The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-01
CONGRESS-.
THIRTY.FIRST CONGRESS-PIRST SESSION
SENATE.
MrnnrsnAY- IrLr d 1880

SENATE.
WEDNESDAY, july "a, 1850.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill of the Committee Of Thirteen
MIR Foote withdrew his amendment for the
present
MIR Bradbury submitted the following amend
ment:
"That The President of the United States be
and he is he hereby authorized, by and with the
advice and consent Of the Senate to appoint three
commissioners, who shall have power TO agree
with such commissioners az may be appointed un-
der the legislative authority Of the State of Tex
as, upon line of boundary between the territory
of tho TJ.;,aS SS--4~~ - "a - - -
Ss,als1SeA.,.sg l,O,,v A>ea river is
intersected by the Tooth degree of west longitude,
being the southwest angle of the Indian Terrific
ry and running TO point on the Rio Grande, to
be agreed upon by the said commissioners; and
also TO agree upon the terms conditions, and con-
sideratons, upon which such line shall be estab-
lished !; and the proceedings and agreements OF
the said commissioners shall be, as soon as posi-
BILE, transmitted to the President of the United
States TO be by him submitted to Congress, with
such recommendations as the circumstances, In
his opinion, may require, for the approval and
action of Congress thereupon; and the said agree
ment. when approved by the Congress of the
United States and the Legislature Of the State OF
Texas, shall be obligatory upon the parties"
Mr.. Rusk moved to amend the amendment by
striking out all after the first word that" and in
sert the boundary of the State of Texas is here
by admitted to extend to the Rio Grande, as de-
fined in the statute Of limits of the late Republic
of Texas passed in the year eighteen hundred
and thirty six"
The question was taken, and MIR. Rusk's amend
ment was rejected, as follows.
YEAs-Messrs Atchison, Barnwel, Berrien,
o~.t-r '>-vSk.sl Mississippi, Itawsor now~s
Foote, Houston, Hunter, King, Mason, Morton,
Rusk, Sebastian, Soule, 1urney, and Yulee-
49, --
NAYs--Messrs. Badger, Baldwin, Bell Brad
bury, Bright, Csss Chsss3, Clarke, Clay, Cooper,
Davis of Massachusetts,, Dayton, Dickinson,
Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge Of Iowa, Fetch,
Greene, Hamlin. Jones, Mangum, Miller, Norris,
Pearce, Pratt, Seward Shields, Smith, Spruance,
Sturgeon, Underwood, Upham Wales, Walker,
and Whitcomb-34
Mr. Hale moved to amend the amendment.
A general debate arose. in which Messrs. Rusk,
Butler, Dayton, Berrien, and Hale, participated.
Mr.. Benton said that since the present subject
had been before the Senate the sun had crossed
the equator, leaving capricorn behind, and APP
preached cancer. 1t was now on its way back
from cancer to the EQUATOR and will be back to
we have been progressing. That is what the sun
has done, sir. He has come forward, and he is
now on the back track. And we are also retro
grading sir and, at this speed, we shall not only
retrograde to capricorn, but to Cape Horn. The
proposition now was TO strike from the bill oil
that part Of it relating to Texas; so far the mo-
ton was right and proper. But it proposed to in.
sert in it that which was nullity, or something
worse
On the Goth of January, resolution was intro
duced in the Senate declaring that it was the
duty of Congress to fix the western boundary o.
Texas, up to the southern boundary of New Mex
leo, taking no part of New Mexico, &c. This
was the starting point on this subject. 1t wat
then proposed to takea greater part of New Mex
| leo to take over 0.000 square miles Of New
Mexico and add it to Texas This was going fal
enough from the starting point. Ii was now pro-
posed that the whole of New Mexico should b
given to Texas. This was retrograding little
faster than the sun
He pointed out the difficulties arising from thu
amendment to any settlement of the question
The commissioners to 9 appointed on the part O.
Texas would be men who would be required snt
demanded by their State, and who would insis
on q line running to the highest waters flowing
! into the Rio Grande. This they would insis
upon positively How were the others to be Sc
lected7 Were they to he chosen with view Il
their opinions the subject, or were they to b,
chosen as men who have no opinions on the sub
ject? He contended the difficulty OF settling tn,
subject would be no ways avoided by thi
mode Ii would break out again when the Presi
dent appointed, and the Senate were called upor
to confirm, the commissioners Their confrma
ticn would depend upon the result of inquiry as
to their sentiments on the subject.
He said that it would appear from the fact that
the amendment was considerably entertained
| that the Omnibus bl--its soul and its life, this
Texas boundary question--was gone. The bill
was dead. This combination of measures was
justified on the ground of settling this Texas
boundary and that being now failure, the bill
was dead. First, We had the prescription Of thr-
teen doctors; and that being failure, we were
now called upon to 20 into the commission bust
ness The commission business was one which o
man generally took up after having failed in
others, and when he had neither credit nor CAPT.
tai of his own to proceed upon.
The amendment proposes that these commits
sioners shall run a line commencing at the point
where the Red river is interseoted by the one
hundredth degree Of west longitude. Where was
the line to be rum To point on the Rio
Grande to be agreed upon by the commissioners
Where would that point be7 II may be at the
mouth, or at the head of the Rio Grande. They
may run line for no chart or guide Is laid down
for their government, which will absorb all New
Mexico, and throw her into the jaws Of Texas.
Texas may be allowed TO swallow all Of New
Mexico, not only the feet and legs, but the body,
the arms, and the head-just as the boa construct
or swallows the Ok, not leaving even the horns.
Mr. Bradbury of Maine said that he was in no
wsy responsible for the union of California with
other measures, or for the joining Of any Of them
| He did not agree however, that any greater prog
ress would have been made had they been kept
separately Nor was he responsible in any way
for the great consumption Of time. He had pro-
posed no amendments but this one, and had made
but few speeches.
1t was not at all probable, II this amendment
were adopted, that the commissioners would run
q line to the mouth of the Rio Grsnde, nor was II
probable that Texas would assent to It, Neither
did he think that there was any prospect that
any absurd line, jeopardiDg the interests Of the
United States, would be agreed upon by the com
missioners, or receive the sanction Of Congress.
After some further discussion, the Senate cd.
journed.
THURSDAY, july 25, 1850.
The Senate resumed the consideration Of the
Omnibus bill.
Mr.. Hale modified bis amendment. 80 as TO
read And the rights both Of the United States
and Of Texas to the territory In dispute shall re-
main the same as they were at the date Of the er-
change Of the ratification Of the treaty OF Gauda-
lupe Hidalgo, and neither party shall be prejo-
diced by anything which has subsequently CO
Cured, nor shall either party take any further
steps to reduce those rights TO possession until
after said commissioners shall have been appoint
cd, and the duties devolved upon them by this
act shall have been executed and performed, and
Congress and Texas shall have acted definitely
thereon
The question was taken on this amendment,
with the following result
YEAs--Messrs Badger, Baldwin, Benton, Her
rien, Bradbury, Clarke, Cooper Davis OF MAsaA-
chusetts. Dodge Of Wisconsin, Douglas, orecne
Hale, Hamlip, Miller, Norris, Pearce, Seward