The New York herald., 1845-01-24
BY THE SOUTHERN MAIL.
Washington.
Correspondence Of the Herald. /

Polk and Dalas Clubs Oregon and Chino
Mimister to China and ConsAs- More Aypoinf-
memts- -Ertraordinary Deueiopement. diaiosin1
the interpolation of 100000 Of the Public
Money-Blair f. Rives and The Congressional
Globe and Appendir : Nominations.
JAMES G. BENNETT, ESQ.,
The debate on the Texas question drags its slow
length along, and creates but little interest among
the visitors at the Capitol the members. II was
continued to-day in the House, and the bill of Mr.
Robinson, OF New York, to admit Texas as State.
read first time and referred to the Committee of
the Whole on the state OF the Union, where the
several propositions now rest until Saturday. An
attempt was made to refuse the first reading of the
bill, but 1t was negatived, by ayes g. nays 49, and
then referred. This vote was test of aby result
as many annexation members voted against its re.
cepton, because they considered plans enough had
been submitted, and others opposed to annexation
voted in its favor, in order 10 overload the com
mitee with various propositions.
Some anxiety s felt here 10 ascertain the result
Of your annexation meeting at Tammany Hall, as
II Is anticipated there will be grand fare up be-
tween the "Old Hunkers' and the "Young De
mocracy."
Here follows long yarn by our correspondent.
relative TO political affairs in this clty Such snecm
Iations belong not to him. He is sent 10 Washing
ton to give us Washington news1
As soon as the Texas question is disposed Of
the Dill lot the occupation OF oregon VIII be taken
up and adopted, and on the inetant hundreds will
emigrate to that fine region which combines such
immense agricultural and commercial advantages
in prospective. But tew years will render the
mouth OF the Columbia an extensive sea port and
site OF commercial city, as the principal supplies
Tor the commerce OF the Pacific, including our
whaling ships and national vessels, will be obtained
from that source, forwarded to The Sandwich Ia
lands. The immense water power privileges on
the Columbia river will soon produce -four for ex.
portation directto China and the Sandwich Islands,
he early profits OF which will be enormous, and
tha recent commercial treaty with the Chinese
empire will render this territory the most valua-
BILE of any portion of our country. single
steam vessel crossing the Pacific, from the mouth
tune to her owners in single voyage; and there is
no doubt that geological examination IN that ter
ritory will produce beds of coal for steam fuel in
the same abundance found on this side Of the
| Rocky Mountains. Another year will see the
population OF Oregon swelling to thousands, and
the immense profits to be obtained from her agri-
cultural resources BY exportation, will build up
| fleet of Yankee vessels to scour every port and
harbor on the Chinese coast.
| The Presiden. forwarded recommendation to
the Senate to-day, to authorize the appointment of
resident Minister to China. and seme half dozen
consuls, which if adopted, will prepare some most
comfortable places for his friends. AS soon as this
is published, there will be hundreds of applicants
for appointment.
One of the most striking evidences of the man
| ner in which certain members OF Congress have
voted the peoples money for their own benefit and
use, without any right or authority, was evidenced
by the passage Of resolution at the last Session,
which supplied themselves with books amounting
in value to about 100000, under the following
circumstances. On the l4th Of June, three days
before the termination OF the Session, Mr. Win
thrOp, OF Massachusetts, whig member offered a
resolution, directing the clerk OF the House to fur
nish the members of that Congress, with all the
books furnished to the members of the preceding
Congress, and also the :. Congressional Globe and
Appendtr" the latter of which was never supplied
to members before, and the cost of which was
S4S each, making an aggregate, including four
pies supplied to the library, Of the sum of 80 $780,
The books making up the balance of $50, 600 con-
s!st OF THE Public Archives" "American State
Papers" "EIliotl's Debates" locales & seaton's
Register OF Debates, i" The Land Laws of the
United States" "Volume of Conis sled Elections -
NC. &c. This resolution was adopted without
the call of the ayes and nays, as not one fifth of
The members present could be found to support
the call Between the fourteenth and seventeenth
ot June, the attention Of several members of the
House, was called TO the enormous expenditure
under this resolution, and its entire violation OF
the powers conferred upon Congress under the
constitution; and an effort then made 10 re-
consider the vote, which reconsideration was
finally laid upon the table by small majority,
the minds Of many who heedlessly had given their
sanction to this public robbery OF the peoples trea-
sury. Although the resolution, directing the clerk
10 supply the books, had passed, yet an appropra-
tion ior the payment Of this enormous sum was
not adopted In this view OF the case, the clerk,
by letter. Immediately notified Blair 6c Rives,
Gdlcs E SedtOns FOIce " hlvee, ana Mr. Elliott,
not 10 deliver the books directed in the resolution
until contracts were made for their purchase
These gentlemen replied by letter and verbally,
that they would comply with the quest Of the clerk,
and, in fact. they had no right to deliver without
his order. The clerk was thus induced to act, be-
cause no appropriation had been made by Congress
10 pay this sum OF money, and 1t was supposed
that the resolution would be rescinded at the pre-
sent session, and the money not thus drawn lille
gally and unconstiiutonally from the treasury of
the nation, as members had the same power to
vote themselves $500 in cash, that they had TO
appropriate this sum OF money for books for their
own use, or TO dispose OF to others II is we'll
known here that many members dispose of all
books supplied TO them as soon received at half
price, and tina. the book dealers, who have made
fortunes here by this traffic, then sell them back
TO the government at full price; and, in many in
stances, the books have never been removed from
the shelves of the contractors, but sold and -sod
and sold again TO the government at proflt OF ESQ
per cent.
Uader previous resolutions, OF similar charac-
ter to the one here alluded to- there are now neal
Iy five hundred ex.members Of Congress yearly re-
ceving books, published in this city, to complete
their sets, some of which will not be finished for
many years; and as long as this practice prevails,
the increase OF supply 10 ex-members will be in
geometrica proportion, until 1t amounts to millions
Of dollars.
AT the commencement of the present session of
Congress, Blair IL Rives, of the Globe, in violation
OF the resolution directing the supply, CONNIE need
the delivery of the "CongressionaI Globe and APP
pendix" to members, in order to anticipate the
passage OF a resembling resolution, and to induce
members to vote for the appropriation at the pre-
sent session. This being made evident, the other
publishers proceeded TO deliver their works. and it
is supposed that at the present time, nearly all call
ed for under the resolution has been supplied, bpt
the appropriation of the money tor payment has get
to be made by Congress: This should be resisted,
as an outrage upon the powers of Congress, and
the constituents OF every member should watch his
vote whenever the resolution comes before the
House for its action. An attempt will be made to ap-
lroprate this, round sum Of $1,000 with
out call of the ayes and nays, and those
members who honestly and conscientiously
knew that Congress has no POWER to vote
money tor such purposes, will render them
selves lastingly popular among the people by defeat
ing this proposition in whatever shape il may be
presented. OF one thing, however, you may rest
perfectly assured. Whenever it is called up in the
House no candidate for reelection will dare record