Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-04-20
The Closing Scene.

we copy the following brief notice Of the result
| OF the Oregon Debate in the Senate:
The debate in the Senate on the Oregon Question clo
sed yesterday about o'clock, and resulted in n vote
which but think highly suspicious TO the pre-
servaton OF the peace Of the county The amendment
to the resolution OF the House Of Representatives org
naly submitted by Mr. Crtendcn and altered ut the sug
gesion of Mr.. Johnson. of Maryland, was adopted us
substitute for that and all other propositions before the
nate The resolution finally adopted will be found
its place in another part OF paper As thus amended
the resolution agreeable OF those who were
regarded 81 40 men. Mr.. Allen. the Chairman of the
Committee Foreign Relations Mr.. Cass. Mr.. Hanne
gam aud others, voted against final passage,
will be Mr.. Evans, Mr.. T Clayton, and Mr. West
cot also voted against the resolution but presume for
very dieren, these gentlemen being of opinion
that no resolution OF notice all ought pass The final
vote was very strong-+0 TO L. Ii we add to the 40
and take from the II the three gentlemen who are oppo.
sed to nouce IN any FORM the result would appear be-
that, out of 81 Senators present 10 ntmated distinctly
their opinion that the Oregon dispute ought TO be com
promised and of the remaining III doubt not tina,
majority would be in favor OF compromise on the basis
often mentioned, II treaty that effect should come
before the Senate.
"The House OF Representatives may or may not concur
in this amendment of the Senate. We hope they will
but they should NOT quite obvious that looking
the probability of settlement by compromise the state
OF opinion in the Sspate OF fret and greatest
importance"
While we believe that the adoption by the Sc.
nate of the resolution sent TO that body by the
House of Representatives, would almost neces.
sarily have led TO a war, il not Immediately, at
the expiration of the twelve months after the no.
tice should be given TO Great Britain we are not
so sangulne as the lntelligencer appears to be
that that calamity will be avoided, should the
House, recedIng from its former position, agree to
the resolution amended. This doubt is not
founded upon the offensive character OF the notice
proposed for II is eminently pacific in it's tone.
and wholly unobjectionabIe in its term. but upon
the probability (to say the least of i) that Great
Britain will not consent to a compromise Of the
question the parallel of 40, unless, in the lam
guage of the London Times, "the free, not the
sole navigation of the Columbia River" be assent
ed to; and upon the even greater probability,
should that be her ultimatum, that the President
will never yield to that demand. Great Britain,
it will be remembered, has thrice rejected more
advantageous terms than those proposed by Mr.
Buchanan to SIR K. Pakenham. Is it reasonable
TO presume that she will now consent TO treaty
by which she is TO be restricted to narrower limits
than on so many occasions previously we had in
timated a willingness to accord to herr We fear
not. Nevertheless, we hope the House of Rep.
| resentatives may concur in the amendment pro-
| posed by the Senate to its resolution, because
whatever may be the result of the notice given,
! in the form proposed, do not believe that the
relations between The two countries can be rem
dered more critical and precarious, than, under
existing circumstances, they must be, even in the
absence OF all legislation the subject.
/ We transfer to our columns the keen sparring
which took place between Messrs. Allen and
! Crttenden, after the adoption of the amendment
| by the Senate. The Ohio Senator, losing all
command of Lis temper, INDUCED in structures
upon the course of the majority of that body, well
calculated to give offence, both from their VIC.
lence and their arrogance. The rebuke of Mr.
CrIttendeD, though severe, was richly meritcd
and we hope it will not be without a salutary eff.
feet upon the future conduct of the Chairman of
the Committee of Foreign Relations. He mani.
testify quailed under the powerful blows of his
opponent; and, We think il will be admitted by
his most partial friends, thai however boldly, in
the beginning of this keen encounter, he stood
up to the line Of "a 40, he was very willing, be.
fore it terminated to compromise upon 40