Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-03-05
CONGRESS.
FRIDAY, Feb. 90.
Tho ,Sen0te did not sit.

age" unless he has actually travelled the distance
charged for was farther considered in Committee
of the Whole, and was reported and passed This
bill is principally intended to meet the frequent
case of an Executive Session being called on the
dav after the close of the session of Congress. 1t
would appear that it has been customary for Sena-
tors to charge their travelling expenses, as If they
had actually been to their homes and had returned,
between the two days.
The House then passed to the consideration OF
private bills, and adjourned without passing any,
and without rejecting any except by laying them
on the table.
SATURDAY, Feb. 81.
The Senate did not SIT.
In the House it agreed to adjourn over Mon
dav in honor of Washngton's birth day, which was
on Sunday. The Senate bill allowing Mr.. Page to
take out a patent for Electro. Magnetic machines,
notwithstanding the restriction applying to those
who, as he is are engaged in the Patent Office, af
ter discussion in which Mr.. King of Mass. took
part, was laid on the table by vote of ID to "a.
The House then took up the private calendar,
and discussed two bills. The first was laid on the
table, and without any question the House adj.
Nothing done on Monday
TUESDAY, Feb. "a.
SENATE Mr.. Breese presented from Mr. Whit
new petition for railroad from Lake Mich
gan to the Pacific, which was referred to the com
mittee on public lands.
The bill from the House for the regulation of
the mileage of Senators was taken mp, and pro-
duced hearty laugh Some wished to send it to
one committee and some TO another.
Mr. Sewer thought it had better go to the COM
mittee on the library, who might at the same time
inquire into the amount received by members OF
the House for books The Senate has, of late
years. refused to take part of the book plumber
but they have gone it strong on the mileage. 1t
was referred to the committee on the judiciary.
Mr.. Dickinson, of New York, at one O'clock
took the floor and spoke on the Oregon question:
claiming all of Oregon--and opposing the plan OF
NEGOTIATING with Great Britain about Oregon, in
order to allord ner an opportunity W SCI up olu
to our soil.
He had great deal to say about the fruits Of
barren negotiation" Mr. d. saw nothing, he said
in the late news, that should induce us to alter our
course as to Oregon. lie allowed that the Queens
speech was peaceu-ony calling for little more
military preparation. He raked up the Caro'l
and Mcleod affair and the North Eastern boundary
case, to show that negotiations with Great Britain
would be of no use. As to the Mcleod case, he
said that to be sure, Mcleod acquitted; but
then he was defended by the United States. 1t
had been stated in the other House, (by Mr.. c. j..
IngersolD that the Government paid the counsel
u fee of five thousand dollars on that occason-a
fact which was before unknown.
Mr.. Webster here remarked, {" u is false, Wtoeu-
er asserts il !'
Mr.. Dickinson said he was very happy to hear
it. and went on to speak of the participation of the
general government in that matter, and appealed
10 Mr. Webster to confirm or deny his statement.
Mr.. Webster said that he would not interrupt
the honorable Senator, now, but would take an OPP
portunty to ask him upon what authority he made
his statements
Mr.. d. said he did not wish to misrepresent the
honorable gentleman, and then gave way to mo-
ton to go into Executive session.
HousE.-Mr. Tibbatts of KY, moved that the
House resolve itself into Committee of the Whole
A. G. Tho fnf tn
king up the river and harbor bill Objections were
made and the yeas and nays were called The
motion prevailed by vote of LOG to 81.
MIR. Thomas Smith, of Ia, was called to the
chair.
Mr.. Tibbstts called up the River and Harbor bill.
Mr.. HARRISON, of Ga, said he should call up the
military bills.
The motion Of Mr.. Tibbatts prevailed by tellers,
and by vote Of ga to 60.
Mr.. Thomas Smith, of Ia, was called to the chair.
The River and Harbor bill was first considered, by
vote of SIS to CO..
Mr. Mcconnell moved to lay aside the bill alter
it had been once read, and the motion being lost,
Mr. Mcdonnell took occasion to denounce the bill
before the Committee, in that emphatic language
for which he has become so distinguished. The
bill then, he said, was robbery of the vaults OF
the Treasury of the United States-a fragrant and
stupendous outrage. He intended for himself to
do something better for the people, and should
to every widow, where there were widows, and to
every naid-(great laughter)-l50 acres OF the
public domain He against plunderng stock
obbers, and for God and religion and the phndered
people. He against the long list of Lake
Michigan appropriations, which was longer than
long John Wentworth himself, who was the origi-
nal of all the long Johns, Finally, said the men,
Der from Alabama, "The bill was conceived in sin
brought forth in iniquity. Mr. Speaker, Enough
said" For a speech very much like this, or very
much in this vein, Mr.. Mcconnell received shouts
of applause from his friends. Later in the day, en-
couraged by so brilliant beginning, he had somC
sparring with his colleagues, Chapman and Hous
ton, relative TO the gift of one hundred thousand
acres of land by the Government of the United
States to the State of Alabama. Mr.. Mcconnell
did not hesitate to charge his State with piece o.
wickedness in sacrificing some of the best land il
the State. If the bill passed, Jimmy Poll
would most assuredly come the John Tyler over it
(great laughter and over the whole of it, from
Genesis to Revelations The question was no
what Jimmy Polk had done in 1888, or since, bu
what he should do, and he would most assured,
knock the bill in the head
The debate was then closed for the day, in
speech from Mr.. Schenck of Ohio.
WEDNESDAY, Feb. %.
Senate From twelve till nearly one o'clock tn
Senate was engaged in debating bill for the con
struction of ship canal around the Saul de s.
Marie. This passed over, on the motion o
Mr.. Breese to give Mr.. Dickinson an opporuni
to 60 on with his speech on the Oregon question.
Mr.. Dickinson recommended his remarks with
reference to the statement of Mr.. Ingersol in tn
House, concerning the payment Of fee by the ad
mnstration to the counsel which defended Nc
Leod He said that he believed that this charg
was not supported by the facts but he read let
ter from the Secretary of State TO Mr.. Spencer, I
S. Attorney for the Northern District of N. Yorl
in which he was charged to see that the prisone
was furnished with able and eminent counsel 70
his defence, &c
Mr.. Dickinson close at two o'clock, and then Nj
Dayton rose and moved that the question be post
poned until two weeks from next Monday. lie OF
served, in support Of this motion, that there wer
some sixty bills which had been passed by the oil
er House, and were awaiting the action OF the Ser
ate. The character of the late news, SO decided
pacific, had also its influence upon his mind in dc
termining him from any desire to hurry on tn
thing to a conclusion.