Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-22
rH,RTrErH CoNGREss-.2d Session
MONDAY, DECEMBER 18th, l64S.
SENATE

Mr. Douglass introduced bill, granting the
RICH, of way and donation OF lands, for the con-
slruclion Of a railroad TO connect the waters OF
the Upper and Lower Mississippi with the chain
OF Lakes, al Chicago.
Mr. Douglass called up his bill for The admis-
sion Of California and New Mexico, as State,
into the Union, with view TO Its reference,
with his amendment, to the Committee on Terri
tories.
Mr.. Berrien considered the proposition to refer
TO the Commillee on Territories novel one,
as the uniform practice had been 10 refer bills for
The admission Of States 10 the Judiciary Commit
tee.
Mr.. Douglass said the Senator had certainly
overlooked one insIa nce-thal of The bill Of last
session for The admission of Wisconsin. That
bill had been referred to The Commillee on Ter
ritores, reported by that committee, and passed.
Mr.. Butler made few remarks, insisting that
The Judiciary Commiltee were selected with ex-
press reference 10 their legal al,a,nmenls, and
that the proper reference was 10 that committee
Such had been the uniform practice, and he ex-
planned The reason Why the Wisconsin bill had
been al The last session, referred 10 the territorial
committee.
the debate en- this point was further continued
by Messrs Douglass, Wes.cot', and Yulee.
Mr.. King had not known an instance, during
his twenty-five years experience in the Senate,
where bill authorizing new Stale 10 form
constitution had been referred 10 The Territorial
or which had not been uniformly re-
ferrcd 10 the Judiciary Committee. lie could mol
the effort now TO give different direc
ton 10 this BILL unless il was made with view
10 forestal public opinion, &C., &c.
Mr.. Douglas replied that if The Senator from
Alabama had looked al the journal, he would
have seen why such bills had mol been referred 10
the territorial commune during the period OF his
twenty-five years experience. There had been
no territorial committee during that period. Since
the establishment oi that committee, The reference
to it of such bills had been uniform.
Mr. Bright deemed The Territorial Committee
the proper one for The consideration Of the pre-
sent bill. No report which could receive The
sanction OF the Senate. could be hop"d for from
the Judiciary Commillee, as now constiuled.-
But the Territorial Committee was composed OF
very different materials.
M. Baldwin considered the question now in
volved very different from those which had ari-
sen on former occasions, connected with The adj
mission Of State into the Union. He also was
in favor Of the reference 10 the territorial Com
miltee that the policy Of admitting these terrific
ries as State, might 6rst be determined by The
Senate before any legal question should be raised.
Mr.. Rusk was in favor of the reference to
the Judiciary Committee, and e1pla lined the cir
cumsances under which the memorial from
New Mexico had been presented. He was sat-
ished, from The attention which he had given he
subject, since The presentation of that memorial,
thai principal object of The memorialisls was
TO wlesl from Texas her territory east oil the Rio
Grande. Conventions held in New Mexico were
not a fair expression Of public sentiment-they
the views and wishes OF few leaders
only. The people might attend Them, but the
were the acts exclusively Of the few,
who control the many.
Mr.. Berrien made few further remarks, 10
show that in lS45 lS4s, and l847, after the ins'i-
tuition of the territorial committee, bills for the
admission OF States into The Uuion had been, in
The first instance referred TO the Committee on
he Judiciary. In l646, bill from The House
for the admission Of Wisconsin into The Union,
had been referred 10 The Committee on Terrific
res-lhus furnishing but one precedent against
three where such reference has been made 10 The
territorial committee. He deemed The reference
to the Judiciary Committee PROFESSIONALLY the
Legitimate course in the present instance.
Mr.. Butler considered the present organization
OF the Judiciary Committee, though the MAORI
ty OF The committee aoere from the Souih as
purely accidental. Nor was he disposed 10 draw
any nviduous distinction between the Judiciary
Committee and The Committee on Territories;
but reference OF this bill TO the later he thought
entirely Unprecedented.
Mr.. Niles was in favor of The reference 10 The
Territorial Committee, as he considered il essen
TALLY territorial bill.
The yeas and nays on mc;ion Of Mr.. Douglass,
were then ordered, and resulcd-Ayes a, Nays
25, as follows
AYES Messrs Allen, A,heron, Baldwin,
Bradbury, Breese, Bright Cameron, Clarke. Clay
ton, Corwlu, Davis, of Massachusetts, Dickinson,
Dix, Dodge, Douglass, Fetch, Fitzgerald, Hale,
Hamlin, Miller, Niles, Sturgeon, Upham, Wal
ker-A.
NAYS-Messrs. Atchison, Badger, Bell, Ben
ton, Berrien, Borland, Butler, Calhoun, Davis, of
Mississippi, Downs, Fitzpatrick, Foote, Houston,
Hunter, Johnson, of Md, Johnson, OF La, john
son, OF Ga, King, Me,calte, Pearce, Rusk, Tur-
nsy, Underwood, Wescott, Yulee-25.
On motion OF MIR. Berrien, The bill was then
referred to The Judiciary Commilee.
The bill from The House, for The punishment OF
false-swearins in reference TO claims before COM
mittees or the departments was twice read and
referred.
A resolution of inquiry ulo the expedency
OF establishing mint in California, was adopt
ed.
Mr.. Miller offered resolution calling on the
President for correspondence with Spain, 10 refe-
renee to The purchase of Cuba by the U. States
Lies over.
On motion, various portions of the Presidents
Message were referred to appropriate commit
tees.
On motion of Mr.. Breese, The bill TO reduce the
price OF The public lands, and granting pre-emp
lion rights, was referred 10 the Committee on
Public Lands.
On motion OF Mr.. Benton, the senate then pro-
ceeded to The consideration Of The special order,
ba; he he NOR In n
tract with Messrs. AspinwalI and others, for The
transportation, for twenty years, of the mails,
military supplies, &C., by steam across The 18th
mus of Panama, when The proposed railroad oil
the later, across that lsthmus shall have been
completed.
Mr.. Benton explained at length The character
OF the proposed contract, and the importance 10
this country OF the contemplated railroad. a
thorough examination OF the route for this road
bias been made by skiliul engineers. and is con-
slruction has been found to be perfectly feasible.
The parties engaged in the construction OF the
road have the contract now with The government
for the transportation OF the mails, &c, on the
other side of The slhmus, and are therefore direct
ly interested in its early completion. The me.
molialisis he had official authority for saying,
were now in actual possession OF the privileges
guaranteed by New Granada, and TO this the min
iStel W 4sCW INV hS oouba W
his Voice, would bear bis testimony. The rights
from New Granada, thus obtained, did not eI-
pire until the end of ten years-ihe mcmorialiss
had that time within which to complete the road.
The work across the isthmus OF Tehuanlepec
might be called toreign work, while this, so far
as we are concerned, will be an American work,
and should therefore receive The fostering care OF
the government.
Mr. Breese hoped that action would not be pre-
cipitaled, though he agreed partly with the Sena-
TOR from Missouri as TO The importance OF such
WORK. But he had Information which rendered
it probable that far more advantageous PROPOSE.
ton would be made by others. The road across
the isihmns of Panama would not cost more than
SO, 100000, while The contract proposed, tor The
carrying OF the mails alone would amount 10
Sc 600 900, and for the transportation OF supplies,
probably $1,000, 000,-lhus leaving TO The memo
riais,s profit Of ST, 5000 BY The terms Of the
treaty with New Granada, we were secured in
the right OF way across the isthmus, and he trust
ed time nigh, be given for full examination OF
a. IL ,nA he