New-York daily tribune., 1844-01-13
By This Mornings Mail.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
FROM THE REPORTER OF THE HEw-YoRK TRIBUNE.
r Reiection;of MIR. Proffitt-A7r. Rheft on the
DissOlution of the Union, &C. sc.
WAsHlNGroN. Thursday. Jan. II.

motion Of Mr.. BRowS of Ia, the rules hav-
inc been suspended for the purpose, reports from
Committees not giving rise to debate, were pre-
sented among which, are the tollowg
Bv Mr.. RED1SG. from the Committee on Pub
lie Expenditures, a resolution Of inquiry as to the
expenses of the Florida Squadron, and the char
qes. if any, against her Commander. Adopted,
Bv Mr.. PARMENTER, from the Naval Com
mittee, a bill for the relief OF the widows and
orphans of the officers and seamen of the I. ).
schooner Grampus Referred to the Committee
of the Whole on the Union, and ordered printed
By Mr.. J. CAMPBELL, from the Committee on
the District of Columbia, a resolution directing
as being Of the class excluded by the , rule
the return to the person who presented 1t Mr.
Giddings) ofa petition from Lockport, \ which
had been referred to that Committee, asking, at
ter long preamble aluding to the injustice of the
old laws of Virginia and Maryland now in force
in this District to their recognition of principles
subversive of personal freedom, &c. for the ap-
pontment of Select Committee of members
from all the States, to inquire INTO the cxpcdency
of the repeal of the existing laws and the eStab-
!ishment of others conformable to the genius of
our free institutions. Mr.. C. moved thcprevious
question. Mr. HUNT of n. Y. moved to lay on
the table and print the resolution and petition.
After several points of order, attended with
some excitement, the motion to lay on the table
was rejected: Yeas 81; Nays lis.
Mr. ADAMS, wishing to avoid discussion as he
said, moved to lay the subject upon the table,
without printing!
The SPEAKER decided this motion out of order,
being a renewal of portion of that Just re-
ected.
Mr.. ADAMS interrupted by many cries of
Order" .")-" If the SPEAKER will suppress all
debate, | say it is an insult to the person pre-
scnting it, and TO the petitioners"
After some further points of order the resolu-
ton was adopted-Yess ll6, Nays 60, and thus
the petition ordered returned to Mr.. Gddings.
Mr. M1LroN BRowN, Of TIE. on leave, introdu-
ced bill to divide the United States into two
military districts Referred to the Military Com-
mittee.
Mr.. ADAMss Report on the Rules of the House
again came up and Mr.. RHETT spoke at some
length and with some warmth, in favor of the
DIST Rule, and on the general subject of the
Right of Petition. This right as guaranteed
in the Constitution, he contended, was much
misunderstood and much misrepresented by
those who clamored so much about tit
being an individul, and not a legislative
right-a right of the people peaccably to assem-
ble to petition and to send their petitions to
Congress- but there ending, and the right of the
Legislature to dispose Of them as they saw fit,
commencing With this right the DIST rule was
consistent. Where they objected to receipe Pc
titons--the first step in egislation--the same
principle would obige them to take all the other
steps, thus depriving them of all freedom Of ac-
ton. He referred to the constant and continued
movements of the Abolitionists in Congress, and
said after the rights OF the South had so long been
disregardcd, and they had submitted to So much
injustice, he would not sing haleluiahs to the
Union He should scom himself If he could
make great professions Of friendship for it. 1t was
not for man of honor or Of courage, when abused
and his rights outraged, to talk Of the obligations
of friendship or sympathy There was in the
Southern States growing up, deep, an unques-
tionable spirit of hostility to the Union. He knew
that there was such spirit; and the period
might not be far distant when it might be neces-
sary for them to do as their fathers before then
had done-to break a union which brought moth
ing with it but degradation, oppression and ruin.
They respected the rights of others and cherished
the Union if maintained in its purity, but come
what would, union or no union, they would be
free.
Mr.. BIDLAcK had spoken but few minutes
when the morning hour expiring, the subject was
laid over. He expressed doubt as to his course
on the XXIst rule.
The subject of the improvement Of Western
rivers and lakes again came up in Committee Of
the Whole on the Union, and the debate (on al
most every subiecD was continued by Mr.. RATH-
BUN of n. Y. He was in favor of appropriations
for the West and elsewhere where needed, in a
national spirit: and talked loudly of the neces-
sity of retrenchment in order to find the ways
and means. In this spirit he was willing to vote
for the abolition of the military academy at West
Point, for thereductlon OF the per diem and mile
age of Members of Congress- and for general re-
forms in all the Departments. He brought up
the subject of the Tariff, suggesting objections to
it as prohibitory, Sc, but declining wholly to
commit himself on the subject.
Mr.. THoMAssoN in a few candid and liberal re-
marks explained that he had moved the amend
ment to refer the subject of Western Waters to
Select Committee, that they mi ght more intelli-
gently examine and report to the House the facts ;
which he thought would satisfy any man Of the
necessity of appropriation for this object. lie
was willing to vote appropriations for the Hud-
son and other rivers and for Select Committees
for them, if facts were brought forward demand
ing it, Much of the debate upon this subject he
considered entirely irrelevant and useless.
On motion of Mr.. ]. K. INGERsoLL, the use Of
the Hall was granted for Colonization Meeting
Tuesday evening; and the House adjourned
In SENATE, resolution of Mr. BENTON inqulr-
ing Of the Secretary of War as to the action taken
on the subject Of adjudication of the title to the
Pea Patch Island, under existing laws, and why
not definitive, was adopted.
Mr.. SEnpLE introduced a resolution Of inquiry
with reference to system for the keeping of the
public moneys, the punishment of defaulters, sc.
Laid over.
Mr.. FULToN introduced bill granting certain
quantities Of public land in Missouri and Arkan-
sas for purposes Of internal improvement.