The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-31
THIRTY-FIRST CONGR ESS.

THIRTY-FIRsT CONGRESS-.
SECOND SESSION.
IN SEN ATE.
MONDAY, Dec. 80, 1850.
After prayer by the Rev. r. r. Gurley, and the
reading Of the journal Of Thursday last, the Chair
announced petitions to be in order.
ATMOSPHERIC NAVIGATION.
Mr.. DOUGLAS presented petition from John
Wise, of Pennsylvania, praying the aid Of Con-
gress to the extent Of some $40 900 for certain
baooning experiments hereinafter specified Mr..
Wise, for sixteen years, has devoted his atten-
ton to ba.looning. He has made one hundred
different ascensions. He has demonstrated to his
satisfaction, and is ready to demonstrate it to
the satisfaction Of the world, that he can apply
balloon to the transportation Of the mails, Of
freight and passengers and to effice mt service in
the art Of war as well as in the arts Of peace If
encouraged by Congress he will make an expert
ment with balloon of 100 feet in diameter, to
take up l6 tons of freight; and will ascend over
the Capitol, the Presidents Hruse, or Navy
Yard, dischargi ing lot Of imitation missiles show
ing his capacity by this agency, Of destroying any
fortress or army, from position directly over
them, and beyond The reach Of their shot. AAer
this experiment, Mr.. Wise proposes to take his
balloon to St. Louis, whence he will make pas
sage through the air in it to New York-,hence he
proposes an aerial voyage over to Eng and with
six passengers and life boat-and thence he pro-
poses a voyage through the air arc md the world.
He has ascertained that at a certain altitude there
is a steady current Of air flowing from west to
east, and he is ready to demonstrate it in the afnre
said experiments, provided Congress will aid him
~ the extent Of the aforesaid 500 900. He de-
sires ii TO enable him. under the patronage Of this
Government, to make the first voyage round the
world in balloon. Mr.. DnuGLAs thought the
Committee on Roads and Canals would be the
proper committee for this petition They could
consider its expectancy along with their own bill
for Whitney's rail road Mr.. Wise was man
of science and responsibility, and his petition was
entitled to serious consideration.
Mr.. BRIGHT, ofthe Committee on Roads and
Canals, was opposed TO all visionary enterprises
The proper sphere Of the committee was in refer.
ence to travel and navigation upon terra rma He
thought the proper committee for this petition
was the Committee on Foreign Relations. Laugh
ter)
Mr.. MANGUM. believe the senator from
Illinois is member Of tina, committe.
The CHAIR. No sir. He has been excused
upon his own request.
the reference to that committee. Iaughter.)
Mr.. DOUGLAS hoped the petition would re-
ceive serious consideration, and on his motion,
it was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
Other petitions were presented by Messrs. UN-
DaRwooD, DAYTON, CAss, EwING, HAMLN and
WINTHROP
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Mr.. BENTON, pursuant 10 notice introduced
bill to accelerate the sales Of the public lands, 20
pay off the public debt; to extinguish the federal
title TO the public domain in the new States; To Sc.
home to actual settlers; and to cede the I'M
saeable and refuse lands to the States in which
they may lie.
The bill provides TO lessen the price OF the pub
lie lands to one dollar per acre, and after the end
Of two years to seventy-fve cents, and to reduce
them twenty-five cents each succeeding two years,
till they reduced to twenty-fv cents an acre,
&c. Actual settlers to have a donation Of forty
acres, and right to pre-emption claim TO one
hundred and twenty acres at twenty FIVE cents
less than other purchasers. When the remaining
lands are reduced by successive reductions "a
twenty-five cents an acre, said lands to be coded
to the States IN which they lie, when the
amount in any State shall be less than 5000, 600
acres.
Mr.. BENTON spoke at length in explanation
of the bill. The first object was to derive some
revenue from the public lands to aid in the pay
ment Of public debt, prin"i pal and interest, OF
Sl34, 100000. He showed from the reports Of the
Treasury, that the public lands had ceased to be
a source Of revenue, from the vast amount oi
lands absorbed in military bounties-that there
were 80, 900, 600 OF acres still to be awarded in
these land bounties, which, from the reduced price
! Of land warrants, would cut off any revenue from
the public lands for sixteen years to come. The
only existing source Of revenue was the customs
He was in favor Of larger adoption Of specific
duties but opposed to raising the general scale OF
duties Of the act of 1916. Universal ad ralort,n,
were subject to frauds, and he was opposed to
them. The great ultimate objects Of his bill were
to settle the public lands, and from an increased
and stable population thus secured, to secure 8
permanent increase to the Treasury, from the ne
cesstes of enlarged importations. The bill was
referred to the Committee on Public Lands.
| Mr.. ZEN TON offered resolution inquiring
into the expedency Of incorporating the Coas
Survey with the Navy.
Mr.. GWlN presented the resolutions Of tht
California legislature in reference to q nationa
! road 10 the Pacific.
AUSTRIAN CORRESPONDENCE.
message was received from the President o
| the United States, communicating copies Of tn,
| late correspondence between Mr.. Hulseman, tn,
Austrian Charge des Affaires to the United State
and the Secretary Of State, Mr.. Webster, in ref
erence TO the mission Of Hon. Dudley Mann, sen
out by Mr.. Clayton as special agent to look ate
the independence Of Hungary, pending the lat
struggle between that country and Austria. Tn
correspondence was read
The Austrian minister enters protest agains
that missionary, and against the instructions givel
! to him by the late Administration, as ,oatin:
the principles OF neutrality declared to be the for
egn policy Of the United States, as offensive to tn
laws Of propriety, and the rights Of Austria, &c.
| Mr.. Webster, in his reply, vindicates the mis-
sion to Hungary, and the instructions to Mr.
Mann, as within the rights Of nations holding
neutral position, and pleads the propriety Of sym
patty on the part Of this Government, with tn