Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-03-07
CONGRESS.


at length the discussion of the Annexation resolu-
tons In the morning Mr.. Dayton Of N. ]. made
speech, which is described as very able and com
prch ensiyc, against the project In the evening,
Mr.. Bcrrien, who had been expected TO follow. was
prevented by indispositIon from being present and
Mr.. McDufiie took the floor in favor OF Texas. Mr..
Allen Of Ohio obtained the floor for Tuesday. No
definite time fixed for the conclusion Of the de-
bate, although an incidental conversation came up
upon that point, but it seemed to be settled that the
question would be taken on Wednesday evening,
1t not before.
HouSe.-The House, at an early hour, took up
the Postage bill in committee, but the Committee
soon rose with view to adopting a resolution, lin
ting the length OF the debate Upon this and mo-
lions growing out of it, the House occupied
during the whole day, and after voting to take the
question on reporting the bill to the House in two
hours after resuming its consideration in commit.
tee, adjourned. There wrs an overwhelming ma
jory of those present during the day, willing TO
support the bill as it came from the Senate, and the
attempt TO obtain opportunities for amendment or
discussion, seems to have created considerable ex-
element
TUESDAY, Feb. %.
iS,naic-The joint resolution for the annexation
of Texas coming up for consideration at IL o'clock
Mr.. Allen addressed the Senate in favor of the
measure for over two hours and half
| Mr.. Berren of Ga. then spoke until the adj ourn-
ment and concluded his remarks at an evening
session. lie was followed by Mr.. Walker of Miss.
who spoke at length in favor Of annexation.
! House-Mr Dlnck of S. c., from the Committee
on Military Affairs reported joint resolution in
favor of Il tomb for the reception of the bones Of
the patriots who nershed in the prison ship Mt the
Wallabout, in the State Of New York, during the
war of the Revolution, and for the erection Of a
monument to their memory.
The House resolved Itself into Committee of
the Whole on the state Of the Union, and resumed
the consideration Of the bill from the Senate to
duce the rates of postage.
! The committee made two amendments to the
first sectlon-one that it should 20 into operation
on the LIST of July, ls45, instead of from the pas
sing OF the act the other, that all single letters
transmitted not over three hundred miles should pay
five cents and over three hundred miles ten cents.
These are the only amendments made TO the bill
as it care from the Senate The charge for single
letters, as fixed by the Senate, was a uniform rate
Of five cents, without regard to distance.
WEDNESDAY, Feb 26.
Senate. The Senate at an early hour took up
the annexation resolutions and Mr.. Miller of New
Jersey spoke at length in opposition to them At
ter the recess Mr. Bagby of Alabama Qoco) MAIN
tanned the side Of the question, the ground
that Congress has no power under the constitution
+ to annex foreign States to the Union. Mr.. Upham
of Vermont also made an able speech against the
resolutions.
Mr.. Bates of Mass. then took the floor, indexibly
and Internationally opposed to the admission of
Texas into the Union
House The Senate postage bill, with the two
amendments adopted in the Committee was passed
9 by vote of l5S to "A. One ofthese amendments
provides that the reduction of rates of postage shall
take place on the first of July instead Of on the
passage Of the act, and the other-whch is OF lea
ding nportance-makes double charge, ten cts,
on letters carried over 300 miles. a motion
made by Mr.. Thompson of Mississippi, to amend
the title that it might read An act to make the
Post Office Department public nuisance, and 10
~ q la W Of
but after he had made this motion the for
speech, 1t was withdrawn, and the House by refUs
ing to reconsider the vote by which the bill passed,
" to al, set the question finally at rest.
> THURSDAY, Feb. 81.
; House. After some time spent in motions TO sus-
pend the rules-tor a call of the House, &c.-the
House, at last got into Committee of the Whole,
and proceeded with the consideration of the bill
making appropriations fot the improvement of GER
tain Rivers and Harbors.
) A great variety of amendments were offered,
nearly all of which rejected.
The vote was then taken on a substitute Tor the
bill, offered by Mr. TIbbatts, and it adopted
Ayes S5, noes &c.
The Committee then rose, and the bill was re-
r ported to the House.
\ The vote was then taken, by yeas and nays, on
Concuring in the amendment--tblt is, the substi-
tute-and it was rejected Yeas 50, nays 90.
The House then proceeded to act on the amend
ments. Several were reiected-when motion
was made TO reconsider the vote, by which the
= House had refused to concur in Mr. Tibbatts sub
$ stitute.
E a motion then made to lay the motion TO re-
consider on the table, and the yeas and nays were
ordered. The motion to lay on the table car
ried. Yeas 90 nays "a.
= The question then came up on the third reading
: of the bill
n The House refused to order the bill to be en-
crossed and read a third time by the following vote
Yeas 81 navs 81.
J. motion then made to reconsider the fore
going vote-and, after some time spent in deciding
variety of questions, the motion 10 reconsider was
carried. Yeas l02, nays II.
Mr.. Davis, of Ia, moved reconsideration Of the
$ vote, by which the House laid Mr.. Tbbatts propo-
sition on the table. After much delay, the motion
was cauied-and Mr.. Tibbatts' proposition being
again before the House, motion was made, at five
o'clock, and carried, to adjourn.
Senate. Mr.. Crittenden made traight- forward
), and conclusive argument against the joint resolu-
b tons for anneXing Texas. lie reviewed the argu
u ments of several Senators who had preceded him
y and, by the light in which he held them up, made
/ them extremely uneasy.
= Mr.. Archer followed, on the same side, and con-
s cluded this heightened debate with powerful and
?, feeling speech which did honor 10 his head and
J. heart
: Mr.. Johnson, of La, made few remarks, which
y showed that he was a wavering TeXaslte.
If Mr.. Walker then submitted an amendment, which
e provides that if the President deem tadvsable, in
n stead of submitting the joint resolutions to the Tex
c an government to open negotiations with that gov
= eminent, he is authorised so to do; and that, as
r, the terms are agreed upou for the cession
of territory, &c, Texas, State, with suitable
boundaries, and two Representatives and two SEN
Il ators, shall be admitted into the Union.
n, Alr. BcEien desired some little time to examine
9 this new and important proposition, and suggested
d recess but this was met with cries Of enc"
r from the other side.
n Mr. Crittendcn suggested an important change
e in the phraseology OF the amendment, and hoped
it that Senators would not press an immediate vote.
Mr. Barrow demonstrated against this outrageous
10 proceeding and protested against being summoned
q 10 vote without notice, and with time for rehec
= ton, upon amendment that changed the whole
e aspect of the question which had been discussed.
at lie would talk, whether nonsense, until
% the 4th of March, before he would be thus deprlv