The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-09

| Mr. BINGHAM next obtained the floor making a gen
era speech asserting the power OF Congress to legsate
upon slavery IN the Territories. When he had con-
cluded-
Mr. WENTWORTH demanded the previous question
and mere being second and the main question being
Mr. STEPHENS moved to lay the subject on the table.
=, MT oVbb OF Georgia moved an adjournment; but the
House refused to adIourn-yeas SO, nays so,
Inc question then required upon the motion to lay on
me abie and, the yeas and nays being demanded and
ordered thereon, the vote sood-yeas IS, nays 81.
SO the subject was laid on the table.
Mr. HUNT moved that the House resolve into Com
mee OF the Whole the state OF the Union, for the
purpose OF taking up the consideration of the harbor and
river Improvement bill
| An Intellectual motion was now made TO adjourn.
And the question recurring the motion TO go into
Committee OF the Whole the state of the Union, and
the yeas and nays being demanded anu ordered thereon
the vote stood-yeas s., nays 50.
AND RIVER APPROPRIATIONS.
So the House resolved into Committee OF the Whole
on the state of the Union, Mr. CABEL IN the chair and
took up the consideration OF bills on the calendar.
R1r HUNT moved pass all the bills set upon
the calendar before The harbor and river Improvement
| bill.
| Mr. COBB of Georgia submitted question of order,
that, according to the rule, each bill the calendar
should be taken It's ORDER and passed over by vote
| The CHAIRMAN sustained the point
And then the several bills upon the calendar were
taken up and laid aside by vongs, taken severally by
eiles, with occasional motion to adjourn, and
two risings under the rule, for lack of quorum,
port the absenees the House The place of the river
and harbor bill upon the calendar reached at length
Mr. HUNT opened the discussion
Mr. HOLMES of New York followed in general
speech upon the subject of slavery and in review of the
speech delivered several days ago by his colleague Mr.
Mr. MARVIN next addressed the committee, affirming
the sovereign control OF Congress the Territories
Mr. TURNER said that twenty minutes before he had
no idea of addressing the committee; but thinking the
present good opportunity he determined to make few
points on this territorial question, that he might write
out speech and send il home to the sovereigns.
He stood entirely free and untrammeled He had
nothing to expect either from the patronage of govern
ment or the votes OF his constituents He should there
fore speak without constrant
He defined the word TERRITORY" The territory of gov
eminent was that portion of the world over which il ex
ecises jurisdiction. He held that the government
sovereign Sovereignty was of the principles which
lie at the foundation OF every government He did not
say the could establish slavery or affect its
rights With the right of war; the right of conquest
We had exercised this right and made conquest of Mex
lean territory; and now it behooved to establish
government for that territory This was imperious
duty
We have right, having conquered that territory to
change its municipal laws which not in conflict with
the constitution and laws of the United States This
brought him the subject of slavery They charged him
at home with being opposed to the Wimot Proviso: He
was opposed to IT, because IT abstract nullty
proposition which could not result any thing pract
cal Now the principle OF slavery proscrbed in the
new territory before conquered, according to the
gentleman from New York, Mr. MARvIN,l and Mr. T.
believed he right. Another point which that gem
teman made was, that slavery could not exist there with
out the establishment of law How, then, could the gen.
teman Justify his vote against what Pad been called the
compromise" from the Senate, under which law
concerning slavery could be enacted For if the matter
left free to the Legislation of this country be might
It was understood generally, that the dsmocra,s Of the
north stood forth for the rights Of the south He had
heard northern men say they would prefer dissolution
of the Union to association with slave States
MIR. TUCK interposed TO deny the charge generally,
and to saw that if the gentleman from Illinois would
take the trouble to examine he would find that infer
ence of the kind could be fairly drawn from any north
ern speech delivered here during the present session of
Congress
Mr. TURNER always considered that these men would
prefer separate republics to confederation with slavery
The ordinance Of 1857 the of representatives
from slave States 1t established before the const
tuition: II he had read right the constitution not
we had conquered and purchased slave States,
and free State-Iowa The south, then, could have
no right to charge the north with excusveness By the
terms of the cessons of louisiana and Florida and Tex
as, took them with their laws; and should it be
otherwise now, when we have conquered a teritory'
Mr. VlNTON. By the terms OF the treaty OF the ces-
sion of Louisiana, and the terms OF the Missouri
PROMISE slavery excluded only from territory where
there inhabitants.
Mr. TURNER. Such was the fact.
Mr. WOODWARD Louisiana anteriorly was slave
holding province and the ordinance abolished slavery in
the northern division.
After further explanation
Mr. TURNER admitted that the south had given up
the show of right there. He then considered the
OF Virginia, and said at least questionable whether
iowa was not Included Out, al all eVentS
part of the SOUTH it than yielding up
a right to establish slavery in an unnhabited region
The question was, Shall establish slavery up
on soil now free He planted himself the basis occ
pied by the democratic candidate for the presidency
though strict construction of his language might carry
Gen. Cass perhaps farther than he would be willing to
go He considered just as plausible to say that Con-
gress might consiutonay declare by that statute that
person should marry under twenty years of age, as
enact that of a certain color OF skin in these
territories shall be a slave. There was no power in
Congress to set up municipal law for the people of the
Territories.
He not prepared to say slavery right; but he
would say, that African slavery in the United States had
resulted incaculable advantage TO the enslaved blacks
There about four millions of blacks in the United
States and he asked where the same number of the
black could be found enjoying the same social ad-
vantages' For himself he said he would rather wear
the chains of slavery, with the hopes of Immortality,
than enjoy the freedom of the savage hordes of Africa
without these higher hopes, and subject to the mmola-
ton upon the affairs of heather idoatIy As general
thing, the slaves of the southern States conened
and happy; and there hope that the whole region
of Africa would be regenerated through the OF
those OF their brethren who have gone through the pur
lying fires OF suffering and bondage here.
Mr. FISHER spoke an hour to the subject of democ-
racy, regarding in the light OF the early history of this
government, as the peculiar heritage of the wing party
The committee addressed yet another hour by Mr.
WICK; whereupon, at IL o'clock, p m,
The committee rose, and the House adjourned
OFFICIAL.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Augusta, 1s4s.