The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-06
THE DAILY UNION


and Of all other gentlemen, n his time allowed.
He desired to do no gentleman injustice; and IL he
did not represent their posiuoDs enilrey satisac-
tory TO gentle men, they could take their chance for
the floor as he had done.
But the gentleman from Kentucky Mr.. q.
DAVIS, and the gentleman from Indiana, Mr.. G. b.
SAIrH,l who had made illusions TO the Mormon
war, had made minority report from the Com
mlttee on Foreign Affairs, IN which they conteneed
that this question Of notice was not one within the
powers Of Congress to act upon. But compare this
with the journal OF last Congress, and what an In
consistency did gentlemen see The gentlemahs
Mr. DAus'sl pote was recorded in favor Of embody-
ing in the bill Of last session the proposition Of
notice. Certainly this presented case which at
east required much explanation AZ the dihcul-
ties attempted TO be thrown around him Mr.. II }
But they might be told by the gentleman from
Kentucky that he had voted for the insertion Of the
notice In order TO defeat the bill. What position
did this explanation PLACE the gentleman ni To
vote for proposition which he believed not only
10 be beyond the power Of Congress TO act upon,
but proposition which he believed would involve
US IN war, and would bring destruction and deyas'
auon upon the interests Of this country in order to
defeat another measure which il was entirely COM
petcnt for this House to pass
But the honorable gentleman from Virginia, Mr..
BAYLr, as well as another Of his colleagues, Mr.
LEAKE, had spoken Of another fact connected with
the vote Of the democratic partyi and had asked II
THIS notice was now party measure, why II was
not equally at the last session OF Congress, when
the entire democratic party, with a few exceptions,
voted against the insertion Of that notice in that BILL
But Mr.. II. referred, in explanation Of this vote,
to the fact that negotiations were then pending on
that subject, and said that these gentlemen were
then opposed to interfering with the executive de-
partment while il was then under consideration.
A voice. "Are not negotiations going on nowp'l
Mr.. DROMGOOLE in his seat) was understood
In remark that ~ WAS immateFal whether thew
were going or mott that If they were, the notice
would not interfere with IT, but would probably
hasten them.
Mr.. HOUSTON, in reply to the anonymous in
qulry, said he understood not, though he did not
profess 10 be in the secrets OF the administration.
lie also mentioned, In ex planation Of the vote OF
democratic members at the last session, against the
insertion Of the notice in the Territorial BILL the fact
that there was at that time their tables resolu-
ton, or bill containing the naked notice, which
many gentlemen wished 10 oct upon separately from
the BILL so that each measure might stand upon its
own merits, and not be prcjudIced by connection
with the other. This he considered full explana-
ton OF the votes OF democratic members at the last
session Of Congress against the insertion Of the
ce in the Territorial bill.
Another consideration which would influence
him, and he presumed would influence other gem
temen who rtuIy desired to egislaie effectively on
the subject Of Oregon He did not wish to be un-
derstoOJ as saying he would subscribe to anything
which might come from the Executive al the United
States. he did not come here to record his vote at
the mere recommendation Of the Executive; never
theless as of the true friends Of Oregon-as one
who wished to protect citizens IN that territory
what, he asked, was II proper to dol Why, the
present President OF The UnIrd States had commit
ted himself in 1929 against Territorial bill without
the notice, and also under TODD To have enter
tanned opinions adverse to some provisions OF
the Territorial bill Of the last Congress Might he
no; feel himself bound by thut cOmmta? And
thereby might not the action Of Congress be defeat
ed unless il so shaped to obvlae these ohec-
tons? Although he (Mr. II. believed that the Con-
gress Of the Uned States had the power tn pass the
bill Of the last Congress- and that il did violate
the treaty between the United States and Great
Britain, it was useless to pass bill which 1t was
not probable would be approved by the President.
As one Of the friends Of Oregon, he would yield up,
under these circumstances, that which he believed
be the better opinion, and take that which he be-
lieved to be the next best.
But he wished to make a remark or two in reply
TO the gentleman from Tennessee, tMr. GENTRY,
who had spent about half his time in commenting
upon the resolution calling upon the President for
information, and upon the resolution which was
passed by this House day or two since for the ter
mination Of the debate. The very great confidence
with which the gentleman spoke of the condition Of
the negotiations, which have not been disclosed to
this House or to Congress, might have induced one
who was not acquainted with him to think that real
ly the gentleman must have some communication
not open and free to all the members of this House.
But knowing the gentleman as he did, he would do
him the justice to say he supposed that instead Of
attempting to assert that he knew such and such
things-which he could only know by getting it
from government, from another source-in-
stead of asserting this, he had meant to say
his opinion was such. But Mr.. H. was opposed to
the resolution calling upon the President for nfor
nation. The Senate had made the same call seve-
raj days Previous; and it was to be expected that
the President of the United States would disregard
the call of that body' And if the information went
to the Senate, as matter Of course it would come
here And they found that the resolution was in
troduced by the gentleman from Vermont,
(Mr. CoLLAMER, IA wing member of this
House Gentlemen of that party, to be sure, had
as good a right to make calls for information as
other gentlemen; but although he had not right to
impugn the motives Of that member and he would
not might they not infer that that resolution in
tended to affect the opinions of the people on the
subject that the gentleman desired to make stab
at the President, by holding him up in the position
of refusing to give information called for upon an
important subject Of universal interest to the coun-
tryi But they were told that they were rapidly
passing this question through before they could
have time to hear from the President. He presumed
they would hear from the President before the vote
was taken. He knew nothing about it, however;
and he took it for granted, if the President Of the
United States knew they were about to commit an
error in acting upon the information which he had
given at the commencement Of the session, that he
would communicate any further facts which might
be in his possession, and which would influence
their decision without call to the House of Repre-
sentatives; Or if he did not do So that the chairman
of the Committee on Foreign Relations, who was
presumed to stand in some sort of near relation to
the President would have received the intimation,
and moved for the call.
He did not intend to discuss the question of title.
He looked upon that as having no connection with
the question of notice. They separate and dis
tnct questions This notice was equally necessary
whether had title to every inch Of the terrific
ry, or to one-half of it, not to one acre. If we
had not title to any Of it, he would be just n,
anxious that the notice should be given, that the
question should be settled, and brought to fna
conclusion, that each party might know on what to
depend Gentlemen told them if they passed this
notice, connected it was with the claim made by
the President of the United States, that must be
the result. But he repeated that the House, if they
passed the notice, did not touch the title at ALL The
time to raise the question oftits and decide upon il
was after the notice was given and when the join