The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-17

He was sorry that such language had been used in
the Senate. He could not discover who there was
in this body or in the other to be auctoneered for
For himsefand the other members of the commit
tee, he repealed the imputation thrown upon them
and the bin He alluded to the high character Of
the individual members OF the committee, and how
unworthy their reputation WAS this imputation
He then examined the question of the southern
boundary OF New Mexico, and the consequent
northern boundary of Texas, maintaining that the
line was on or about FL Paso He read from de-
cree by the Mexican Congress Of July IL, 1924, to
sustain that the southern boundary of New Mex
leo was line running east and west through FL
Paso. lie read also to the same point from the
treaty of Guadalupe tidalgo, also from the papers
accompanying late message of the President OF
the United States to show that the southern bound
airy of New Mexico run cast and west at a point
abont league above FL Paso. These evidences he
thought sufficient to demonstrate conclusyely that
the line proposed by the committee, which
twenty miles above FL Paso, was the correct line,
and that line had been drawn by the committee on
the basis of this evidence. The line had been
placed twenty miles above Ell Paso, because within
that line there certain towns which Texas
desired to retain, and the inhabitants of which de-
sired to remain under Texan authority The ter
ritory included in this was OF but little value.
The Senator from Missouri said that the line pro-
posed by the committee would take some 10000
square miles of territory from New Mexico, and
would dismember her. That depended upon what
New Mexico. If the southern boundary OF
New Mexico was the line commencing at FL Paso,
then not an acre was taken from New Mexico by
the line proposed by the committee. New Mexico
therefore uninjured by the bill, and on the con-
trary, large quantity of land, which might now
or hereafter be made into Indian territory Would
be attached to her. lie hoped the amendment
would not be agreed to-
Mr.. BENTON said that New Mexico had two
sides. Her eastern side was towards Texas, and
her southern towards Chihuahua. 1t was the east
ern boundary Of New Mexico and not the southern,
which was in controversy The Senator had not
said word in relation to the eastern boundary OF
New Mexico. Chihuahua does not extend from
ri Paso to Texas, but south to Durango. New
Mexico south from Ell Paso, and there Is
boundary line dividing her the east from Texas;
that is the boundary nov before the Senate.
The question before the Senate that of the
true boundary between New Mexico and Texas,
and not between New Mexico and chihuahua. The
Senator occupied himself exclusively with the
boundary Of Chihuahua and did not touch the
eastern boundary of New Mexico. He most sue
cessuly avoided that eastern boundary, which was
the matter before the Senate.
The Senator had read his BILL and pronounced it
and the bill reported by the committee to be iden
teal. This not so. In the present conglone-
rated bill the United States and Texas make mu-
tual cessions. No such thing to be found in
his bill. BY that bill the United States cedes moth
ing, and Texas cedes that only which is her own.
The Senator had been equally successful in avoid
ing another tender point, which the Senator could
have found in the remarks he had made yesterday.
He had alluded to one part, but had avoided the
nerve had avoided the whole point OF his attack on
|
yesterday. He would repeat too day what he had
said yesterday.
The Senator said that he had used language yes
terday which was unit TO be used here. He would
repeat the language, and letit be tested He had
said that this bill caug ht in the act of crime
and it said that such language was unfit to be
used. Shall acts be done here deserving such IAN
guage, and voice be heard to hold them up to the
jud gment of the country? The Senator had avoid
ed the main point-thc which had been
touched. He would repeat what he had said, to see
if the Senator could be brought up to touch it.
When speaking yesterday of the coy and bashful
blank in the bill he had used this language:
"When we come to the filling up of that mystic
rious blank, carefully guarded, may be able to
demonstrate that the effect OF this cong Generation
of bills and that reservation of blank, to be filled
at the last moment, is to open auction upon the
floor of the Senate for the votes which are to carry
through the omnibus BILL with all its multiiarous
and heterogeneous contents. The filling of the
blank may develop the fact that the admission of
California, and the establishment of governments
for two Territories, may depend upon the amount
OF money be paid 10 Texas and, if it does, it will
present the hi ghest evidence Of the fragrant enor
nifty of lacking incongruous bills together which
the history of American British Legislation has
ever exhibited" The Senator had carefully left
this out when reading from his speech. lie had then
continued thus: "The bill is caught fagranti de
Iicto-taScn in the act-seized by the throat, and
held up TO public view-in the very act of perpe
trating its crme-in the very act of auctioneerng
for to pass itself seize it in the act, and hold
it up TO public opprobriuIn and make II an era to
be required to, and ts fate TO stand as warning
against all future con- functions Of incongruous mea-
| sures"
This was what he had said, and which the Sena-
tor had avoided lie repeated il now. The language
| was parliamentary. He had nothing TO say or TO
| do with the members of the committee He had
nothing 10 do with their respcctability Gentlemen
were not to come into the Senate and draw them
selves up 70 six feet in height, and rely on the
| spectability Of any committee. lie was dealing
with the measure before them. He had nothing to
do with them; IL the bill he attacked, and this
he had right TO do. lie had denounced the mea.
| euro. lie repeated now what he had said then; and
if it was desired to take issue with him upon the
fitness Of the language, let the Senator call him to
| order.
MIR. CLAY said that he called the Senator to
| order.
MIR. BENTON. Put the words in writing, and
| will sign them.
Mr. CLAY said that he would reduce to writing
the words for which he called the Senator 20 order.
He sent 10 the Chair the following words, used yes
| terday and to-day by the Senator from Missouri:
| The bill ia caught Gagranh deiicto-taken in the
| fact-seized by the throat, and held up to public
view-in the very act of perperating its crime, in
the very act Of auctioneering for votes 10 pass it,
| self"
Mr.. BENTON said that he demanded that the
sentences Immediately preceding, and subsequent
70 the words thus written down, should be ADDED.
And 1t vas done. The words then were those given
| In the whole Of the above extracts.
| The PRESIDING OFFICER read the words to
| the Senate, and was understood W say, that when
the Senator made the remark he would have been
called 10 order had IL not been supposed that be
would, was generally done, qualify it by dis
| claimcr Of any intention 20 reflect on any member
| Of the committee. Any Senator had a right TO
comment upon bill before the Senate, and TO cI-
press his opinion upon its Iserits and its consc-
qucnccs II II were the intention Of the Scna tor
| from Missouri 10 make any imputaton upon the
conduct Of the members Of the committee, then his
language decidedly out Of order. II not, and
| the language was intended to apply only TO the
bill, then Il was not out Of order.
| Mr.. BENTON said that his language ex-
| pliCit. IL spoke OF the bill. He had nothing 10
! do with the committee. lie had denounced the
measure, and had attacked 1t for its consequences
lie knew what words he used and knew them not
to be out Of order He knew The rules Of the Senate
and the laws Of decorum, and had carefully guard
| cd against a violation Of them lie had right to
speak Of a bill and 20 denounce il. lie had spoken
Of this bill, and Of the effect of il other measures
included most unjusty in it.
| The Senator had read hi. bill making proposals
| 20 Texas; was that bill tackled up with any other
subject which TO depend upon the fate Of that
/ Was IL not bill wholly disconnected with any
| other thing IL was bill by itself, distinct and
separate proposition, involving other considera.
| ton But here was a bill made part Of Series,
all in one conglomerated measure, by which the
| ~ I(,alffprua1 and he tvvr