The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-06

MT N then asked the consent OF the Senate to pro.
coed to The immediate consideration OF said bill which
motion having been agreed to- the bill considered as
IN committee OF the whole and after brief explanation
from Mr. ~, was reported back to the Senate, ordered
to be engrossed for third reading, and subse-
quently read third time, by unanimous consent, and
passed.
| Mr. DAVIS from the Committee on Military Affairs,
to whom was referred the bill from the House for the
he OF The heirs and legal representatives OF Antonio
Pacheco, reported the same without amendment, and
recommending Its passage accompanied by report;
which was ordered to be printed
| Mr. BORLAND, from the Committee on Public Lands,
to whom was referred the bill TO revive and extend the
provisions OF an act entitled San settle the title TO
certain tracts Of land in the State of Arkansas asked to
be discharged from the further consideration OF the same,
and that be referred to the Committee the Judiciary
! MIR. UNDERWO ODD presented additional documants in
relation to the case of John w. Norton and - Nor
ton; which, after some remarks by Mr. UNDERWOOD
On motion by MIR. WESTCoTT, laid on the table, the
committee having already been discharged from the
slderatlon OF the petition
ADMISSION CALIFORNIA AS STATE.
Mr.. DOUGLAS made Intellectual effort to get up the
! bill for the admission OF California State
| RAILROAD ACROSS THE IsTHMUs.
| Mr.. BENTON moved that the Senate proceed to the
consideration of the bill to make compensation for the
transportation OF troops and supplies the isthmus
OF Panama.
REDUCTION OF THE RATES OF POSTAGE.
Mr. NILES moved that the Senate proceed to the con-
sideraon of the bill to reduce the rates of postage
The question being taken first upon the motion by MIR.
NILES, it was decided in the affirmative.
The Senate accordingly proceeded, as in committee of
the whole to the consideration OF the bill to reduce the
rates OF postage the question pending being upon an
amendment by Mr. CAMERON providing that newspapers
shall circulate free of postage within circle of thirty
miles from the place of publication.
Mr.: ALLEN Mr.. President, the prevailing epidemic
OF influenza renders at this time, incapable of speak
ing IN the Senate IN manner should desire to do. i
will nevertheless proceed feeling fully assured that the
business have in hand is of character easy that it
may be performed even by an unwell man.
AT the commencement OF this discussion, announced
to the Senate that it would be my intention to bring The
internal post office establishment OF this country IN con
ast with the external mail route establishment OF this
country said. sir, that thought il monstrous policy
OF this government at the very time when they dis
continuing and did discontinue two hundred and ninety
SIX post offices previously established among the people,
upon the sole ground that these post offices did not yield
revenue equal to their expenses say thought it
monsous policy, when the government was dong this,
that 1t should spend one million and third per annum to
carry five mails from ports of the United States to four
ports in foreign countries. This SYSTEM Sir, Is so mon
that its friends dare not stand forth to defend IT,
without resorting to prcext utterly aise-iase IN It's
otaty, and false in It's every parcuarthat this system
OF ocean mail routes spang into being out OF the apPre
henson we entertained OF war with England The
friends OF this system feel to be such an outrage upon
this countrynow that has grown up to its present
monsrous sze-tha in order TO justify themselves for its
creation and perpeuy they have to resort to national
defence and. falsely national defence, rea
for this system of ai-routes; and | shall
show sir, not by words but by asts-not by my acts,
but by legislative acshat this preence alse and fur
!
but false.
II is said, sir that this system of ocean mail routes
arose out of an apprehension OF war with England and
that had much to do by speech delivered In this
body, with exciting that apprehension.
Now, sir how stands the indsputabIe fact! How
stands the unying record upon this subject What
the date of the discussion upon the Oregon BILL and what
the date of the first act passed by Congress, origin
ating this system of ocean mail routes'
The first act bears date the Sd day OF March, 1915,
one day before the present administration came in
TO power. The discussion. upon the Oregon ques
ton took place one year after :, beng IN 1916 Up
to that time up to the time of this discussion no
man believed that there was the remotest probability
of with Great Britain, and pending that discus
sion, who knew the state OF things in this body
had the slightest apprehension OF any with Great
Britain. But above all the senator from Connecticut
could not have been influenced by such consideration,
because he happens to be Of those who contributed
to the yielding up OF the of the quarrel oxt of
which this anticipated war was expected to arise. But
have shown you, sir that this system originated one
year before any apprehension OF a war with England
was entertained by even children This system origna
ted sir. before the present administration was installed
in power-one year before that speech was made to
which the senator ascrbes the power of producing
apprehension of with England. Bat sir, it is as
said monsrous has the system become and appall
ing in the eyes of IFS projectors that will be will
ling violate the laws OF tme and go for which
junior TO the for which that reason ia given.
| What sir, that first act! 1t was an act which
authorized the Postmaster General contract for the
portaon of the mail between ports of the United States
and ports of foreign countries. That act left the Post
master General at liberty to contract with sailing vessels,
l
vessels where steam vessels bid for the contract;
and cautious Congress upon the subject that they
required, in the express language OF that act that the
Postmaster General should send the contracts to Con-
gess at the next session of Congress- order that Con-
gess might atfy the contract before became obligatory
upon the government
| Now sir mark that this first act did not require that
mails should be carried in seamersit only gave steam
preference sailing vessels, when steam yes
ses all other circumstances being equal bid for the con-
tract and, mark you, sir far from this having been
designed war measure, twelve mOnhs before any
of existed this did not provide that
the steamers should be constructed with view to
The only thing the act that had the slightest reference
to of possible hostility is clause which saith
steamers to its in the event of war; That part
was them surplusage-uttery unnecessary; because,
without it, the government would have had the power to
appropriate any and any sailing vessels upon the
that belonged to the United States, to the purposes
OF defence without any law upon the subject other than
constitution of the United States show, then, sir that
this system did originate any apprehension of
The senator from Connecticut said that did not OPP
pose this system at the beginning The second act
ed this subject bears date the 10th of June, 1916
and that act relates Or it is general appropriation bill
for the Post Office Department. 10 the contract made by
the Postmaster General for the line running from New
which he required submit the contract the
ceeding Congress. Now mark, sir, this second act OF
1916 barely approprates $4,000 Tor the purpose of
cutting the contract made upon the Bremen line by the
Postmaster General under the preceding act; that is all
has reference to-
Now. sir let what occurred when that question
was raised before the Senate. There appropria
under consideration, and an amendment moved, re-
five