New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-07
I'm Congress, Yesterday.

I'm Congress, Yesterday
The Senate yesterday continued the laud-
able business of voting upon amendments
To the Omnibus bill. 1t is refreshing
after the bottOmless deluge of speeches at
last to touch the dry land of Ayes and Nays.
Still, these votes were not what we have
wished to see, although our readers will no.
tee that they present confusion Of parties
and sections like that exhibited in the same
body on Wednesday.
The first question was on the amendment
Of Mr.. Dayton of N. j. to that of Mr.. Walk
or of Wis. Mr.. WIS amendment prohibit
ed Peon seryitude in the Territories alto
gether,, while that of Mr.. Dayton only made
re,contracts of Peonage unlawful. On
this question Mr.. Seward was the principal
speaker. His remarks were plain and for
chile and of course in favor of entire aboli-
ton, but yet they failed to produce any eff
feet. The vote being taken on Mr.. Dayton's
amendment it was lost, although several
Slavery men voted for it in order to head off
the more radical amendment of Mr.. Walk
er. The Northern Doughfaces also went
very much the same way as will be seen by
reference TO the Ayes and Nays. On the
other hand many Southerners, who were de-
termined that the thing should not be touch
ed at all, voted with Chase, Corwin, Seward,
Shields and others, against the amendment.
Mr.. Clay also voted with them.
Next the question came up on Walkers
amendment, and here again there was not
straight vote. For instance, Truman Smith
and Daniel Webster voted Nay, no doubt
from the conviction that the proposition in
tended an illegal Interference in a merely
municipal institution, and from the fact that
it annulled past contracts without pro-
viding any kind of indemnity for those who
might suffer thereby. Of those who voted
in the affirmative only one was from Slave
State, Mr.. Spruance of Del.
Mr.. Yulee then moved to amend the 10th
section of the bill, which is that with which
all these amendments have been connected,
by adding to it from the Clayton Com
promise, clause extending over the Terri
tories the Constitution and Laws of the
United States. This was modified on the
suggestion Of Mr.. Clay, so as to extend the
Constitution alone, and passed by 80 to "a.
1t is remarkable that the only amend
ments to the bill, yet adopted, are of South
ern origin.
Next came q vote more decisive than any
other and to this we invite the especial at
tention Of every man who processes to be-
lieye in Freedom. 1t was on an amendment
offered by Mr.. Baldwin of Conn. to the ef
feet that the Mexican law abolishing Slavery
in the territories should be declared in force
there until altered or repealed by Congress.
There was no debate and the vote was one
10 shew of what nature is the marrow in men
who represent the North and West. On
this amendment twenty-five Northern and
one Southern Senator voted Ay, and twenty
five Southern and .fre Northern Senator'S
voted Nay. Even such men as Bright, Doug
las and Whitcomb stood up to the viii of
their constituents and supported the propo-
osition. Daniel Webster of Mass, and John
II Clarke of r. /. did not pOte although
they were in Washington, had been in the
Senate previously and should have been in
their places to say Ay on this important
question. Samuel S. Phelps of Vermont is
absent though if ever there were good rea-
son why every member of Congress should
be at his post it is now John Wales Of Del.
is also absent.
The five Free-State Senators who voted |
against this proposition were Lewis Cass,
d. S. Dickinson, A. c. Dodge and G. W.
Jones of Iowa, and Daniel Sturgeon of Penn.
all members of the pure democracy" and
ali representing States which, if consulted
m this question, would vote Ay BY MAORI
les 90 overwhelming that 1t would not be
worth while for the Nays to DO counted
Had these recreants TO everything but the
,lunder of Office but been true TO their DUTY |