The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-25

ELL for its reference TO the Committee ON Claims,
having previously been voted down.
Mr. MEADE, from the Committee on the Ju-
dietary, reported back joint resolution relative to
the payment Of interest on war bounty scrip:
read the third time and passed
On motion Of Mr.. RICHARDSON, the rules
were suspended, and the House went into Com
mittee of the Whole on the state Of the Union,
Mr.. BorD in the Chair
Mr. BAYLY moved to lay aside the business
having precedence further consideration of
the Presidents California message, to proceed to
the consideration of the annual West Point Acad-
envy appropriation bill for the fiscal year, ending
June Goth, 1850.
On that motion, tellers having been ordered, it
was agreed to--yeas 80, nays 60.
The bill making appropriations for the support
Of the West Point Military Academy for the
fiscal year, ending on June 3Oth 1850, being then
taken up.
MIR. WENTWORTH addressed the committee,
denouncing the vote by which the California bill
had been laid aside. He held tito be indicative of
a opposition on the part Of majority to give Mr..
Dory's State bill the z. go by" He also urged
the friends of California to steadily vote against
any and all efforts to get up another general APP
preparation bill, until the measure of Mr. Dorr
had been enacted.
Mr.. McCLERNAND taking the floor, spoke
at some length to show that the admission Of Cali
fornia, had been SO far defeated by Mr.. WENT
WORTH, and the Free-soil party with whom that
gentleman acted. They had persisted in voting
against the admission of the applying State, in
conjunction with the general settlement Of the
slavery question.
He next went on to show that this new fangled
zeal of the Free-soiers, was dictated wholly by
desire for their personal advancement II was
but just born. AS late as during the last year,
these gentlemen being ardent opponents of the
proposition to permit California to come into the
Union as State
MIR. McC described the reported doings of the
late California slave caucus, to show TINT the
Free-soers were anxious to defeat the enactment
OF the general appropriation bills, if that course
was necessary to secure the triumphs oftheirplans
for their personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Mr.. WILMoT, taking the floor, addressed the
committee on the California question He had
attended the caucus to which Mr.. McCLERNANp
had indirectly referred. He contradicted that gem
tleman's understanding of its proceedings.
Mr.. WILLIAMS made point of order Mr.
WLMoT was discussing question not before the
committee. He referred to the 3lst rule to sus-
tain his point.
The CHAIR overruling the point of order,
Mr.. WILLIAMS appealed; when
Mr., billiard, though Disappearing the
course of the debate, felt bound to sustain the
Judgment Of the Chair
The question on the appeal being put, the Chair
was sustained.
Mr.. WILMOT, resuming the floor, declared
that Mr.. McCLERNANp's representations of the
dolngs of the California alone caucus were wholly
incorrect. That meeting had urged the propriety
of considering California--of disposng of her
case before the appropriation bills were acted on
This was because, for twenty years past, when
these bills were enacted, Congress had immedi-
atey terminated its sessions
Mr.. w. next urged the importance of at once
enacting the California State bill. The dignity Of
the subject required the immediate and separate
consideration of this State bill. California en-
braced voting population larger than Mississippi
or Louisiana he believed, and it was treating her
with indignity to longer delay her admission. He
next praised the Proviso, and contended that the
Free Sellers (Buffaloites) were struggling for free
dom s sake. He believed that slavery controlled
the Government, elected all it's officers, and in one
sense constituted the Republic itself. There was
an enormous sum of money, some say sixteen
hundred millions, invested in slaves. This sum
the Government.
He had always opposed the interest of capital
Money was heartless-regardles of the rights of
humanity. These sixteen hundred millions of
iollors demanded to monopolise the territories ac-
luired from Mexico at the expense of free labor.
To struggle against this hydra headed monster,
was written down to be sectional-by Mr.. McCLER-
nand to be fanatical He, Mr.. w. did not hold
hat democracy consisted in wearing the collar Of
slavery. That might be the doctrine of Mr. Nc
CLERNAND. II certainly was not his, he would not
say who was the demagogue, whether he was the
patriot who struggled against the slave-holding
interest for popular rights, the person carrying
out the purposes of the STAKEHOLDER. He had
been denounced as fanatic, and had stood up
against an administration which he helped to bring
INTO power, in order to defend the popular rights
involved in the positions of the Free-soilers.
Mr.. W. then praised his own constituents as
The best democrats of Pennsylvania. Being de-
voted to the principles Of democracy, they had
aiken the lead in sustaining every year reform.
They would not stick to party when that required
sacrifice ofprinciple Mr.. McC. could not read
hem out of the democratic party. To do SO, would
live the Wings the state. He admitted that Mr..
represented his district, was not
he sentiment Of the State Of Illinois, which was in
accordance with the pro-proviso resolutions other
legislature. The way to settle this question, he
eld to be, to have every representative and sena-
or to vote according to the will Of their respective
constituents. If this basis had been adopted, the
question would long since have been settled on
he side ofireedom.
Here, however, political considerations, aspi-
atoms Of individuals for perferment, and the in