The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-28
nsp,cAL orFloEns IN THE NAVY.
MoEDAY, May 81. 1850.


naval service Of the United States be assigned
ranL ossimilated 10 that conferred upon like per-
sons in the army, were presented oy Ihe VICE
PREslpEsr, and Messrs. Dickinson and WALES.
THE TARIFF.
Mr. COOPER presented several petitions from
citizens of Pennsylvania, praying modification OF
the tariff o. 1916
the NEW YORK AND NEW ORLEANS MAIL-sTEAMERs
Mr. DOWNS moved, and the Senate proceeded
10 the consideration of the following resolution sub
united by him some time since:
Resoiped, That the Secretary Of the Navy be d.
rected 10 report to the Senate whether the conrac
tor for the New Orleans and Chagres line of mail
steamers, who g bound himself TO establish line oil
steamships TO consist of at least ve vessels Tor the
transportation of the United States mail from New
York To New Orleans, twice month and BACK,
touching at Charleston, (f practicable savannah,
and Havana, and from Havana to Chagres and
back twice month; that two OF the steamships
should be completed and ready Tor service on tue
lat day of October lS4S, and should be OF the bur-
den of not less than fifteen hundred tons, has com
piled with his contract; and, II not, wnether MS
failure to do So and the litigation in which he has
been engaged with his assignees will be calculated
to embarrass and postpone the final completion OF
the vessels contracted for, IT not to endanger the
fulhlment Of the contract with the Government,
are not of such nature to authorize and require
that the said contract should be declared by the
Government null and void and whether the action
Of Congress be necessary TO carry such purpose
into effect, and to report such other information,
touching said contract, as may be useful to Con-
gress.
And the resolution was modified and made OF
inquiry, directed to the Committee OF Commerce,
and was then adopted
BILLS ON LEAVE.
Mr.. BORLAND pursuant TO notice, introduced
a bin to grant the right of pre- emption TO actual
settlers on and TO dispose of certain land surround
ing the springs in Arkansas, which has been here
tofore reserved from sale.
Mr.. SOULE, pursuant to notice, introduced n
bill to revive act entitled can act providing for
the adjustment of all suspended pre- empton claims
in the several States and Territories, approved Sd
Mr. TURNEY, from the Committee on Patents,
referred back the bill to amend the act to promote
the progress of the useful arts.
Mr. WHITCOMB, from the Committee on Claims,
reported bill for the relief of John Devlin.
Mr.. DOWNS, from the Committee on Private
Land Claims, reported bill for the relief of III. ID.
Bowman.
SIMON GREENLEAF.
Mr. BUTLER, from the Committee the Ju-
dietary, reported bill for the relief Of Simon
Greenleaf, and it considered and passed.
BRANCH MINT AT NEW YORK.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the
bill TO establish branch mint of the United States
at New York.
Mr.. DAVIS, Of Mississippi, submitted an
amendment to the bill additional sections, pro-
viding for the establishment of two assaylng
Offices in California; TO be at Stockton on the
Joaquin river, and the other at Sacramento, on
the river of that name.
IT,
the branch mint Of the United States at San Fran
cisco; if such adopted, as he hoped it would
be- these assaying Offices would be unnecessary
If this amendment prevailed, he thought 1t would
conflict with the proposition strike out the pro-
vision to establish mint at New York, and estab-
lish il at San Francisco.
Mr.. DICKINSON said, that when such a motion
was made he would submit to the Chair whether
il was in order TO do
The amendment was debated by Messrs. DAVIS
and UNDERWOOD.
ID tha a.sI
Insnt by striking it all out and insert the amend
rnent offered on Friday by Mr.. BEsToH, to estab-
lish a branch mint at San Francisco, with all the
necessary offices. Pending which motion, the bill
was postponed till, and made the special order OF
the day for, w Wednesday next, and for every day
thereafter till disposed of.
THE SPECIAL ORDER.
The Senate then resumed the consideration Of the
Compromise bill. The question pending on a
motion TO amend the 9th section as follows:
Strike out the words 80 in respect to-" and insert
in lieu thereof the words ''to introduce or excludes;
and insert after the word slavery" the following
Prorided, That nothing herein contained shall
be construed TO prevent said territorial legislator,
passing such laws may be necessary for the pro
lection Of the rights of property Of any kind which
may have been may be hereafter lawfully intro
duced into said Territory.
Mr.. DAVIS, Of Mississippi said that when he hac
accepted the above amendment as modification o
his own, the word 80 lawfully" was NOT in il. tt
prevent all difficulty misunderstanding, he now
modified the latter part Of his amendment, as II
would read as follows:
Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be
construed 20 prevent said territorial legislature from
passing such laws may be necessary for the pro-
lection Of the rights Of property Of every kind which
may have been may be hereafter, conformably
20 the Constitution and laws of the United States
held in or introduced into said Territory
Mr.. MASON said that he desired the ndulgenc,
Of the Senate 20 allow him 10 speak upon all tn,
subjects embraced in the bill, well those mat
tiers referred TO by the committee in their report
The first of these the amendment reported by
the committee 10 be added 10 the fugitive slave bill
and which provided that the master may carry hi
record evidence with him when about 10 reclaim
fugitive slave. He thought that this section ha
been greatly misunderstood by his southern friends
tie thought IL highly favorable, and that IL wOu
be found Of great advantage The other section
requiring that whenever the slave should assert hi
freedom, he should have right 10 a trial by jury
his return 10 the State whence he fled, was no
90 favorable. This did not meet his favor. II
thought that il would prohibit the sale Of the re
claimed slave by his master, during the pendenc,
Of this trial il would be detrimental TO the right
and privileges Of the owner. He did not approve
this amendment.
The next matter 10 which he alluded was the bill
reported part Of the general scheme Of compro
mise-to abolish the slave trade in the District I
Columbia. He thought this could not meet wit
the favor Of the South. II left free and untram
neled, he could not vote for IT, But he was eS
pressly forbidden by the resolutions Of his Legisls
ture, passed at the late General Assembly.
Mr. FOOTE asked the Senator 10 say whethe
such provision-though in the former resolutions
the State Of Yirginia-vas not significantly omitte
in the last resolutions Of that body.
Some conversation ensued between the CHAII
Messrs. FOOTE, BERRIEN, and MASON, on u
subject Of interruptions
Mr. MASON read the following resolution passs
by the Legislature Of Virginia in January, lS4
which was 20 him instruction, and which ha
Eever since been revoked, altered or modified:
RssoIued, That regard the passage Of Law
by the Congress Of the United States, aboshn
slavery the slave trade In the District Of Coiuu
bis, az direct attack upon the institutions Of q
southern States, 20 be resisted at every hazard.
lie then examined the bill now before the Sci
ate. He did not think that the bill was such
compounds az would happily settle all the dstur
ing questions Of the day He would cheerfully suI
port any bill which accomplished this great en-
No bill could receive bis support which in any wa
interfered with, or in any way prevented the cit
zen Of any part Of the country, going into the 10
ritories belonging TO all the States, with all b
property, Of whatsoever kind lie thought that SUD
a right was clearly and unquestionaby secured I
the Constitution Of the United States and ar
law conflicting with this constitutional right shou
be repealed
The South had conceded in the Clayton compr
A - a. .I.d 10 he