Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-04-16
CONGRESS-.

treaty. He said it was altogether unexpected to
MN here and at this time TO defend that treaty..
and the correspondence accompanying it. 1t is
past transaction. Four years have elapsed
since 1t became law OF the land. 1t received
the sanction of fve-sixths Of the Senate larger
vote than was ever before given, he believed, for
disputed treaty. Mr.. Webster said 1t was
known that the treaty came very improperly be-
lore the public by pece-mea, rather than in full.
he wished this had been otherwise, for then this
defence might not have been needed. The ,rea-
" IN question was to settle matters long depend
ing; some of them for fifty years end more. Mr..
w. proceeded briefly to state them, beginning
with the treaty of 1888, the treaty of 1903, and
the Northeastern boundary. The latter from the
time OF Washington down had been regarded as
one OF great difficulty.-Mr. Van Buren, COM
menced his administration by declaring it should
be settled, but had rather advanced backwards in
the effort. Hehad left the question greatly worse
than he had found it. Mr.. Webster said tina,
when Mr.. Fox presented the subject to him, he
proposed that line should be made by Conven-
ton. He then detailed the proposition to the
State OF Maine to appoint Commissioners and
agree TO conventional line; the interview be-
tween Lord Aberdeen and Mr.. Everett, when in
formation was given Of the intention of the Bril-
fish government to send Lord Ashburton TO the
United States, and other occurrences of interest,
He next took up the remark of Mr.. Dix of N. Y.
that we had surrendered by the treaty a good
military communication of great value to Great
Britain. Mr.. Dix here said his authority was
the debates in the British Parliament, and pro-
duced 1t. Mr.. Webster replied that it was all a
mistake, and showed from our own SURVEYS that
the British estimates Of a road to Canada were
based entirely upon misunderstanding of the
question. Besides, if we had made surrender
OF this sort, it was forty times counterbalanced by
the surrender of Ronse's Point to US, and with it
10000 acres of land to Vermont, and loo, 900 to
New Hampshire, and the navigation of ST. Johns
to Maine, and the large equivalent in money to
Maine. Mr.. Webster here suspended his re-.
marks, and the Senate adjourned.
In the House, the Committee on Elections
asked to be discharged from the farther conslde-
ration of the petition from New Hampshire against
the right of the Representatives from that State
to their seats. not being elected in accordance
with the District law. Mr.. Culver opposed it,
He was for requiring the Committee to report the
fact whether or not they were elected according
TO law. The subject was finally laid upon the
table. The Committee on the Judiciary reported
bill to create the office Of Assistant Secretary of
State. The Cumberland Road bill was again Ia.
ken up for consideration, and substitute pro.
posed, appropriating land instead of money,
htxt,
upon the bill.
On Tuesday in the Senate, Mr.. Webster re-
sumed his speech upon the Ashburton treaty.
He spoke of the Mcleod and Caroline affair."
The Caroline was burnt in 1888, during the first
year of MIR. Van Buren's Administration, and
Mcleod was arrested in 1910 while on a visit to
New York. The British Government avowed
the act of the burning of the Caroline, and Mr..
Fox assumed in the name of his government
that it was done by authority. Lord Palmerston
avowed it to Mr.. Stevenson, and what did Mr..
Van Buren, do to obtain redress! NOTHING until
Mcleod was arrested in ls4O--an act which in
famed the British government, and produced as
much excitement in England as similar event
would have caused amongst US. Was it right
lion and fall upon the lamb, as was done, by say
ing nothing of the burning Of the Caroline. and
by making an officer Of the British Government,
a prisoner for an act which his Government had A.
vowed? Gen. Harrison felt that the British Go.
vernment was wrong, responsible, and accounta-
BILE, for the burning Of the Caroline, and he felt
that Mcleod ought not TO be made prisoner.
But over the Imprisonment the General Govern
ment had no CONTROL except to see, as far as could
be done, tina, he had fair trial. This was done,
and it is all that was done by the Government.
Here MIR. Webster took up the speech of Mr.. G.
j. Ipgersoll made in the House, and the speech
of Mr.. Dickinson, charging Mr.. w. with trans
actions and proposals dishonorable to himself
and to the country. The charge of writing to
Gov Seward in the manner stated, he pronounced
to be absolutely false. and spoke in the most con-
temptuous and scathing terms of the author and
endorser. Mr.. Webster concluded with a rapid
review of the remaining articles of the treaty,
claiming some merit for that in regard to Impress
men, and for the article providing for the surren-
der of fugitves from justice.
In the House, the Cumberland Road bill was
the order Of the day. After some time spent up
on it. the bill was rejected by refusing to order
the main question after there had been second.
Under the rule therefore, it cannot be acted upon
again at the present session Of Congress.
On Wednesday, in the Senate, Mr.. Dickinson
of N. Y. offered resolution calling upon the
President for information relative to the right of
search, and complaining of undue nterferences
with the commerce Of the u. States since the
treaty of Washington. The resolution was a.
dopted without objection. Mr.. Clayton's resolu-