The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-24
CONGRESS-.
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS-FI SESSION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY l6, 1850.
SENATE.


SENATE
Mr. Seward presented petition of ops citizens
of New York for the abolition of Slavery in the
District Of Columbis, and moved its reference to
the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr.. Berrien
moved that the question of reception lie upon the
table Mr.. King of Alabama said that he stated
the other day so plainly that he thought every
Senator and the presiding officer would under
stand it, that such petitions would always be OBJ
jected to-
IMr. King read the Chair Mcclure on its duty.
II was . usage Of the Senate, when such petitions
were presented to raise the question of reception
and lay that question on the table. In this way
they got rid Of very disagreeable and exciting
subject. The Vice President, therefore, whenev.
er such missiles were sent here ought to presume
objection, and put the question, Shall they be
received 2" The Chair stood corrected, of course
The Vice President. The Senate will pardon
me. am only anxious that the usual course
should be taken. The Chair announced that a
motion had been made that the petition be receiv-
ed and referred. The Chair was not aware that
the Chair had any power to present any question
other than the one which was moved
Mr. King AS matter of course, Shall the
paper be received !" is the question.
The Vice President. The question now is to
lay the motion of reception on the table
The yeas and nays having been ordered were
then taken. and resulted thus
YEAs-Messrs Atchson Badger, Bell, Benton,
Berrien Borland, Bright Butler, Calhoun, Cass,
Clemens, Davis Of Mississippi, Dawson, Day ton,
Dickinson, Dodge of Iowa, Douglas, Downs,
Foote, Houston, Hunter, Jones, King, Mason
Miller, Morton, Pesrce, Rusk, Sebastian, Soule
Sturgeon, Turney-32.
NAYs-Messrs. Baldwin, Chase, Clarke, Coop
er, Corwin, Davis of Massachusetts, Dodge of
Wisconsin, Fetch, Greene, Hamlin, Norris,
Phelps, Seward, Shields, Smith, Spruance, Up
ham, Wales Wslker-19
So the motion to receive the petition was laid
on the table.
[It will be observed that Bright of Indiana
Cass of Michigan, Dayton and Miller of New
Jersey Dickinson of New York, Sturgeon of
Pennsylvania, Dodge and Jones of Iowa-eigbt
Senators from free States--four from the West,
four the East, six of them Democrats and two
Wings voted to lay the motion to receive on the
table-in other words, voted against the right of
petition.
Several memorials against the employment of
Chaplains by the Government, were presented,
and one was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
dietary
Mr.. Benton on leave brought in his bill to re-
duce the boundaries Of the State of Texas II
proposes to reduce the boundaries of Texas from
10 degrees west longitude to lO2 degrees and
when the population of the State Of Texas be-
tween SO degrees and lO2 degrees shall reach
one hundred thousand to make new State out
of that section and admit it at once into the
Union This would reduce the State of Texas
at once to an area Of one hundred and fifty
thousand square milcs, and ultimately divide her
into two States Of seyenty-Gve thousand square
miles each. All the country beyond lO2 degrees,
amounting to two hundred thousand square
miller. is to be ceded TO the United States In re-
turn for this, and for the REIMBURSEMENT Of all
claims Texas may have on the Government, the
United States are TO grant fifteen millions OF
dollars in a stock bearing FIVE per cent interest,
payable half yearly The bill, If passed, would
he thought enable Texas to get rid Of her wild
lands and wild Indians, TO get rid Of dan
gerous contest with New Mexico about bounds-
ny, to get rid Of the troublesome question Of sls-
very to secure to herself homogeneous popula-
tion and a compact territory and TO secure the
means for improving her internal resources.
The bill was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Mr. Foote on leave introduced his bill provi-
ding Territorial Governments for California,
Deseret, and New Mexico, and for the formation
Of a new State, with the consent Of TeKas, to be
called Jacinto
Mr.. Foote addressed the Senate at some length,
commenting particularly on the bill submitted by
Mr. Benton, and the course Of that Senator on
the question of Slavery. lie denounced his bill
as treason to the South, as the eject OF it would
be. II passed, to throw open to the agitation OF
the Wilmot Proviso, a large portion of Texas
now secured against it by annexation resolutions
Mr. Benton had remarked upon ihe anomalous
position Of Texas, one part Of her territory being
Free Soil. the rest, Slave Soil. Mr., Fooie deni-
ed this. Texas was one State, and that State
was Slave State, no part OF Der soil could be-
come Free Soil, without her consent which would
never be given He had proposed at one time to
Introduce compromise in his bill but recent pro-
ceedines at the North and in Congress had con-
WINGED him that the time for compromise had
passed. IL anything Of that sort were proposed,
Il must emanate now from the North. lie said
plainly that his intention was Of course that "a