Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-08
CONGRESS.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1851
IN SENATE.

1hoI1 Secretary OF the Navy 10 examine INTO INC e
the condensers for supplying the boilers Of marine en-
zines with fresh water and report at its next session the
result Of the examination, transmitting lnormauoa sns
comi. sion insti ued at the Navy Yard OF rh
sdepha the 10Th December last to make the examnauon
trd sill camans for condeners OF the above were
.dve sed 10 for examination accordingly Inc
communication accompanied by letter nom me comnis
si suggesting that it be allowed TO pursue the nves-
CATION without references 10 the emnaon o. ne o.
Congress but expressing their readiness 70 CONFORM 10 any
order which the Department may fit to tske The Sec
reary Of the Navy suggests that nssmuch as the subject IN
wolves questions OF and chemical sence and their
proper soution Of great practical Importance on
hih NAV detsnd the efficiency and economy OF the naval
.eyce the Department would prefer thorough invesga
tion 50 as to ss,is possible the entire subject
On m aon by Mr.. PHELPS the turner reading OF the
document sui pended, ana was Soteo W uo Oon-
ubittee on Naval Afairs.
Mr. STURGEON presented memorial from citizens re-
siding within the Common wealth Of Pennsylvania, asking
fenersl re vision of the taffsws.
alo me from citizens cf the same State, asking
ducon Of the duties silks which were referred to the
Committee Finance.
RAILROAD IN MISSOURI.
on the motion OF Mr. ArCHIsON, the Senate proceeded
to The A the hill granting the right OF way 70
the Stale of Missouri and poron of the public lands to AID
in the construction al p araitead from hannioa 70 os1
:, Joseph, in said State
sA, ss ss this I il es TO me
State of Missouri the purpose Of aiding in consirctng
the road every alto Of land for sections IN
width on each side road and increases the price OF the
remaining sections double the present minimum price, In
these and other espc conforms I" several other bulls
which have been pa ed the benefit of other States
Mr. SHIELDS. TO that bill offer the following amend
d; Inent, as additional section:
lind be t further eadced, That the said road be
extended through tht State of Illinois, from Quincy the
Mississippi river, via Springfield Decatur, and DAnvlle to
the Indiana line BY the line Of The Illinois Northern Gras
privileges and subjected all the conditions and restrictions
Of this act for that purpose." l
Mr.. ATCHISON. trust the Senator from Illinois will
not nsis, upon ,ha, amendment think it calculated
embarrass the bill will for il by ITSELF though from
what bear around me find it is thought that Illinois has
received very nearly her share Of the public ands-a least
for This session But the State OF Missouri has never received
of land for the purpose OF internal improvements
.excep the five funed thousand Of land in l64 that
forced upon her against the views of her Senators and
Representatives This hill has passed the Senate almost
unanimously at two preceding sessions, and presume 1t will
be necessary ,r TO into any explanation Of its
provisions.
Mr. SHIELDS. l am in favor Of the geneman's bill.
agree with him Tint Missouri has not been very well treat
cd very well provided for in relation to these matters
ui say urher ths, This amendment shall be found to
barass the BILL will withdraw it but am instructed by my
Sateand those i,suciofs upon the table OF the Sc
insist ufon grant Of land for this purpose In
submitting this amendment but complying with the in
s,,uc,ons of nv State And may add that this road
through the central part Of Illinois, and through land which
has been in the market r thirty years. and consequently
there nothing left but refuse land but by giving that land
connecting the road in Miss with the great system OF rail-
roads Atlantic. present this question the Senate in
obedience to instructions ask that may be taken
upon butt shall or the gentleman bill whether this
amendment be adopted or defeated.
Mr.. ATCHISON. say again that would most cheer
fully for the genemans proposition if were separate
and independent but have been tod and ex-
pect that it will embarrass the passage of the bill il this
amendment should be adopted
Mr.. SHIELDS. par. of the road to which refer has
been graded, and anxious it should be completed but
persistence in amendment would endanger the bill Of
the Senator from Missouri, will Withdraw it.
The bill then reported to the Senate without amend
mer, and ordered to be engrossed for third reading
TWO PER CENT. FUND IN MISSOURI.
The Senate then resumed, in Committee Of the Whole
the consideration Of the bill make good the State of Mis-
sour the pr Of The nett proceeds Of the sales of
public lac ds heretofore withheld from that State.
The question pending the amendment reported by
the Committee the Public Lands add TO the first section
of the bill The words:
roads and canals and works Of Improvement within the
limits Of the same" 1@#
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. SHIELDS do wish to enter into the argument
OF this b leave that the Distinguished Senators who
about engage n it, Bet wish merely to state the facts
before the Committee the Public Lands on which they
made favorable report There twelve public land States
entitled Ave per Of the nett proceeds ofhe sales OF
the public lands three per cent TO be applied for the purposes
Of eoucai and per cent for the purposes Of making
roads and canals Eight Of those States have received five
received only per fund.- with pledge that the
per fund would be laid out in roads running TO those
States The Cumberland road TO Ohio and through
il to Indians and through Illinois, and through far
VaDdala There the rosd stopped Missouri OF al the
public lard States has neither received the per centage In
money nor has il, far informed, received that
which pledged to ia road cansI OF the twelve
public lard States eight have received the full per centum
OF the other four hre have had road Ohio had road
to il and through Indiana had road to end through it.
That road stopped Illinois by the action OF my State
very uusey think. But its seton prevented Missouri
from either getting the benefit Of road getting The money
In Of this Of acts the committee reported
in favor Of the bill! have letter, which will read, from
this view
GENERAL LAND OFrIcE JANUARr 81, 1851.
SIN: have the reply the inquiries contained
in your Of The 9Th instant in the order m which they
appear
l To how many States has the FIVE per cent fund been
paid in cash
Answer To Alabama Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Ar
Kansas. Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michgan--cight IN all.
"a Into how many States have roads been constructed b
the Gera Government be reimbursed Of this fund fer
lee amount expended thereon
answer Ohio, Indiana, and Ilihbis.
Sd How many States have yet derived benefit from
the fund Of two per cent
has the Cumberland road been to her
9Th Has the whole of the two cent fund accring from
saes in Ohio Indiana Illinois, aud Missouri been expended
the Cumberland read .#s. s,.
Answer To the 3s December 8i9, that fund amounts TO
$i,5432 2Sl and there had been expended s. 1885, O49
With great respect obedent servant,
J. BUTTERFIELD, Commissioner
Hon. JAMES SHIELDS, U. S. Senate.
Mr. CLAY addressed the Senate al some length in oppo-
xition In bill.