The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-08

THURSDAY, JULY @, ls4s.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

Mr. COBB, OF Alabama, by the general consent o. the
uonse moved TO discharge the Committee of the Whole
on the state OF the Union from the further confederation
of the bill amend the act approved oath OF May 1924
entitled San supplementary to act approved the
I'D of March, 1919, entitled AN act providing for the
recon of errors in making entries OF land at the land
The motion was agreed to- and the bill was then read
and ordered to be engossed and being engrossed was
MI PRESTON, by leave, from the Committee on the
Library, to which was referred Senate bill To purchase
the papers of Alexander Hamilton deceased reported the
same back to the House without amendment Commstesd
On motion of Mr. VlNTON, the bill making appropria-
lions for certain Notifications for the year ending June
3Oh, 1s49 recommitted to the Committee OF Ways
MI HUNT called for the orders of the day.
HARBoR AND RIVER IMPROVEMENTS
The business first in order the report of the Com
mee on Commerce, and accompanying resolutions, on
the message of the President assigning his for
Withholding his sanction to the and harbOr bill OF
last session. the memorial of the Chicago convention and
various other memorials for the Improvement of rivers
and harbOrs. r.
The pending motion to reconsider the vote of yes
erday, by which the first resolution agreed to.
Mr.. TURNER, who was entitled to the floor upon this
motion, and submitted sundry considerations upon
the improperly OF sprnging this question of internal i'm
provements upon the House late the session. The
public business not advanced it should be, con-
sdering the limit which had been fixed to the session.
The government under protest now, because Of de-
lay in the action of Congress upon the civil and dplo
matte appropriation bill The Oregon BILL the post Office
the session. had to be laid aside for these resolutions
which, they contained anything valuable in principle,
could not be set down as matter OF the first Importance to
the country at this time They embraced grave consti-
tutona questions, which must take time for their consd-
Grafton He complained also, of the attempt to gag dis
Ousson upon them. He complained Of the style OF the
resolutions. They couched in ambiguous phrase
oogy, meaning everything and nothing and they
now to be passed by the majority without printing He
advered the proceedings where these resolutions
first introduced to show that every proposition contained
in them was placed under the force 81 The previous ques
ton, excepting the proposition to print He feared that the
influence of money sought TO be expended in different
parts of the Union had had its influence upon the minds
OF gentlemen when they voted for the adoption Of this
first resolution He supposed the authority upon which
the powers claimed for Congress in these resolutions
were based was to be found in the second clause of
the eighth section of the first article of the constitution
which he read follows:
Congress shall have power to regulate with
foreign nations and among the several States and with the
II to regulate commerce means that we have the power
to make channels OF commerce. Them wheresoever the
power OF Congress extends, we may improve rivers and
dig canals But what we to understand by this word
regulate" Who would naturally conceive that it
meant "to create p
The resolutions state that the reasons of Mr. Polk for
his veto of the harbor and river Improvement bill in
sufficient and unsatisfactory. He would like to the
Presidents argument fairly met and answered. Would
gentlemen impugn the argument that our funds were
pal argument OF the President and plain and APP
probable argument But the President calls up the argu
ment Of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, that is mex
pedent to borrow money for the purposes of internal inn
prOvement; which also, he considered rrefraga
Bile.
II was also asserted in the resolutions that was mex
He read the section Of the constitution with reference
this power The States possessed this power under the
old confederation and the adoption of the constitu
ton is only restrained by requsiton that the consent
OF Congress shall be first gwen Since Mr. L. had taken
the floor yesterday. he had found three of egs
aon in which the consent of Congress had been thus
Mr. HUNT said it was not denied that the States have
this power under the of Congress but the ques
ton was az to the propety OF extending this general
e ia
point he was making He replying to the arguments
Of the resolutions condemnng the Presidents Veto But
these, resolutions did not appropriate money, They
would not have the least practical bearing What good
will they do : Whom can they benefit If the commit
tee reporting them were anxious upon the subject, why
not come on with bill making appropriations for these
dpce it till the House should find itself committed to
the principle that respect for consistency might become
guaranty Of success, and force the passage of their
Mr.. WENTWORTH took the floor, and, representing
the Importance Of the subject the ankness Of its advo
Yates and their readiness to meet the issues upon har
Dor and river BILL he moved to lay the motion to recon-
slider on the table; which was agreed Ia. .,g ,.
POST OFFICE APPROPRIATIONS.
On motion OF Mr. vINTON, the House then resolved
itself into Committee of the Whole the state of the
Unon {Mr RooT in the chair and resumed the consid
Mr. HARRISON resumed the floor. saying that he
had been able to collect number Of facts, which he de-
sired to lay before the committee, and which might be
servlceable IN forming correct judgment upon this
question He declared himself the friend OF the propo
sion Since system of mail communication with for
eign ports had been commenced by the government he
hesltated not to declare himself in favor OF it.
He illustrated the importance of this subject in the
matlon of other nations. by stating the fact that Great
Britain sustans two lines of mail steamers the
Atlantic to this continent at an annual cost OF more than
million of dollars He read from the act Of the Sd Of
March. 1916, authorizing lines Of communication be-
tween New York and Chagres, and thence extending
across the shmus, and along possession Of the Pa
CHIC coast This appropriation was for portion OF this
line i.-ga iHol.'w asa sisna of res
He showed also the connection of this enterprise with
the naval service OF the United States 1t would obviae
the necessity Of special appropriations for the increase OF
our naval strength. Ii would obviate the ssty OF
Keeping large naval Armament at enormous expense
in time of peace and would still keep the government
prepared for any sudden emergency. g1. ~
ms Sloo contract well all the other contracts,
contained the same provision Of law, that the vessels
were to be turned to the government, at the option
81 the government whenever required and subjectng
aechhing to comply with this condition. He read the
law authornng the Postmaster General to contract for
tne transportation OF the mail in steam vessels from
HsIies'on 10 Chagres, touching at ST. Augustine and
thence to Oregon and conended that "a the Secretary OF
the Nsv{ haa contracted for part of the route the Post
master General IN contracting only for the other part,
had carried out the spirit of the law ~ ltfT7 =
Mr. HOUSTON of Alabama desired TO ask the gentle
from Georgia whether any OF the other lines Of mail
steamers between New York and Savannah. or any-
where else, oftener than aortnighti And why
was that this line alone was TO weeklyi
Mr. HARALSON said the gentleman was entirely mis-
taken The contract with the company in South Carroll
IN nm Onlv IN fwn we oka