The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-09-28
Congress-

WASHINGTON, September 10.
Senate.-Mr Pratt moved that his bill respect
ing the abduction of slaves from this District be
taken up.
Mr. Hale moved that the motion be laid on the
lable-lost, 90 to %.
Some discussion took place, and the motion to
take up the bill was lost.
The Civil and Diplomatic bill was taken up, and
the amendments of the committee carried.
Mr.. Cass moved an item of ten thousand dollars
for the expenses of the Turkish mission.
Mr.. Underwood opposed it, but it was adopted
IS to 49,
Mr.. Davis of Miss moved an item for copies of
the Annals of the second and third Congresses AMI
for the History of the Exploring Expediti9h.
Agreed to.
Some other amendments were offered and dis.
cuSsed.
Mr.. Davis offered an amendment for extending
the Capitol urder the direction of the President OF
the United States. He moved to add two hundred
thousand dollars. Agreed to.
Several other amendments were agreed TO.
The Senate, without reporting the bill, adjourned.
H0uss-The House met at II. The journal of
yesterday was read and approved.
On motion of Mr.. Bayy, the rnles were
pended and the House resolved itself into Commit
tee of the Whole on the state of the Union, (Mr.
Disney in the Chair) and proceeded to consider the
Naval Appropriation bill.
Mr.. Stanton of Tenn. the Chairman of the Ma
val Committee, addressed the House an hour, with
the view to show how and where it is possible to
retrench the naval system.
He was opposed to any reduction of the appro-
pration for the Observatory, (Which is S3j ,O0OD
for the American Almanac, (Sl2, SJOD for the Ma
val School at Annapolis, (S2S 2OO) which amounted
in the aggregate to some SIG, 100. But he was in
favor of a reduction of $4,000 GOO, out of the six
and a half millions appropriated for the pay of
officers and seamen for provision supplies, repairs
and contingencies. He confessed himself in favor
OF increasing the Appropriation to the Observatory
and the Naval SchoollOr the good results of lOs-
tering these institutions would rebound more to the
honor of the country in time OF peace, than any
other thing that could be devised in connection
| with the navy.
To effect the proposed reduction of two and half
Millions he said he would, at the proper time, offer
| an amendment providing that hereafter the Naval
forces of the United States in commission shall be
! divided into two squadrons, to be known as the
| squadron of the Atlantic and the squadron of the
| Pacific. The former to have its head quarters ia
| the waters of the United States, on the Atlantic
and to cruise in the North and South Atlantic, in
| he Mediterranean, and the GClf of Mexico-the
| latter to have its head quarters at San Francisco
| and to cruise in the North and the South Pacific
| in the China Seas and the Indian Ocean.
Provided, that so long existing treaties require
it, force of eighty guns shall be kept on the Coas
| Of Africa. Also further providing, that after the
expiration of the present fiscal year, the number o
petty officers, seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmer
and boys employed at any one time in the Navy
shall not exceed five thousand He went on to say
that the present force was 1900, and that the ex
pense for each man about ) i, 900. He was 70
breaking up permanent naval stations abroad, wher
he American vessels lie idle for long periods, an,
substituting therefor short and frequent cruises
and thus to enable the sailors to be frequently a
home, where they would spend their money, in
stead of spending it in foreign ports
He was in favor Of increasing the steam navy
and thus make tequal to the steam mercantile ma