The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-19

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Mr.. HARRISON said the bill merely provided
Tor the payment Of moneys stipulated by treaty.
Mr.. CULVER said he supposed il was compe
tent for the House To judge whether money should
be paid for illegal i;sns or not.
Mr.. G. s. HOUSTON invited Mr.. Culver u
point out that parl Of the treaty which included OF
spoke Of fugitive slaves, if there was anything Of
the kind in il.
Mr.. CULVER said that the gentleman [Mr
MchATl had been so impatient 10 get. the treaty
back into his own hands that he (Mr. c. had
not had time to examine its provisions.
Mr.. MCKAY said tEst il the gentleman would
turn to pages 30 aud 80 of the bill, he would find
the various articles Of the treaty referred to, show
ing the several objects ofspProPriaton. There was
nothing about fugitive slaves.
Some further conversation followed, in which
Messrs. CULVER, Mckay, aud GEO. S. HoUS'
TON participated.
Mr.. GIDDlNGS called upon any member to lay
his hand, II he could, upon the consideration for
which the House was called upon to vote S205, 600
Gentlemen knew nothing at all about the treaty
It had never been Printsdi it had, IN fact, been
kept secret from the members Of the House,
and, with the exception OF the chairman OF the
Committee OF Ways and Means, and three other
gentlemen who had had access TO the intelligence,
no one knew anything about 1t. Every cent Of this
money, he commended, wns appropriated in conse-
quence OF controversies. about fugitive slaves The
treaty OF lSI5 had its origin on that ground. To
sustain his assertion, Mr.. G. adveTted to the origin
OF the Florida war, and went into an argument TO
show that there was no power under the constllu.
tion Of the United States 10 tax the people Of the
North for tue purpose Of sustaining the slave lnSti-
tutlons Of the South.
Mr.. JACOB THOMPSON desired to be in
formed why this discussion should lie gone into,
less the gentleman could frst show that some por-
ton Of the money appropriated by the bill was in
tended for such purpose,
Mr.. GlDDlNGS SAID he had stated that every
cent under the treaty Of l94j was appropriated in
Of controversies about fugitive slaves.
Mr.. THOMPSON sad the gentleman had not
shown that any portion Of this appropriation went
for that object.
Mr.. GlDDINGS said every cent Of it did-be-
cause the treaty had had its origin in that difficulty.
Mr.. TIDBATTS inquired Of Mr.. GIDDISGs
whether he Mr.. q had not acted attorney
for gentleman who was in pursuit Of fugitive
slaves in Ohio;
Mr.. GlDDINGS said be thanked God he never
bad acted and never should act so whilst he lived
Let him be Slandered IN any way under heaven but
hat. He had never yet loved his fee SO well as to
sacrifice for its sake his feelings of humanity.
Mr.. G., continuing his constitutional argument
referred to the great weight which this question was
destined TO have in future elections IN the State
of Ohio. This called up
Mr.. SAWYER, who said that before his col
oague entered upon any TRADE OF this kind, he
should prove that such state Of things as he had
stated to exist did exist. He (Mr. 81 denied IT,
He ayowed that the appropriation was not for any
such object his colleague asserted. lit was
lei him show II, and the information should govern
his Mr. S.'s) vote.
Mr.. GIDDlNGS felt humbIed he said, at the
idea of a representative of the great aud gallant
State OF ONO, praying Information IN relation TO an
like this which he was called upon
10 give his vote.
Mr.. q. also asserted that two Of the representa-
lives from the State Of Indiana had been defeated
At the last election solely on this question be cause
he people regarded them as failing to maintain the
rights of their own States.
This declaration called up
Mr.. CATHCART, who said that he appened 10
De of those who elected follow in the steps
IF one Of those gentlemen who had been left at home
md he could say that the gentleman from Ohio Mr.
IipDIHGS mistaken 10 the reason no had as.
gned for the detention at home Of his (Mr C.'s)
predecessor The simple reason was, because he
sided hide too FAR with the gentleman from Ohio,
Mr.. GIDDINGS was understood to say, proba-
bly, the gentlemen was correct He (Mr. G. had
only his MI C.'sl predecessors word for il.
Mr.. q. finally urged that when the bill came into
she House, the yeas and nays should he lnken that
The record nigh, show how every member had
voted.
behalf of the Committee of Ways and Means. This
bill proposed appropriations to meet the current
expenses OF the Indian department, end for the full
hlment Of the treaties made with the various Indian
tribes of our country at various times, from the or
ganzation of our government in 1859, down to jan
uary 7th, 1S45, Now, all that the Committee Of
Ways and Means conceived to be its duty, when
asked to report bill for these appropriations, of
which estimates were furnished them, was TO ascer-
tain whether, or not, these estimates of appropria-
tons in conformity with existing treaties; and
finding them to lie so, the Committee of WAYS
and Means did not by any means feel it to be its
duty TO go back behind the treaties to examine the
considerations which induced the parties to enter
into them. The considerations presented by the
gentleman from Ohio, mir. GlpDINGs, might per-
haps have been addressed with some propriety-
a. least by him, entertaining the views he did,
having a great sympathy with everything that
pertained to this subjec,--to the Senate of the
United States, when the treaty was before it.
But here they were wholly inappropriate. The
treaty has been made by that branch Of the govern
ment entrusted with the atymaking power; it has
been ratified, and by virtue of the constitution it has
become the supreme law of the land. The amend.
ment Of the gentleman from New York had refer
10 the treaty of 1915, and the whole speech OF
the gentleman from Ohio was predicated upon it,
Now, in that treaty there not single word in
regard to fugitive slaves. The gentleman wished
he would have them; and he would ask any mem.
Der Of this committee, belonging to what party he
may, entertaining what fanatica notions he mo
upon the subject of slavery, after treaty has beer
made with poor, dependant tribe Of Indians, how
on what grounds Of reason of justice, he could
vote against making the appropriation necessary tc
carry out that treaty. He held that the House o
Representatives has the power to withhold sup
plies even when called for under treaty; he held
that grand conservative principle; and if cas-,
we're made out, he would vote to withhold supple,
in case of treaty with great nation; but he asked
If there was any man-even the gentleman from
Ohio who had such a sympathy with the negroe,
land he supposed he might extend some measure o
1t to the Indians whose color approxmated tc
theirs was there any man here who had proper
feelings, a proper heart, who would refuse TO vo,
money which your government, the President an,
Senate the treaty making power bad agreed to pa,
a poor dofencelcss tribe of Indians, who, by tn
very constitution Of our country, made one o
the wards of the government--who are in a state o
pupage TO your Yet the gentleman stands her
and says he will resist this appropriation Of none,
proposed TO be made to this poor, dependant, much
neglected, much-abused race of menl That doc
trine on the part Of the gentleman is monstrous.
Mr.. GlDDlNGS said he went not one step be
bind the gentleman from North Carolina in point O
| sympathy; but il we had President and Senate