Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-11
THE VOTING IN THE SENATE.

THE VOTING IN THE SENATE.
The votes taken in the Senate, on Wednesday
Thursday and Friday, on various amendments Of
fered to the Compromise bill, have been given in
our columns # may be well, however, to take
connected view of the whole, in order the better
to understand the present position of the mea-
sure.
First then, on Wednesday, Mr.. Chase's amend
ment providing that the act should not be so con-
strued as authorizing or permitting The introduce
ton of slavery, or the holders of persons as pro-
perry, within the Territories-was rejected, yeas
25, nays SO. Twenty-four Northern Senators,
and Mr.. Spruance, OF Delaware, voted in the af-
frmative; and the Northern Senators who voted in
the negative were Messrs Cass, Dickinson,
Dodge of Iowa, Jones, and Sturgeon.
The amendment of Mr.. Davis, Of Mississippi,
providing that nothing in the act should be so con-
strued as to prevent the Territorial Legislature
from passing laws necessary for the protection of
property held or introduced conformably to the
constitution and laws of the United States--was
rejected, yeas rs, nays 80. Mr.. Dickinson was
the only Northern Senator who voted yea; and
collected that Gen. Cass and Mr.. Douglas gave
notice that they would vote against this amend
ment because they held that the Territorial Le-
gisatures are competent to admit prohibit slave
ry.
The notorious Senator from New York, Mr.. Sc
ward, whose organs in that State pretend to be
Jealous advocates of "the Presidents plan,'' and
who is himself its special patron in Congress,
now seized an opportunity to show to the country
what he understands the plan to be. He moved
the naked Wilmot Prouiso, as an amendment TO
The bill. We are heartily glad, the Senate was
tested on that famous proposition. The vote was
taken, and resulted, yeas %, nays 33. Every
Northern Wing, except Mr.. Webster voted yea;
and Messrs. Cass, Dickinson, Dodge ofIowa, Jones,
Sturgeon, and Webster, with Mr.. Spruance, of
Delaware) voted nay. There were present, 90
Northern and 81 Southern Senators. The Sc
majors who who were absent or did not vote were,
Messrs. Phelps of Vermont, Wales of Delaware,
and Borand of Arkansas. Had the Senate been
full, and supposing Mr.. Phelps to vote for the
Provso, and Mr.. Wales against it, the vote would
have been, yeas "a, nays 36-precisely two
thirds in the negative. Whatever be the fate of
the Compromise bill, we may at least rejoice at
this demonstration that the Senate is determined
grievously distracted the country.
Mr.. Berrien moved to amend the clause prohi-
biting the Territorial Legislature from passing any
law sin respect to African slavery by striking
out sin respect to-" and inserting establishing
or prohibiting" This amendment was carried,
yeas 80, nays 81. Messrs. Dickinson, Jones,
Sturgeon and Webster of the North, voted yea;
and Messrs. Benton and Underwood, the South,
voted nay Mr.. Borland was present at this d.
vision, and voted in the affirmative.
Mr.. Douglas now moved to strike out the
words "nor establishing or prohibiting African
slavery" Mr. Hall moved first to insert in the
phrase, the word allowing, rejected, 81 to 36,
Messrs. Cass, Dickinson, Dodge of Iowa, Jones,
Sturgeon and Webster voting in the negative
Then Mr.. Douglass motion was rejected, yeas
81, nays 33. Here, Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Underwood,
and Messrs Cass, Dickinson, Dodge of Iowa,
Douglas Jones and Sturgeon, voted in the affir-
native; and Messrs. Bright, Dodge of Wisconsin,
Hale, @ Walker, Webster and Whtcomb voted
in the negative.
Through all these votes, Mr.. Douglas and his
colleague, Gen. Shields, voted with the North.
On Thursday, an amendment moved by
Mr.. Walker, to prohibit peon servitude in Utah
and New Mexico. Mr.. Dayton moved to limit the
prohibition to contracts hereafter made This
was rejected, yeas "a, nays 26. Mr.. Walkers
amendment was then rejected yeas co. nays 80;
Messrs. Benton and Spruance among the yeas,
and Messrs. Bright, Cooper, Dickinson, Smith,
Sturgeon and Webster amongst-the nays
An amendment moved by Mr.. Yulee more ex-
plicitly to extend the constitution and laws of the
United States over the Territories, was adopted,
80 to "a; Messrs. Cass Dickinson, Dodge of
Iowa, Douglas and Sturgeon, in the affirmative,
and Messrs, Badger, Benton and Underwood in
the negative.
Mr.. Baldwin now moved an amendment de-
claring that the Mexican laws prohibiting slavery |
shall remain in force until repealed by Congress.
Here was another important test. The vote stood,
yeas %, nays 80; Mr., Spruance in the affirma-
tive, and Messrs. Cass, Dickinson, DODGE of /.
Jones and Sturgeon in the negative Mr.. Web |
ster did not vote.
On Friday, the Texas boundary question came
under consideration, upon a motion of Mr.. Gle !
mems to amend by confirming the claim of Texas,
but appropriating her Territory North of the Saith
degree to the Indians. This was finally rejected
yeas II, nays 81; all the Northern Senators vo-
ting in the negative together with Messrs Badger,
Bell, Benton, Berrien, Clay, Dawson, Mangum,
Pearce, Spruance and Underwood.
Mr. Feote proposed an amendment to make the
Saith degree the Northern boundary of Texas,
and, on Saturday, other amendments were offered,
but no vote was taken.
To sum up the results of all these votes, down
to the adjournment of the Senate on Saturday, it
has been decided that the bill shall contain a