The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-16
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
TUESDAY, January 10, 1850.
sENATE.

Mr.. NORRIS called the attention Of the Senate
to the propriety of filling vacancy on the Com
mittee on Claims, caused by the change in the SEN
MIR. HAMLlN moved that the vacancy ON the
committee be supplied by the appointment oil MIR.
DODGE, of Iowa
Petitions were presented by Messrs. DAVIS of Mis-
| sssippi, CoRwIN, SHIELDS, DAYTON, MASON, DICK
INsoN, and STURGEON.
Memorials ON the files were allowed TO be with
drawn, on motions by Messrs. Underwood and
RusK.
The motion to print the resolutions of the State
of Vermont the subject of slavery, being nextin
Mr.. BENTON moved that it be postponed till one
o'clock, to enable him to introduce bill
| Mr.. PHELPS said that, by the morning papers,
he perceived that yesterday the Senate had un-
der consideration an important measure, and that
it would, in all possibility, come up again to-day
He moved, therefore, that the unfinished business
be postponed till tomorrow; and the motion pre-
vailed
the election of the select committee on the claims
for indemnity for losses by French spoliations; and
| the motion was adopted.
1 Mr.. DICKINSON moved, and il was ordered,
that the Senators designate on their ballots the per-
/ son voted for as chairman.
| The ballots being counted it appeared that Mr..
! SMITH received for chairman 30 votes, Mr.. DAw-
/ SON l5, Mr. MANGUM 3, Mr.. RUsK l, MIR. TURNEy
/ I, Mr.. FooTE l, Mr.. WMrcoMB l; and Mr. SMITH
was duly elected chairman. And for the remain.
ing members of the committee, the ballot resulted
! as follows:
| For Mr.. BRApBURY %, Mr.. HUNTER %, Mr.. MAN
GUM 81, Mr.. STURGEON 30, Mr.. CLEMENS l6, Mr..
/ UNDERWOOD Is, Mr. TURNKEY Is, besides great
| number of scattering votes.
Messrs. BRADBURY, MASGuM, STURGEON, and
HUNTER, having received plurality Of the votes
cast, were declared the additional members OF the
| select committee.
Mr. FOOTE moved that his resolution, concern
ing the establishment of territorial governments
for California, Deseret, and New Mexico, be now
| taken up, with view of making it the special
order of the day for Friday next. The Senator
from Michigan, (Mr. CAss) was DESTROYS OF ex-
pressing his views the subject.
Mr.. CLAY moved that it be made the special
order Of the day for Monday next; and the motion
was adopted.
Mr. PHELPS moved, and it was agreed to, that
the Senate proceed to the consideration of the un-
finished business Of yesterday, being the joint reso-
luton suspend the limitation the expenses Of
collecting the revenue from customs.
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi, withdrew his motion
to strike out, made yesterday.
MIR. HUNTER offered the following as substi-
tute for the amendment of Mr.. DICKINSON, adopted
yesterday, and, after being read, was adopted:
Strike out all after the enacting clause, and in
| sert--
That instead of the sum appropriated for the ex-
penses of collecting the revenue in the act OF 3D.
March, lS49, sum equal to that expended in col
Letting the revenue for the fiscal year ending June
&c. 1885, exclusive Of the expenses for storage and
labor in that year. be, and the same is hereby, APP
propriated for the service of the year ending June
30, $780, together with such sums, in addition, as
may be received for carriage, drayagc, labor, and
| storage.
The joint resolution, as amended, was then read
the third time, and passed.
The title was then amended 30 as to read as fol-
| lows:
A bill to provide for the expenses of collecting the
revenue from customs, for the year ending June,
1880
Mr.. DODGE moved to take up the following re-
Resolved That the Secretary of the Senate be di-
rected to pay TO the Rev. HENRY SLIcER five hun
dred dollars for his services at this and at the spe-
l Mr.. d. said that the time Of the special ses-
l sion, and during the present, during which Mr.
SLIcER acted as chaplain, amounted nearly to the
same length Of time as short session,
Mr.. Y ULEE opposed the resolution; he was ready
to vote for proportionate allowance. He was OPP
posed to the practice of making these services a
i source of profit. II was bad precedent, and he
regretted that the application had been made at all.
He moved that the resolution be 80 amended as To
allow him proportionate allowance.
Mr.. BERRlEN hoped the amendment would be
Messrs. BADGER and MANGUM expressed
| similar views.
The question then taken on the amendment,
| and 1t was rejected; and then the resolution was
/ adopted.
Mr. BADGER introduced a bill to authorize no
taries public TO take and certify oaths and afirma-
tons and Acknowledgements in certain cases.
Mr.. DOUGLAS submitted the following rcsolu-
Resolved, That the President of the United States
| be requested TO communicate TO the Senate copy
Of the instructions given TO the agent OF the United
States, who was employed to visit Hungary during
/ the recent war between that country and Austria,
and Of the correspondence by and with such agent,
| SO far as the publication of the same may be con-
sistent with the public interest.
| Resolved, That the President be requested 10
cause TO be laid before the Senate In omen sessor
If in his opinion consistent with pubic interest
otherwise In Executive session, copies of all instroc
tons and communications of the late Secretary Of
State, 10 our late charge at Guatemala, and of all
dispatches and communications from said charge
70 the Department of State, including any convcn-
tons treaties he may have concluded with either
Of the States comprising the late republic Of Cen
trail America; and also, all correspondence be-
| tween our said charge and the governments or
representatives Of either Of said States and also,
all communications and instructions from the pre-
| sent Secretary Of State to late charge, our
present charge TO either Of said States and Of all
dispatches or communications from our charge 10
the Department of State, including any convcn-
tons or treaties he may have concluded with either
OF said States; and also, all correspondence be-
tween the Department of State and either Of said
charges touching the so-called kingdom Of the
Mosquito, and the right Of way from the Atlantic
through Lake Nicaragua.
Mr.. BRADBURY moved TO take up resolu-
ton submitted by him on the Path Of December,
calling upon the Precedent for copies Of alrcharges
filed against persons who have been removed from
Office since the 4th of March last, &c.
And the resolution was taken up.
Mr.. MANGUM said he regarded the resolution
az total departure from the course pursued by the
Government heretofore. He regarded IL a direct
attack upon the rights Of the Executive branch Of
the Government. As test vote, then, he would
move TO lay il the table, and asked the yeas and
nays.
The question was then taken on laying the reso-
luton on the table, and decided in the negative, as
follows:
| YEAS-Messrs. Badger, Baldwin, hell, Berrien,
Clarke, Clemens, Cooper, Corwih, Davis of Massa-
chusetts, Dawson, Dayton, Greene Mangum, Mil
Ter, Morton, Phelps, Seward, Smith, Spruance, Un.
derwood, Upham, Wales, and Webstcr-23.
NAYS-Messrs. Atchison, Borland, Bradbury,
Bright, Butler, Chase, Davis Of Mississippi, Dick
inson, Dodge of Iowa, Dodge Of Wisconsin, Doug
las, Downs, Fetch, Hamlin, Houston, Hunter,
Jones, King. Macon, Norris, Rusk, Sebastian,
Shields, soule. Sturgeon, Turney, Walker, Whit.
comb, and Yulcc-29.
Mr.. BRADBURY said the resolution was only
one Of inquiry; Il simply asked for information,
and he was surprised that IL should meet with OPP
position from the other side. The resolution asked
only for that information which the President, by
his own acts, has made IL necessary that should
have before us in the duty devolving upon us as
Senators. The Senate could ask the information
without ntrenching upon the constitutional rights
of the President. The resolution did not ask for
Al. N.