Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-02-15
PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.
IN SENATE.

IN SENATE.
The following reports from committees made after the
presentation Of great variety Of memorials and petitions
Mr. WOODBRIDGE, from the Committee on the Public
Lands reported bill in addition TO the several resolves and
acts OF Congress providing for the granting Of bounty lands
to the officers and soldiers of the Revolution upon the Con-
tinental establishment"
Mr. EVANS from the Committee on Pensions reported
bill for the relief of Joseph Morrison.
Mr. WOODBRIDGE, from the Committee the Public
Lands reported joint resolution concerning the copper
rock OF Lake Superior"
| Mr.. PHELPS from the Committee on Patents reported
bill to extend patent heretofore granted William Wood
worth.
Mr. BAYARD, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, re-
ported back the bill for the establishment Of naval school
! ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY.
Mr.. HUGER presented memorial of the South Carolina
Railroad Company praying permission to import free Of duty
pipes and necessary machinery for the construction of an
atmospheric railway.
In presenting this petition, which had relation great
improvement that being tested in England and
Fanceviz. the construction Of railroad along which
and other carriages should be mpeled by atmospheric pres
sure-Mr. HUGER remarked that corporation in this
try DESTROYS Of trying the experiment. and wished the
countenance OF the Government in doing they wished
test 1t portion Of the Charleston railroad which
sidered suitable for the experiment For this purpose they
wished the Government allow them import the iron pipes
sufficient for the length of mile duty free the company
would bear the remainder Of the expense of the experiment
Mr. H. hoped that the prayer Of the petitioners would be
ceded to, and that this very interesting and important expert
ment would be fully tested II proved successful would
be of great public advantage and if failed there would be
no injury to any but the petitioners The petition
referred to the Committee on Finance
4 FRENCH sPoLIATIoN BILL.
The bill provide the ascertainment claims
citizens for spoatons prior the 3st day ofJuly 1901
Il was called up by
j Mr. CHOATE, who offered substitute for the BILL the
length OF which precudcs its insertion for the present Its
essential provisions
That satisfaction shall be made to an amount not exceeding
five millions Of dollars such citizens the United States
their legal representatives had valid claims to indemnity
upon the French Government arising illegal captures
detentions conscatons prior
ton the convention between the United States and the French
Republic concluded on the O of September 1900 provided
that the provisions this shall
stipulated for embraced in
United States the French Republic concluded on the sOh
of April 1905 and for the liquidation and payment whereof
provision made in the said convention such claims
were allowed and paid in whole in part under the proy
sons Of the treaty between the United States and Spn
ciuded the 22d of February 1919 such claims
were allowed in whole part under the provisions of the
4h OF july 1881 and provided also, that in all OF trans
assignment claimant shall be entitled receive
beyond the consideration paid and interest thereon
That for the purpose Of carrying into effect the provisions
Of the act and the full validity
claims three commissioners shall be appointed by the Pres-
dent by and with the advice and of the Senate who
shall at the city of Washington before the first
time Of their meeting shall receive examine and decide
upon the and validity Of all the claims included within
THAI ihe awards Of ali such claims a. may be admitted sns
adjusted by the said commissioners exceeding
OF dollars, shall be that tht
commissioners acting upon that principle shall ascertain
fix the amount to be paid upon each award -.
That the of five million dollars appropriated by the bill
shall be in full discharge of all claims for compensation for the
class of provided for in the and that claim
mortal shall be received by the commissioners unless
other and further compensation that he She they may
entitled to receive under the provisions Of the act.
Mr.. CHOATE advocated his amendment in impressive
speech, which occupied about hour in its delivery after
which the amendment agreed and the bill ordered
be engossed for third reading by the following
| YEAS-Messrs Ashley, Barrow, Bayard, Berrien, Blu
Huntington, johnson, Merrck, Miller Miles, Phelps Porter
Sewer, Simmons, Sturgeon Upham, White, Woodbridge,
NAYs-Mcssrs Allen, Atchson Anterior, Benton, Brcese,
Coqutt Dickinson Dix flanagan, Hager, Lewis MeDufc,
| Mangum, Tappan, Walkcr-i5
GENERAL ORDERS.
The Senate then took up the general ORDERS and considered
the following bills, which ordered be engrossed
The joint resolution, ancndatoy of the resolution passed
April 3d. 1924, respecting the application Of certain appro
| pratons.
The bill to provide free bridge the Eastern Branch
| Of the River Potomac, in the city of Washington.
The bill allowing drawback upon foreign merchandise
ported in the original packages
miners.
The bill for the relief of Seth NJ. Leavcnworth read
third time and passed.
REDUCTION OF POSTAGE
The bill for reducing the rates of postage &c. then
taken up This bill had been engrossed for its third reading
and the question upon its passage Some amend
mcns then made by general consent not affecting the
character of the BILL but necessary to make conomabe
1 amendments which had been made to it.
The ranking privilege extended to ex-Presdcnts
Adams, Jackson and Van Buren,. motion made TO
extend the acting President but objection being raised
the motion was withdrawn subsequently, however,
ton of Mr. FOSTER the privilege Of frankng extended
the President Of the United States whilst Office and to
all ex- Presidents.
i The question being on the third reading
Mr.. McDUFFIE said that he opposed the BILL be-
he believed that its operation would be preudca the
public interest He wished not only record his but
enter his protest against it.
He did think there Senator present who really
believed that the Post Office Department could be sustained by
the bill before them that would not by its operation be
thrown upon the Treasury for annual support Of from
to two millions of dollars
This his opinion, and he should discuss the
which calculated he burden upon the Treasury.
He regarded the revolutionary, the dangerous
proceeding which had been passed by the Senate Its
poessed object relieve the people from high postage;
he believed that postage Of the expenses which were
least felt and least complained Of by the people But how do
you propose relieve them from this burden You propose
take off the postage and raise money by taxation to supply
its place. What does the poor any man, gain by
this How there be any advantage if the which he
has be equal to the Of postage from which he
be relieved This the supposion that the person
who paid the postage pays It's place, equivalent But
IL this be not the case If the person who formerly paid the
postage called upon for the equivalent tax but another
taxing portion Of the community in order that you may
relieve another He did know what the feeling OF the
West but he knew how his constituents would regard
this they looked upon the post office the only
benefit which they received in compensation for the Of
taxation under which they at present labored.
The agricultural population Of the South and West received
and very few letters he could not imagine that any
of