The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-06
IN CONGRESS OF THE U. STATES.
Thirsiesh Couxress-Frrst Sessaon.
MONDAY, JULY 3. ls4s.
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
Ths journal HAVING hasn read-


HOUSE or REPREsENTATIvEs.
j The Journal having been read
/ THE ARMY.
On motion OF Mr. BURT. (the rules being suspended }
the bill 10 increase the efficiency OF the regiments and
corps OF the army and provide for disabled and nrm
officers was taken out OF the Committee OF the Whole
The state Of the Union, and placed among the orders
On motion OF MIR vINToN, the House agreed to ad-
lourn over I'LL Wednesday.
| VERMONT REVOLUTIONARY TROPHIES.
| Mr.. COLLAMER, by leave, introduced the following
| joint resolution:
Resolred &C. Tha, field pieces captured from
the enemy the battle OF Bennington, in the State of Ve
%o N M nov 5 aSds 81 ss s 81
Secretary Of War, and delivered TO the governor of the
State Of Vsron TO be hereafter holden as the property OF
| The resolution having been read first and second
Mr.. CoLLANER addressed the House to the follow
ing effect: Mr.. Speaker, motion has been enter
tanned, that when this House adlourns, 1t viii adjourn
the 5th instant and hi s therefore, for all the practical
purposes OF tins House, the 4th of July | therefore
take this fitting occasion present this resolution
am sensible that the House has little of time patience
TO listen 10 subject TO them OF little interest i'm
poriance, and will therefore state, concsely pos
sIbe the history OF the two field pieces mentioned the
resolution, and the claim OF Vermont to the same.
In 1873, before the declaration of independence and
Immediately after the commencement OF hostiltes with
England, the people OF Vermont-then called The Nsr
Hampshire Grants-captured the fortresses of Ticonde
roga and Crown Point and therein took hundred and
good for service These all passed into the
of the United States and the people OF Vermont have
ceived therefor compensation This constituted the
basis OF the artillery with which the of the revou-
ton was achieved In T776 little but disaster attended
the American arms. In 1777 Gen Burgoyne entered the
country from Canada with his imposing army of inva-
son-the best-apponted and bcsfunshed army, though
not the largest ever landed in America He captured Ii
conderoga, opened the whole northern frontier pushed
the country 1t should, however be remarked that he
had some proper appreciation OF Vermont. In the pub
shed journal OF his expedition ii advanced, will be
found this entry OF Gen. Burgoyne: 1.-The Hampshire
Grants, in particular, country unpeopled and almost
unknown in the last war; THAT is, the old French
now abounds In the most active and most rebelous
on the continent, and hangs like gathering storm upon
my left" There depot of provisions at Bennington
in Vermont and detachment of Burgoynes army, under
Col Baum was sent capture it and upon thsdetchment
this gathering storm burst like tornado. Sir, wish it
remembered that United States troops present
1t the people of Vermont assisted by their neghbors
bold neghbors from Berkshire Massachusetts who over
threw this army under Baum behind their log breast
work and captured over seven hundred men, besides the
killed and dispersed and then it that they took
these two ed-pieces Did they belong to that peo-
ple But, sir, they were wanted by the country. They
taken down to the Hudson, and constituted part OF
the artillery in the battles of Beamss Heights and Sara
oga which resulted In the capture of the whole British
army. They have been retained by the United States
since Sir the expenses of Vermont in the Revolu-
ton have never been settled dollar of them repaid
Their efforts at Ticonderoga, at Hubbart0n at Bennng
ton, and those OF last war, when Vermont rose IN
mass and went to the rescue at Patsbug have never
been adjusted, dollar paid therefor by this nation
All now ask Is that you return 10 Vermont these
hed-peces, which you have kept seventy years, and
now, having worn out their carriages, you have thrown
them aside valueess outside your arsenal and there
SIR, you may now see them, neglected and corodng but
there cseiled them the precious memeno that they
hen as Of ~o May VIII
you remount and return them To US of Vermont they
are invaluable Wewill put them in the vesibule Of
granite capitol, and they shall be kept bright patriotic.
hlia and grateful remembrance of fathers valor
Again, ask, may ice hare them
The resolution then read third time, and passed
unanimously
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATION BILL.
The civil and diplomatic appropriation bill was then
again considered in Committee of the Whole the
Of the Union, [ Mr. Roor in the char,l when
Mr. FLOURNOY resumed the floor in continuation of
his remarks of Saturday. which he now turned into
structures upon the pursued by the democratic
party Congress towards Gen Taylor since the captu
laiion of Monterey. the province of New Leon and
concluded his hour by lnstituting comparison between
the preenslons OF the two candidates for the presidency
Mr. WOODWARD then obtaining the floor, after a
few preliminary words, declared his purpose to examine
the general question of the relations between this gov
eminent and the territories. This question very
broad Ii involves, first, the question of the powers
of this government the territories secondly, the
question of the powers of the inhabitants of the terrific
egsate for themselves and thirdly the question
of the efficacy of existing laws found in the territories
would be difficult to discuss either of these questions on
constitutional grounds in less than an hour Of time he
would be forced, therefore, then, to conne himself to
mere skeleton OF argument He observed, also, that be
took no interest in this question: any further than it
calculated affect the substantial rights and interests OF
the south He cared little for abstract questions without
practical BEARINGS and therefore, without attempting any
careful connexion between paragraph and paragraph, he
would proceed to his conclusions.
With reference to the proposition that the people OF
Territory possess the inherent right to regulate all its
interests they connected with the interests of all
other communities We are told that the people of
Territory possess the right to manage their own internal
affairs their own way. There was more lurking
sophsly this declaration perhaps, than any other
phrase OF the number OF words On its face IT
iains much ad cdptunduni any other phrase that
can be quoted for the right of selfgovernment But,
cept repudiate all political science, pretend
that he by any authority authorized to speak OF the
inhabitants OF territory people.
The word territory, in the constitution OF the United
States is used geographical term, synonymous
with public land and being in the singular number is
applicable all public lands, whether south north of
the Ohio river But now, here in this House. this word
has come 10 be used political and to be taken
descriptive of certain condition of society invested
with certain powers under which they may claim to
enact and reverse laws The word district formerly
used to indicate the condition OF society which the word
territory is made to represent In the ordinance Of
1887, the word district applied the territory north
west Of the Ohio rver and Mr. w. raised the question
whether this word could have been applied to sove
convention of that day fitting word to denote peo
| pie possessing the right OF self -government,
But again We were told that these people OF the ter
rtores have right to control their internal affairs
and II assumed that there affairs in territory
but their internal affairs And at the time
mitied that the United States ninety nine
OF every hundred of the land, yet affairs are internal
They claim 10 set exclusive jurisdiction. They would
even eycude by making condition ownership