Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-02-22

The French Spohaton bill passed informally for
this day
The bill to reduce the pay of the army was received twice
read, and referred.
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
The Senate has had under consideration every day Of the
week the joint resolutions from the House OF Representatives
for the annexation of Texas to the United States On this
subject the following Senators have made speeches;
Mr.. WOODBURY. addressed the Senate in series OF OBJ
seryaons strongly in favor OF the joint resolutions received
from the House He contended for the constuhonay Of
these resolutions the necessity for coming to conclusion upon
the subject and its great value and importance. Mr.. W.
spoke nearly three houts.
Mr. CHOATE addressed the Senate at great length in OPP
position TO the joint resolutions received from the House Of
Representatives, opposing them the ground Of their
stutionahy. His speech brilliant and effective one
and occupied nearly three hours in its delivery
Mr. HENDERSON supported the constutionality of the
resolutions He examined the report Of the Committee For
egn Relations and denied the of the conclusions
therein. He argued that there nothing in the existing
relations between this country and Mexico and nothing the
relations between Mexico and Texas which rendered the adop
ton of the joint resolutions either breach Of the national
faith violation Of any obligations, either political moral
due from the United States to any foreign nation whatever
Mr.. IL. recapulaied the different arguments which had
been used against the adoption of the resolutions and conc
ed with expressing his conviction that Congress fully
petent to adopt tem and that expeden and proper
to do so.
Mr.. BARROW denied that the election of Mr. Polk was
evidence that the people the country had expressed their
desire for the annexation of Texas and had settled the ques
ton in the affirmative He argued strongly against the
stituonaly Of the joint resolutions Besides the constu
tona objection, he entertained strong objections to the expe
dency of annexation these points Mr. b. stated considerable
length and with much force.
Mr. b. said that all the which he had heard favor
of the annexation Of Texas might be reduced to FIVE These
were extend the of freedom strengthen the deences
of New Orleans, prevent England from gaining
dency in Texas to open market for Northern manufactures
and Western produce, and to strengthen the South.
He examined these different motives for annexation, and
denounced them all false in their principles and calculated
to be injurious in their operation.
Mr. COLQITITT addressed the Senate for more than two
hours defence of the joint resolutions which he defended
the consuonay of the resolutions and warmly advocated
the annexation of Texas.
Mr.. SIMMONS replied to Mr. CoLauIrr. He deprecated
the mixing up any false issues questions with
the avowed object of the resolutions before the Senate He
said that the assertion that Texas knocking door
for admission not in his opinion well founded and vet
that urged Of the foundations for the now
under consideration
He conovered the idea thrown by the Senator from
Mississippi, (r WALKER, that Rhode Island and North
Carolina admitted foreign States. Rhode Island was
probably the Oldest State in the world having written Con
stuton, embodyng all the great principles Of civil and re
gous liberty and he believed that in point of repubcanism
the people of Rhode Island had good right be cons
dered part of the original United States any State in the
union Rhode Island not to be called foreign
State nor her admission into the Union cited precedent
for the admission of Texas Rhode Island was admit
examined the history and the Of Rhode Island through
out the Revolutionary war; and he said if honorable
had been better acquainted with facts they would have hesaed
before they called Rhode Island alien and foreign
MIR. >. examined the constitutional ground assumed by
the Senator from Georgia, (Mr CoLauITT) and made an
elaborate argument deduced from his view of the Constt-
ton, IN opposition TO the annexation of Texas upon the pr
pes OF the joint resolution passed by the House Of Repre-
eataSes In 1887 Texas applied for admission into the
Union There was in his opinion, much the mode Of an
nexauon then proposed which preferable the now
before the Senate He denied the necessity haste in this mat
ter arising from any interference with the question by Eng
land she had denied all inclination interfere and he be-
ieved her; and if she did violate her word, she was re-
sponsbe nation, and might be held All the views
ne could take OF the question seemed to point the pro-
pretty OF negotiation preliminary STEP He examined the
JOINT resolution received from the House of Representatives
and strongly deprecated its adoption He denied that Texas
was now knocking door for admission. This is
made to operate upon the decision of Congress There
no application OF the kind Texas desire xaion
with but there evidence of it in the shape of apy an
plicaion on her part.
The resolution he adopted without violation of the
Constitution Mr. Jeersons opinions had been quoted with
respect to the admission of States and his competency as
an authority lad been denied Mr. s. advocated Mr. Jeer
son competency and paid great respect his opinion Sym
pay for Texas and ought be felt but those who had
voluntarily gone out from the land Of their birth and made
Texas their home have 6am upon endanger the
ebeing OF the country by extending them
We were not bound TO leopard the peace of the United
States to promote the good Of any foreign people whatever
the annexation of Texas really desired by the people Of
The United States that annexation could be effected by SAFE
honorable and constitutional he did regard the
solution before the Senate conducting that result by such
means
Mr. MERRICK said he had labored long and earnestly to
arrive at correct view Of the question before the Senate but
he afraid the conclusions he had arrived at and the opin
ions be should declare would prove acceptable many
of his friends on that floor.
He argued that the Constitution gave to Congress the
power to admit Texas into the Union in the mode pro
posed and under discussion He quoted very largely from
an argument OF Luther Martin in favor Of the opinions he
was advocating He denied the paramount authority Of the
treaty making power ii merely auxiliary, subordi-
nate power, granted control abrdge the power of
other branches of the Government but to aid and them
The great object in establishing the treaty making power was
provide for secrecy, security and despatch the prosecu
ton Of negotiations with foreign Governments, and any
desire TO prevent abuse OF power the part of Congress
The making power necessary to the passage Of
the resolution before the Senate would il be in
fringed by its adoption
The joint resolution on the table was not treaty. nor
would the passage Of by the Senate he infringement
OF the Constitution either in letter spirit but would be in
accordance with the practice Of the Government from the
establishment Of the Constitution to the present
Nature had pointed the proprety Of annexng Texas to
the Union No could look upon the map OF Texas with
out percevng this He argued the commercial expedency
Of the proposed union with Texas
he considered that the principal ground Of opposition this
whether slavery should have the power ofexpand
ing ITSELF whether to be shut up and cramped with
in its present bounds until by the natural results the section
Of country where slavery existed would be safe for white
TO reside and must be given up the possession Of
the African He could not, Southern man. as a
Maryander, representative Of the people of Maryland
State which had the institution Of slavery her bosom If
the moment when he should give his vote in favor Of this
resolution should prove the last OF his existence he felt that
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