The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-02

--Messrs. Calhoun and Buchanan---had concurred
ia an admission of the claim. lie hoped gentlemen
would allow the ball 10 pass without objection -
Mr.. EVANS could not vote for the bill ne
called upon the senator from Arkansas TO aaauce
any proof Of the assertion that the debt haa oeen
ascertaned 10 be due.
Mr.. SEXIE11p~aphs messages Of President ~
tasr and PolkRelh admit that. --,---....,,.,a'
..s Ms' .aSs%S sonssTs' S Of Congress- He
did not believe thai the debt had been sscerained 70
be due How did the claim originated IL turned
out that man called Snyely, said TO be colonel
calling himself So collected two hundred men, no,
| in the employment of Texas at al-not authorized
10 be raised as a public force-and went on pred
atory excursion, plunderng caravans OF travellers
on the way to Santa Fe, IL did, indeed, seem 'nal
the Secretary Of War and Marine Of Texas had CIV
en- him some sort Of authority 10 plumber, on eondl-
lion that he would pay half Of It into the treasury
of Texas Well, he started on his expedi'
ltion, understanding that a eonsiderabe body
of traders were on their way 10 Santa fe They
had notice however, of his design, and applied 10
the United States for a military escort, when was
| was furnished and the commander, aware that the
limits of the United States would not be respected,
! actually encountered this "Cclonel" Snively with
in the limits of the United States, as their authon-
ties affirmed. The commander OF the escort called on
Sniyely for his authority and he produced his IN,
.
his party were disarmed. On that being made
known, a strong demand was made on the United
States government by the Texan charge d'affairs
He demanded a eourt-manial, and insisted that the
officer should be discharged. There was a court
martial and il exoneraied that officer completely,
and found that his conduct was worthy Of approval,
and il was officially approved. Why then pay this
claim But the ground taken was, that Snyely
thought he was within the limits OF Texas and that
il was an invasion of the limits Of Texas on our
part and an act Of yiolencs He for one, was con
tent that the amount OF the arms should be PAID,
. but no more. The State Of Texas--t was now, he
believed, a State--had no further claim than any
other State. The other ground taken was entirely
4 untenabe.
: goods on the Red ryer--he believed il was on the
Red river the collector supposed there was an IN
tention TO smuggle the goods, and he seized them.
The owners went and represented that part Of these
goods belonged to the United States, and were on
the way TO one Of the garrisons and that the other
part had been landed there IN stress OF weather.
Then the Texan authorities ordered their releases
but in the mean time, the captain collects a lawless
, band reshipped them. And now 1t was demanded
that the United States should pay for them-on
what ground That IL was done under the command
( of a military force Of the United States. Well, that
4 Is plausible; but il turned out that there not
word of truth in il. Still the claim was insisted up
on on the ground that these persons were ciuzens oil
the United States. To pay the demand, would be
h TO establish the principle, that whenever wrong
4 was committed by citizens OF the United States
the government was to pay for it. Il was said
that the SECRETARY Of State Mr.. CuHousl had adj
mitted the claim. IL was not so. Clearly and sue
cnctly as his CUSTOM he had stated the case and
merely gave final that he could not exercise
J. any jurisdiction in the matter IL was a claim o
4 $50 boo All the items were given. All the goods
were Of little value. He believed that there wac no.
As 600 worth Of goods. Coffee was the most valu
: able article, and there were but few bags Of it
II Fifty thousand dollars worth Of goods was very
large cargo indeed for a steamboat that river. Blu
= what was the evidenced Why that somebody,
r. senator of Texas, ceruhed-not swore-that h
d had heard one Of the owners say that he though
y there were $50 900 worth Of goods on board. Mr.
e E. concluded by saying he would vote against tn
y bill.
Mr.. SEWER had copied the language of tn
! message itself the senator from Maine, WHO hal
objected so much to the phraseology Of the bill
u might take that authority, he thought although HI
d had not much faith in John Tyler. Mr.. 8. thel
10 read the affidavit Of Jas. Borand, collector Of tn
d S54 900; also the affidavit Of James M. Wright, ri
'e old member of the Texan Congress from that dis
l,rict, the effect that the value Of the goods wa
d over $4,000. The gentleman from Maine won
Vi then see, he (Mr 81 thought, that the assertion
of Presidents Tyler and Polk that the debt was as
IN certained to be due, toerably well sustained
Mr.. s. then went to state that the boats had beef
the habit of stopping at the place where the good
y. debt was fairly due, and ought to be paid.
he Mr.. EVANS insisted that the senator who los
r spoke had yet answered his question calling 70
lie the proof on which the claim was founded.
pc Mr.. CALHOUN rose to say avery few words on tn
e. question. As the claim for the arms, there cou
I'd hardly be any difference Of opinion. No further ev
T. dence was wanted that point. The United State
had got possession Of the arms and ought to pay 70
r them. With respect to the seizure of goods no
d. could doubt that great outrage had been sufere
l..T IL he i,,a p.,A kfo
ne an Individual passing the line but il was that
p a considerable force Of armed men-amounting, h
n believed, to forty or fifty men, passing in vic
re lent and lawess manner, Selling the custom hous
or officer, tying him. and taking the goods out of tn
81 stores. He had looked into the with al
tn tention when it had before him in an offcis
at capacity There were authorities on both Sides bu
e, he had given the most weight to those which favor
Sc ed the weaker party. But to put that out of tn
er question great wrong had been done to Texas an
how was it to be redressed but in the mode proposed
ne II was TO be-borne in mind that the line betwee
O Texas and the United States when the former wa
IN an independent republic, was very long passin
III through woods and praries, and frequently formin
ut ground of controversy likely to lead to collision
The present was only one of several cases of lils
character and had it not been for the equivoca pc
of sition of Texas there would have been treaty en-
IS, bracing settlement Of this boundary line. As
II waa why refuse to settle the matter in the
ner proposed by the billi
Mr. Ef hI$to uei WiuluieW HIS original anleft
y, ment, and proposed the following as a substitute
i'd Strike out all after the ensc,ing clause and inser
"That there he paid to the State of Texas the sui
res of Sl975, being the Of the value of cerai
lat arms taken by officer of the United States fror
IN. body of Texan volunteers under the command
ms ns Col. Snively, in the month of June, lS43"
on Mr.. DAVIS briefly stated his reasons for votie
against the bill, Its PASSAGE .'Hos, 80
mt es,ahGaIA1s.,sn would ask what redress Texas wa
v. to get When she was independent che could hay
mt demanded redress; but longer in her powe
S9ad The senator suggest snY a'heS moa
then advered to the case oftho capture of the steam
boat "Carone."
s, Mr.. DAVIS. That was by order of the British
IF government.
ID Mr.: SEWER. No. 1t was the act of a IawIes
mob, headed by an indivdual-who indeed was after
i wards knghted. instead of being hung. Texas i
no longer capable OF asserting her rights as an indie
m pendent government; but were thew on that
!. 10 ansnend nauuaant nf N Al. IL; Il 49, u