The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-05-08
Correspondence 9 Of tIae e,ourics.

debate in lsommittee ofsihe whoIa is 10 no
stopped. Mr.. YT,ton has brought forward
an important proposition in reference io
the apportionmenl of Representatives 8un.
der the new Census. He proposes thai
the number Of Representatives shall be
limited to fioo hundred and the Secretary
of the Interior shall fix the ratio according.
| ly. Heretofore, the ratio has been fixed by
Congress. and ther, has always heen q
struggle between the States with smal
and nearly stationary populai ion, with tho
more populcus and rapidly growing States
The ratio, now sevcnty-six thousand, will
under Mr.. F;nion's plan, he brought up tc
nearly one hundred and twenty thousand
The present number Of Representatives is
two hundred and thirty, to which are soon
10 be added; two or more from California
| and two more from each of the North.
western Territories, soon to become States
MIR. Vinton's plan will fix the whole
number of Representatives, from all States
| that may be in the Union after the mex,
| apportionmcnt at two hundred, which will
| be considerable, and az some suppose, a
desirable reduction. Tho House will be-
come more manageable body with re-
! duccd number, and the members elected
| VIII be perhups, men Of more weight OF
| character. The Southern States, whicl,
continue their efficient members in the
House for number Of years in succession.
| (whilc the Northern and Western States
change thcir's every two or four years. }
will gain in influence, rather than lose, by
the proposed reduction.
The Senate have been again engaged
! in an animated discussion or the bill 10
grant public lands 10 the State OF Illinois,
III ail Of The construction OF the Central
Rail Road. The debate has involved the
| question Of Internal improvement by the
general Government, and also the tsposi-
tlnn of tho public lands. We have n mum.
bcr of land projects before Congress, and
some OF them provide for the n,urc general
division of the spoil among all the States.
The older States put in their claim TO a
fair share Of Tie common property, and not
without some reason. Mr.. Claws old plan
of distributing the proceeds of the sales OF
the public lands among the States is about
to be revived.
We learn something moro definitely cf
the provisions ofstlre 3ulwcr treaty, and
there can be no doubt that they arc highly
favorable to the United States, and 10 the
whole commercial world. The directors
Nicaragua Canal are about tn commence
operations. They will open their subscrip-
ton and obtain large sum in this country
before u'cy apply To British capitalists
who have great confidence in American
cn,cfprizc. The Canal viii cost less than
forty millions Ak Is now believed.
The new steamer the '.AiL,ntic" equals
all expectations as TO strength, speed and
hno IN u
take trip To the Potomac. II would hive
been great qualification Ia public men
here. Hereafter, the a uercans will take
the lead i'll this species Of naval archi,ec-
,ure, though they failed in some early cx.
permen,s.
Twelve clerks in public Offices here re-
signed in ordcrto GO TO California.
MIR. Grey Jones. authorof The late re-
port on California land titles, gcos out n
the Crescent Cuy
Col. Fremont has hirel a portinn III his
gold lands 10 cnterprsng ufners.
WASHINGTON, MAY y
Mr.. Clay is in fine spirits AMI there can
ny ~ .- 4fai9 tAa he hqa spSG.sseAea il
rather large Majority oflihem.i,in favor
oi his plan ef compromise. Only three OF
the Committee were absent IT the meeting
held week ago-Mcssrs. Dcrricn, Mason
snd Dickinson, and it is believed that each
OF them would CO operate in the plan now
agreed upon. 1t liz supposed that, on the
oih OF Mny, the Committee will report, aud
that by the first Of June, The Senate Will
pass at least poriipnnfihc bill. The frs,
bill vii he the bill In admit California: 10
establish the territorial governments OF
Utah and Dcscre,; auti 10 reduce and fix
the boundaries Of Texas, upon proper com
pensat!on. The other btls will REQUIRE
hu, little lime, viz: tho fugitive slave bill,
ana the bill preventing The introduction OF
slaves into This District for sale.
!AS to The House, they will con,cnd Tor
month, over the first hiia very probably
send 1t back In the Senate wits amend.
men,s, aud then. after conference, make
merit o: necessity, and y'c!d To The Sen
ate.
The position Of the ADMINISTRATION, in
regard to This subject has of late, been the
subject ut much comment. The Admins
tra,ion plan, or as Mr.. Calhoun called ii,
'il;c Executive proriso," was offered in The
California message on the 2lst January; at
that time, The Wilmot provso had not been
go VIZ ~ 'iS -Sti siiy iitu IL Was CUES
lion whether the Northern members would
rc'.nlnIsh it. The Presidents plan was,
therefore, a compromise, and Intended 10
evnde the lmot proviso. The progress
OF opinion in Congress and among the pco-
pie has been sue as To render practicable
an entire adjustment Of the questions; TO
winch, OF course, the administration will
readily consent,
The Galphin Committcc is talked about
by every one, and the most contradictory
views are given as 10 the results OF their
labors. The Committee bound themselves
10 silence as 10 the proceedings, hut the
witnesses did not. There is material en-
ough. therefore, for doubt aud dispute.
The Senate have passed the bill To in
crease tho rank and file OF the Army, and
encourage en'is,ments. They have also
passed The Joint Resolutions from The
House, to put on government iooing of
discipline, &c, the expedition tC DC sent
by Mr.. GRINNELL, OF New-lork, To the |
Arctic seas, in search of Sir Jonx FRANK-
LIN. a number OF officers and senmen OF /
the U. S. Navy have volunteered for this
hazardous enterprise. There ia some
ground yet for hope that the lost nayiga-
tors NAV be found and rrlicynI rTo |