Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-03-02
TuIRTIETH CONGREss--2d Session
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, l849.
SENATE.

lueU duu tOOh uio q -
Mr. Renton moved q reconsideration OF ID
vote ON Mr.. Miles, resolution relative to IN
publication by the "Union," and "Intelllgencer
Of revised speeches, &C OF Senators. Mo'lo
lies over.
On motion of MIR. Downs. House bill grant
ing TO the State of Louisiana the swamp land
Of that State, to aid in the draining of the sam
the construction of levees, TO prevent overflow:
Nc. vas taken up, and a debate ensued, il
which Messrs. Downs, Johnson, OF LOUISIANA
Dickinson, Borland and Bell participated, whei
the bill was read the third time and passed.
MIR. johnson, Of Georgia, reported back iron
the Committee on the District, the bill L
amend the act TO incorporate The Provident As
ISOLATION Of Clerks in the Civil Departments o
the Government in The District OF Columbia
without amendment, and it was passed.
MIR. Underwood, from the select committee
on the subject, reported a bill TO provide for The
taking of the Seventh Census. He asked II:
immediate passage, but objection being made
it lies or the table.
On motion Of Mr. Dix, the bill "concernine
the pay department! of the army was taken
10, and after some unimportant amendments
was passed. =. J,
VII. htUeTlOU Suuulikltu q ICNOluiibhi 'H''
was adopted, providing for a recess from 4 10
P. NJ, during the remainder OF The session.
Mr.. Borland, from the Military Committee
reported a bill allowing additional compensatiol
10 Registers and Receivers, Ter locating Militia
~ Bounty Land Warrants, Choctaw Land Scrip
and Tor other purposes, which was passed.
The Vice President laid before The Senate a
communication from the Navy Department,
with the Report by Lieut.. Lynch OF his exami'
nations OF The Dead Sea. Ordered 10 b. print
ed.
On motion o: Mr.. Anterior, The consideration
was resumed. The question being on Mr.. Day
toms substitute 10 MI. Walkers proposition, up
on which the yeas and nays had been ordered
when lhe Senate adjourned on Saturday.
Mr.. Dayton modified his substitute, By still
king out the limitation as 10 time, leaving II 10
Continue in force until other provision shall be
made By Congress, and in one or two other I'M
important particulars.
Mr.. Douglass, Who was entitled To The h1or, re-
marked that al this late day oil The session y
was Of more importance 10 vote than 10 speak.
The subject he believed 10 be fulj understood
By every Senator. He would therefore refrain
from any further remarks, in the hope that the
vote would be taken without further debate.
The Secretary OF the Senate was proceeding
10 call The yeas and nays, when
Mr.. Downs rose and addressed The SENATE d.
Length in reply 10 Mr.. Dayton, and in defence Of
The doctrine that territory acquired rom iuIeiSh
governments may be admitted by Congress as
States into the Union without previous oreanI-
cation and the presentation OF Stale consliiu-
tiuns.
He was followed by Messrs. Berrien, Dayton
ard Fnute. in some explanatory remarks ~nei
MIR. Underwood obtained The floor also ~ sup
porl Of The doctrine that the cons. tuition ol me
United STATES now eIlenGs over The newly ac-
ouired territory. He denied that II required spr-
cial legislation 10 extend over that territory those
provisions Of the criminal code which are OF 4
general character, sc, &c.
MI. u. said he was in favor Of leaving The
settlement Of The slavery question 10 The people
II The territories hens Ives, while in The tefruo.
rial condition, which he commended, would he Jnsl
a. proper, as 10 have il settled by them IN The
Stale Constitutions which they may hereafter pre-
sent.
When he had concluded, the Senate took 4 ie-
cess until =, P. NJ.
NiouT SESSION.
Mr.. Dodge, OF Wisconsin, presented he reso-
lutions OF the Wisconsin Legislature, against the
extension of slavery 10 any territory acquired 'r
10 be acquired; %asainst the admission OF any new
Slave States into The Union; Tor the prohibition
OF layery and lhe slavc-lrafc IN The District oi
Columbia, and wherever Congress has The pow
er 10 do 50. Laid on the table and ordered TO be-
printed.
