The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-06

oVehi 10 be settled as has been settled, against u.s.
Mr.. A. REQUIRED to the ball which he held in his
hand, and TO the fact that the advocates of $40 40
were entirely ready at earlier Stage OF the session
TO define precisely the boundary Of the territory upon
that line but now, he said we had bill mentioning
G no boundaries. He repeated that could have no
8 definite rights unless we had the boundaries dehned
5 lie hoped, therefore, the LIST section would be
amended ny declaring precisely the boundaries of the
territory.
e Mr.. DOUGLASS explained, that he thought the
boundaries designated by the bill sufficiently clear
and explicit, lnsomuch that there could be no doubt
upon the subject Another reason why he was
unwilling TO define them more specifically was, il
there was doubt about the terms of the treaty, he
9 would like, as the gentleman from Massachusetts,
had mentioned, that ground enough should be leh TO
found ehaneery suit upon it. And he did not
want nything in Of Congress making IL more
humlliating than it now is Therefore, he had
thought It unnecessary At this early day to give a
! legislative exposition Of the treaty which would
: yield more than we have yielded by treaty. lnss-
much as we had concluded treaty, and as they had
passed one bill IN this way, he thought IL best not
TO dehne the limits. For that reason, concurring
with the gentleman from Massachusetts, as to the
humiliation OF the position, he declined writing down
the boundary of 49o. He never could do so.
Mr. SCHENCh, after some conversation as to
the precise state Of the pending question: gave notice
OF his intention TO move, when in order an amend
ment TO the LIST section, 10 insert after the word ter-
rltOry," the words "now belonging
Mr.. s. said he thought with the venerable gen.
} lleman from Massachusetts MIR ADAMsl that
there ought TO be something defining the limits Of
the territory upon which this bill was 10 operate
Such had been the case in all organizations Of Terri
tones heretofore. But he was not entirely satisfied
that they had not to some extent sufficiently defined
the limits in the bill il now stands provided the
amendment which he had indicated were incorpor-
ated 30 as that this bill should operate upon ali the
territory nOU belonging To the United States west Of
the summit Of the Rocky mountains. He would
have preferred that the bill should have defined the
limits according TO the treaty. The treaty was the
supreme law of the land, and whatever regulation
might be made would be construed in accordance
with the treaty. If therefore we organized Terrific
rial government over the territory belonging to the
United States, the law and the treaty being con-
strued together, there was sufficiently defined limit
I But he had another objection. He would leave
the gentleman from Illinois and the gentleman from
, Massachusetts to fight the bill along the limits Of
490 or $40 40 at their pleasure. He presumed,
however, It would be one Of the most refreshing
things IN the word-far exceeding the refreshment
which the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr
HoLMEs found IN the vetO-if they could have read
{ now from the clerks stand one Of the bellgerent
speeches delivered few months ago by some Of the
5to4U men. But there might be a difficulty on the
other side Of this territory than the northern bound
airy. lie wished this bin so limited as to avoid any
future difficulties IN regard to California on the
south. II the bull were TO pass in its present form IL
would have a sort Of expansIby by which it would
iill down within the limits Of the territory which the
President may hereafter succeed by purchase or by
conquest, IN bringing into the United States or il he
shoF give away further territory, he is now
chafErd % have done, II would give a contracting
power which should draw it up within the limits OF
the territory then remaining to the United States
Nov, lac was prepared, iRasmuch as they thought
they knew what docs and what does no. belong to
the United States, to define in this bill the territory
over which II is to operate to that which il now be.
In he If III
the Rocky mountains.
He had another object in the insertion Of the
words NOW belonging" which vas this he had
an inquiry, and he supposed he might put it to the
chairman Of the Committee on Military Affairs,
I MIR. HARALsoN,l If he now present Mr.. II.
was temporarily absent from the hail at this
time, what it meant that we saw a regiment
now organizing, at present encamped up.
on Governors island, and destined to take
possession Of the territory Of California under such
terms and restrictions seemed To look TO retnin-
ing 1t within the jurisdiction of the United Sares
when It should have been acquired in this way He
believed - -.~s .-.--.-~- Ge. tst UoruiIn cor.
Stevenson, the city Of New York had been or
ganizlng regiment-wheher ofmitia, volunteers
or otherwise he knew not--of military emigrants
as was suggested to him, and giving to this regi-
ment cap ans, heutenants, ersgns, knapsacks RI
hes, and all the acc1utrements of war in order to
emgrate to California. Mr. S. commented upon
this anomalous sort Of emigration, and upon the
usurpation of the Secretary of War, under the au.
thorlty OF the President of the United States in his
instructions that 1t should he taken into a country
upon the Pacific which might or might not at the
end Of their service, belong to the United States:
and If then belonging, Of advising them that they
will be discharged there's and as an inducement TO
this service, promSing tn give them the accoutre-
ments-the property of the United Staes-whch
they take with them. What right, by what au-
thorlty Of law, had the Secretary of War or the
President taken this step? And did they promise 10
Of Stat
lnducement to this military emigratonI He denied
that there was any authority for it.
He would like to know, in addition, by what au-
thorty that regiment enlisted at ALL He ar
gued that il could hardly be under the general au-
thorty given to the President raise volunteers as
they had been already called for and apportioned
among the several States.
Let him not be mistaken. He saw his colleague
Mr.. THURMAN seemed to be ready to reply to
him. Let him bring up no old federalist papers
against hm-an article with which the gentleman
and his party seemed more familiar than did those
with whom Mr.. 3. associated. lift was neces sary to
enlist soldiers for California to carry on the existing
war, let them be enlisted and sent there and if it was
necessary TO give them additional inducements to the
pay allowed by law, let it be given. But let
It all be authorized by, and done according to law
He had nothing to say about this Mexican war. He
had voted for supplies to carry on this He
believed the President had usurped authority which
did not belong to him under the constitution and
the condition Of war, the of hostilities-I
call 1t what you will. Notwithstanding, under the
circumstances-of peril to our troops, &c.-which
! he described-he had voted the supplies knowing
that thereafter the President might be- and should be
held responsible for this improper, this criminal
conduct as he thought, by which he had involved the
country in hosilities. He willing to furnish
all necessary means to carry the war-to increase
the pay OF volunteers, If necessary but he was not
willing to see the Executive of the United States
under color OF this war resort to for
carrying 1t on not recognised and permitted by the
law-making power 1t manifest, he said that |
this was to be a Of conquest, and that this
measure Of military cmigrants was one of the means
rcsorted TO for its protection.
/ Mr.. THURMAN said that there was an hour
rule in this House, which he was not partia but
nevertheless, he did not now mean to avail himself
even of that rule. lie had promised the chairman
of the Committee on the Territories to occupy but
quarter of the time allowed by that rule; and he
meant to keep his promise
He induced to make few remarka bv the