The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-05

Mr.. J. M. CLAYTON hoped the amendment
would not prevail. The effect would be 10 destroy
entirely the beneficial operation Of the bill
The question was then put, and the amendment
was rejected.
Mr.. r. JOHNSON expressed himself in favor Of
the general objects Of the BILL
The bill as amended was then reported to the Sen
ate, and the amendments were concured in.
The question was then pot on ordering the ball 10
be engrossed and read third time.
Mr.. STURGEON asked for the yeas and nays,
and they seconded, ordered, and taken, with
the following results
YEAs-Aessrs. Archer Barrow, Beuien, Calhoun,
Chalmers, John NJ caytoA, Thomas Clayton. COlquitt,
johnson Of Msrya land, Lewis. MeDufe. Mangum, Phelps
simmons, sPsisht. UPhsm, Webster Woodbridge, and
NAYs-Messrs. Allen, Ashley AthertOn. Bsgby, Ben.
ton Bright Cameron csa. Siilsy Rsy'I5 piesin,T Ia
SEWER, Sturgeon, and furney-2l.
SO the bill was ordered to be read third time.
Mr.. EVANS moved that it be read third time by
its title.
Mr.. ATHERToN objected; and then on motion
Of
Mr.. LEWIS. the Senate proceeded to the cOn.id-
Grafton Of the
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATION BLL,
ss in committee Of the whole; when in pursuance OF
notice given yesterday,
Mr.. BENTON rose and proposed to amend the
bill by inserting as follows
For paying principal and interest Of the fourth and
hh insslmsns Of the Mexican indsmnites due IN April
the claimants, each for himself shall relnquiSh to the
United States his right to said instsments"
Mr.. B. supported his amendment in brief speech,
in which he undertook to show that the United
States, by It's own conduct, ana by the mismanage-
ment Of It's agent, had made itself liable for these two
instalments. He said that, by the first convention
with Mexico for the setsment and payment Of these
| claims when claim was allowed the party was TO
receive the whole amount paid down to himself, In
Mexican treasury notes, receivable at the seaport
custo m-houses in payment Of all duties, either Of
ex port or import, and bearing interest Of eight
per cent This convention, 80 favorable to their In
terests was altered in the subsequent convention To
| quarterly payments through five years, TO be made
in gold and silver coin, and agent to be appointed
by the government TO receive and remit the hard
money. This second convention was wholly the
act Of the government, and Mr. Voss, the agent APP
pointed, was the government agent, and not the
agent Of the claimants The three first instruments
were paid and came TO the hands Of the claimants.
The fourth and fifth instruments recCipted for
by the agent, (Voss,) was reported TO govern
ment by the minister, Shannon to have been paid,
and the payment was gaZetted by the American
Secretary Of State Mr.. Calhoun for the informa-
ton Of the claimants. The claimants hocked
to Washington city TO receive their money.
None there! nor any reason for its non .ap-
pearance. The agent (Voss) reported nothing
10 MS government III hDScnCc OF dulncnuC
information, subalten and hearsay testimony was
admitted and Mr.. B. F. Green, who was a secretary
Of legation in Mexico, certified that money was
paid when the receipt given, but only orders for
the amount on the provincial treasures. II this had
been the fact, il gross misconduct on the part
Of the agent and made the government liable 10 the
claimants The mode Of payment had been changed
without their consent, and the benefit to them was
to be in receiving hard money quarterly through
five years. instead of receiving treasury paper TO the
whole amount, with good interest, and receivable in
payment Of all dues Alter this, TO take paper, and
that on prov incial treasures and in twenty quar-
terly payments, was fraud upon the claimants, and
that fraud the act Of the government agent.
But il was not the fact. clause was inserted in
the appropriation bill in l844-45, by which the
United States required to pay these instruments
to the claimants, provided the amount had been
paid to him. This led to an Investigation the
part Of the United States, which has ended in devel.
oping the true character OF the transaction, and
which is truly extraordinary. Our consul in Mexi-
co has obtained copy of the contract made by the
Mexican treasury with an English firm, Mss,r'.
voss, and also of Mr.. Shannon, the American min
ister BY this agreement, the hard mony which
the President, Santa Ana, had raised by forced
loan to pay these instruments, and for raising
which Mr.. Shannon, in official letter, had given
him great credit-this hard money was left
in the treasury, and the two instruments
receipted for as paid, and Tayleur, jamie
son q TO- were 10 advance the nara money
in its place, the Mexican government giving to them
three hundred and eiohtv Thousand doIars in select
"A a., ,,non nh. Hsc,vs hranohas 81 liz ra,.sn,a
Gu uiaiS uPo" ao e,e'usv o'aShes vi 'he ieFo'uie,
payable In the capital, with one and a quarter per
cent. per month on the amount sf the iDsalments
Iao7I e6I until tbev had COLLECTED tho an,on,, of
SS'fv"o' MI Do ""u CoiI.''u uno e"ioun' Vi
inc urHts' MI piach ootalheu copy OF thls con-
tract, which has been communicated TO the Senate
by the President, both IN the original Spanish and
in Engish-a precaution of signal advantage in this
case as the translation in a most material item of
-, 20 400 =: "NO:, - - - ~ -, ~, VI
Sioo,ouV, ID hopsehcicai ana uhihteihgiole' Inc
contrast IS IN these words.
rTranslation of Nolo,
tio" Vi w. ~
goPepumep for the payment q the ouart.riv nstamen,s
due and payable to the United State, of America:
THE following orders are to be delivered An order to
the general treasury to issue dra trequiston) the
revenue ron tobacco ior to be paid pnnctualy in
sanotber to the general treasury 10 draft FIR
$50 900 on Messrs Manning 4 Mackintosh, out Of the
amounts collected by the forced loan
TO he general treasury in our iavor on the
sra Cu on the s of to h sn sn os S1
"Another to the general treasury that the drafts issued