The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-03-13

BY the most strenuous efforts il was carried
through the House, large majority voting for it
and, on being taken up in the Senate, towards the
close of the session, several test votes showed ma
jority there of eight or ten in its favor.
Southern men, generally Of extreme opinions
on the Slavery Question, led the opposition to the
measure, and they were aided covertly by promi-
nent Cass Democrats from the North, who in
sisted upon various amendments which, had they
been adopted, would have given the opponents Of
the bill in the House full power to prevent its
passage
The device adopted by Southern men to defeat
the bill, was to speak against time. After full
examination of its provisions, and with the ascer-
tanned fact staring them in the face that major
ity Of members in both House demanded its pas
sage, they determned'to prevent any vote upon
the measure, though at the cost Of the defeat of
the Appropriation Bills and of an extra session of
Congress.
From half-past eleven Monday till four o'clock
Tuesday morning, Faction played its game
without disguise Mr.. Clay, who had led on
the majority, LEFT the chamber near midnight,
and Mr. Cass, who had dissented from the bill,
but voted against laying il the table, fearful Of
committing himself too far on one side or the
other, drew his doak about him at twelve o'clock,
and retired, with the remark that, as the term of
Congress in his opinion had expired, he had con-
stitutonal obi ec!ions to further proceedings
At four O'Clock Tuesday morning, the majority
gave way the bill was laid upon the table and
made the special order for eight o'clock the effect of
which was to secure to any bill that mightthen be
under consideration preference over it, unless post
p0ned by a vote of the Senate. There remained to
be acted upon, tie Civil and Diplomatic bill, the
Army and Navy Appropriation bills, and the bill
for the relief Of Mr. Richie, so that it was well
understood that The River and IIarbOr bill would
never be taken up again.
Mr. Chase of Chic, who, though not approving
some of the details Of the measure, had given it
q vigorous support, saw clearly that no hope re-
NAMED for our Rivers and EIarbors, unless
through an amendment to the Civil and DiplO-
matte bill. He therefore took up the original
River and Harbor bill reported to the House of
Representatives by the Committee on Commerce
the aaa JAiy. lsat, which had bean lying upon
the tables of Senators, and also the report from,
the War Department prepared by Colonel Albert,
Chief of the Bureau of Typographical Engineers
on the BILL which had been referred to the De-
partment with q letter from the Chairman Of the
I House Committee on Commerce, asking its opin.
ions on the matters embraced in it. Aided by
Mr. Hamlin, Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Commerce, he carefully compared the bill and
the report, striking from the former every item
not expressly sanctioned by the latter His OBJ,
ec was to obviate the objections of those Senators
especially the Democratic members from the
West, who opposed the bill before the Senate
specially because some Of its items had not been
estimated for or sanctioned by the Department
The original House BILL thus revised and re-
trenched by him, still contained nearly every
important appropriation proposed in the bill be-
fore the Senate, for the Lakes and Rivers Of
every Western State except Texas, for which no
adequate surveys or estimates have yet been made
appropriated for Lake Harbors in Ohio $3.50, 600
for improvements of the Ohio above the Falls
$4,000, for the Ohio belowt the Falls, the Msss-
and its aggregate appropriations amounted to
l,736,O00, less by s505,236 than the sum pro-
posed in the bill sent from the House to the
Senate
Here then was bill, economical, sufficient and
as unexceptionable as could be demanded
At six o'clock in the morning, when but six
hours remained for further action, while the
Civil and Diplomatic bill was under discussion,
and when it was certain that the postponed bill
would not be taken up at eight O'clock and could
not be brought to vote, should it be taken up,
Mr. Chase brought forward the measure which
he had prepared with so much labor, and offered
it an amendment to the General Appropriation
bill. lie so clearly explained its provisions, that
no one could misspprehend them. lie showed
that not single objection raised by some of the
Cass Democrats Of the West against the other
bill, could be urged against ths-that it fully met
every requisition they had made.
| Mr. Yulee insisted that the amendment was
out of order, but soon found his position untena.
BILE The ultra opponents of Western improve
ments were loud in their denunciations, and in
undated many Of those who were hestating be
tween justice TO the People Of the West and Thu
interests of their party. Mr. Ewing said tn,
proposition was ill-timed that he had not had
time to examine il, that he should vote against
it; and his lead was gladly accepted by some who
though from party considerations they desired
the passage Of no bill at all had, till then doubt
ed whether they could venture to vote against SC
unobjectionable measure as that of Mr.. Chase
Had MIR. Cass been present, We have reason Il
believe that he would have adopted the PROPOSE
ton, and its success then would have been Ger
I tain. As it was, the detection Of the Wing ad
vocates Of Western improvements gave counte
nance to the Western Democrats who had been
seeking pretexts for opposing any measure at sl
and, on submitting the proposition to the Senate
it received the votes of but three Senator'S
Chase, Seward, and Walker, the vote being as
follows
| YsAs-Messrs Chase, Seward, and Walker
| NAys-Messrs Atchison, Badger, Baldwin
| Bell, Borland, Bright Clarke, Clemens Cooper
| Davis Of Mississippi, Dawson, Dickinson, Dodg,
of Iowa, Douglas, Downs, Ewing Felch Foote
| Greene, Gwin, Hamlin, Houston. Hunter, Jones
King, Mason, Miller, Morton, Norris, Pearce
Rantoul, Rusk, Shields, Smith, Soule, Spruance
Whitcomb, and Yulee-3s.
| AnsrNr-Messrs. Benton, Berrien, Bradbury
Butler, Cass, Clay, Davis Of Massachusetts,, Day
ton, Dodge Of Wisconsin, Fremont, Hale, Man,
gum, Phelps, Pratt, Rhett, Sebastian, Sturgeon
Turney, Underwood, Upham, Wales-2l.
Thus persisted all hope for the rivers and har
bors Of the West, from the Thirty first Congress
for, as Mr.. Chase hal predicted, the hour OF
eight came and passed, and the River and Har,
Dor bill slept the sleep Of death, the Navy Az
preparation bill being under discussion, and 90