Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-03-10
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RICH SCENE.

"o"lu suppose mat the HoNs.
II Representatives Of the United States of
nerica ought, from everything connected viii
It. 10 be one of the most dignifed. bu,;n
despatching assemblies of the world ST."
to say, however, that it is one of the most
dignifed, and most dilatory in the dpsn..|
OF business, bodies in the world. Amos, "
table proof OF this, is to be found in ,ho
ceedings of that body on the 2sth ul,in r'O'
The House had resolved itself into Conn.,,
of the Whole on the state of the Union et
the bin to supply Deficiencies in The ,nn.' Oa
atoms for the service of the fiscal year sn1 f
3Oth June, 164S.
Several items in the bill had been coO.;,
ed and approved, when an item approDr;..
$4,000 for the contingent expenses Of rs
Treasury department having been read, I'm"
ludicrous and desultory debate ensued, h,v;1
Just about as much reference 10 the actual n.s
ter before the House, as to the fight of NJ.
homet. The discussion of this little item j.
troduced almost all the political matter wb,h
the reader usually finds floating through fl.
partizan press of the country. Gen. Taylo,.
poIitics-the relative strength of Presidents,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., &C., &c.,-wet. II.
leading matters discussed. Surely this is u,
proper and unjust towards the constituent, NJ
the members Of the House OF Representative,
They have been elected and sent to Washing.
ton to transact the public businessmen r.
talk partizan politics. We give portion
OF this extraordinary rambling debate, to sbew
our readers how things are carried on a,Wasb.
ington. We wish our limits could enabI. uo
to present our readers with the whole sketch
We cannot do so in a weekly sheet without
excluding everything else:
Mr.. Giddings asked Mr.. Stewart, the chair.
man of the Committee on Manufactures, ifhe
did not understand Gen. Taylor to be in favor
of a high Tariff.
Mr.. Stewart was understood 10 answer in
the affirmative
Mr.. Giddings now desired to ask the gentle.
man from South Carolina mir Sims1 whether
he did not understand General Taylor 10 be a
| free-trade man?
Mr.. Sims. / don't understand him 10 b.
anything. Laughter
Mr.. Giddings wonld like to know, then,
which of these parties were destined to be
humbugged by this presidential candidate .
| He next proceeded to ask gentlemen in favor
of the improvement of rivers and harbors by
the general government, if they did not con.
slider Gen'l Taylor to be with them?
Mr.. Stewart Gen'I Taylor says, if elected
he will pursue the policy adopted by General
Washington Laughter
Mr.. Giddings. am apprehensive that tn.
answer of my friend from Pennsylvania isnot
well understood. | would ask him what he
understands to be the course of policy adopted
by Gen'I Washington? [Laughter.l
Mr. Stewart (in his seat.) Washington was
| in favor of that
| Mr.. Giddngs would now ask the same Ques.
ton of gentlemen on the other side of the
House.
A Voice. We don't know anything about
it,
Mr. Stewart Gen'l Taylor has distinctly
said, if elected, he will follow in the footstep.
of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison.
Mr.. C. J. lngersoll. Does the gentleman
know whether General Taylor is Taylor
man?
Mr.. Giddings now required to the sub iect O.
slavery and the Wilmot Proviso, affirming tia
he stood yet on the same ground which HI
had maintained from the commencement
Nine States Che said) had proclaimed their un
aterable purpose that slavery should be NJ
further extended Gen'l Taylor had been in
terrogated on this point, and Mr.. G. woul
like 10 ask the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Ohe author Of the proviso) what he thinks Q
, his answer?
Mr.. Wilmot If ! could rely alone upo
Lis single letter on this subject, should hav
strong hopes that he was in favor Of it. Blu
when / consider that he is a southern man
. and Shareholder, have no confidence il
him; and, indeed, | am in doubt whether h
understood the full scope of his answer wheI
he made it,
Mr.. Giddings Ii had been proclaimed b.
Genl Taylors organ, that, on the question 0
slavery, he was as true as the needle to tn
poe-in opposition to the Wilmot provi,o.-
He repeated the Issue as it had been accepte
by Mr.. Clay, who had admitted it as an arti
, Gle of the wing creed, that the slave question
t emphatieally to any political contingency b,
which the wings might be Tylerized again
Mr.. G. asked if Gen'l Taylor had given an
I indication of his political views'
y Mr.. Stewart. Yes, sir; he says he will sup
y port the constitution.
Mr.. Giddings. THERE'S no demagogue VII
will not say that
:, Mr.. Andrew Johnson asked the membe
d from Pennsylvania, through the member iron
o Ohio, whether Gen'l Taylor was in favor
the independent treasury. That was one
the measures which Gen'l Washington appro9
E we'd, and the gentleman from PennsyIVanI
It had said that Genl Taylor would pursue ID
+ course taken by Gen'l Washington.
Mr. Giddings. Say what you will, 20
cannot avoid the great and transcendant 1851
made in 1874, of the extension of slavery
e We had had melancholy evidence to-day
j. the degeneracy OF this House on this subJe'
His colleagues on the other side had deseris
the principle of freedom, and were contributln
j. to rivet the chains of slavery.
e Mr.. Sawyer made all explanation as 10
1t vote on this subject.
n Mr.. Giddngs was happy, he said, if b
a colleague was ever right on this great que
ton. He would say to the people, that hH
dred millions had been expended in acqNlE!
territory for The extension of slavery and D
l. slave markets; and that his colleagues on I
; other side had this day voted in favor OF tn
/ policy.
Mr.. Duer. understand that some mel
er bers from Ohio who voted against the resoI
l. ton this morning voted under the idea that
nj was an abstract proposition, but would me-
the question when presented in practc
form.
s, Mr.. Giddings. There will never be anoth