The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-07-25
THlRTlETH CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
Senate.

wAsmrscroS, July z4-lOPM
The Senate convened at II o'clock, and was called
to order by the VicePresiden number o. petitions
were presented, duly received and referred.
REPORT FROM THE sEcRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
The VicE-PREsrpENr laid before tho Senate q
muncation from the Secretary Of the Treasury in.
obedience to call previously made for the same.
giving statement Of the number of officers en-
ployed in the Custom House at Baltimore and tho
number also employed on the 4th Of March, lS45.
COURT OF INQUIRY.
MIR. REvERDY JOHNSON Of Maryland submitted a re-
solution for consideration in favor of calling upon
President to communicate the Senate the proceed
ings of the late Martial in tho case OF General
Pillow which was adopted.
WARM AND PRoTRAcTED DEBATE on THE TERRITORIAL
49, . BILL
The Territorial Bill was discussed in the Senate to-
day from a quarter past II TO 6o'clock.
Mr. HALE, Of New Hampshire, offered amendment
to the BILL in favor of striking out the words free
whites, SO as to allow all persons to vote in the
Territory of Oregon.
MIR. CLARKE opened the discussion with a deliberate
statement of the anne ndments he had moved and
which had been rejected in committees Of the protest he
purpose was TO guard against the encroachment Of sla
to the Senate.
MIR. MILLER objected to the bill in regard to it's pro-
visions for all the territories 1t left opening for
the admission Of slavery into Oregon, and expressly
provides against its exclusion in California and New
Mexico. You deny. said MIR Miller, the power Of Con-
gress over slavery and you egsae to protect and
extend it; and anticipate the wishes of the inhabi
tants and their determination loft to themselves
prohibit slavery by declaring that they shall not in
California and New Mexico, have any Jurisdiction over
rantees slavery in New Mexico and California and
does not secure Oregon against its introduction.
Mr. PHELPS followed in long md laborious egal ar
gument to prove that the committee had done the best
they could-that, in fact the bill would exclude slavery
from Oregon and its effect would be to exclude 1t from
California and New Mexico, by leaving the decision of
the constitutional question to the Supreme Court He
was indignant at the newspaper writer's, who knew
nothing about the bill for not of them could tell
what 1t was. He was indignant that the newspapers
could in their profound ignorance presume say that
the committee had been lodging skulking and shut
question. q af ha Norfly
dougt-aces. He felt in his conscience that he was
acting for the peace Of the Union whatever newspa-
pcrs might say OF his lodging and skuking It would
have no weight with him, among Northern me n 2
He felt that he was standing almost alone but Mr..
subject, would be burned in egy when they 20 home
he, Mr. Miles, himself responsible for this Difficult
ty in having voted for the xation OF Texas for
there lies the whole secret.
MIR. F,rzGERALD denied standing there in the shoes
Of General cass He had nothing whatever to do with
the opin ons of General Cas- he acted there upon
his own responsibility. He opposed to the
committee, because he wanted Oregon to stand by
itself He was opposed to the bill in its present forms
and, though he did not say believe he will 20 for
the proviso over the three territories
Mr.. CoHwiS rose. ut three o'clock with the design,
as he said Of speaking only few words in few
minutes. lie had fears that the bill would destroy
the Union. lie had no fears that the Wuaot provso,
OF which Jefferson was the authorize meant the ordi
nance OF 17S7 (seventeen hundred and eight seven)
If placed over all those territories, it would provoke
the South to withdraw from Til. U nion He sepicted
the wisdom and benign operation OF the ordinance
excluding slavery forever from tho great empire of the
Nortn west lie dwelt, with overwhelming
the horrors of slavery and its desolatinr influences:
and while he would sustain IL in the States nder obl
cation to the constitution, he would exterminate it
forever in every other pai of the world If he had the
power IL had been said that slavery already exists
within California and New Mexico
MIR. HANSEGAS-Yes. Peon slavery exists there,
OF the most absolute kind
Mr.. CoRwIN would take it for granted that ths-
so; but was this humiating and barbarous slavery
dooms human beings and their posterty to perpetual
bondage for five dollars debt as found to exist in
territory acquired by shall 1t be said that instead Of
promptly abolshing It. will make that the pretext
Tor the introduction also of our absolute system
Of negro slavery Can 1t be- that we shall appeal to
this Internal Mexican law authority for nding
own accursed stem to the shores of the Pacific
There was safety In the BILL Whether net opened
Oregon TO the admission of slavery IL certainly ex-
pressly provides for planting slavery in California and
New Mexico. IL was for Congress to decide upon the
question and to decide IL One Of the irst dif
culties was the boundary of New Mexico Texas
claims to the Rio Grande. Where 10 the boundary?
What is to prevent conflict Of jurisdiction Mess you
settle the boundary lie opposed the BILL because it
transferred the slavery question in New Me Sco and
Court. The supreme judges like ourselves govern
ed by sectional opinions President Polk will take care
Of slavery in his Of governors and Judges
Slavery will go there and once there, you cannot
root 1t out. Admit It's right to dispute the ground
with and who will take possession He cited tho
opinion of the fathers of the early
proceedDgsi the colonies for the suppression of the
slave trade-and said Mr. C., but for South Carolina
and Georgia demanding that trade for twentyf,t-,
longer slavery would be found in only one or two