The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-13

in SENATE.
THURSDAY, September IL, 1850.


NEW MEXICO.
The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the
Senate petition from the embryo State OF New
Mexico, brought here by Col. WEIcHrMAS, sena-
tor elect from that Commonwealth, setung iorth
their grievances under the existing state oil tninSs
Mr. SEWARD moved that the memorial be
printed, and referred to the Committee on Terri
tories.
After debate by Messrs YULEE and DICKINSON
against the reference the motion to refer was land
upon the table.
CALIFORNIA BILLS.
Mr.. FREMONT, pursuant to notice, introduced
the following bills:
A bill to provide for opening road across the
Sierra Nevada, on the line of the Rio de los
Americanos and Carson's river, and the pass at
their head, as the commencement or opening
common travelling road between the present wes-
tern settlements of Utah and the State OF Cali
forna.
bill to refund certain revenues to the State OF
California collected in her ports anterior TO the
establishment of the revenue laws therein.
A bill to reinqush certain public grounds IN
San Francisco to said city.
A bill providing for arecorder Of land titles In
California. ifi0sa sa
All of which were read and referred
The bill for the relief Of the American Colonial
ton Society, indemnifying them for the subsist-
ing some five hundred negroes discharged among
them from the save-ship Pons, captured by an
American cruizer, read third time and passed.
Il. SLAVE TRADE IN THIS DISTRICT.
The bill to abolish the Slave trade in this District,
was, on motion Of Mr.. CLAY resumed, as the
special order of the day. -.
The question was upon the amendment OF Mr..
SEWARD, providing for the abolition completely
OF slavery in this District.
When the Senate adjourned yesterday, il was
upon an unfinished debate on the subject Of the
H.. ,,lat,n NJ Charlo
bile and New Orleans, with respect to free coored
persons entering said ports on board Northern
ships, and their detention in custody. On the re-
sumption of the bill this morning, Mr.. Soule took
occasion to explain aud yindcate the police regu-
lations of the city OF N Orleans with respect to free
ards, &c., on board ship steamers from Northern
States, and exhibited that these regulations did
not involve those enormities of confinement in jail,
as would appear to be the practice from the re-
marks Of the senator from Massachusetts, (Mr.
WINTHRop.) Mr.. S. maintained also the right OF
the Southern States to protect themselves against
the incursions of free negroes and that the sena-
tor from Massachusetts could not claim, under the
Constitution, that the free negroes Of Massachu-
sets should be entitled to the privileges in
Louisiana as her white citizens, although such
negroes may be admitted to these privileges in
Massachusetts,.
Mr.. BERRIEN, made similar explanation
nah, showing that Georgia was exempt from the
charges brough into the Senate yesterday against
Southern sen ports by the Senator from Massachu-
sets, Mr.. WINTHROP in the letter which he read
from certain sea captain of said State. And
with regard to that letter, although not specifically
endorsed by him, that letter, in fact, had gone out
to the country with the weight and character oil
the authority of senator Of the United States,
notwithstanding the statements in that letter had
not been Sustained by particle of valid testimony.
This very interesting and animated debate, upon
this incidental subject Of which report will be
given hereafter, was continued by Messrs. VIM
THRop, BERRIEN, EwNc, BUTLER, JOHN DAVIS,
DOUGLAS, SoULE, and DICKINSON, for couple OF
hours, when the question was taken upon Mr..
SEwARD's amendment for the total abolition Of
slavery in this District, and rejected; as follows.
AYEs.-Messrs. CHASE, DoDGE, Of Wisconsin,
HALE, SEwARD, and UpHAm.-5. sfa
NoEs.--45. 49, a ee
And the bill was reported as from Committee Of
the Whole to the Senate, with several amendments,
spect to free negroes, and imposing certain penali
ties upon kidnappers of slaves from this District.
Mr.. CLAY hoped these amendments would be
stricken from the bill. He was gratifed to hear
of the passage of the fugitive bill by the House
which left only this measure Of the whole seres Of
the general adjustment to be settled. AS for slave
ry, It was gradually dying out in this DISTRICT
but the existence of the slave trade within this
Capital was very odious to the..Norlh. 1t was ex
pedient to abolish it. But as the amendments tc
the bill would endanger its success, he hoped they
would be disagreed to, so that the simple abolition
of the slave trade might be provided for
DEFICIENCY BILL.
On motion of Mr.. DicKINsoN the slave trade bill
was laid aside temporarily, and the deficiency bill
from the House, providing for the pay and mile
age of the late delegates from the territories, anl
ofthe senators and members from California, ant
the Oregon delegate, and making $4,000 appro
priaton for books, &c. lga s.lE 6a
On motion Of Mr.. DICKINSON, the $50, 900 70
books for the House was stricken out, and til
item was turned over to their contingent fund.
Mr.. BENTON moved that the mileage of tn
| Oregon delegate and the California members o
both Houses, be charged according to the mos
usually travelled route within the United States
and spoke of the route by the South Pass as tn
great inland travelling route to Oregon and Cafor
MIA. Fiftythousand emigrants had gone out thi
| year by this South Pass route.
Mr.. GWIN opposed the amendment, and aske,
his colleague to say what was the time required
| to travel the South Pass route, M
| Mr. FREMONT replied that the Californis
| settlements might be reached from the Western
frontiers Of Missouri in forty days 1t would b
easy to travel out with the annual emigrations
| and the members might return by the same rout
| with a sufficient escort and at sufficient ex
pense. IL
Mr.. GWIN con,ended that the only travelled
| route to and fro, between the Atlantic coast ant
California; was the Isthmus route, outside of thu
United States, and that it was unjust to make
discrimination against the members from Cali
| fornia. }aaa
Mr., ATCHTSON thought the amendment pro
| per enough. No member was authorized to charge
| for a route outside ofthe United States.
Mr. GWYN insisted that this amendmen
would be an unjust observation-disclosures the mai
route to California was by the lsthmus, and tina
from the travelling expenses and the dangers ofth'
sicky climate Of Panama, (Which nearly cost hi'
colleague his life, besides $4,000 expenses for hi
Journey in, with his small famly,) the Californi,
members were entitled to the mileage of this
route which they were compelled to travel.
Messrs. PRATT, RUSK, CLAY, HAMLIN
DODGE, OF Iowa, and GWYN, continued tn,
debate, when the amendment Of Mr.. Benton
limiting the mileage of the California member:
| to the route by the South Pass, was agreed to.
Mr.. HAMLTN moved to amend so as to im
the future purchase Of books, by either House, t.
law OF Congress. Rejected, 90 to 25,
Mr.. DODGE, Of Iowa, moved to strike ou
the item of $50, 900. turned over to the contigen
fund of the House for the purchase Of books
The amendment was debated by Messrs DoDoE