Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-14
rwENTY-E1GHTH coNGREss--adses SEES.
Thursday, January 9.
I mi

Mr.. CHOATE presented a petition from Chas.
T. Page and other citizens Of Boston, against The
annexation Of Texas.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON presented a petition
againstthe annexation OF Texas, (place not heard.)
Referred 10 the Committee OF Foreign Relations.
One also, from the same place against the ex-
is,ence of slavery in the District Of Columbia
Laid on the table.
Mr.. ARCHER presented a memorial from citi-
zens OF Pennsylvania, asking for an alteration in
the naturalization laws. Also, one from Madi-
son county New York for the same purpose. Re-
ierred TO the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. EVANS asked leave to introduce a bill
providing Tor evidences OF the public debt. Grant
ed.
Mr.. JorINsoN's resolution in relation to the
claims Of persons residing on Homas' grant, no
iiced yesterday, and asking the Judiciary Com
mi,Iee 10 inquire whether the Secretary OF the
Treasury acted in accordance with law in issu.
ing patents 10 persons having no right TO those
lands, was taken up. Mr.. Johnson spoke at con-
siderable length in defence OF his resolution in the
of the Judiciary Committee 10 take
cognizance OF it.
Mr.. DAYTON dissented from such a powe.
being vested in tue Committee, and offered an
amendment giving the Judiciary Committee the
RICH, 10 report on the subject or not; il finley should
find, on examination, that the power to investigate
the action OF another department of the Govern
ment belonged exclusively 10 Congress, Mr.. John.
sons resolution should be adopted.
SMITHSONIAN LEGACY.
Mr.. CHOATE asked leave to withdraw a
part OF his amendment offered yesterday, BY stri
king ont the words beginning with the 2ith line
in The first section, and alter the word provided
Ii appeared, upon reconsideration of that proviso
that it made j, peremptory on The board OF mana
gers Of the institution 10 confne themselves Il
the purchase Of a given description or kind oi
books. He did not wish to confne them to such
narrow limits, but wished 10 give them a wider
field for their operations. In lieu of the provisc
was substituted the words 'for The purchase o.
books on the arts, sciences and works in general,
but not TO coniine the purchase to books o.this de.
scripiion exclusively.
The question was then taken on striking gu
the proviSo, and il was carriei-oG in Tie atiir
native, noes not counted,
MI. CHOATE then askedto strike ont the al
section, and insert an amendment, TO the etiec
that the managers of the Institution should Ok
empowered to employ a competent agent IRON
time 10 time, 10 deliver lectures on the arts anc
sciences, aud to pay him an adequate salary
therefor; which was adopted. He also morot
that the Sth section be struck out, which referred
10 the duties Of protessorships, which no longer
existed in the bill, and substitute therefor 4 clause
authorizing the purchase of general assortment
Of books.
Mr.. CRITTENDEN offered an amendment
10 this. designating such books 10 consist ofthose
relating 10 the arts and sciences; which was ne
gatived.
Mr.. NILES offered an amendment limiting
the sum to IS, 900 for such purpose.
Mr.. BUCHANAN asked the Senate il. hy
.,o ~ ,pnnp1propt - u.aS iofnn1nd IN mako a
library worthy ofthe age and nation in which we
live? If 50, he would oppose il on the ground of
its inadequacy.
The amendment Of Mr.. Niles was also lost.
MIR. TAPPAN proposed the sum TO be S9l 900:
which gave rise to considerable debate, in which
Messrs. Choale, Rives, Critenden, Morehead.
Bagbv, Breese, and Niles participated. A COM
promise was effected, finally, By an amendment OF
Mr.. MOREHEAD, adding $4,000 10 the sum
proposed BY Mr.. Tappan; and,
On motion of Mr.. PIERCE,
The Senate adjourned over ill Monday.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
ARMY AND NAVY.
