The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-22

Upon the Mutilaton Of the Territory of the United
States east of the Rio Grande, and the Ten Mill
lions Payment.
The Senate having under consideration the bill TO
establish Territorial Government for New Mex
leo, MIR. DOUGLAS offered an amendment, the ef-
feet of which was to exclude from the proposed
Territory all east Of the Rio Grande north of $50
north latitude to 1890 west longitude, all east Of
that meridian north of $50 3O', which amendment
Mr. BENTON moved to amend so "a to confne the
proposed Territorial Government to that part Of
New Mexico actually settled and occupied at the
time of the cesson, and not included within the
boundary proposed to Texas
Mr.. CHASE said:
II viii be we'll enough, Mr.. President, to look q
little at the progress We are making in this mat
| ter Of the boundary Of New Mexico.
The first proposition submitted to the Senat,
on this subject was that Of the honorable Senator
| from Missouri, which contemplated reduction o
the boundary of Texas to the i02d meridian OF
the west and the Red river On the north, and
would give in effect, a line commencing at the in
tsrsection Of the Rio Grande with the l02d degree
of longitude, following that meridian to about II,
intersection with the thirty fourth parallel o.
north latitude, and thence running eastwardy u
the intersection Of the Tooth meridian with the
Red river That boundary would have saved in
to New Mexico, or rather to the United States all
that was In the possession Of either at the date of
the treaty Guadalupe Hdalgo.
The next proposition was that contained in the
resolutions Of the Senator from Kentucky, Mr..
CLAY. submitted to the Senate early in the ses-
sion These resolutions did not propose definite
line, ascertained in It's commencement and it's
course They did propose, however, the south
ern line of New Mexico, wherever that might be,
from the Rio Grande to thesouthwestern angle of
the Indian territory, where the Tooth meridian
crosses the Red river, as the boundary between
the United States and Texas. The resolutions
also proposed to assume that portion of the Texan
debt for which her revenues from imports were
pledged, amounting, as was supposed, to between
three and five millions Of dollars.
The next proposition in order wac that of the
Committee Of Thirteen, which contemplated
boundary line commencing ON the Rio Grande
twenty miles above FL Paso, and running east
wardly to the same southwest angle of the Indian
country and q payment to Texas Of that Is,
ten millions of dollars. This line cut of seventy
thousand square mies-almost enough for two
States like Oho-which once belonged TO New
Mexico which was Mexican territory at the date
of the treaty which was never in the possession
of Texas; which no Texan ever saw before an
nexation, except as prisoner cut of all this
from the Territory Of the United States and
conceded It to Texas. That proposition was the
third in order, and the opposition to the omnibus
BILL of which il was principal feature, was main
ly directed against the enormity Of paying ten
millions of dollars TO Texas for boundary which
gave the United States nothing, but actually
yielded TO Texas 80 large a territory to which she
had no title, and which neither proposition, pre-
viously made, had contemplated yielding to her.
The original opposition, and the continued and
strenuous opposition 10 the omnibus bill, rested
very much upon this objection to It,
After that bill had been defeated, the Senator
from Maryland brought in his Texan boundary
bill, which proposed TO cut still another large
Of New Mexico-from the Territory
Of the United States, and give II TO Texas. 1t Is
true that this boundary wond save 10 the United
States an angle containing some eight or ten
thousand square miles, surrendered by the omn-
bus line but the additional slice cut on contain
ed about thirty thousand square miles, making q
difference between the omnibus boundary and
that proposed by the Senator from Maryland Of
about twenty thousand square miles. Notwith-
standing this great reduction In area Of the terri
tory Of the United States, notwithstanding this
vast enlargement Of the concession Of territory
made to Texas, the sum 10 be paid for the Texan
Of an unfounded claim remained
unchanged. Sir, We read that. though lraf after
leaf was torn from the book Of the Sybil the price
Of the book remained the same. SO here though
degree after degree Of latitude was severed from
that which rghtfully, In the judgment, doubt
not, Of large majority Of the Senate, belonged to
the United States, and was conceded to Texas,
the price to be paid for the relinqushmeni Of the
claim TO the remainder continued unchanged
The bill Of the Senator from Marylsad has
passed the Senate. pretend not to say how much
OF the favor which II received was 10 be attributed
to that change In the Administration to which the
Senator from Mississippi Mr.. Foorsl just now
alluded, when he said that he thought 1t strange
that he should be Arrsyed In support Of the Ad-
ministrstion upon this measure, while the Senator
from Kentucky Mr.. UspsRwoopl was found
among its opponents
Mr.. Foorr would simply say limited my.
self TO this particular measure, upon which said
patriots Of al parties could unite.
Mr.. CHASE. The remark could not have heen
confined to this particulars MEASURE because i re-
ferred generally 10 the series Of measures con-
nected with the Teran boundary
Mr. FoorE- l mean the whole Comprmise
plan.
Mr.. CHASE. And now We have from the Chair
man Of the Committee on Territories Mr.. popo.
LAsI the 6as proposition for the equalization OF