The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-02-27
CONGRESS-.
SATURDAY. Feb. II.

SENArE.-The bill from the House for
establishing Home Department was read
and referred to the Committee on ti~
nance. Mr.. Webster's resolution, inqulr-
ing into the expediency of taking security
from emigfant paupers, came up; an a.
mendment for printing certain decisions
of the Supreme Court on the subject was
adopted. anti the resolution passed.
Dir. Rusk's bill, to establish mail from
Mississippi TO California, was ordered to
he printed On motion of Mr.. Foote,
the memorial of Jesse Dow and others,
making road across Tehuantepec, was
ordered to be printed.
Mr. Douglass gave notice that he would
on Monday move to take up the Califor-
MA Bill. The bill authorizing the Gall
weston and Red River Company TO make
road to California, was referred to a
Committee. The Civil and Diplomatic
Bill came up. Mr.. Benton offered an a.
mendment striking out the appropriation oil
SlS6 900 for the coast survey, and insert
ing 80 900 also, directing the survey to
be made exclusively by the Navy, under
direction of the President. He alluded
to the necessity of modifying the present
system of Coast Surveys. Mr.. Pierce
spoke in defence of the present mode OF
conducting surveys, and mentioned the
benefits derived Adjourned.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES. res
ouion was adopted to stop debate OIL the
Mexican Indemnity Bill, on Monday, at
two o'clock. The House then went into
Committee on the BILL Mr. Buckner, of
Kentucky, addressed the Committee on
the Slavery question, Mexican war, and
the acquisition of slavery, taking conserv-
alive ground, and ccntended that slavery
could never 90 TO California, that Cons
gress had the power, and The right to ex-
ercise the same to keep it out.
Mr. Stephens, OF Georgia, followed,
contending against all legislation for Cali
iornia, maintaining that the President and
two-thirds of the Senate had no power TO
compel the House to vote for appropria>
lions for purchasing territory. He ex>
planned the rights of the House, and said
that when the principle should be estab>
lshed that the House should onl y obey the
behcst of the President s. Senate, neither
the Government, the Union, or anything
else would be worth preserving. Estab-
lsh this principle, that whatever the Pres
ident and Senate agrees upon, the House
must Yield to for the law of the land, then
the People, by a corrupt Executive and
Senate might be sold a standing army
MIGHT ha ctaf1nOoH ~ Cali
fornia and supported in the teeth of the
constitution, declaring 1t should not be
raised for over two years or treaty with
New Grenada might be framed, giving
five, ten, or fifty millions for the right of
the way across the lsthmus. He con-
demned all such doctrine, and was inter-
rupted by MIR. Rhett, who commended that
no one on his side of the House, had con-
troverted The doctrine which Mr.. Stephens
contended for.
The latter said it had been controver>
ted ana Mr.. Rhett knew it. He felt a.
STAINED, but was obliged To stand up for it.
lie denounced the course pursued by the
President as outrageous. Mexico was
properly denominaled by Senator the
" Forbidden Fruit, and yet the Senator
took bite. He replied to the Presidents
argument in relation to II e Protocol, re-
capitulated the cheat the President had
practiced by fraud and deception on the
Oregon question, on Mexico, on Mr.. Ben
ton, on Mr. WiImot, whom he has told he
would approve his Proviso, and on the
American people. He was followed by
Mr.. Lahm, who took the Northern side
On the Slavery question.