Mr.. MCKAY, from the Committee OF Ways
and Means, reported a bill making appropria-
ton for the support OF the army ior the year end
ing June 80, 1916;
Also, a bill making appropriation for the SUP
por, Of the naval service tor the year ending June
80, lS4G; 7,
Which were severally read a first and second
time. referred to The Committee Of the Whole on
the state Of the Union, and ordered to be printed.
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
The House resolved itself into a Committee
OF The Whole on the state of the Union, .(Mr.
Hopkins in The Chair) and resumed the conside-
ration OF the resolution for the annexation OF Tex
as 10 the United States.
Mr.. L. S. HAMLIN expressed his opinion
that never had there been brought before Con-
cress a question of such general interest as the
one now before them. The question was, whe-
ther our ship Of State, our ship Of Zion, which
had been preserved for many years, should now
be moved from her mooringS, and started on a
voyage on an unknown sea; but he desired TO
have things remain as they were, as tie vas SAILS
fed with the Government as II was, with Inc Con-
~s,ituiion as it was, with the nation as It was;
he wanted no change in any one OF them. Inc
first question which stared them in the lace was,
not has the President and The Senate the power
TO annex Texas, but had Congress! II so, where
was il 10 be found? He cared not in what form
il was Observation-Disclosures il stood on the Treaty
or on he PRINCIPLES of the treaty OF 1919
whether in the bills and resolutions for this pur-
pose-no matter in what form, il amounted 10 this:
a proposition on our part, to be accepted by ley
as-which would amount TO a contract with a
foreign nation. II was in vain to say that Texas
was 4 par, Of ourselves, "bone OF our bone and
flesh OF our fesh"-for had we not acknowledged
her INTERCHANGEABLE we not acknowledge II
every day, BY keeping our Charge dAfiaires
located near that Government. Texas, he again
asserted, was an independent nation-a and he saw
no where in The Constitution the power 10 make
4 contract, as annexation would be, etWeen ma
tons acknowledged To be sovereign and indie
pendent. He referred 10 the Alpha of this ques,
lion, and quoted from the correspondence OF
Messrs Upshur and Calhoun to our Ministers 10
Great Britain, Spain, &c, to show That Inc mea-
sure had its origin in the endeayor TO prevent
the abolition Of slavery in Texas, anu TO demon,
slrate that, il was alleged emancipation would
be advantageous 10 Great Britain and injurious
10 all other nations OF tine earth. This stood
forth on official papers, in the correspondence
with foreign Governments, by speeches made IN
and out OF Congress, in this House, and IN Inc
other end OF the Capitol. But what II money
had been appropriated in England TO set The
slaves free in Texas? Would TO God, that mo-
ney was heaped up, not only 10 set the slaves
free in Texas, but in all lands! Why shoui1
this alarm us7 He then stated his views in detail
MIR. WELLER commended that this question
was not one affecting the people oil any Partcu,
lar section Of our country, but was oil a naliona
character, affecting all-the commercial, agri'
cultural, and navigating interests. 1t was one,
on which the Representatives from every section
were called to deliberate and Judge for them
selves. For himself he would be unwilling TO
vote for the measure, had not the people, in the ialo
Presidential Election, declared in favor Of An
The consummation OF this Object
would open for the West a market for her cattle
and breadstuffs, and afford to the North, like
wise, a marke, for her manufactures. II any sec
ton OF the country should be injured, it was the
South, for the rich lands OF Texas would thereby
be brought into active competition with her W
They were bound not only TO guarantee lndls-
turbed security 10 the Sonth, but 10 preserve the
compromises and assurances Of the Constitution.
If it were even necessary to annex the Northern
portion of Great Britain bordering on the United
States, 10 give 10 Maine or Vermont their consii-
~tutional rights, he would not hesitate TO give TO
such a proposition his support He insisted, and
argued, that the extension OF our territory would
not result in war with any foreign power, and he
TO several gentlemen in the opposition who
-..--lol L;~. ,pd IN ropclngiOn he Py-