The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-17


debate between the SPEAKER, Messrs. JOHNSON,
of Arkansas, JONES' and Housros; when
Mr.. THoMpsoN, Of Mississippi, (sittng next to
Mr.. JoHssoN,) explained that that gentleman had
merely yielded the floor to Mr.. CosRAD, that the
latter might make an explanation. Whereupon
The SPEAKER decided, awarding the floor on
this explanation to Mr. JOHNSON, OF Arkansa
who renewed the demand for the previous ques-
ton
! Amotion TO lay the whole subject ON the Ia
BILE was made; which was not agreed to.
The call for the previous question was then
seconded and under its operation the House
agreed to the amendment Of Mr. DuER and, as
amended, the joint resolutions were then adopted
on the part Of the House.
The House then went into Committee of the
j Whole on the state of the Union, on the report
from the Committee on Elections, upon the appli-
cation of HUGH M. SMITH, TO be admitted to a
seat on the floor the Delegate from New Mex
leo, Mr.. McLAsE, of Maryland, in the Chair.
Mr.. ASHE (who was entitled TO the iloor,)
argued at length against the right Of Mr.. SMITH
to seat on the floor He criticised the irregulari-
ty Of that gentleman s election, and erght ofhe
people of New Mexico to elect a Delegate to the
Congress of the u. States under existing circum-
stances. He also went on to show that portion
of the territory which Mr. SMITH claimed to
represent, was actually territory of sovereign
State Of this Union; and he further combatted
the right of the Executive branch of the General
Government to assume to decide the boundary
question in dispute between the United States
4 nd baJ Il Ixr( Al
Monroe, acting as the agent of the late Presi-
dent. 6fa5s,
Mr. KAUFMAN next obtained the floor, and
urged that HuGH M. SsrIrn had neither a legal
nor just claim to seat as Territorial Delegate.
He held that in voting to close this debate as early
as at 2p. m. Of the morrow, the House had COM
mitted grievous error. The case being one of
vital importance, involving consequences which
might prove dire indeed, to the whole Union.
Two days therefore afforded no sufficient time
for its thorough discussion.
Mr.. II. N. Smith (Mr. X. urged) was the
representative of no one. He had been chosen
by squad of individuals styling themselves a
convention, which, if then invested with that
character, had no existence now. The people Of
New Mexico, he went on to prove, had subse-
Iquently voted against a territorial government
such would be virtually accorded them in
admitting Smith to a seat in the Hall.
i Mr. X. then proceeded to discuss the speech of
Mr.. McGAuGHEY at considerable length. He
held that that gentleman had based the propriety
Of admitting Smith wholly on the ground that
Smith wanted per diem and mileage from his first
appearance in Washington to date, and that it
was but fair and just under the circumstances that
he should be paid.
i Now, he held that when to admit him would so
clearly violate the rights of State of the Union,
it would be far better to vote Mr.. Smith the
amount he would receive if admitted, under the
precedent by which time and again rejected appli-
cants for seats in the House had been paid a COM
pensation for the time being, equal to that of
members.
u He next went on to explain at length the diff
ferent grounds on which he claimed that the
prayer of Mr.. Smith should not be granted, stat
ing each seriaiim. He denied that there had been
precedents for any such admission of delegate.
On no previous occasion had an individual APP
piled for delegate seat here, claiming to repre-
sent people and territory, both of which, accord
were
hers. But he would not attempt an argument
upon the question of the title Of Texas to this
ritory, after that duty had been so ably fulfilled
by her Senators and his colleague, (Mr. HOWARD
Yet he could not set down without averting to the
use of his name in the Senate on the day before,
requiring explanation on his part. A distinguished
opponent of the claim of Texas, Senator BENToN, }
had ventured to sustain his position by garbling
map, and then claiming that the signatures of the
Senators from Texas, and of himself and his col
league in the last Congress, attestng the correct
ness of that map, endorsed the propriety and
justice of his denial of the rights of Texas Now,
/ that the Senator had taken care not to call the
attention of the country to the fact that the map
upon which he was arguing, did not purport to be
that of Texas-but of part of Ieras; that of the
whole of Texas Ito the Add parallel of north lati-
tude) being on smaller scale on one corner of the
large map.
Turning again to the immediate question, Mr..
X. held that Mr.. Smith was merely the represent
tatve of some II or Is irresponsible individuals
in Santa Fe and he also further held that the
number of inhabitants in New Mexico had been
exaggerated by one half in the statements of this
gentlemen. Next turning to the question of title,
Mr.. X. went on to disproye the correctness of
the assumptions of the minority of the Com
mittee on Elections, that Mexico and the
United States both steadily rejected the claim of
i Texas to the territory in dispute. He did not
understand the passage in Mr.. Buchanan's in
sructons to Mr.. Slide, as it had been translated
! by the minority Of the committee. That decara-
ton, that Santa Fe had been in possession of the
| Spanards for two centuries, failed to affect the
question of title now in issue between Texas and
the General Government. He conceived that 'he
last administration, in all it had done in this mat
ter, had but enforced the right Of Texas to the
disputed territory.
The people of Texas were deeply agitated on
this subject, much so, that the preparation of
the act Of injustice upon her, contemplated in this
| IN admit Fl N Smith would he most