The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-05

ietous which he entertained with reference to the
lutions of the gentleman from Ohio One objection was
the reference they proposed to make of that portion OF
the message which relates to the finances of the country
and the other the disposition proposed TO be made OF
that portion of the message which relates 10 relations
with Mexico He objected TO the reference of these sub
ects of The message which relate to the sub treasury law
and the new tariff law TO the Committee of Commerce.
This was against precedent Heretofore those subjects
had always been referred TO the Committee of Ways and
Means He knew very well that the tariff act Of 1916
was originally reported by the Committee of Ways and
Means and he also well knew that the other law refer
red TO came from the same committee. All questions
iating the finances OF the country, he understood,
should be referred TO that finance committee o the House,
which was styled the Committee OF Ways and Means
all questions relating revenue properly belonged to
that committee Certainly the reference OF these subjects
to that committee would be more appropriate than to give
them to the Committee on Commerce The principal de-
sign of the tariff law was to RAISE revenue Tor the purpose
of carving on the operations OF government Mr.. b
could not therefore, perceive the object of the gentleman
from Ohio in proposing such departure from the prac
came from feeling OF delicacythe gentleman being
unwilling to refer business to the committee of which he
himself the chairman. He had expressed his objec-
ton to the disposition proposed to be made Of that por
ton of the message touching relations with Mexico
This subject he thought, should go to the Committees
Foreign Affairs and Military Affairs; MIR. B. further
commended that whenever subject could be appropriately
referred to standing committee, such course prefer
able to that of giving II to select committee. But the
gentleman from Ohio had proposed in his resolutions
raise, independently of the Committee on Military Affairs,
select committees TO which mgh be referred this
portion Of the message Mr. B. considered these select
committees to be wholly unnecessary And further, he
read from the resolutions by the gentleman from Ohio TO
show that the subject which, in the first resolution
it was proposed to refer to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, in the last resolution proposed also to be
referred to a select committee; and there might be some
conflict he feared, in making out the reports of these
two committees upon subjects covering the ground
For these reasons he had prepared the substitute which
he proposed, and hoped that il might be adopted
Mr.. GlDDINGS, under the rule which allows the
friends of the original proposition to perfect the by
amendments before action be had substitute, pro-
posed amend the resolutions OF the gentleman from
Ohio, by inserting in the first resolution after the words
foreign nations" the words eXcept much thereof as
relates the claims of the of the Spanish schoon-
er Amistad;" but subsequently striking out the word
Spanish" he submitted this amendment which was
read and which portion of the message he said he de-
sired to have referred to select committee. Mr.. G..
would embrace this opportunity to call attention to the
subject of these Amstad claimants and he proceeded to
state the history of that affair In the year 1889 certain
Spanish subjects captured and brought from the of
blacks for the slave market. After they had remained
some days Havana these blacks were placed on the
schooner Amstad, and put out TO sea. After they had
been four days out the negroes were successful in mu-
ny in which they slew the captain &C., and directed
the owners of the vessel to land them again in Africa
but, taking another direction, the schooner was found
authorities of the United States, and taken into the
State of Connecticut the 18th OF August, 1899,
four, or five months after the time of their capture
the case was adudcaied between the ' Claimants Of
the blacks and of the vessel and the schooner
awarded to the owners, excepting salvage and the
blacks adjudged to be free and this Judgment
affirmed appeal to the Supreme Court of the United
States This took place in 1910, and the negroes
set liberty -Four years after that the of this
vessel came to this BODY and through the Spanish minis
ter presented their claim for the value of the bones and
sinews of these negroes; and the Committee For
eign Affairs of that Congress-he regretted that the
chairman was not now pfesent--had told the House. in
their report on the case that the country bound
pay to these claimants the sum of $4,000 He
PEELED by his duty to say that this report not only
conflict with the solemn record of the Supreme Court but
it embraced the most fragrant violations of truth and he
read from the House Journal In confirmation OF this as
seron expressing again his regret that the author of that
report was not present but present or absent i became
it. And at the first session of the last Congress, the
Committee Foreign Relations readopted this edmo
port and the chairman put his hand to that it true
and now the gentleman from Pennsylvania had proposed
to recommit the subject to the same committee.
Mr. g., observing that many members had left the hail.
habit with gentlemen to shrink from responsibility when
ever the subject Of slavery under consideration.
Mr. TRUMAN SMITH, being referred 10, desired to
press He could not be held responsible for it
Mr.. GIDDINGS. The gentleman from Connecticut
member of the committees and there was nothing
on record to show his dissent from the report
Mr.. SMITH requested the gentleman from Ohio to
Mr.. GlDDINGS replied that there was no record of
Mr.. SMITH Because there was not strength enough
in the question to call for them.
Mr.. GIDDlNGS. Not strength enough the ques-
tioni Mr. G.. knew that But his friend, that
count need not have been so hard pressed prevent
him from speaking out the facts Mr.. g. continued to
narrale the legislation had this claim, stating that
when bill from the Senate allowing $52 900 to the
OF the said vessel the price of these blacks,
there only forty members of this body found ready
vote for it. 1t thus stamped with the decided dis
appreciation of the House. Still il recommended by
the President in his message that should pay this
claim, and tax constituents for the purpose.
In naming select committee to which this subject
might be referred, Mr. G. would say that he had no de-
sire himself to be placed on but he desired that the
venerable gentleman in front of him, Mr. j. O. ADAMS
who was thoroughly acquainted with all the facts of the
should be placed the head of that committee and
be joined in its duties by two gentlemen from the north
and two from the south-awyers he would prefer, en-
drawing out report that would carry home the people
the truth, and let them understand it.
Mr. g. concluded by referring to sentiment which he
read from resolutions passed by the Legislature of South
Carolina, that the United States has control the
slave institution. And this precisely the sentiment
he desired to impress upon the minds of his friends
from the northern States. Congress had pc wer
to require OF the south the abolition OF slavery than to
require of the north participation in its support.
When MIR. G. had concluded
The CHAIRMAN, observing that there was not quo
rum OF the committee present under rule OF the House,
which he read he directed the Clerk to call the roll
But, after conversation had with reference TO the
rule, and quorum OF members appearing within the bar
in the mean tme the order fell
And the question being taken on the amendment pro-
posed by the gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. GIDDNGs,l il
was reeced and the question required the adoption
OF the substitute.