Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-08-15

he nadfea ffomihe MAnudb as he had right
TO do, and il any thing he had read was appli.
cable to any Senator il was not his fault.
Mr.. Webster would forbear saying, at this
late hour Of The session, what he had intended
to soy Of this monstrous stretch of Executive
power. But he should take an early opportun.
" Of laying before the people his views thereon.
Mr.. Benton defended the Veto, and raid that
the principle involved in the bill was older than
the constitution itself, =. Ho gave history uf
what had been done. by The government psesi.
ous 10 1900, for the protection Of her citizens r.
gainst d'predai ems on our commerce. flav.
ing done all that she COULD ii was left to Cnn.
gress 10 say whether the government was bound
to go 10 war for the recovery Of their claims and
whether by not doing SO they had rendered the
governmen, liable to the claimants. The in
ciple was settled by the treaty ot, 1900. and the
subject should never have been introduced o.
gain. lie argued at length ogans, the right
OF the claimants TO payment from this govern
ment -"+.
Mr.. Webster remarked that the principle
pou which the bill is founded, 10 not whether
the government is bound TO prosecute the claims
not whether il was bound 10 60 to war-bu,
whether, having applied these claims 10 its
own benefit and bought of great liability of
the government Of France, It was not bound 10
pny the claimants The commissioners op.
pointed to ascertain and adjust the claims of A.
mericsn citizens on France had excluded these
claims. expressly on the ground that France
had been released by this government under the
treaty Of 1900. This government was then
Clearly bound to pay the claimants.
Mr. Dix said that from months Of inyestiga.
tion given by him. in the Committee Of Com
merce, to these claims. he could appreciate the
embarrassment which this bill must have eau.
sed to the President lie (Mr. d. had oppo.
sed the bill from the beginning. and should now
sustain the veto Of the President, for reasons
which he briefly stated. He believed the Pres.
dent had acted from overruliug considerations
public duty.
the constitutional majority. If this veto be sns.
tanned, there was danger that the time would
soon Arrive when we shall have nothing but ex-
ecuiive legislation. a.i st5
After few more remarks from Mr. CLAYTON
the question, "Shall this bill pass, the veto oft
President Notwithstanding ~ was taken, by yeas
and nays, aud it was decided in the negative, 81
TO Is. two-thirds not voting in the affirmative.
The Senate refused to take up the Oregon
bill from the House, and so that territory re-
next session. -..,..,-t.. t. ......-....f .
The Post-ohice Bill. as it was returned from
the House, with amendments, was taken up. and
several sections stricken out, (ncluding the
amendment giving TO Postmasters the right to
select the papers in which the list ofletters shall
be published, without regard TO circuationl The
provisions of the bill are now confined almost
entirely to the establishment of certain Post
Routes, and thus amended it was returned TO the
House. The House concurred, but adjourned
before the signatures ofthe Speaker and Presi.
dent Of the Senate had been obtained and so this
bill also is Killed. -"
The bill from the House, which passed that
body on Saturday night, oppropriatng $50 900
to enable the President TO negotiate for treaty
of peace with Mexico, and 81, 600 900 to enable
him to conclude treaty of peace with Mexico,
was then, at about hal past II o'clock reported
TO the Senate by Mr. Lewis, from the Commit.
tee on Finance, and Mr.. Evans moved to amend
the preamble, but the motion was declared to be
not in order until the main features of the bill
had been acted upon. Mr.. Lewis moved to strike
out the proviso which prohibits slavery or in.
voluntary labor in any territory which may be
acquired under the treaty.
Mr.. Davis said that he should be glad TO hear
some reason why it was proposed to strike oui
the proviso.
MIR. Lewis. We have no lime TO give reasons
Mr. Davis thought that this was acting rather
! too much under steam pressure In addition tc
$40 900 to negotiaie SO 600, 600 is wanted, il
seems, to enable the U. States TO conclude trea.
ty OF peace with Mexico. As there was no pro.
position to annul any obligation existing be-
tween the two governments, he presumed the
object of the bill was 10 acquire more territory
Public rumor said that California was 10 be ac.
quired, aud that this So 900 600 is 10 be cxpend
ed for that object. Was there any Senator ready
to say that Mexico has given any intimatiou that
she is ready to relinquish California to the U.
States' He had heard that an attempt had been
made TO seduce Yueatan from her allegiance to
Mexico, by anoffer to negotiate, bu, the signi6-
cant reply bad been returned that she 'was aoi
prepared 10 seperate herseyf.f,om the Mexican con-
fsderaey"
! Mr.. Lewis here desired that the Senator would