Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-02-20
CONGRESS,

were presented from New York by Mr. Dix for
the annexation of Canada, and against the annex
alton of Texas. The committee on printing re-
ported in favor Of printing twenty thousand CO.
pies OF Mr.. Archer's Report from the Committee
on Foreign Relations, against the power of Con-
gress to annex Texas by legislative act. The
extra copies were ordered. The Pension bill. the
bill for the support of the Post-office department.
and the Fertilization bill, were ordered to third
reading. The bill providing indemnifca,on for
French spoliations prior to 1900, after an able
speech from Mr.. Choate, was also ordered to
third reading, by vote of &c to Is.
In the House, the bill from the Senate to re-
duce the rates of postage was read twice, ordered
to be printed, and referred TO the committee of the
whole. resolution was adopted authorizing
Mr.. Morse to inform the House as to moro ex-
peditous mode Of taking the yeas and nays
Agreeably to an order adopted, the day was de.
voted chiefly to territorial business. A bill to
provide for paying the Iowa militia for services
performed by them in their border conflict with
Missouri, after being debated for about two hours,
was laid aside. motion was then made to take
up the bill admitting the Territories of Iowa and
Florida into the Union as States. The House on
this motion found itself without quorum, until
three counts had been made. The bill was then
read, and amendments offered, but there was no
action upon them.
On Tuesday, in the Senate the debate ON the
Texas question was postponed, on the motion of
Mr.. Archer, until Thursday. Mr.. Moorehead in
tlmated willingness to open the debate, if the
Senate did not wish to postpone. The bill from
the House authorizing the Postmaster General to
make contracts for carrying the mails upon Rail-
roads, without advertising, was passed.
In the House, number of Territorial bills
were passed-among them an act providing for
the payment of military services in Florida. The
bill to admit Iowa and Florida as States was then
taken up in committee of the whole. The boun.
diaries proposed for Iowa made it 10 contain near
ly 10000 square miles. Mr.. Duncan had moved
an amendment by which it should not exceed 49,
600 square miles. In the case of Florida it was
proposed to make two States out Of the territory
and the question was discussed as one of power
between the Slave and non-Slavehodng States
MIR. Duncans amendment was finally adopted
yeas 81, nays &c. The next section of the bill
providing for the admission Of Florida, embodied
proviso that there should be two States formed
out of the territory, and that neither of these
should have the power of aboishing slavery.
was opposed by Mr.. Hunt, of N. York, and sus-
tanned by Mr.. Levy, the delegate from Florida.
The proviso was stricken out by vote of sc to
56. Mr.. Morse, of Maine, then moved an a.
mendment, providing that Florida should not be
admitted as State until that article Of its Con-
st Ua
General Assembly Of Florida shall not abolish
Slavery. Mr.. A. V. Brown, of Tenn opposed
the amendment, when a motion was made that
the committee rise. The vote on this motion was
76 to &c, when the Chairman of the Committee,
MIR. Davis of Ind voting in the affirmative, it was
carried, and the committee rose. A motion was
then made to adjourn, which was lost. Mr.. Cave
Johnson thereupon offered resolution to close
the debate on the bill in fifteen minutes, and the
previous question was called. Mr.Adams moved
that the House adjourn. The Speaker decided
the motion not be in order. Mr.. Adams then
moved TO lay the resolution upon the tabie-pend-
ing which the House adjourned in much coDfu.
sion.
On Wednesday, the ceremony Of counting the
votes Of the Presidential Electoral COLLEGES. took
PIace-the Senators meeting with the Represen.
tatives in the Hall Of the House. A crowd of
ladies were in attendance, who occupied large
portion OF the galleries. Mr.. Mangum, the Pre-
sldent of the Senate, took the Speakers chair,
and Mr.. Jones, the Speaker Of the House, occu-
pied seat on his left. The Joint Committee for
counting the votes took seats at the Clerks table.
The Clerk Of the Senate had in CHARGE q box
containing the returns, which the President OF
the Senate opened, handing the certificates over
to Mr.. Walker, one of the Joint Committee, who
read the same in the hearing of the two Houses
After the certificates were read and the votes
counted, Mr.. Walker reported the result TO the
nresdinn nfIicnr Ar Mnnnnno III .-.--...-....1