The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-07
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
POST OFFICE APPROPRIATIONS ELL.
The SPEAKER stated the pending question IA
be on the resolution of Mr. BAYLy, offered yester
day, 10 close the debate the Post Office Appro
praton bill in fifteen minutes after the House shall
have again gone into Committee of the Whole or
| the state OF the Union. Mr. STANToS, of Tonnes
| see, had moved to amend by extending the time
two hours.
Mr.. FEATHERSTON moved to lay the resolu.
ton the table, but the motion not agreed to;
| and the resolution was then passed originally
presented
The House then resolved into Committee of the
w hole on the state of the Union--Mr BOYD in the
chair--and resumed the consideration Of the bill
| making appropriations out Of the revenues of the
Post Office Department for its service during the
| fiscal year ending June 30, 1851.
Mr.. CROWELL said that it was his purpose 10
submit few remarks for the consideration Of the
| committee, ON the bill under consideration. lie
was induced To do this mainly in consequence oil
what passed in this hall yesterday. While u mem
Der of this House, from Missouri, Mr.. GnEEE,)
| addressing the Chair, and denouncing the measure
under consideration, and the appropriation OF money
for the foreign mail service as unconstitutional,
| he (Mr CD made an inquiry Of him, TO know
whether the bill approved by Mr. Polk.
| the gentlemans political friend, at that time tn,
President. He did it for the purpose Of pointing
out his denunciations against the friends of tn,
| the measure who carried it through this House,
| the President who approved 1T. lie, at the same
time, did not endorse the opinion advanced by the
| member from Missouri, that the measure was un.
constitutional, and that those gentlemen, members
OF the House and the Senate, who voted for it, and
the President who approved it, were guilty of a vio-
aton OF the Constitution. 1t was not his purpose to
endorse any such course. Instead Of meeting from
| the member the courtesy which gentlemen usually
| extend towards one another, the chairman and
| every member knew what the gentleman5 course
| of conduct was. lie did not receive the courtesy
| due from one member TO another. The gentleman
| denounced him Mr.. c. an abolitionist This
comported with his assaulting course pursued not
4 IN he
| to dcnounce another an abolitionist-the dis
tinguished statesman and Senator of his State,
(Mr. BENToN,) whose fame is known to the country
and OF whom, as neghboring citizen, he felt proud
And the gentleman denounced that eminent citizen
"a traitor to his country A man who finds his way
into this hall and is capable of giving utterance to
| such sentiment, and applying such opprobri-
Gus epithet a distinguished Senator, is, in his
humble judgment, better fitted for inmate Of the
madhouse, insane asylum, than for seat on this
floor. He yesterday Intercepted the gentleman in
the most respectful terms, and the gentleman turned
| upon him and commenced course Of vituperation
and abuse, which was unprovoked and uncalled
| for, and such as he had never received from any
other than the member from Missouri He made
no complaint. 1t was characteristic of the mem
Der. lie ought not to have expected any thing
else. The gentleman said that the appropriation
fQNhs foreign mail service is unconstitutional,
and he denounced those who supported 1t as having
violated their solemn obligation To support the Con-
stitution. The gentleman, said Mr.. c., will re-
member asking me whether ] voted for IT. ] re-
.
prudent man ought never to forget to practise
| when he speaks of past events, that the records
would show. l did this that might not misead
him or the House. The gentleman assumed that
voted for the bill of lo4S and that the system then
commenced. In this, he is mistaken 1t com
menced in March, 1915, and the act signed by
President Polk. If il WAS unconstitutional, the
President who signed it is obnoxious to the charge
of having signed an unconstitutional act.
! Mr.. BROWN, of Indiana, said that the act was
signed by President Tyler.
MIR. CROWELL then adverted TO the several acts,
and said that in lsiS, instead of putting the appro
praton for the steamers in the post office BILL it
was attached to the navy bill. At that time he and
the gentleman from Missouri both held seats this
floor On the passage Of this bill the vote was
yeas 1906, nays IL. This bill contained the obnox.
ious appropriation of SS74 00O which called forth
the bitter denunciations of the gentleman, and the
gcntleman's name stands recorded yea, and his
| (Mr. CO nay.
Mr.. PHELPS. Whose name from Missouri
Mr.. CRoWELL. speak of the gentleman on
my left, (Mr. GREEN.)
MIR. PHELPS. My name appears among those
who voted against IT. opposed the bill because
thought It contained an obnoxious appropri-
alton.
The time to which general debate was limited
Mr.. BAYLY replied to the objections which
were yesterday made by Mr.. PHELPs against the
manner of making the appropriations.
Mr.. JONES submitted an amendment, proposing
TO insert various items, instead of appropriating
the money in the aggregate.
MIR. GREEN said that he was not fond of bring
ing himself into any controversy. However, he
never sought nor avoided one; and had IL not been
that he was fagrantly misrcpresented by the gen
tleman from Ohio, he should not have arisen at this
time. He had listened 10 the epthets thrown out
by him. There were persons whose peculiar prov
ince and trait Of character it was 20 indulge in
them, rather than in argument. The gentleman
having pronounced him unfit 10 hold place on
this floor, he felt constrained To reply, with all due
Difference TO the House. lie spurned the remark
with contempt The gentleman might make use
Of such expressions al those 70 which he had given
uterance, but If any man could find such low, vul-
gar sentences proceeding from him (Mr. c. he
would resign hrs scat in the House and go home.
lie trusted that his position would be distinctly
understood. lie yesterday defended the President
for approving the bill, and said he right IL
was not the passage and the approval of the navy
bill which he condemned, but The putting the APP
preparation for the mail steamers into il. His col
lea que (Mr. PHELPs) had expressed his satisfac %
ton that he bad voted against the bill. He (Mr.
g. voted for it, and because there was an obnox
iOus item inserted he not willing 10 break
own the navy by Withholding supplies. He voted
for il, because II wss his right and his duty. lie
repeated, what he had complained Of was the item
of Ss7 600 for the mail steamers which did not
yield corresponding benefit; and he condemned
az unconstitutional the promOtonof commercial in
terests by this means.
The gentleman said that some Of his mir. G. =
remarks were supprcsscd in the Globt, and that ne
had seen a report Of them in another paper.
ii the gentleman meant that he had suppressed
IL - laldc inc gentleman had
thus insinusted, hc should not have made use of
the term suppressed" Hc had mover spoken one
word TO the reporters on tho subject and had seen
the report only as It appeared in the paper There
we're those who imagine that every Thing proceeds
from impure motives; and when lac heard one charg-
ing improper motives on others, he always came %
the conclusion that the allegation came from the
guilty. The gentleman bad taken pains 10 set him
self right, and had falsely represented his (Mr.
G.'s) position. lie did not, he repeated, handy
cpithcis, and had nothing TO do with blackguards,
nor with those who do not demesn themselves as
gentlemen
Mr.. PHELPS replied 10 Mr.. BAyLY, and spoke
about the history OF the mail steamers.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT ~ RELATION TO
NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS, &c.
During the debate, message in writing was
received from the President Of the United States.
Mr. KAUFMAN, a short time afterwards, said
he understood that the message related 10 New
Mexico, and he moved that the committee rise,
with a view that It be read and ordered to be
printed.
The committee rose, and the Speaker resumed
the Chair, when the message laid before the
House.
Mr.. POTTER moved that II be laid upon the
table and printed; but there were loud cries Of
Read" "read;" and the Clerk read the message
and accompanying documents as follows