer
mination 10 oppose the bill, inch by inch.
Mr. ARCHER said that the honorable Senator rom
Missouri (Mr Benton) had no need 10 give nm or liie
Senate notice Of the mode in which he INTENDED 10
conduct any opposition TO measures coming before 'ha'
bodv II was the mode in which he (alr. Benton,)
sou1b This measure and IN which he fought all mea-
surcs which were agreeable TO his political psed-
lec,ons lie (Mr A. hoped the Senate would draw
Inc inference from this that The Senator (Nlr Benlon)
was not he regarded cs an impartial arhiier on me
merits Of the book, proposition tor the publication OF
which was now submitted 20 the consideration OF the
Senate He osreed that the practice Of purchasing
books for the use Of Congress had been abused As
general rule, it the safest plan TO avoid making
these purchases But were there not cases OF exceP
ton II this rule ; The Committee on Foreign Rela-
ions had houoht the present an exception because II
was expected that within few days negotiation be-
tween this government and Great Britain, n relation
10 the territory Of which this book gave description
would be commenced 'fhe Senator from Missouri
(Mr Benton) was known to be intimate sun 'he s'o
~ and topography Of that territory; but how many
members Of either House of Congress were 50
well informed upon the subject IL might tie
necessary go back hundreds oil years to invesu
gate the Spanish title and the claims Of Great britain
Were members prepared for this: Had they time, or
were they in position which would enable them 10
make researches themselves, which were here presented
10 them in clear and distinct FORM The book was OF
essential importance 10 Congress and 10 The country
though not to the honorable Senators on the other side
Of the House, who had pre- judged the matter, and de-
cared against any further negotiation between the two
Governments when it was our Government that invited
the negotiation This mode of attacking bill was IN
usual and he hoped the Senate would refuse TO concur
with the honorable Senator (Mr Benton) in arrest'ng
the bill in its present state. When il for its third
rendno he though, lie would be able sustain the pro-
positions which he had thrown out; till that time, he
should refrain from any further discussion on The sub
ec,; but he woad then take occasion to reply 10 The re-
marks of the Senator MIR. Benton
Mr.. BENTON replied; and IN dong which, stated
that the work # il was valuable one, could be pur
chased by the Library Committee, and placed in the II
bary for the use Of the members, not only of the pre-
sent Congress- but all those who might follow them
There annual Appropriation OF S3ooo under 'he
charge of that committee, for the purchase OF books
which they deemed useful lie inquired OF Nh TaPpan
how much Of that fund on hand.
Mr. TAPPAN replied, some four or five thousand
dollars.
Nj. CHOATE remarked ,ha, there outstanding
contracts which would absorb nearly IT not qule, 'hat
Mr.. BENTON remarked, that if the balance on
hand was not four five thousand dollars, as repre-
seated by the Chairman Of the Library Committee the
annual appropriation Of $4,000 would be soon made
ond such portion Of that amount, az was required,
could be used by that committee, in purchasing tins
work TO be plced in the library if they deemed pro-
nor If purchased by that committee, they would be
placed in the library where they would remain a, al
tines for the use Of members OF Congress- and others
,,ho NAV desire to read them MIR. b. continued, al
some length to point out the evils OF the oook-dlsrl-
buting system
MIR BUCHANAN said, he happened to be mem
10, ne th;s unfortunate Committee on Foreign Rell.
.he hill or he had not seen The bill before IL was re-
norted.) giving 10 each member of Congress one OF
those books he most heartily concurred IN the pIopo-
si,on 10 purchase certain number OF copies oil TINS
york He was as strong advocate for our title 10
the Oregon Territory ard should resist The aehatoh
Of fool of that Territory to any foreign power on
earth with as much energy and determination Us ms
friend from Missouri, (Air. Benon)
mir. Benton from his seat That's right, that
tcht) But in order TO present our CLAIM properly
nefore Congress and the country, it was necessary to
have compilation, such that contained IN this book
Of Mr. Greenhow. II was necessary to nave II Tor 'he
security Of our title that country, and TO relieve us
from the difficulties in which we had been involved by
our diplomacy and by speeches on this floor II 'hs
Government claimed ty coniigu,y OF Territory, we
were confined 10 the 10th parallel OF atituee--h !!
claimed undc the Treaty Of Utrecht, we were confined
TO the l9,i parallel of landeit 1t claimed unde: the
discovery 81 The mouth of the Columbia river, we were
confined To the valley Of the Columbia. The only
mode by wl.ich this Government cond make It's title
good 10 the whole Territory OF Oregon, up to "a de-
G1ees, 40 minutes Of North latitude, vas TO claim
under the old and good Spanish title lie believed he
had read every speech which had been made on that
subject lie had examined every document he could
find and lie undertook TO Say TINT, by the ndeiat
gable perseverance and industry of MIR. Greenhow,
co MES or old Spanish documents and journals OF voy