The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-04
THIlkTlETA CONGRESS-.
FIRST SESSION.
Senate.

FIRST SESSION.
Senate.
WASHINGTON, Aug. q 1913.
CLAIMS CALIFORNIA.
bill was called up in the Senate to-day for the
lief OF Ward and Smith, merchants in California; the
former ana perhaps BOTH, originally OF mercantile
follows:
The claimants are resident merchants in Caifor-
mia, and advanced money to our navy OF the coast,
which was destitute of funds. The claimants took
drafts on the navy department which they were obg
ed to get discounted at from IL to 20 per cent legal
interest in California being two per cent per month
The department only deems itself authorised to pay
e have
consequence of the unavoidable state of the ex.
changes"
MIR. REvERpr JOHNSON though he did not speak in
opposition to the bill, anxious to know how 1t
happened that the United States fleet came to be
without funds OIL the coast OF California and in time
Of war
MIR. BENTON infinitely explained the state Of affairs
in California the rupture the United States
and Mexico. CON- Stockton had appropriated the
funds Of the feet under his command to provide for,
equip and support the land forces under Lieut. Col
Fremont, and thus 1t happened that the navy
compelled TO borrow money on the best terms they
could The war had sprupg up suddealy-it had to
be met and to do this became necessary in support
of the land forces by Com Stockton to draw upon the
funds of his squadron, and that deficiency he had to
supply oy borrowing money Hence shs o o5 IN.
were borrowed. The war came unexpectedly-it had
to be met-twelve hundred men were organized and
put into service. They had to be paid Twelve humid
red men, sir, could not live OIL air.
Mr. JOHNSON, while he avowed himself as not having
opposed the bill, said he perfectly well satisfied
that seven hundred men could not live on air
Mr. BENToN-Twelve hundred men, sir.
MIR. JeHSsoN.-WeD, sir, twelve hundred. do not
| know how twelve hundred men could live better
| air than seven hundred wanted to know why they
were sent there without money when the fact was
| known that they could not live on air.
Mr. BrNToS-They were not sent there, sir The
| five hundred mounted rifemen, under Fremont, were
The marines, operating with the land forces, were
from the squadron, and the squadron went out as on
an ordinary cruise suddenly, they found themselves
in state Of war; and then had to meet the exigency
| as best they could
The bill was read third time and passed
After the disposition of other incidental bust
ness appertaining TO the morning hour the bill of
| CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATIONS
The first amendment under consideration, was an
item moved by the Finance Committee of $40 500 for
the rent Of certain buildings erected near the
Of such SudpSs vere to bs
by the Department until the proposed Offices for
| the War and Navy Departments shall have been
erected.
MIR. HALE opposed this appropriation. The contract
was not entered into by authority Of law.
Messrs Dayton, Atherton, and others, opposed the
striking out this provision.
Mr. PHELPs spoke of the shackling old buildings now
used by the War Department for the of the PEN
sion Office, suggesting the necessity of something
| after.
| Mr. WEsTcorr-Yes, sir, would call the attention
vernment has lost $4,000 worth of maps the maps
the north eastern boundary which placed safe
government
no better place of deposit for them.
Mr.. PHELPS accepted the hint and profted upon it,
in supporting the amendment for the new are-proof
buildings constructed from private capital with
Outstanding that they to be rented by the govern
ment till its own buildings were ready.
The amendment was agreed to. The new buildings
for the pension Office &c. cost in their erection about
$4,000
The Senate proceeded with its nts seyiat,,u
and came at length upon an amendment proposed by
Mr. Atherton making appropriation of $40 600 for
COMMERCIAL AGENT JAPAN, &C.
Nv Hal nnv IN oyna -. nd oal1 thn raok IS
the world" We might aswell make complete circum-
navigation of the globe.
ton of commercial information. He opposed to
paying men for going into our library or any library.
for compiling information upon commerce, and pre-
senting it as something new for us to print.
HIT AT CALIFORNIA.
Mr.. PHELPs-Iwo ask if this amendment includes
California But whether it does or not, | am rather
surprised at the opposition Of the Senator from Mis-
souri,, when consider the immense appropriations
maps, journals, explorations, botanical plates me-
THEOLOGICAL surveys Of starlight nights books and
charts, and military expeditions, c inns of va
rious kinds, relating to California for which the
Of all parts Of the world of this Paradise of Calfor-
mia, then indeed we should need no commercial agent
| TO the coasts of Asia.
| COL. BENTON ARousEs HIMSELF.
Mr. BrSroS-I object, sir, to this proposition to pay
man for a compilation from the library Of CONNER
cisi information, for going round the world and
hunting up commercial information. l would rely
upon the sk and enterprise Of our merchants to find
out all the commerce in the world. Wherever there
is any commerce. our merchants will find it out, sir.
Our merchants VIII 90 IL, without the necessity OF
rummaging over the books in the library 1t has been
said, sir that If you hung up bag of coffee in hell if
it is to be got out an American merchant will get it
out, sir. Who is this Aaron II. Palmer sir? Has any
chamber of commerce employed him, or recon-
mended this expedition? have not heard of it, sir,
if he has any such recommendation. Now sir,
(and the senator from Missouri began to warm up
with the subec, now, sir, when this Aaron H. Palmer,
Whose public services, whose services for commerce
House, and the other House, and in following the
members from these chambers to their boarding
thatr hnar
beIs, is to be put on equality with Fremont, va
liable to the country and to the world as the books
and maps of the explorations of Fremont in the Rocky
Mountains in the Great Basin, and along the Pacific
coast of California valuable as they are, sir would
rather that all these works should be burnt sir than
that this Aaron H. Palmer should be put for moment
an equality with Fremont Here we have man, sir,
whose commercial researches consist in importuning
members from these ohambersto their boarding houses
and from their boarding houses to these chambers
following them, sir, from one boarding house to
another with his everlasting opportunities. Sir, they
don't come after me. If they come once they don't
come again. This man, sir, has been haunting and
hanging around this capital like bird of evil omen,
titled to the same hearing at hands as Fremont
Mr. PHELPs-Wll the Senator allow me
MIR. BENToN-Certainy, sir.
MIR. PHELPS disclamed the slightest dspara gemen mt
Of the services Of Col Fremont but had been little
surprised that while the Senator from Missouri should
have been generous in the appropriations for Cali
ornia, he should be SO hostile to this.
Mr. Jefferson Davis Mr.. Atherton, and Mr.. Dayton,
sustained the proposition for this commercial agent to
go out to Japan, and the countries on the Asiatc
coast in order TO look up the in those quar-
ters MIR. Dayton said that Mr. Palmer had been re-
commended by the New York Chamber of Commerce
for this very object
The anne ndment was rejected-2I to a.
The Senate went with the numerous amen dine n Is
proposed by the Finance Committee.
For clerk to the Commissioner Of the Public Bull
dings and Grounds, at 5000 per annum-17 to n not
agreed to.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
| M UNDERWOOD moved an item of $50 000 for the re-
moval Of certain distractions in the Ohio river ut the
mouth Of the Cumberland
MIR. DIX suggested addition of $4,000 for an OBJ
struction Of a similar character in the Hudson.
Mr.. MANGuM thought that appropriation ought
also to be made for the distractions in the Ocracoke
inlet in North Carolina.
| MIR. PHELps thought the Senator from New York
ought also to have included an item for Fnnslrs FL
bow, near Whitehall, on Lake Champlain.
Mn fhar IT,. uUaa