Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-03-09
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 1850.
SENATE. rl o

WASHINGTON, Feb. 81, 1850.
~ SENATE.
a message was received from the
President on Executive subjects.
Mr. Clay's compromise resolutions
were taken up. Mr. Benton wished, be.
fore Mr. Hunter took the floor, to explain
legal point which the resolutions in
voived
The resolutions asserted that slavery
did not by law exist in California. He
was one of those who believed that slave
ry was abolished by the Republic of
Mexico. He wished to produce docu-
mentary testimony of this faet---the de-
crees, executive and Legislative, on the
subject, DC.
After Mr. Benton concluded, Mr. Rusk
took the floor and made his expected
speech upon the subject of the Texas
boundary
Mr. Rusk fortified his statements with
documentary evidence Being unwell
and somewhat exhausted, he gave way
to motion to adjourn, without concluding,
and the Senate adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mr. Johnson, of Tenn, by unanimous
consent, introduced bill to provide a
homestead of 160 acres of the public
domain for every man, the head of a fam
lily, citizen of the United States, and
every widow, the mother of minor
child or children, who may become the
occupants and cultivators of the soil
which was twice read and referred to the
Committee on Public Lands.
Mr. Moore, of Pennsylvania, submitted
bill of similar character, which was
similarly disposed of.
Mr. Ashmun introduced bill to re-
duce the rates of postage and to abolish
the franking privilege, which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on
the Post Office and Post Roads.
Mr.. Briggs, of New York introduced
a bill to establish branch mint of the
United States in the city of New York,
which was read twice and referred to the
Committee of Ways and Means.
On motion of Mr.. Thompson, of Mis-
sissippi, the rules were suspended, and
the House resolved itself into Committee
of the Whole on the State of the Union,
to take up the resolutions to refer the
Presidents annual message.
Mr.. Toombs, who was entitled to the
floor moved to take up the Presidents
special message upon the subject of Cal
ifornia. II was takenup, when
Mr. Dotty submitted the following:
An act to admit the State of Califor-
MIA into the Union
Whereas, the people of California have
formed for themselves constitution and
State government, and applied for adj
mission into the Union as a State;
And whereas, the said constitution has
been officially communicated to Congress,
and is republican Therefore,
Section L. BE it enacted, &C., That
the State of California, with the bounda-
ries described in the said constitution,
be one, and is hereby declared to be one
of the United States of Ameiica, and
admitted into the Union on an equal foot
ing with the original States, in all res
poets whatever. .s.
oec. z. Ihe state OF California shall
never interfere with the primary disposal
of the soil within the same by the United
States, nor with any regulations Con.
gress may make for securing the title in
such soil to bona fide purchasers thereof;
and no tax shall be beimposed on lands the
property of the United States which
said provisions are hereby declared to be
fundamental conditions upon which the
said State is admitted into the Union.
Mr.. Green, of No. gave notice of an
amendment, to adopt as compromise
the Missouri line of SO so. s2@ e.ss
Mr. Toombs took the floor, and spoke
an hour upon the slave question. He al
luded to the history of the origin of the
government and pointed out the extreme
jealousy which then existed on the part
of the slave States, in regard to their
property in slaves, That these sStatos
did not consent to come into the Union
until protection was given by the Consti-
tuition to this species of property. This
protection was given by that clause al
lowing this property to be represented in
thu federal legislature; and also by the
clause providing for the reclamation Of