The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-30
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
MoSDAy, April %, 1850.
SENATE.


SENATE.
Private petitions were presented, by Messrs.
Downs, RUsK, STURGEON, DODGE OF Wisconsin,
BRIGHT, BEHToS, and fULEE
SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.
A Joint resolution from the House of Representa-
lives authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to at
tach TO the United States Navy two vessels belong
ing 10 Mr. Henry Grnnell, which have been fitted
out to search for Sir John Franklin and his com
panions
MIR. MILLER said that there was no occasion to
refer this resolution to any committee. The Com
nitee on Naval Affairs had agreed to report reso.
luton OF similar character. He hoped il would
be taken up and acted upon to-day.
MIR. BRIGHT said the Committee Naval Ar
fairs had this subject under consideration, but, as
he supposed were not able to agree. He moved
the reference of the joint resolution to the com
mittee.
MIR. MILLER said that the committee had, sub
sequently TO the meeting OF which the Senator
smoke agreed To report a similar resolution. There
was, then, necessity for referring the subject 10
the committee,
Mr. BRIG HT said, that being the case, be would
not ask the reference, but would prefer to leave the
bill till there was full Senate. He moved, and the
bill was laid on the table.
THE SOUTHWESTERN INDIAN TRIBES.
Mr.. ATCHIS0N moved, and the Senate pro-
ceeded 10 the consideration of the bill to enable the
President to negotiate with the Indians OF the prai
ries south and west of the Missouri river, to the
northern line Of the State Of Texas, embracing the
Indians Of the mountains and including those of
New Mexico; and the bill being read, was consid-
cred and passed.
PRINTING.
Mr.. BENTON submitted the following resolution,
which lies over, under the rules:
Resolved, That in all cases in which the printers
the Senate for the present Congress have failed,
shall hereafter fail, to execute any printing Tor
the Senate in due time and in proper order, accord
ing their contract, then and in every such case,
past future, it shall be the duty of the Secretary
of the senate TO procure such printing to be done
Immediately by some other printer printers, and
to allow such printer printers the prices allowed
by the resolution of 1919, with deduction of twenty
per centum on such prices and torequire the work
TO be done by other printer printers, to be exc
cuted in the style of workmanship and mate
rial which is required by the contract with the pres
ent printers TO the Senate.
CENTRAL RAILROAD, QLLtNoIs.)
Mr.. DOUGLAS moved, and the Senate proceeded
the consideration of the bill granting the right of
way, and making donation of land 10 the State of
Illinois, in aid OF the construction OF central rail-
road
Mr. BUTLER said that he must oppose this bill.
He could consent to the passage OF any measure
of this nature without expressing his opposition TO
1t. He would ask the Senator how many bills,
similar to this one, had been introduced this
sion.
Mr.. DOUGLAS said that he could not answer the
Senator. He had introduced but one similar mea-
sure, and that for the benefit of Minnesota. He,
however, had heard of notices OF bills similar IN
Mr. DAWSON said that he opposed TO the
bill. He considered it to be nothing more than an
appropriation by the General Government TO the
State of Illinois, TO enable the construction Of inter
nal Improvements. He would like the Senator
from Illinois 10 state how many miles long this
road would be, how wide the grant was, and how
many acres would the whole grant amount to-
Mr. DOUGLAS said that he could
at this moment TO the length Of this road, was
10 say that it would be about four hundred miles
long, that is, from Cairo to Galena. Ii was pro-
posed by the bill to grant to the State alternate
sections of the public land six miles wide on each
side OF the road. That Is, the aggregate grant is
10 give the State 81. miles Of public land along the
road. The bill proposes that the alternate sections
taken by the State shall be raised in price to
two dollars and fifty cents acre; by This the
Government will eventually receive the price of
the whole. The grant was similar to those given TO
Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin to aid in the con-
structon Of their canals.
Mr.. DAWSON said that the bill appropriated
twenty four hundred square miles of the public
lands to the State of Illinois for purposes Of inter
nal improvement. He could not where the
power 10 do this derived. He could not see
where the power derived that Congress can
grant one half of the public land and therefore in
crease the tax upon the settler who may desire
Of the reserved sections one hundred per cent. II
clear that the price of these reserved sections
being doubled, there a tax of one hundred per
cent. upon the purchaser Of them
The bill was further debated by Messrs. KING,
CAss, WALKER, SHIELDS, FooTE, DoDeE Of Iowa,
DoUoLAs, CLAY, and SEWARD, in favor of the bill;
and by Messrs BUTLER, DAWSON, and BRADBURY,
in opposition to it.
An amendment, extending the same rights and
privileges 10 the States Of Alabama and Mississippi,
along the continuation Of the railroad from the
Ohio river 10 the city Of Mobile, was submitted by
Mr.. KfNG, and was adopted.
Mr.. RUSk submitted an amendment, which
adopted; providing that the United States mail
shall be carried said road, at such rates as
Congress may provide
Mr.. WALKER moved to strike out all those por-
ions OF the bill providing for the increase Of the
price Of the reserved sections, 10 two dollars and
fifty cents an acre.
Nr. w. supported the amendment, and Mr.
KING opposed it. And the question being taken,
the motion TO strike out rejected.
Mr. BRADBURY moved to amend the bill 30 as
that the grant shall be only Of such alternate sec
tons of the land within six miles Of the
road, cutting of the right, when the land within
the six miles be otherwise occupied, TO take an
equal quantity Of land the six miles as pos
sible
Messrs. BRADBURY, DAYTON, and BRIGHT
supported the amendment, and Messrs. SHIELDS
and DOUGLAS opposed il.
And the question being taken by yeas and nays,
the amendment was rejected follows:
YEAS.-Nessrs Bell, Bradbury, Bright, Butler,
Dawson, Dayton, Hunter, Miller, Norris, Phelps,
Pratt, Turney, Wales, Whitcomb, and Yulee-l5.
NAYS.-Messrs. Atchison, Benton Borland
Cass, Chase, Clay, Cooper, Corwin, Dodge Of Iowa,
Dodge Of Wisconsin, Douglas, Downs, Foote, Hous
ton, Jones, King, Morton, Sebastian, Seward,
Shields, Sturgeon, Underwood, and Walkers.
And then, motion Of Mr.. BELL, the Senate
adjourned.