The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-18
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
THURSDAY, January II, 1850.
FIRST SESSION.


Petitions praying indemnity for French spoa.
tons were presented by Messrs CoopER, SAITH, and
DAWSON.
Petitions of private nature were presented by
Messrs MILLER, SEWARD GREENE, PHELPS ,CoopER
Bell, PEARcE, WHITcoMB, DIcKERsoN, and FooTR
Papers file allowed to be withdrawn on
motions by Messrs. BELL, JONES' PHELPS, BRIGHT
SoULE, and YuLEE.
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi, moved, and it was
ordered that much of the Presidents message as
referred to military affairs be referred to the Com
mittee on Military Affairs.
And, on similar notion all that part Of the
Presidents message referred TO the subject OF
finance, was referred to the Committee ON FL
nance.
Mr.. SMITH moved to take up the various reso-
lutions of inquiry, now laying the table, in the
order in which they had been presented; and the
motion was adopted
The first resolution in order was that presented
some time ago by Mr.. CLEMENS, calling upon the
President for information in relation to the course
pursued by the Government in regard to the call
ing convention in California, sc.
Mr.. CLEMENS said that when this resolution
was up the other day, he had suggested that it be
laid on the table till the TO the resolution
passed in the other House was laid before them.
With the same view, he now moved that ii be laid
on the table for the present. He withdrew the mo-
ton at the request OF
Mr. DOUGLAS, who hoped the resolution would
not be laid over. The resolution called for import
ant information necessary to proper understand
ing the vote upon the admission of California into
the Union TWAS generally stated through the press
of the country that the people of California had
been coerced into the adoption OF constitution and
a State government. 1t was due to the country
and to the present Administration, whether these
things were true or false.
Mr.. SMITH stated that he had not the slightest
doubt but that the answer made by the Executive
TO the resolution Of the House would be found to be
full and complete. 1t would be full and explicit
statement of every particle of information in the
possession of the Government. Every instruction,
letter or order had been furnished and copies of
Ors III mar mi np inf
nation had been made and sent to the House. More
over, it would appear that the order to General
Reilly, under which he was acting when he issued
his famous proclamation calling upon the people to
elect delegates to the convention, issued to him
by the late administration, and not by the present
He had never heard the charge made of interfer-
ence in the matter by the present.
Mr.. DOUGLAS thought that there was now a
greater for having this resolution passed 1t
was cndeavored by the Senator from Connecticut
to shift this charge-this foul calumny-from the
present to the past administration. Asa friend to
the past administration, as well as one DESTROYS
that this charge should not rest any administra
ton, he called upon Senators to aid him in forcing
this resolution through at once. He called upon
his Democratic friends to draw up this curtain,
which the Administration desired to throw over its
acts, and let the facts stand revealed.
Mr.. SMITH said the curtain had already been
raised by the other House, and it not for him to
say whether raising it the second time would pro-
duce any moro satisfaction to the other side Hehad
made no charge against Mr.. Folks administration.
All he had said was that at the time Gen. Reilly
issued his proclamation, he was acting under an
appointment conferred upon him by the past ad-
nlinisration. The passage of the resolution to
him matter of the most perfect indifference. His
objection to it was, that it had already been
swered by the Executive, and he said there was no
necessity for the Senate to put the heads Of the De-
partments to the useless trouble and expense of
making a copy Of document already submitted to
Congress The answer to the House resolution was
very voluminous and when printed would make a
large volume; where is the necessity of going to
the trouble and expense of copying and reprinting
the document The Senator would be furnished
with copy, and unless he thought he could be bet
ter informed with two copies than by one, there was
ton should be allowed pass until that
to the House resolution seem and then if il
desired the resolution could be adopted. The
luton required some notifications, however, which
would take whole day to prepare. He moved then
to lay the resolution on the table.
Mr.. DOUGLAS (the motion being withdrawn)
considered that the Senator from Connecticut, to be
able to speak upon the nature and character of tho
answer said to have been made to the House, must
have and known what that answer was. He
then speaks here by the authority Of the Admins
tration.
Mr. SMITH. No, sir
Mr.. DOUGLAS said he did not know how the
Senator could speak of the answer to the House. how
he could say no instructions had been sent to Gen.
Reilly by this Administration, previous the issu-
ing of the proclamation Of that officer, without
having been in the confidence and in the counseis
of the Cabinet.
Mr.. SMITH said that when up he had said no in
structions had been received by Gen. Reilly.
Mr. DOUGLAS did not know how the Senator
could be informed upon that fact without being in
formed by the Secretary of War; how he could
say the had copied every scrap Of paper
relating to this subject In their possession without
the Senator knew what was in the department and
what had been sent 10 the House. That Senator
was then fully informed, while he (Mr. D. was in
total darkness. There must be cause in all this,
for the effort to suppress debate by moving to lay
this resolution on the table. The Senator also sug-
gested that the resolutions wanted some modifica-
tons. Was this resolution better drawn than that
in the House, and was il that the Administration,
by special pleading and mental reservations, had
answered that, yet could not answer this without
divugng something they desired TO conceal? Why,
If this not the case did the Senator from Con-
necticut endeavour TO keep this resolution from
passing? lie again invoked his Democratic friends
to aid him in having this resolution passed now,
and in its present shape.
MIR. CLAY hadno desire to participate in the con-
test going on between the Senators from Illinois
and Connecticut They seemed 10 be well matched.
The Senator from Connecticut, it true, had
siderable advantage IN size, but the Senator from
Illinois had the advantage In position. He rose
simply TO ask whether the state Of the question
not thus: resolution has been passed by the House
calling for certain information, which has been fur
nishcd but is not published; IL is proposed not
to wait 10 ascertain what that information is but TO
pass another resolution of inquiry Of similar char
hCtct ana tnls compel INC Executive departments
TO copy the whole thing again.
Mr.. DOUGLAS said the Senate resolution was
more full than that already answered; and again
the Senator from Connecticut, acting as the organ
Of the Administrator, desired TO have il modified
that something mightbc kept back.
Mr.. CLAY said he would promise the Senator
from Illinois that IL the TO the resolution Of
the House was not as full and complete as was de-
sirable he would vote for this resolution. II this
information was desired TO ascertain whether, by
Executive interference, there had been given pre-
mature birth to State, the Senator from Illinois
should rather be rejoced than otherwise, for from
all accounts, the young State was Democratic. This
ought he thought, 20 satisfy the Senator that the
Administration had nothing to do with Il, ms UNI
doubtcdly they would have the child with another
name.
Mr.. DOUGLAS said that, from the very reason
stated by the Senator, 1t appeared TO him that this
Administration would desire TO conceal and deny
the paternity Of the child. From the accounts
given by Others il would appear that the child was
his, rather than General Taylor's. BE that as II
may, he desired to have all the information on the
subject and that information now.
Mr.. FOOTE said he had felt no interest upon the
subject until the Senator from Connecticut had
charged the matter upon the late administration of
Mr.. Polk, and had wantonly disturbed the memory
Of the illustrious dead His duty TO his party and