The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-12
In CONGRESS- OF THE U. STATES.
MONDAY, JUNE 10, ls4s.



The journal having been read
Mr. PETIT asked the unanImoss consent OF th
House TO the consideration OF resolution, which wa
read making the bill for repairing the dam IN the ohi
Tlyer n Cumberland island special order.
Objection being made,
Mr.. PETIT moved a suspension of the rules for thi
purpose which was refused BY the House
Mr. GOGGlN, BY consent, presented memorial froI
certain citizens OF Virginia, complaining OF the existn
delays in the transportation OF the great northern
southern mail between the cities Of Baltimore and Rich
Mr. McLANE, by consent, presented the memorial O
sundry citizens OF Baltimore, with reference the sam
matter.
Mr.. GOGGIN moved suspension of the rules, 70
the purpose Of taking up the consideration of the Senat
Joint resolution 10 authorize and renew the said mai
contract; which was also refused by the House
for the purpose of taking up the consideration Of tn
Presidents peace message. The yeas and nays de
manded and ordered upon this question: and being
taken, resul!ed-yeas 81, nays TO-
Mr.. STEPHENS asked the unanimous consent of the
House TO offer the following resolutions; which wer.
read Tor mfOrmatOn to wit:
RESOLVED, That the President be requested commune
this House the best and reliable information il
bs the paa
respectively and particularly copies OF the maps referred
R..oiued further That the President be also requested
inform this House whether there civil govern
50, what are their form and character; by whom and
when were they Instituted. and by what authority; by
sd and m hs e h
the governor and other officers appointed in New Mexico
o}ice1s sppon,ed BY commodore stockton IN California
during year, still hold the appointments thus
Offices have been paid of the treasury of United
States; and, If So by what authority of law.
Objection being made
and demanding the yeas and nays upon this question,
they were ordered, and resulted-yeas 1863, nays 7.
So, twohirds voting in the affirmative, the rules
SUSPENDED, and the resolutions were considered
Mr.. STEPHENS did not intend to consume much Of
the time OF the House IN presenting the reasons which
influenced him in offering these resolutions The Pres
dent OF the United States communicated TO this House
few days ago the fact that he had lately made treaty
by which we acquired California and New Mexico and
ne called on Congress to make the necessary legislation
Tor those new territories; and it seemed to him (A1r
informed what the extent of the boundaries and lin
its Of this country which to egslae, and the
character q the people over whom we are to legsae
to know authortavey from the President what the lin
its Of that country are. He wished to know whether
New Mexico extends to this side Of the Rio Grande
not; and If 80, to what extent He wished to know if
the President calls on Congress to egsate for portions
OF territory which he had previously Informed the coun-
try belonged to Texas; and he the honorable
from Texas wished obtain the same in
formation He wished the President TO inform this
House and the country if, the face OF his message Of
Ie4e, which he (Mr 81 had before him, Santa Fe in
New NeXlcO within Inc limits OF Texas which has
been attached to this Union He had the Presidents
message of 1s4e in his hand and he would read short
extract from it.
Congress, asserting jurisdiction TO The Rio Grande from
mouth to its He also read Gen Kearnys ap-
pointments of civil officers for the territory of New Mex
ico also extracts from Cen published "oganlc law
to Mr. Sdel.
Mr.. s. proceeded to comment upon the documents and
from which b read srd after ndagng in brief
said The President. in his message of 1885, asserted
that the whole territory on this side the Rio del Nore
from its mouth to its source, constitutes part of the
State of Texas; and, the instructions Mr. Slidell
his Secretary of State asserts that all New Mexico had
for two centuries belonged to Mexico Who, after such
contradictions as these can believe him Yes who can
believe the President of the United Statesi
Mr.. McLANE here interposed, and insisted that the
two documents were strictly consistent They both
laid before the House by the Executive OF the country,
and he called on the gentleman from Georgia to put
fdence in the official statements of his own government
He told that gentleman as the President told the House.
that the Rio Grande the western boundary of Texas
from its mouth to its sources and yet that portion Of
man. further that the information he sought for by his
resolutions lay at this moment on the Speakers table,
and would have been now in possession Of the House
and printed had it been for the oppos
ton of the gentleman from Ohio. [Mr VISToN.]
Mr.. STEPHENS resumed The gentleman said the
instructions to Mr. Slde and the message the House
which ne had cited were perfectly consistent with each
lieve anything.
Mr. s. continued his speech to the close of the hour
Mr.. McCLERNAND rose, without any formal prepa-
ration, to reply to the gentleman from Georgia most
remarkable spectacle had been exhibited The President
had communicated the treaty terminating the to this
House, and when motion had been made to refer the
treaty to appropriate committees the motion had been
first resisted by the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. VINreN
and was now resisted by the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. STEPHENs] And for what had this been done To
make false issue-to avoid the responsibility of meeting
and disposng of the questions presented by the
The President asked Congress to pass necessary and
nal acquslons and the wings responded by ask ing for
information respecting the Texan boundary The Pres-
dent recommended the establishment of Territorial gov
ernments the extension OF our commercial laws to the
land to settlers in those terrores but the wings refused
ALL according to the made until thew could
be answered upon an irrelevant matter
Efforts had been made to dsparage the value of our
territorial acquisitions; but with what uuth' New
Mexico extended along the Rio Grande from about $50
north latitude to the of that river was congu
Gus to the northern limits of the United States in that
direction portions OF it in the valley of the Rio Grande
aoonndea excellent iruits especially grapes which,
well as the wine made OF them, were in high repute
throughout Mexico. Wheat and maize were eytensivev
grown in the country and Santa Fe the capita was q
great mart OF overland trade from the United St,esa
in l846.
California extended along the Pacific for about ooo
miles, and, including Oregon gave us front unon that
ocean from the to the 49e. II embraced the norris
Of San Diego, Monterey, and the great bay Of San ran
a. the navies Of the world in safety Already, upon the
Pacific, we had 700 whaling Ships 20 900 seamen and
about Employed and that great interest
Cd the protection and encouragement which it would now
hnd in the American ports upon the Pacific The pos.
session of California would put us within thirty days
steam voyage of the nch and popuous countries OF Asia
WIN winch we might hope to prosecute an extensive