The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-22
THIRTY SECOND CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
IN SENATE.
SATURAY, December 20, 1851.


SAruRAY, December 20, 1851
Prayers were offered by the chaplain, and the
journal of yesterdays proceedings read.
Mr.. MORTON presented petition from sun
dry citizens of Florida relative to Indian affairs
Referred.
CONGRESSIONAL BINDING.
Mr. BORLAND, from the Committee on Print
ing, reported resolution sent from the House
and referred to said committee, providing for the
binding of congressional documents, at ex-
pense not to exceed tweve-and-a-half cents per
copy
olution, as a matter OF courtesy to the branch in
which it had originated. Still he opposed to
the whole system of procuring public printing and
binding to be done by contract. Under this sys-
TEN the work had been done in an inferior man
ner, Congress and the country imposed upon by
inferior work, and nobody benefited by the money
except spectators The public printing had been
expended, suffered to get far hind-hand, and
the practice of procuring documents bound had
still farther delayed their delivery.
Mr. HAMLIN thought that the binding of doc
uments was desirable for their preservation. The
congressional binders, he thought had done their
part of the work faithfully. Complaint had been
made that documents not properly bound
the reason for this was that the sheets being sent
from the printer damp and not properly dried, the
leaves of the book shrank up after binding. Be
sides the amount paid far binding being only
twelve and ahaf cents per copy, 1T could scarcely
be expected that the work would be done very
well.
The resolution was laid on the table and made
in order for Monday week.
BILLS, PETITIONS, &c. PRESENTED AND REFERRED,
By Mr.. MANGUM, bill for the reliefof Will
liam Slacumi by Mr. SMITH, memorial of C.
Mast, IT,, and others, the subject of claims for
French spoliations prior to 1900; by Mr.. HAMLE,
petition of T.. S. Stone and other citizens of South
Thomaston. Me, for a breakwater at that place.
INSTRUMENTATION.
Mr. WALKER, Of Wisconsin, made an ex-
PLANTATION relative to the resolutions presented by
| him few days since, on the subject of lnterven-
ton with the affairs of other nations stating that
from an article published in the Union, he per-
ceived that the subject matter of his proposition
| had been misapprehended by that paper, doubt
less Internationally on the part of its editor. He
moved that the resolutions, which had been taken
up, be laid on the table and ordered to be printed
which was agreed to.
| IRISH EXILEs.
| A resolution requesting the President Of the
United States, TO enter into correspondence with
the British government for the release of Smith
| O'Brien, Thomas Meagher, and other Irish ex.
| lies, coming up for second reading, on notion
| it was laid on the table.
| ABD-tL-kADEhs
Mr.. HALE said that he hoped the same dispo
sition would be made Of his resolution, request
| ing the President to enter into a correspondence
| with the French government for the release o
| Abd-el- kader, which also came up for second
reading. He moved that it be laid on the table
| Agreed to.
PRINTING OF JOURNALS.
The resolution authorizing the printing OF l0t
additional copies of the journals of Congress, t.
be deposited in the office of the Secretary of State
came up on its third reading and passed.
| BOUNTY LANDS.
A bill in amendment of the bounty land acts o
! I94s and 1850, came up on it's second reading, 4
Senator suggested that the Committee on Public
| .ands now had the whole subject under consider
a,ion the bill was ordered to be printed, togethe
| with amendments submitted by Mesrrs. BoRLANI
and WAIKER, and referred to that committee.
\ SPECIAL ORDER.
Mr. FOOTE'S compromise resolution came vi
| in order, at | o'clock, and
Mr.. FOOTE, with the consent of Mr.. RHErT
who was entitled to the floor, proceeded Gas HI
said) to make an explanations in the course o
| which he read from volume to show that Mr.
! r. was a secessiOnist in 1888
Mr.. RHETT asked what volume the Senate
from Mississippi had rend from
| Mr., FO0TE. From Niles Register, the 44tl
volume.
L.
speech, or an extract from some paper.
/ Mr.. t0OTE. 1t may have been an extract.
Mr.. BUTLER. Probably an extract from thu
Charleston Courier.
| Mr.. RHEPT said that he had copies Of his
printed speech ut home, which might show
whether he was then secessionist or not. But
that was matter Of little consequence. IL wa'
not until the repeal of the tariff of 1888, and TN
abrogaton Of the 2lst rule, that he finally begar
to despair Of the government. The Senate would
not expect him, and he did not now propose, tc
reply in full to the speech Of the Senator from
Mississippi, the delivery of which had taken
three hours on each OF two days. Mr.. X. said
that since that Senator had been member Of this
body, there had been more personal alterations
/ here than ever there was before.
| Mr. fOoTE called the Senator to order, If he
was in ORDER he (Mr. II would like to know II,
and pursue the same course Of remark himself, in
| turn.
Mr.. .RHETT said he was only stating fact
which everybody was already aware of. lie
| then alluded to the remark he had made the other
day that the Senator from Mississippi (Mr.
Foorr had hurried Mr.. Calhoun TO bis grave by
the speech he made on the occasion of that states
man 5 last appearance in the Senate, which Mr.,
f. had pronounced Ca caumnlous charge.