Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-11
"WEDNESDAY, February 5, Is
SENATE.
TIE TEXAS SCHEME.

vide for The Annexation of Texas. he asked Inc
o, of the Senate TO take from the table The
bin submitted by him, some time since, LOT .ne
Annexation of Texas, which was agreed 10; anu
Mr.. B. then offered the following as substitute
ELL TO PROVIDE FOR THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS
TO THE UNITED STATES.
Be Il enacted &C., That State, to be lorineo
OIL of the present Republic of Texas, with suit
able exlen, and boundaries, and with TWO Repre-
sentatiyes in Congress, until the next apPortion-
ment of representation, shall be admitted INTO the
Union. by virtue OF this act on an equal loonng
with the existing States, as soon as inc 'eI'ii9 anu
conditions of such admission anu Tue cessIon y,
the remaining Texan Territory TO the onileo
States shall be agreed upon BY The governments
of Texas and the United States.
Sec. Q. Andbc IL further enacted, Ihat Inc sum
os one hundred thousand dollars be, and the same
is hereby appropriated 10 detray the expenses OF
missions and negotiations 10 agree upon the terms
OF said admission and cession, either BY treaty
10 be submitted to Inc Senate, or by articles 10 DC
submitted 10 ,hetwo Houses OF Congress, as The
President may direct.
Mr.. b. said he would prefer that The bill should
not Sc referred, but be permitted TO he upon inc
table, 10 be taken up when the subject came 10 Dc
considered by the Senate
Mr. BENTON said the bill was similar 10 the
one he had introduced at the commencement OF
The session. except as TO the conditions Inc
bill was divested Of them and proposed that we
should now simply admit Texas, and leave con-
ditions with the next administration. he pro-
posed that these conditions should be settled oy
Commissioners between The two Governments, 10
be appointed first by ourselves and sent TO lexas.
This, in his view, was The only proper way Tor
The settlement of this great and exciting question;
1, was the only way in which the question could
be settled nationally, and Invested OF those condl-
lions and that kind Of action which had made II
not entirely national, as in his view 1t should De-
IL Texas was to come into the Union, ne desired
lha, i, should come in tremendously and upon
ust and equitable terms. 100
Mr.. L. said that Mr.. Adams, in l19S, sen!
Commissioners 10 France. MIR. Jefferson dla
the same two years AFTER and The same was done
by MIR. Madison during the last war. Commits
.ioners from our Government meeting face 10 lace
Commissioners from Texas, could, in his view,
settle all questions at issue much better than they
could be settled in any other iorm Inc JOINT
Resolutions from the House he objected 10, be-
cause they were proposals in The form OF an IN
flexible law This, in his opinion, was not re-
spectful towards Texas, because she had twice
sent Commissioners 10 us, and because we ought
10 receive proposals from her II she mad any 10
submit.
Mr.. B. then pointed out the difficulties Of the
Resolutions from the House, and considered The
Bill entirely impracticablc, and particularly IN It's
provisions Of the public debt by applying Inc
lands for the payment oil The debt
He had not the most remote idea that Texas
would ever consent to The terms OF Inc JOINT re
solutions of the House.
The acceptance OF the terms therein proposed
was either impossible or mpIactcable. All the
points affecting the lands or other questions should
be settled by joint commission.
The question of Slavery must be compro-
missed in a manner satisfactory 10 the nation,
of Tho
House of Representatives had proposed such a
compromise.
The assent of Mexico, said Mr. B. has been
deemed unnecessary, but no one has deemed u
unnecessary 10 settle the boundaries.
His plan he regarded most expeditions, because
a Joint commission might settle upon the terms OF
annexation satisfactorily 10 both countries and
harmonously TO the whole Union.
The bill was now readtwice, when Mr. Benton
said that at some future day ne would call il from
the table
Mr.. BERRIEN hoped the bill would take The
ordinary course and be referred 10 the Committee
on Foreign Affairs. II was our custom 10 refer
ordinary bills to lnis committee and Il became
US upon a matter of SO much moment as this,
that the subec, should take the ordinary forms Of
legislation.
opposed 10 the bill and that, therefore, it ought
moi 10 be committed TO them.
Mr.. BERRIEN said, that as the amendment
gave new feature TO the subject he thought thai
Il ought 10 go before the Committee on Foreign
Relations, in order that it might be fully examin-
ed. He said that the Senator from Missouri asked
10 take up the bill that was on their table Tor Inc
purpose OF offering an amendment 10 1t, and then
had i. Withdrawn He did not consider the amend
men, in any other light than as a substantive form
totally different in all its bearing from that which
he had Withdrawn.
Afr. MOREHEAD said the bill presenting such
important interests as this, and entirely new, he
was in favor of its going 10 the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Mr.. ALLEN did no; intend to say any thing
now on any OF the imporan, questions connected
With the annexation Of Texas. lie only desired
that. whatever action the Senate may take on II
INA, il should be expressed 10 the country in its
constitutional bearing. We had, he said, but
about lwenty-si1 DAYS OF the session remaining,
and ,her had other great questions TO consider
we had the Oregon bill and all TIE appropriation
bills 10 take IN, and iflhis bill went into The hands
of The Committee there would not be time 10 con-
slider il. Tha, Committee have had this subject
before them long enOugh--they presented memo
rials ana other documents from every part OF The
country and they have reported square up against
il and that The Senate wash its hands clean from
the subject. We shall be required Ia take up this
repor, in few days when We shall be compelled
10 reject il in toto. But, sir, he would ask where
wa. the necessity of sending this bill al this late
hour 10 the Committed The Committee was
part of the Senate and they knew what il was in
all its forms. What was the use oil sending il TO
the Committee but delay, when We have all these
great indispensable measures before Us which
they had 10 pass upon in tWenty-six days} II IS
the question OF giving This matter the go-by-it
comes up in The form of question of reference
-but il was really the question-will the Senate
give il the So-hyl He would ask, sir, the ayes and
noes.
Mr.. MERRICK said that there was no one
more dsinclined 10 give the question the go-by
than he He desired 10 have all The Information
that could be thrown on this important subject.
Mr.. BERRIEN said that the Senator from
Ohio misunderstood his motive in making the
motion he did, which was not 10 give it the go-hy
as il was supposed.
MIR. MERRICK said, that notwithstanding
what was said, he would vote for referring il 10
the committee, in order that he may have an OPP
portuny 10 read il in his room by the midnight
iamn. and OF giving 10 il that consideration which
! deserved.
MIR. WALKER said he was rejoice,l that The
great American question OF the re annexation oil
Texas was being presented on all hands on the
grounds on which it was originally placed BY
him (Mr. Walkcr) in his Texas letter of the Sih
of January, 1914 He (Mr. W. then proposed,
more than a year since, to admit Texas as a
State OF the Union by Congress- under that
clause of the Constitution which authorizes Con-
vress 10 admit new States into the Union. That
Clause was not confined 10 our then existing ter
ri,orv. but was without limitation and the trainers
of the Constitution had expressly refused to limit
the general power contained in this clause TO the
ierrilory then embraced in this Union. The ge-
neral power then was in express words, and no
man has a right to in,erpolate restrictions and
especially restrictions which the trainers of the
Constitution had rejected But when this mode
or admitting Texas as State, by Congress, was
suggested BY him (Mr. Walker) in January,
1914, he was held up as the author Of new pro
position, unwaran,ed by authority or preceaenl.