The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-03-07
Corresp ience OF the Tribune w
LAST NIGHT OF THE SESSION-THE
TERRITORIAL STRUGGLE.
WASHINGTON, Sunday. Marc

cree the House into an organization OF the Terri
tories which should leave them open to the in.
roads of Slavery is signally defeated-the Senate
has been fairly driven from its unconstitutional
ground of dictation so haughtily- assumed-and
at o'clock this morning the XXXth Congress
dissolved, having failed TO pass any bill for the
organization of the Territories, and having pass.
ed the Civil and Diplomatic Appropriation bill
entirely clear of any provision on the subject
The House bill extending the u S. Revenue
Laws to California was finally passed by the Sen.
ate and with the Civil and Diplomatic Appropu.
alton billy signed by the President. The cues.
ton of Slavery in the Territories goes over--is
adjourned, but not, like this Congress, without
day. 1t will come up among the first and most
important business OF the next Congress al lie
first Session, and | am confident will then be sat-
isactorily adjusted. Slavery can never again be
so strong as it was last week, in the eddy be.
tween an expiring and incoming Administration.
On the whole, then, considering how much
worse we might have done, we have had good
deliverance. | would not for much have the
question back where 1t stood one day since.
The Committee had compromised all the mum.
erous dsagreements OF the two Houses except
that on the Senate's Interpolation OF the Walker
organization of California was insisted on
by the Senate's Committee and repudiated bv
that of the House, and all attempts to find some
medium ground were Ruthless
The subject being thus before the House. the
motion first in order OF the multitude made bv
the Members all at once struggling in wild in
multi for the floor, was that proposing that the
House recede from its disagreement with the
Senate, Opening the question to farther amend
ment; y and this motion prevailed by Yeas III.
Nays l06. Pennsylvania and Maine voted strong
ly in the majority. So the House decided to re-
cede, and the proposition was open to amend
ment
A vehement yell OF " Mr. Speaker" rose from
the scores who jumped on the instant for the
floor. The Speaker gave it to Mr.. Morehead of
KY. who moved that the words Z" West of the
Rio Grande" should be stricken out ofthe Senate's
amendment, and a proviso added to it that moth
ing herein contained should be construed as af
tecting the boundary OF Texas (The effect of
this to organize all the territory acquired
from Mexico, be the same more or less, aud cave
all questions OF Boundary to be adjusted herear.
ater) He concluded by moving the Previous
Question. The question was carried, (the South
again triumphant,) by los to 100.
The question on ordering the Main Question
was taken by Yeas and Nays, and 'the AYES had
it'-Yeas ITO, Nays 1O1-the South sill con.
quering. The question was now taken on Mr..
Moreheads amendment, which was carried
Yeas l86, Nays 20.
Here the wild rush Of half the House for the
renewed. The char gave the floor to Mr. r. w.
Thompson of la, (who had voted with the South
thus far,) and who evncing much emotion moved
an amendment, clothing the President with tenn
porary power to govern the New Territories, TO
execute the existing laws, and to protect the
liberties and rights OF the People. 1t would IN
effect recognize and continue in force there the
Mexican laws OF abolshing Slavery. He closed
by calling the Previous Question on amending as
a 1 II
ment as so amended-(th whole Senate PROPOSE.
ton stricken out and this substituted.)
The Previous Question was sustained as before,
the Main Question ordered, and Mr. Thompson's
amendment agreed tO-Yeas Ill, Nays I05-the
minority on the former votes being changed into
majority by the accession OF Messrs Thompson
OF Ia, Pollock, Brady, Butler OF Pa, Murphy Of
N. Y. and one or two others.
And now the question required on agreeing TO
the Senate's addition to the bill as amended and
the amended proposition was agreed to-Yeas
10, nays l04. And the House having receded
from all its other disagreements with the Senate,
the bill as amended was sent back to the Senates
shall not follow the matter into the Senate
Suffice it to,say that the wisdom of the course ia
ken by the House was fully INDICATED by the
contorons with which the bill was faced in that
body.
AT length after weary watching till o clock
in the morning, when even garrulity had exhaus-
ted itself with talking on all manner of frivolous
pretexts and reapsed into grateful silence
when profigacy had been satiated with rascally
votes of the Public Money in gratuities TO almost
everybody connected with Congress, &c. Sc
word came that the Senate had receded altogeth-
er from its Walker amendment and everything of
the sort, agreeing to the bill as an Appropriation
bill simply, and killing the House amendment by
surrendering its own. Close on its heels came
the Sena'e's concurrence in the House bill ex-
tending the Revenue laws to California and
message was sent with both bills to rouse Mr..
Polk (still President by suferance) from his first
slumbers at the Irving House (whither he had
retired from the Capitol some hours before) and
procure his signature to the two bills. In due
time--though it seemed very long now that it
was broad daylight and the excitement was sub
siding-word was returned that the President
had signed the bills and had nothing farther to
offer.
MEETING OF GEN. TAYLOR AND GEN.
CASS.