Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-08-06

rum being present and proceeded to vote on a
amendments TO the Postage bill, but several mem
bors withdrew, and there being no quorum present
to acl on the amendments 10 the bill, the Commit
tee rose, and ut half past one o'clock the House
adjourned.
THURSDAY, July 30.
SENATE, The special order being the House
Resolution regulating the prices and manner of
executing the public printing, that was next taken
up One or two motions made TO postpone
the subject until tomorrow, and take up the Tex
as Navy bill or the Sub-Treasury bill but tho mo-
ton to postpone was lost: Yeas 2S-Nays H.
The Printing Resolution was then debated by
Mcssrs. Wescoti, Ponnybacker, Evans, Atheron,
Cameron, j. NJ. Clayton and Mangum, after which
the resolution was passed Yeas 2o--Nays 10.
The Sub Treasury bill was then akeu up, for
further considerations After long debate, in
which Messrs. Allen, Benton, Calhoun, Webster
Lewis, Speight, r. Johnson aud others participated
The amendment authorizing the circulation Of
Treasury drafts was rejected Yeas ~ Nays 40
One amendment offered by Mr. Cameron was a
dopied requiring the Secretary Of the Treasury to
publish the amount of specie at the several places
Of deposit, the amount Of Treasury notes drafts
issued, and the amount outstanding at the close Of
every month.
An amendment was also adopted, requiring the
consent Of the public creditor to his payment in
Treasury notes or drafts before he shall be paid
number Of slight amendments were also a.
greed TO. The bill was then ordered to third
reading without division, and on motion OF Mr.
Evans, who designed to speak against it, it was or
dered that the thrd reading take place tomorrow
at one O'Clock.
The Senate was then adjourned.
HOUSE. The House went into Committee ofthe
Whole, Mr. Reid in the chair, and resumed the
consideration Of the Post Office Bill. In short
time it was found there was no quorum present.
whereupon the Committee rose.
Mr. Hopkins now moved substitute for the
whole bill.
Mr.. Rathbun moved to lay the whole subject on
the table, and the yeas and nays were ordered
Yeas SG-Nays 81.
The previous question was then called for.
Mr.. Hamlin moved to amend Mr. Hopkins Il.
mendment, SO as to advertise Post Office letters in
such newspapers the Post Master may select,
,ciihom regard 10 circulation.
On this the yeas and nays were ordered, and
stood-Yeas 81, Nays 90. SO The amendment ,raS
rejected
Mr.. Hopkins substitute was next put to vote
Yeas 81, Nays 96-and rejected A motion TO
reconsider this vote made, and a motion to lay
this motion on the table made, and on it the
yeas and nays were ordered. They stood, Yeas
81, Nays S4 so the motion to reconsider was laid
on the table. This closed the progress Of the bill
| The House then resolved Itself into Committee,
Houston, of Alabama, in the chair, when great CON
fusion prevailed on the question to what bill
| should first be considered
Finally, the bill from the Senate 10 refund du
ties on tonnage Of Spanish vessels in certain cases
was taken up, agreed to- and laid aside to be repor
ted to the House iol passage.
The French Spoliaion bill from the Senate was
next taken up.
Mr. Giles, of Md advocated the claims as just
Mr.. Thurman, Of Ohio, opposed the bill with
| great armth. The Committee then rose, and the
House took up and passed the special bill, making
provision for the redemption of certain Treasury
notes that had been stolen altered and put in crcu
| ation at New-Orleans
Adjourned.
FRIDAY, July 81.
| SENATE.-A bill surrendering to the State of
! Tennessee certain lands belonging to the u. S,
unsaleabe and of little value, for the purpose of
endowng a college in East Tennessee, was passed.
| Mr.. Breese, from the committee on public lands.
made report, accompanied by bill granting to
! Asa Whitney, and such others might be asso-
cated with him, for the purpose of constructing Il
railroad from any point in the United States to the
Pacific ocean, all the public lands lying within
! thirty miles on both sides of the road.
! Mr. Benton astonlshed that any such ride
ulous scheme had found its way into the Senate.
| 1t was the most audacous proposition he had ever
! heard Of II was to give ninety millions of acres
of land to make what could not be made, railroad
! some 5000 miles N length, over mountains some
thousands Of feet high. The whole thing was an
absurdity. If such things were tolerated he should
not be surprised to see proposition TO administer
the government for specific sum seriously enter
! tanned.
Mr.. Breeso said the subject had been properly
introduced into the Senate through the usual chan
mel, upon the petition Of number Of citizens o!
Indiana, well as Of the individual named in the
bill, and the report was made unanimously by the
committee on the public lands. IT was no vsiona-
ry scheme, but one OF vast Importance to the com
mecial relations of the States, and there no
other way in which the ROAD could be constructed.
| 1t was true 1t was 10 give ninety millions OF acres
of land for the construction of the road, but with
out its construction these lands would never be
1 worth dollar to the government, and they were
only to be given in certain quantities, the road
made. If the project was carried out, the gov
crnment would have road 5000 miles in length
which would cost them absolutely nothing.
The motion to lay on the table was negatyed
and motion TO print WIS agreed to-
The bill to incorporate the navy of Texas with
that Of the United States was then taken up.
Mr.. Houston made speech of some length in
favor of the bill. He contended that there an
implied pledge in the act Of annexation, to receive
the officers of the Texan service into our own, and
he appealed to the honor OF the Senate to redeem
the pledge. Texas did not solicit it as favor
she demanded it as a right.
Mr.. Huntington denied that there was any such
pledge in the resolutions of annexation. The ef.
feet of the bill, if passed, would be to oyerslaugI
our own officers.
The question was taken upon the motion of Mr.
Huntington to postpone the bill Indefinitely, and il
was decided in the ADVANTAGEOUS 36, nays Is.
The sub-Treasury bill was then taken up on it:
/ third reading.
t MIR. Evans then spoke for about two hours agains
, the bill. lie could see no necessity for It. The
!, present system works perfectly we'll The money
is collected without difficulty and is perfectly Sc
r cure, and can be placed where it is wanted without
risk, or delay or expense to the government. Any
one connected with the Treasury Department would
confirm the truth of this when asked Thee is NJ
complaint Of the present sysem-it works admira
bly,, and yet we are told that this measure is neces
sary. We are forced into this new and untriet
} experiment at time when its failure would be at
+ tended with the most serious calamity. All thesC
4 experiments are urged upon US at time when We
are at war, and when we are obliged TO rely upoI
! The public credit for the of nrngpcutnr #