The Arkansas banner., 1847-02-24
7ClCONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.
TrEspAY, Feb. ?.
THE THREE MILLION BILL.

TUEspAY, Feb Z.
 u, SEVER remarked that the bill had ,.sp introduced upon the recommendation
 .S Inc President of the United States, and .S., ,be Committee on Foreign Relations, by ,~hom |, was reported, in preparing the bull, s.J resolved to folloR the form in which
 .,h.r euaetmenis of similar character had S..n framed. One of those enaciments 10 whieh he referred, was passed in the year Ie0s. in the tune of Mir. Jefferson, for the .eov;.;tiou of Louisiana and another in iSo6. for the purchase from Spain of the TIoridas; and a similar bill, upon the recom- ,..ada,ion of the President, had also passed ,be Senate. in executive session, at the last .ession of Congress. The proposition having h..u first considered with closed doors, and ,6.rwards reported in open session. The Aesru of the committee was 10 follow those nrredeals, excluding from the bill all ex- traueous matter, and incorporating nothing ,hat was calculated at all to excite sectional or party feeling, or to occasion debate. IL v.s the opinion of the committee, and in this ooaiou he concurred, that all such matter would be Ill aimed, and its introduction could lead to no good result; and he intended, if it were moved from any quarter to put any thing of that sort in the bill, to oppose it. In looking over the proceedings of the last session, he found, upon the recommendation of the President. that the Committee on Fo- reign Relations had, in executive session, re- ported two resolutions on this idental sub isc,. The first of these resolutions IS as foi- lows:
 aRssolred, That the Senate entertain a strong desire that the existing war with Mex leo should be terminated by treaty of peace jus, and honorable to both nations; and that the President be advised to adopt all proper measures for the attainmeutof that object"
 This resolution, which was discussed for a day or two, and at length voted on, was sanctioned by every Senator, with the ex- ception of two, the Senator from Texas, Mr Rusk, and the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Atchison.l The second resolution is as fol- lows:
 "ResOlred, That the Senate deem it advi- sable, ths, Congress shall appropriate sum of money, 10 enable the President to con- clude treaty of peace with Mexico, and to be used by him, in the event that such treaty should call for the expenditure of the money so appropriated, or any part thereof"
 This resolution was agreed 10, by vote q B to l9. The ayes and noes are to be found. published in the '.union.' of the 18th of August, of last year. This proposition haVing been thus discussed, and deliberately voted upoa, he would consider it waste of time, to go at any great length into this ques- tion now, and particularly inio the form of the measure. Unless gentlemen had changed their opinions since that time, there could not be any very great variety of opinion, in any part of this chamber, either as to the subject matter itself, or to the form in which it is now presented The object of this bill, as appears upon its face, IS to enable the President, if possible, to make peace with Mexico; and, in urging its passage, he should carefully abstain from the expression of any opinions regarding The origin of the war with Mexieo-he having expressed his opinion on that subject heretofore, to which he still ad- heres-for his object was 10 excite no party feeling on any side on question of this char acter He took il for granted that they were ail for peace, if 1t could be obtained Ct, pro- per terms and it was, perhaps, proper for him to say he could not see how il was to be effected unless one or the other of the bel ligerant parties made an advance towards ob- taining 1t k was true they had already made advances towards obtaining it. IL was true they had already made an advance towards that object by sending, after the dismissal of our minister, message to treat on just and honorable terms with Mexico. And they had kept our army out of the country which was claimed by us for considerable time before the commencement of the war. for the ex. press purpose Of securing peace by showing, what was felt, forbearance and disposi- ton 10 avoid hostile collision In making ihIs peace, after all that occurred. the United States, of course, would expect to receive, to some extent, at least, indemnity for the ex- penses oi the war, and they would expect also the payment of the claims held by our citizens against the republic of Mexico; and this indemnity for these purposes in conse- 4uence of her inability to g.ye any other, would be expected in the shape of eession ot territory. He was not authorized to state precisely what territory this government would require for this indemnity and for the payment of these claims but he supposed thai no Senator would think they are 10 get less than New Mexico and Upper California he dld not suppose that treaty of peace, with less than this, would ever pass this bo- dy Having stated, then, in few words, the obIec, of this bill. and indicated the terms On which he supposed peace could be made. honorably and satisfactorily to both coun. tres, the next question that arose was, can peace be had on these terms In regard to that question, he would say that, in coming to the conclusion he had, the committee were governed, to great extent, by the recom- mendation of the President. who had formed hs opinion upon what was deemed reliable intelligence from Mexico, that peace could probably be had upon some sach terms as