Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-08-10
DEBATE in THE SENATE.
DEFEAT OF THE COMPROMISE BILL.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, July sO-al.

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, July 30--3l
The Senate having under consideration the bill for the
admission Of California State into the Union, establish
Territorial Governments for Utah and New Mexico and max
and northern boundaries and the pending question being on
the following amendment offered yesterday by MI BRAD
BURr
"That the President OF the United States be and he
hereby is authorized by and with the advice and
OF the Senate to appoint three commissioners VINO shall
have agree with such as may be APP
pointed under the legislative authority OF the State Of Texas
upon the territory properly included within and rghuy be-
longing to State the time Of her annexation to
the United States period since that date and to de-
fine and establish the limits the if they shall 6nd it
practicable do they shall be unable to agree
upon the true and boundary o. the state q
boundary between the territory OF the United States and the
said Stare Texas: commencing 4 the point where the Red
river by the hundredh degree Of west ong
tude being the southwest angle of the Indian Territory and
running point onte Rio Grande to be agreed BY the
sioos o and upon vsh such line hs b sa
bhed and the proceedings and agreement Of the said COM
Prsdent Of the United States to be by him submitted to
Congress- for its action hereupon And the said agreement
when approved b the OF the United States ana the
Legislature of Texas shall be obligatory upon the parties"
Mr.. SEBASTIAN. move to amend the amendment by
striking out the words commencing point where the
Red river ntesected by the hundredh degree Of
longitude being the southwest angle of the Indian Territory,
and running to point on the Rio Grande."
The object sir of striking out those words to all
kinds of restrictions upon power and discretion of the
commissioners in the settlement Of this question. The func
tons which the amendment of the Senator from Maine pro-
poses confer upon the commissioners are, first to ascsr
tain the and rghul boundary Of Texas according to
her rights under the resolutions Of annexation and the treaty
Of Guadalupe Hdago and in the alternative Of those
mssoners agreeing what is the true and legitimate boun
day Of Texas then s proposed by the amendment in
vest them with Discretionary power to establish bounda
y The object Of my amendment 10 to remove all control
and restriction their proceedings in dischargng this func
ton. The which apply to investing them with
unlimited discretion in determining the true boundary Of
Texas, to apply with double force when they
to fix upon conventional line. The very difficulty
which have encountered in discussions here has been
in fixing the points which the line is to start and where
it TO terminate appears that in investing the
mssoners with full and unlimited discretionary power, in
fixing upon conventional line, should what has
been very serious embarrassment in the progress of this
measure, and the way Of arriving any result at all These
the views which induce to offer this amendment to the
amendment which think would make it much more COM
mendabe the favor Of Senator'S voted against the amend
of the Senator from Maine yesterday, because it attempt
ed to indicate particular ne and to that extent proposed
limitation the discretion of the commissioners think
that feature stricken out would render the amendment
acceptable, and likely attain the objects which it
is expected to accomplish
Mr.. CLAY. The point which 1t is proposed to strike out
is point upon which all opinions agreed Every pro-
position Of boundary that has arisen, connected with this BILL
has proposed that point that angle Of the Indian Territory
through which the hundredh degree Of west longitude
passes Well then why should strike II OUT The truth
b that after ALL there quite ample discretion left to the
commissioners, and my only regret is, that cannot deter
mine something than able do to submit to the
commission in establishing conventional line But this
point being all hands agreed to- do not any
sy for striking out and leaving the whole thing aoat
lation to the conventional line.
The amendment to the amendment was rejected.
Mr.. DAWSON. I to amend the amendment by
adding the following words thereto: s
9nd be further enacted That until such time the
boundary line between the State of Texas and the Territory
Of the United States be agreed the Legislature of Texas
and the Government Of the United States the Territorial
authorized BY this act shall not into operation
the Rio Grande any State be from
New Mexico embracing any territory east Of the Rio Grande
The object of the amendment is simply this. During the
pendency Of this adjustment the Territorial Government ought
MOTTO 60 into operation east Of the Rio Gande This
ceded believe, by ALL and intended by the bill, but the
bill Is not exactly explicit enough that point Hence this
amendment
Mr.. BENTON. Nearly the whole Of New Mexico is on
the east side Of the Rio Grande All the settlements
the east side There are few scattered farms and ranches
and very smal villages, but next to nothing on the
west side of the river All the extensive settlements
the eastern side and always have been The broade valleys
the east side and there is the capital Santa Fe The
amendment proposed by the Senator from Georgia, reduced
to direct Language and plain English this that all
the territory of the Rio Grande shall be conceded to
Texas That the English Of and think it would be
better to pat in plain and direct language, and take vote
upon it. so that understand what voting upon.
With respect the latter part Of the amendmep it reads
if the amendment contained clause this effect in addition
whaI have already said hat section three Of article four
d the constitution Of the United States shall be suspended
until Texas consents to its execution"
look upon the proposition which has been offered by the
Senator from Georgia containing and presenting points
One to grant the whole territory east Of the Rio Grande to
Texas and the other suspend the clause Of the constitution
which authorizes Congress to act upon new States
the clause of the constitution which he proposes suspend
and to suspend until Texas shall agree that it shall 60 into
execution Sec 30 sNew States may be admitted by
Congress into this Union" That is the power for the
Limitation But State shall be formed erected
within the jurisdiction Of any other State" That is
State be formed by the junction Of more States
parts OF States without the consent Of the Legislatures of the
States concerned as well Of Congress" There is the
other limitation. t HIT
We engaged Mr.. President in making what is called
ga compromise" We going into a compact with
ourselves and.w undertaking limit the power of
future Congress- But the future Congress has ample power
to do peases within the limitations expressed in
the constitution Neither Of these limitations applies to the
territory Of the United States. Each Congress when it
to the question Of admitting State, has in its
hands the whole power the territory that belongs
the Government Of the United States exclusively to say what
territory it will or will not include in the State and,
IL undertake to bind when bind
ourselves it will be nugatory in point Of effect and
than nugaory Congress, when il comes to admit new
States has the whole question before itself you look into
the constitution you will see what its powers and what
the limitations to its powers They will be governed by
those limitations and BY nothing may put into an act
should hold to be disordey the question Of the adms-
sion Of State n time come for any person get up
and read Of Congress in opposition this clause Of the
constitution. Congress 10 obey the constitution.
Future Congresses not sworn to obey our laws. We
have no right undertake to bind them to circumscrbe
&hem or to restrict them in any particular contrary
the constitution Of the United States to undertake restrict
rl-~ ..-x.- A.