House was read twice, and referred TO The FL
nance committee.
Mr.. Hunter addressed The Senate on the Civil
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill, IN reference
10 he notifications made today 10 MIR. Daylon's
substitute for Mr.. Walkers proposition. The IN
sertion, as one OF lhess notifications, OF The word
Mexican" for "exisiing" laws, he SEEMED u
fear would be re-afirming the Mexican laws pro.
hibiling slavery. Ii SO, they might as we'll at
once adopI the Wilmot Proviso.
Mr.. Dayton said that his amendment, as ofiei-
nally offered, was a transcript OF The law ior The
temporary governments OF Louisiana and Flori-
da under similar circumstances, with The excer-
ton, that the clause prohibiting The slave-lrace
was omitted. for reasons well understood. He
had desired no notifications, but they had been
made al THE suggestion oil The Senator from Geor'
gia, (Mr. Berrien,) 10 meet The views oil South
ern gentle These notifications were in The
hand. writing Of The Senator from Georgia. de
(Mr. Dayion,) had been aware that there mien
be difficulty as 10 the construction OF the Law on
the point referred 10 by the Senator i,om Virgi
MIA, though there is no American government
there. and he had therefore accepted the modih'
cations. II was The government al The time q
The union. for the administration OF which H.
President was authorized 10 appoint The offlcefs
II The modification changes The meaning, put tbt
word back asain-he had not the slightest oolcc'
lion. He had no purpose 10 affirm or disailfn
The Mexican law on this suhjeci, but 10 lei thing
remain as they arc-lel the officers 10 be ap
pointed govern according 10 he "existins" laws
and as 10 the Wilmo: Proviso, he had ncvoI
thought OF it 10 making the modification sogsts'
Ell.
Mr.. Berrien said il was very true that he ha'
suggested, in par, The notifications, b~erau,c, !
a communicated al the Secretary Of State, F.,
had been stated that here IS an "exis;i5g' gov
eminent in California, such as il had n beti
he purpose Of lhe Senate 10 carry out. But II
ms proposed modifica ions he had iuFlhcr 81.
sesled that atcr the words Mexican laws, thei'
should also be added he words, "not inconsisteI,
viii The Constitution q the United Slales."-
| This the Senator from New Jersey had decline
| 10 accept, lie wished 10 be Understood as ~
| proposing 10 establish or re.esiahlish The Mex
| can laws in regard 10 slavery. be did not ho!
that rhrrc shuult be a specified repeal Of H.
Mexican laws, ~ SUBSTITUTE tHt v OI a Con-
queTln2 country.
MIR. Niles had been disposed to support The pro
~posi.ion al he Senator ron New Jersey, not Il
a compromise as had been intlmaled by the $
MAJOR from Virginia, (Mr. llnnier,) but as
temporary MEASURE. But. BY The modification
j, was now PROF, sed 10 make The time Of lis ope
ration unlimited. He was opposed TO il as a per
manent system. He was moi willing 10 repose
tiust Of this KIND in the hands Of any E1ecuiy
10 regulate The manner of lis exercise, wiihou
| The concurrence OF The Senate. ,hns throwing III
whole government into his hands, subject 10 hi
| control and discretion.
Alter some further remarks by Messrs. Hun
Ter, Underwood and Westcolr, Mr. Dayton
amendment 10 the proposition Of Mr.. Wake
was rejected, by yeas and nays, 8 AZ
MIR. Berrien suggested a further modiicatio
to Mr.. Walkers proposition, which was &C
cepted by the latter, and an amendment by Nj
Underwood in regard to the Texan boundary
after a few remarks from Messrs. Houston an
Rusk, was rejected, when the vote was taken b
yeas and nays on Mr.. Walkers proposition
and it was agreed to-29 TO a.
On motion of Mr.. AtchisoD, the bill wa