The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-19
TIE ACTION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENT
ATIVFS On THE TEXAN BOUNDARY AND
TERRITORIAL BILLS.
IPREsERvE THIS ECORD.l

The brief record of the action of the House of
Representatives on the Senate bills for the ad-
! iustment of the Texan boundary, the admission
of California, and the organization Of Territorial
Governments, which was published in the Era
during our absence, does not present such view
of proceedings as the People require to enable
them to understand their nature, and hold to a
Just responsibility those engaged in them At
the risk Of being tedious we shall review the
entire action of the House on the subjects men
toned.
Boyd of Kentucky, the Senate bill for the estab-
lishment of Territorial Government in Utah WAS
referred TO the Committee Of the Whole on the
state of the Union--a reference rendered necessa-
ry by the fact that the bill contained provision
for an appropriation of money.
Next on the Speakers table was the Texan
Boundary bill, which was taken up and read
once, when the question was stated to be on its
second reading, Mr.. Inge of Alabama having OBJ
jected The South understood that there was q
decided majority in favor Of the bill, and the
movement was probably designed to ascertain the
amount of this majority, 80 that the Shareholders
might know what to concede, what to exact, how
far they might safely oppose, how far they might
be obliged to support, the bill
Mr.. billiard of Alabama made an earnest ap-
peal in behalf of the measure.
The question being taken" shall the bill be
rejected n it was decided in the negative-yeas
"a, nays l6s-only fifteen Southern men voting
to reject
The bill was read second time.
Mr.. Boyd of Kentucky moved to amend by
adding the bills for the organization of Territor
al Governments in Utah and New Mexico, omit
ting the provisions making appropriations, for
the purpose of avoiding the necessity of reference
to the Committee of the Whole on the state of
the Union. The amendment excluded the Will
mot Proviso and the design Of moving il was to
form an omnibus, which should afford chance of
evasion to the members from the North pledged
Southern members who feared if the Texan
Boundary bill should pass by itself, the Ter
ritorial bills would be encountered with the Pro-
viso.
We may remark in passing, that the Speaker
was warm friend Of the measures matured in
the Senate and sent to the House, and we need
not, therefore, be surprised that, when they were
taken up in the latter body the floor was gener-
ally assigned to those who were determined to
carry them through The policy was, to prevent
a reference to the Committee of the. Whole on
the state of the Union, where they would be de-
bated and might be amended In the House, I'M
der the control of their friends debate and amend
ments, except such as might suit their purposes,
could easily be prevented.
Mr.. Meade Of Virginia objected to the amend
ment of Mr.. Boyd as out of order.
The 55th rule declares
"'No motion or proposition on a subject differ.
ent from that under consideration shall be admit
ted under color of amendment No bill or reso-
luton shall at any time be amended by annexing
thereto, or incorporating Herewith, any other
bill OF resolution pending before the House
The point was, that this amendment was not ger
to the bill and, further, because it proposed
to annex as an amendment proposition contained
in another bill before the House.
"The Speaker WAS of the opinion that the bill
before the House brought under consideration
the question Of the territory acquired by treaty
from Mexico, and, az the amendment affected that
territory, il was germane to the bill and was In
order. On the second ground, the Chair under.
stood the gentleman from Kentucky to say that
this was not the same bill as that from the Sen
ateo
This was setting aside specific objection oya
vague generality. The Utah and New meA'''