Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-04-23
THIRTY-EIRsT CONGREss--Is session.
WEDNESDAY,, APRIL IL, i95O.
SENATE

refer the compromise IeSUlutlOHS VI AS"i -
to a selcc, committee of thirteen Senator'S. upon us mo
ton the following amendment, moved (and moaineo a. ''
suggestion of Mr.. Clay by Mr.. Benton, was penolng: -,
provided, That nothing in this reference siah ' y
s,rued as TO assert or imply the existence OF any power II
Congress to abolish slavery in the States, or any Po"St !"
suppIess the slave trade between the States; nor Una, Coh
rress ou-ht 10 abolish slavery in the forts, dock-yards, an.
arsenals. nor 10 abolish slavery in the District OF luiiioi
MI. CLAW said that he desired to offer an amendment 10 lEt
.m.ndmen, moved NV the Senator from Missouri. The Sc
nator from Missouri had offered, on inutsuay > ee,d ! /.
instructions TO the committee. he orr. - haa susses 20
modification of those instructions, which Inc Senator IRON
Missourih had accepted for his own. He now proposed to Ole
an amendment To the amendment as mohlhed; III ahhclu
ment was to strike out all "t the modified an'snun.n' hm e ~
word "provided," and insert: That The Senate does no
deem il necessary 10 express in advance any opinion, or 4
give any instruction., either general or slccihc' LOT ue eei"
ance of said committee.
Mr.. Benton said the amendment, which was called th'
amendment Of the Senator from Missouri, was properly ,'
amendment of the Senator from Kentucky. ne lmI. -.
had, on Thursday last, accepted the amendment oi the seri
tor from Kentucky IN lien OF his own-had accePiea IN
amendment in n spirit Of harmony and compromise: ln'
Senator from Kentucky now proposes Ia amend MS OWL
amendment by striking il all ont. This being the case, h'
would withdraw his modified amendment. tie 'heh ohcr.'
his original. amendment, which was as follows ,u
Provided that nothing in this reference shaii o cons'fVe.
As authorizing said committee 10 take into consideration my
thing relating to either of the four following points;
1. The abolition of slavery IN the states.
2. The suppression of the slave trade between ina STATES
;, The abolition of slavery in tho dock yards, forts and
-" ID The abolition of slavery in the District Of Columbia.
Nor shall said committee be authorised to consider any
question relating 10 the domestic slavery IN the ohlc"
States. -.
Mr.. Clay then submitted his proposition as an amendment
10 this amendmen, of Mr.. Benton.
Mr.. Cass asked, was he correct IN UNDERSTANDING !c
amendment of the Senator from Kentucky as IN ehect doin2
away with the other one!
Mi. Clay. Certainly.
Ar Ren,on said thai. with all due Difference, he would sng.
ocst th,, The Senator from Kentucky was not acting par'ii-
mentan in doing what he had done in submitting inns amend,
ment. 1t was not, in parliamentary law, an amendment al
IN II was a resolve by the Senate. II had neither tho
Character, mark, nor style of an a~mendment. An amend 10
a proposition is an Improvement, an alteration, oui moi a ae-
e A. o.;..a,l uhia -rollpi NmpnInlDnf Is n
move a resolve by ne Senate TO do away with the whole
matter. 1t is u sort Of previous question TO cut OH deoa'e,
10 cut of all amendments and is TO do away with any fo'e
upon the several points which are submitted IN the instuc-
tons.
II was announced yesterday TO the Senate that several
Senators will on Monday leave the city, ana VIII DC absent
for some time; their absence will be occasioned by The order
of the Senate, and in sucn case nothing IN the decision 81
which The States reprcscn;ed by those Senators are interes-
ted can be disposed of in their absence. Those senators, II
was said y~cs.efday, would leave here on Monday next, ana
will be absent twoo or more weeks: consequently during these
two weeks nothing relating to California can be taken NI
and acted upon. There are but three and a hall days Of
this week now remaining, and he thought that In 'aosc
siness, every thing relating to California cor'd be consia'
cred and disposed OF by the Senate, and Inc question oi hrf
admission can in that time be disposed OF IN one way or
the other. He wcs unwilling 10 send her cut 10 n commit
tee, and thereby run the risk of delaying her admission; Tor
if she was sent out nothing would be done this week, ard,
as before stated, the next Two weeks would be only 80 maeh
additional time lost. Eight weeks had already elapsed since
the President communicated 10 the Senate the Consil-
tuition of ina, State, and he was unwilling 20 lose two weeks
more.
Desiring TO have action this week, and before the dcpar-
iure of those Senators whose absence would be in pursn-
ance of an order Of the Senate, Inc intended to have moyet
TO take up the California bill, that the remaining days d;
this week might be given 10 the consideration OF that bF'
He then read the bill, showing how simple were its provl-
sions. and how few were the points involved in its passage
or rejection. His opinion was, that the present subject should
be laid down, and the California bill taken mp. IL could DO
finished this week, and thereby the Senate would have the
presence Of those Senators who are 10 be absent by tho order
Of the Senate. If the committee be appointed, and all these
subjects be referred 10 them, they will require time to con
slider them. Il may be that every thing Is prepared before
hand, but, still, they should have time. DR.. franklin was
once asked q question and, out of respect to the int, .osa-
tor he asked that he might be allowed to postpone his an
swer till next day, in order that he might seem to have gwen
the subject some consideration. 1t was 80 with this conf
mittee; they should have time that they might seem to have
had the subject under consideration.
