The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-13
had been assumed BY the President without consulting
that House This bill authorized the President TO pay

lel him 10 make The treaty when, with whom and upon
whatever terms he chose and reserved no right on the
part OF Congress IMPOSE, then, he should
make treaty giving away portion OF Oregon. What
right had they TO object to ni Ii they should object
would be too late The three millions s would then DC
amendment few days since providing that the payment
OF the three millions should not be made until the treaty
was ratified by the United States. This would obvaie the
objection which he had the bill, which was, that il
rendered the treaty making power well as all control OF
the the President OF the United States. With regard
10 the WIMoT provso he had word two to say. lie
would deny the assertion that it would have practical
operation would have very great and sautary opera
ton But admitting that i would have no practical Ell
feet ought be passed. order that Congress might
not be presented to the world legisatng for the
tension OF slavery The object OF the President in the
prosecution OF the war; the acquisition OF territory
He favored this restriction because would destroy that
motive of the President, and thus lead To Immediate
peace. But, the other hand, the acquisition OF the
territory proposed without that restriction would lay the
foundation for the dissolution OF the Union After
ing his dsapproya of the war, both as TO its origin and
its Objects he concluded by contrasting the policy of the
present administration and the democratic party general
w. with the policy OF several wing Presidents and the
measures of that party, arguing in favor OF the latter
Mr.. /. l.. HOLMES then obtained the floor, and
he remarked that he was feeble health to proceed
then with the remarks which he had intended to make
and would yield the floor. ts 40. ssta.
| Mr. BROCKENBROUGH then rose and said that, but
for the peculiar circumstances under which he had OBJ
tanned the floor, he should move that the committee
rise AS it was, he would be brief fle entertained
q q
proviso beyond the power OF the government to
enforce And il We're Otherwise, il was in vain to
think OF exterminating slavery BY prohibitions OF that
description. They would tlnd by examination that
the more they extended the bounds of slavery, the less
prevailed Let them continue, then, to diuse and,
tme the institution would cease to be mentioned upon that
floor. People OF all classes were gradually settling In
the southern Slaesiree labor was becoming more and
more prevalent there; and he believed, that with the
increase OF the northern institutions there slavery would
eventually cease As the hue and cry which had been
raised about dismemberng SISTER republic, he had
fears He in favor OF taking possession of suf
cien amount of territory indemnify them for the
The war was just and honorable he proceeded
| to show--it ought then to be sustained
MR. McCLELLAND then addressed the committee
He conended that the prohibition OF slavery from terri
tory when acquired constitutional; and that it had
been the invariabe practice of the government TO pro-
hbit it. lie designed to show, in the next place. that
the ordinance of 1881 from that time 10 the present. had
been considered constitutional; that had been re-
eognised by MIR. Madison; that il had been ratified by
Congress- and sanctioned by various judicial decisions
and, finally, he would state the reasons which impeed
him to vote for the WLMoT proyiso:
| Mr.. GlDDlNGS followed lie had, years ago, pre-
dcted the precise state OF things which existed in
the country. In 1896, policy was introduced which, if
persisted in, must inevitably lead to the subverson
Of their institutions. He would attempt argu-
ment as to the moral bearing OF slavery He
would simply point to the PRISON house where the dega
ded African incarcerated. The struggle between
slavery and freedom had commenced, and every man
must array himself under the banner OF the the
other He rejoced that the north had begun to speak
out The controversy between the antagonisic princi
pessavery and freelom-must be decided or the lber
main point which he wished to call the attention Of
the House thsthat the plan proposed by the
tor from South Carolina Mr. CALlioUN,l was in
sidous one, and which would inevitably lead to the
extension OF slavery. Draw boundary line he had
proposed, and the Territory would be filled up with
slave population; and then, when asked for admission
| Mr. SEAMAN then addressed the committee. At the
last session of Congress he voted for the two million
bill with the WMMoT pGoviso accompanying it. His
1o in Tho Ofruao Lie
posed to the He deemed it wrong in principle,
just in its inception-it had been carried on To- per,
petuste slavery, and extend the territory OF the United
States by conquest He opposed to it in every shape
| and form.
| Mr.. HARPER followed He would speak OF the
causes of the war, and OF the manner in which it had
been brought about. By sort of preence had Texas
or the United States any claim to the territory between
the Nueces and the Rio Grande Texas, herself, he
could show, had never claimed to the Rio Grande for
her western boundary The moment the army of
the United States passed from Corpus Christi to
the Rio Grande, il was an act OF aggression.
The President in ordering the army to the Rio
did grant him. His real object was not redress of
grievances This was only meiext for the war. The
conduct of the had been such to reflect honor
upon the President. The spreading Of the army over
large OF territory he argued, went to prove that
the Presidents object the acquisition Of territory
Nothing would be gained by the war The cost of prose
cutting ndependen of the vast treasure Of blood which
had been sacrfcedwoud be more than the value of all
the territory which would be acquired
Nlr. IfOMASSON was tne concluding speaker. his
purpose was to give history OF the Mexican war. He
expressed the hope that the reporters would take notice
of his remarks, as he considered them disconnected
that they could not do him justice by reporting them.
AS columns crowded. the reporter complies with
the suggeslon]
Mr. PENDLETON then obtained the floor, and moved
that the committee rise. Cries OF "No, no. and 'Give
way to those who are ready to speak now.'']
The question being taken upon the motion, on dlvi-
sion no quorum voted.
The committee accordingly rose and reported the fact
Mr. PENDLE1ON moved that the Housedo now ad-
lourn upon which motion no quorum voting, the yeas
and nays demanded; and being taken, resulted
yeas 10, nays 49,
So the motion to adjourn rejected, and no quorum
voted.
A call of the House being moved, was ordered and
the roll being called sixty three members answered to
their names.
Al motion to suspend the further proceedings in the
call was made and rejected
The Clerk proceeded TO call the list Of absentees
Several absent members excused, for
ted
Mr. WENTWORTH moved that his colleague INIr.
DouGLAssl be excused. He was engaged on an impor-
tant committee, getting out subpGnas and summonng
witnesses.
Mr. DROMGOOLE desired to be informed by the Chair
the committee had leave TO sit during the session of the
House 8a
The SPEAKER said that for the House to decide,
and not the Chair.
Mr. WENTWORTH, in reply to the honorable gentle
man from Virginia, Mr. DRoMeooiE,] said that he did
not know
The question being put upon the motion to excuse Mr.
DOUGLASS it was decided in the negative.
Numerous motions for adjournment and to dispense
with further proceedings in the call, made and re-
jected.
The roll having been called the usual order to the Ser