The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-06

IMPORTANT DEBATE IN The SENATE.
MIR. CRITTEMDEN I'M FAVOR OF
TIL e, w AR.
THlRrIETH CONGRESS-.
FIRST SESSION.

Of Commerce, bill regulating the number Of passen-
gers to be conveyed In vessels to Liberia.
| THE PILOT BILL.
Mr.. DIX, from the same committee reported the pilot
bill without amendment.
| THE rRANKINo PRIVILEGE.
Mr. DICKINSON Of New York, presented petitions from
Orleans couBty the abolition of the frankng prvi
lege and sundry changes in the post office laws.
WIDOWS REVOLUTIONARY OFFICERS.
The House BILL making provision for the widows Of
revolutionary officers and soldiers passed first read
Various bills reported; from the Committee
on Naval Affairs committed, In consequence of
| the death Of the late chairman
PRINTING.
resolution offered by Mr.. CLAYTON was adopted In.
sructng the Committee Printing to report why the
public documents ordered printed, not yet fur
nished, and when they probably would be.
ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS FOR MEXICAN WAR.
The bill to provide for the further prosecution Of the
and granting authority to call out twenty thousand
additional volunteer up in ORDER but motion
of Mr. Cas- laid the table until the ten regi
ment bill ID disposed Of The latter bill was then taken
up.
Mr.. CRIrrENprN, Of Kentucky moved substitute
BILL providing for thirty thousand volunteers to
for three years. and not to be discharged sooner to wit
For six months after treaty Of peace the volunteers
to have the pay land scrip co. those in the
field. He proposes, also to diminish the officers In
duoed regiments companies and when the company Is
reduced below twenty men, discharge them the officers
included Mr. Crittenden did not propose to say more
than necessary to explain his amendment Twenty
thousand volunteers estimated to be required by the
Secretary Of War, for the prosecution Of hosties in
Mexico. The bill before the Senate pre-supposes
oessy for immediate addition to the army Of ten
thousand men, No such necessity appears to exist as
proposed by the Secretary of War The conduct Of
the did not require any immediate relief The bat
ties fought by Gen Scott from Vera Cruz to the city of
Mexico, and the victories by him and Cen Taylor,
with their great disparity Of forces-the utter anniha
ton of the finest army Mexico raised at Buena
Vista, by fifth their number and that, too by Ameri-
vounteers-and when consider that the Mexi-
can power was utterly broken with all her rongholds,
placed In possession-where the danger to
the American army7 After recng the heavy reinforce
ments which hsve been sent to Gen. Scott till his force
amounts to 81 900 men, and the reinforoements to
Taylors line he asked, whore the necessity Of i'm
mediste reinforcement to the army! Was there any
strong fortress to take-sny great army Of the enemy
to dispense! Altogether, have 900 men in tse
field and, besides that, there Is blank, which, by
recruiting to fill up the ranks, will give US an ad-
dtiona force Of 5000 regulars and 1000 volunteers
Besides this, Michigan has yet to furnish . regiment
to nll up the ranks and when the ten regiments
are sent down, yeu will have seventy thousand men in
Mexico. What will be the cost of all this! We
told that each In Mexico costs thousand dollars
per Is not this matter Of some confederation
He saw necessity Of raising these ton regiments at
therefore, proposed to give the President the
discretion, In any future exigency and should the
require it. to call out force Of thirty thousand voun
teers Mexico is conquered, why have generals
returned? 1t was because Mexico conquered. No
battes-soms little diminishing with guerllss-but
more hard Sighting more meeting Of an organized
army. Gen. Scotts army Of thirty two thousand men
could march where they pleased stay long they
pleased, and 60 away when they pleased.
After conversation between Mr. CAss and Mr.. CRIT
rENpEN on the amount in the field according
the Adjutant Generals report
Mr. CAss submitted that there two propositions
for increase to the regular force and the other
for Of twenty thousand to be called out at the
discretion Of the President Mexico not yet
quersd; overrunning country not conquerng It.
We might nd that the serious part the task
yet to be performed The object was by the pre-
scnce ofan overwhelming force completely reduce tho
Mexicans. The moral Influence Of large commanding
force wanted. Had presented such force at
the beginning of the war; Should have perhaps, end
ed 1t long ago. One object to end 1t Is to have
whelming force the ground, to show tho Mexosns
that all resistance is in vain. Mr.. Cass willing to
append clause to his BILL giving the President dscre-
ton call out and dispose Of these troops that
oil the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr Crittenden)
wanted but he wished to substitute the volunteer
bill for the regular army BILL he opposed to the pro-
position.
Mr.. CnrrrSpEs thought the gentlemans correction
did not essentially affect the final result He had made
the number In Mexico but few thousand smaller Fiji
teen thousand could march on Queretsro, Zscatecas
San Luis where they pleased He thinks ought
not to be satisfied until have force enough In Mex
ico not only to conquer, but to intmidate It, 1t
q military influence that he wishes to produce. My
judgment could be Influenced by these imaginary
fears For all military purposes have force enough there
now. II exgences required It, he willing to place
any amount Of at the disposal Of the President
With regard to regulars and volunteers he could not
sec why regulars were better than tho volunteers Wa
there any difference but ID the name Volunteers
just o. good troops Could the Senator from Michigan
(Mr Case show any reason why this should not be
volunteer bill
Mr. Cas- in answer to question, could not tell how
mani troops would be wanted
Mr.. CRrrrErprN-But how will you employ them
Mr.. CAn.-We would 60 to Zacatecas, and every wher
else We want to extend cur operations. The farther
We extend the sooner would get peace.
Mr. Cas- contended that regulars vere batter troops
for the service than volunteers.
Mr.. CRIIrEspEr reminded the Senator that IL was no
numbers which produced great moral effect, but tina
it great sctons, like these Of Busna Vista and tn
capture of the city Of Mexico There now blanl
TO BE- filled Of eight thousand men, and these ten regi
ments would increase 1t to eighteen thousand Wber
will be the necessity of this immediate action w
could not enlist men, they wanted, to oil tn
existing regiments in less than twelve months We ha
only enlisted during the past year eleven thousand
Mr. CAss thought twenty thousand had been enlisted
Mr.. JErrERso, DAVIS, of Mississippi would oppose tn
substitute With every merit due to the volunteers tn
regulars be preferred because they cheaper
they under better disoipne, and better polic'
aud in consequence kept In better health The differ
ence Of organization very great and very much