This was due to the committee itself, and hence the admis-
sion of California would be postponed for an uncertain pc
Rod. If. however, the committee were 10 report incontinent-
IL, il would then be established what had frequently been
said, that they had thought OF the whole affair for some time
back, and their report was to be something ready cut and
dried beforehand. If there was a committee, he supposed
there would be nothing done this week, and the consequence
would be a long delay and imminent danger to California.
He moved TO lay the subject on the table, with a view 10
move To take up the California bill.
Mr.. Clay. viii the Senator Withdraw III" motion for a
moment?
spirit of compromise, except compromisin California.
Mr.. Clay said that he regretted the dill. = opinion
which unfortunately existed between him tie anato-
from Missouri on this subject. They were | i i" Hsor q
the admission of California. Both regretted tn. ~ TO HI.
admission. But, he felt impeled to say to the Senator, til;
he-tNs senator rom AllSSDuTI-WuSO III u lue great -
which delayed the admission Of California. On Friday Is
he had made n proposition To the Senator which he now re-
peated. Let the opposition 10 this committee be withdrawn;
let the committee be appointed; let them go out without in
structions; and then take mp the California bill in the Senate,
and progress with it. If This were done, he would move to
amend the California bill by adding thereto the bill granting
Territorial Governments to Utah and New Mexico, and that
TOO without the Wilmot Proviso. The Senator from Mis-
souri had said the California bill was short; but did that
Senator or any one else suppose that 1t could pass IN its pro-
sent shape? The Senator from Missouri relied on carly pre-
cedents; he hoped the Senator would point out any State
being without an agreement that the pubic domain
should be surrendered 10 the Union.
He hoped the Senator from illinois would have such an
amendment prepared TO offer to the California bill. The Sc
nator thinks the California bill can be acted upon this week;
if so, let the opposition TO this committee be withdrawn, and
take up the California bill. Does not The Senator himself
see that he is delaying the California bill by his opposition
10 this committcei Let, then, the opposition be withdrawn.
Vet the committee be appointed, for no dllatory, embarias-
sing, or parliamentary proceedings could succeed in thwaii-
ing the opinion and desires of the majority of the Senate,
expressed by three decided test votes.
Mr.. Benton said the amendment OF the Senator from Ken
lucky was not an amendment it was a resolve, an indepCn-
dent resolve. IL was a resolve that no instructions should
be given to the committee, and such u resolve was not bind
ing on any one.
lie opposed the appointment of the committee. /, was
nothing more than the selection of II jury, and sending them
out 10 consider the case, leavin. the Judges and advocates 10
debate upon it during their absence. II was to be, 1t was
true. "A Jury of the leading and distinguished members of the
Senate; sending out the .eading men, II was 10 be supposed
that those left behind were led members. The Senate
says that, by opposing tho appointment OF this committee,
admission OF California il delayed; and urges that opposition
10 the committee 10 be withdrawn. Had he no; the right 10
oppose this measuref Had NE not the fiHnt u present MS
amendments If he had no right 10 do so, make the point
of order, and let them he ruled out. IL he had the right, he
would never dcsist, particularly when he felt 1t to be his
duty to do otherwise.
There was no man who made more professions of peace,
who delighted 10 picture its benefits nor dilato upon its
charms; no man who had the word peace 50 often on his
lips, as the greatest of warriors, the great emperor. And
way was it that he was constantly engaged in war; Be-
cause the people would resist him; when he would march his
armies into their nations, they would resist; and hence it was
that he, the peace-loving man, was a disturber of the peace,
because the people would resist him: Something like a pa
r,llel might be drawn in this case. The Senator from Ken
tucky charged him with delaying action on the California
bill, because he resisted what he had a right to resist, what
it was his duty to resist, and what he had tho legislative cx-
perience of the past sixty years TO sustain him IN doing. He
was doing nothing moro than he had a right 10 do, and il
was lost labor to attempt to scare him off tho track.
He had heard thai, some persons considered that a horse
could draw faster when he had n weight upon hs back, and
tina, several sacks of grain were placed on the back of the
animal to aid him in drawing up a hill, This doctrine was
based upon the superstition that il kept his backbone
straight. and his Joints al directed To a common centre
This was a case of drawing. California was about TO be the
victim Of a like policy, though hers was n case of running,
for she was 10 run the gauntlet. II was proposed by some
to place a weight upon her back, and to attach another
weight to each Of her legs, resciving u sufficient weight for
her tail; and thus weighed down by extidneous subjects, il
was said she could run the faster. The people of California
could not ba made IN hcl;ave fhis They would suDn0se The