The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-05-19

country the valuable lives which this war has cost
What indemnity could be given TO the thousands OF desc
late widows and helpless orphans' He proceeded 10
compute the number of soldiers lost in Mexico from
every cause reported in December last and ne sel
down the sad total at 74l9 The number discharged J
sickness and disability 900-one mira OF WHEN
number at least must have since died OF disease Pon
this estimate he stated that the total loss oil lie couu ho
fall far short of fifteen thousand men "a
The President, and the party making uiis wal, hau
fearful responsibility to answer Tor peiofe 'hs Peoe as
his colleagues all had observed sudious silence IN pre-
90 ming he claims of the present incumbent OF the execu
live chair to a denomination by his party. now about 10
assemble in convention at Baltimore he would take the
part of attorney and represent his CLAIMS -
Mr. JONES of Tennessee suggested 10 his colleague,
that as the wing party themselves difficulty about
the selection OF candidate he had, perhaps better give
attention to matters nearer home.
MIR. COOKE was merely warning them 10 take care
whom they threw overheard.
Mr. JONES. The gentleman is interested, perhaps
for every have yet thrown overheard has gone
straight into his party, and there found promotion.
Mr. COOKE. That was hardly correct. They never
throw anybody. But when mea become disguised
with them, the honest portion come over to US Mr. C.
then refusing allow Of further Interruptions proceeded
with the claims of the President to denomination -Four
years ago. this Tennessean the Samson OF his party
and the present tendencies OF divisions that party most
inevitably pointed to his renominaon Besides, be-
onged to him by party usage All the questions we dis
cuss here connect his name with those out OF whom
nomination is to be made: and should they not nominate
him. il will be virtual abandonment OF the support OF
the principles upon which the war has been begun and
carried on. He read from the Union paragraph
tory of the faithfulness and honesty and fidelity to ITS
pledges and party principles OF the present admnslra
ton By this, he supposed the writer meant the spois
of office and he then went to show, by items,
that the gross amount of official salaries bestowed by
the President upon his party friends who happened to
be members of the Baltimore convention which nom
mated him, was equal to $742,ilo So. Such was the
gross amount: and he had not got il all yet There was
great deal he could not find The President had paid
well, SO far; and doubt he would remunerae well
again, if il were possible for him to succeed
He was anxious to say something OF General TAYLOR,
but his time too nearly exhausted He would never
theess refer again for moment to the course OF the
government paper with respect TO this now prominent
wing candidate since the appearance of General Taylors
last letter Seeing this, the editor of the Union seemed
to think there prospect OF Taylor being noml-
mated by party, and he commenced praying right OIL
Would to Heaven. Che says) for his own sake, that
become candidate-had declined this honor, and been
content to the aurels which he has glonously
in battle" 1t fills the editor with horror, the bare
Why pray SO devouty for this! Was because he read
ed the defeat of Tayor' Not at all twas the sheer
force of the consciousness that il General Taylor were
to become the nominee of the wing party he would turn
them all out This was the reason OF his prayer.
The time having arrived when according order the
debate was to close on this bill,
The CHAIRMAN announced the question to be
porting the bill to the House.
Mr. RHETT proposed to amend by reducing the item
States from to 81 4s5 7oo and adding for the
transportation of the mail between Charleston and Ha
vana the sum of forty-five thousand dollars,
Mr.. KING of Georgia proposed to amend the amend
ment, by clause requiring the steamer to deliver letters
and passengers at Savannah in the State OF Georgia going
and coming; and that the said steamer shall be command
ed by officers of the navy not below the grade of ieuten
ants, and Z, 6 y,, four mldshipmen,
Mr. RHETT opposed the former part of the amend
ment because the contract was now made with the steam
ship company. -
Mr. KING The contract was still subject TO the rat
ifcaton of Congress He sustained his amendment from
the consideration that it might be to the interest OF
steamship
Mr. CABELL asked whether, If the amendment should
be adopted, the contract might not be yitiaed byi'
Mr. KING. Quite the contrary. lie had no doubt, as
he said before that such provision would promote the
interests OF the company.
House, whether il were not burden to compel the yes
sci to go cut Of her way into another harbor.
The vote then taken by tellers the amend
ment to the amendment and no quorum voting the call
of the roll ordered and proceeded when the alb
reported to the House, and quorum APP
pearng. the chairman of the committee resumed and the
Mr.. KING desired to modify his amendment, so as to
provide that it shall not make any extra charge TO the
government.
The amendment to the amendment was then adopted
by report of tellers-affirmative 90, negative So
Mr. HOUSTON, of Alabama, proposed further to
amend the amendment by striking out 81 900 from the
sum proposed for this service to enable him to make
very short statement The proposition of the gentleman
from South Carolina was made without the endorsement
of any committee; and the Committee of Ways and
Means now considering the same subject. The
contract for this line of also conditional
subject to the ratlhcatOn OF Congress There also
contract for carrying the mail from New Orleans to New
York, touching at Savannah and at Charleston, if prac
tcabe. So we have now one large ma-route touching
weekly or semi-monthy at Savannah and there was be-
sides this, daily mail between Charleston and Savannah
Where then, the necessity of making another route
covering the precise ground of the contract already
tered into by the Navy Department.
He then withdrew his amendment
Mr. VINTON said, that in order that the committee
might understand what had been done by the Post Office
Department this subject he would refer pass
ed in 1s47 for the purpose OF establishing line from
Charleston to Havana. But the contract never
the Postmaster General, which showed that contract
had been made for the service, contingent upon its ra
cation by Congress-the original appropriation having
been inadequate. The whole route to Chagres, and
thence to Panama. and thence to Oregon ad
vesed for but there bids except for that part Of
the route between Charleston and Havana The amount
bid for the service was $4,000 and this compensation
deemed reasonable hedeparment The Postmaster Gen
eal had inquired whether the committee had inserted this
appropriation Some correspondence with the Postmas
General ensied, part of which, in further expana-
ton of the present state of the matter, read.
tract had been made with Mr. Mordecai to do the
vice for forty five thousand dollars, subject to the revi
sion of Congress.
Mr. SCHENCK objected to the whole system of build
ing under the direction of the Postmaster Cen
eral. Individual enterprise not adequate to the
establishment of packet lines which could be used by
the government in time of war, vessels of war; These
vessels were, therefore, built by the British government
and employed by them; and they were built under the
direction of that department which competent 10
Judge OF the capacity of vessel for service But
we had committed the subject the Postmaster General,
instead of the Navy Department; and the consequence
was the two ships built the Washington and Hermann