The southern press., 1850-08-31

to commit the 70 bill the Committee Of the Whole
and called FOR the previous question.
MIR. SYLVESTER, Of New York, moved u
lay the bill on the table. Carred-ayss IS nays rs
Mr.. POTTER, Of Ohio, moved TO 60 into Com
mittee Of the Whole with u view Of taking up thu
postage bill. Objected to.
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, moved to take
up the Indian appropriation bill. Objected to.
| The SPEAKER stated that the bill for the re
lief OF Winthrop 8. Harding was next in order.
The question being to recommit the bill,
Mr.. HUBBARD, Of Alabama, made some re
marks explanatory Of the bill, and moved thu
| previous question. Carried.
| The House then refused to recommit the bill
and the question then being on ordering it to b'
engrossed and read a third time il was agreed to
and the bill finally passed.
| Here a renewed attempt was made to take uI
the Indian, forti6cation, and military Academy
appropriation bills. Objected to.
Mr.. MCLEAN, of Kentucky, moved to go into
Committe Of the Whole. Objected to.
Mr.. THOMPSON, Of Mississippi, called fol
the regular order Of business, being the report on
the question Of the political doings Of Office holders
as endeavored to be ascertaihed by the select
committee, OF which Mr.. SrANLY, is chairman.
Mr.. SHENCK, Of Ohio, having the floor, pro-
ceeded to reply to the remarks made yesterday
on this subject, by the gentleman from Indiana,
(Mr. FlrcH.) He argued that Messrs. Ritchie
and Sengstack had no legitimate excuse for refus-
ing to answer the questions put to them. The
House should prosecute the object it had in view
when It adopted the resolution, and compel them
to answer, or puaish them for contempt. There
was no need of haste at all In the matter. Other
and graver matters so absorbed the public mind
at this time, that the cries of tyranny raised by
these two politicians could not now be sufficiently
bruiled AS to make them the martyrs they evi-
IDENTIFY desire TO be, he should therefore move to
amend by making them returnable TO the bar Of
the House next December. He was willing Ia
trust them in each others custody, one Of them, al
least, having been used to such business at the
pententary.
Mr.. MEADE, of Virginia, rose and argued
against the compulsion proposed to be exer
csed towards these individuals, and was in favor
of reconsidering the act by which the House
adopted the resolution creating this committee
He maintained that this House had no right to
investigate the private transactions Of these gen.
tlemen, or of any other citizen. Gould we (said
Mr.. M. y demand Of Mr.. Richie to disclose the
number of his subscribers---the amount of capital
he had invested in his business, or the sum of his
profits Could we compel any public functiona-
ry to account to us for the manner in which he
disbursed his private fundsi He believed not.
No public necessity demanded it, and no legsla-
tive action could be consequent upon any such in
QUESTION: nor within our constitutional province.
He denied that citizen who accepted public
trust gave up his rights as q freeman and citizen,
and became slave. The genius of republican
ism and the character of our institutions forbade
such inquisitorial proceedings. He thought there
fore that il was the duty Of this House to retrace
its steps--to repeal the resolution authorizing this
1qusition, and TO forbear hereafter to do that
which might trench upon the liberties Of the peo-
pie.
Mr.. CARTER, of Ohio, moved to recommit
the whole subject back TO the select committee
VIZ inst ri IN mr. caod ~ theuh hast
and called the previous question. if
Before taking the question the morning hour ex-
pired and the House turned to the business on the
Speakers table, viz.
THE TEXAS BOUNDARY BILL. B
Mr.. CLARKE, Of New York, having the floor
proceeded to reply to the remarks Of his colleague
(Mr. BRooKs) on yesterday, andsjn support Of the
I" Provlso, moved by the gentleman from Ohio,
(Mr. Roor.) He objected to the Texas bill, be-
cause Il gave up free soil to slavery, to the extent
of some seventy thousand square miles. He be-
ieved it was United States territory, and together
with the remainder of that acquired from Mexico,
he would apply the antislavery slavery Proviso to
il. II was as necessary now, as il was in l646,
when his colleague thought it necessary. Slavery
would now exist New York il it was not prohibi-
ted by law. Did his colleague believe the laws OF
God were against it there' The difficulty in pro-
curing help" at the North would induce thou
sands Of families there to keep slaves if it not
d > i &
Mr.. GORMAN, ofIndiana, followed in speech
in support Of the " Compromise" measures now
before the House. He felt that he was included
among those whom the gentleman from Ohio, Mr.
(RooT) classed as "doe-faces. If that term be
longed to one who would rather trace bound
ary line for Texas with silver than blood, ther
he was g doe-face." II it was applicable to
member ready to do whatever il might not be un-
constitutional to do to allay the excitement, then
it was applicable to him. He deprecated what he
termed want Of patriotism among those who
would go to war rather than have otall the territory
claimed by either side--by Texas and the friends
OF Texas in maintaining her right to limits al
ways claimed by her, and by those who deny her
right to theextent claimed, and who are determi-
ned TO deprive her Of il and refuse TO pay her for
what they allege does not belong to her AS to
the Wilmot Provision, he believed it was concei-
we'd IN Sin and brought forth iniquity. He should
oppose it here, as he had opposed it before his
constituents.