The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-07
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
LIEUTENANT GENERAL.
| MIR HOLMES asked leave to offer the following
resolution. He would suspension of the
rules If there should be any objection but this he
did not apprehend
Mr. JOHNSON, of Tennessee, inquired whether
this not resolution day?
The SPEAKER replied that the regular order of
business the call of the States Tor resolutions
Mr.. JOHNSON then asked Tor the execution Of
the regular order.
| The SPEAKER said that the motion suspend
| the rules however, was III order.
| The resolution was read by the Clerk as fol
| lows
! ResOiped That II be referred to the Committee
On Military Affairs to report bill comforting the
rank OF Lieutenant General Major General
Winfield Scott, for his gallant services in the late
war with Mexico.
Mr. JONES objected to the introduction of the
resolution.
| Mr. HOLMES moved suspension OF the rules
and the question being taken, decided in the
negative-yeas 10, nays IS, not wo-thirds--as iol
lows
YEAS-hIessrs. Alexander, Bayly, Bennett,
Briggs, Brooks, Butler, Joseph p. Caldwell, Cal
vim. Campbell, Chandler, Clarke, Clingman. Cole,
Conger, Corwin, Crowcll, Deberry, Dixon, Dun
can, Eliot, N. Evans, Fowler, Freddy, Gentry,
Gilbert, Goodenow, German, Cot, Gould, Grin
nell Holloway, Hampton, Raymond, Hebard,
!, Henry, Hoagand, Holmes, Houston Howe, Hun
ter, Joseph w. jackson, William Il. Jackson,
George q. King, James e. King, John A.
King, Levin, Matteson, McKissock, Daniel r.
| Miller. Moore Morehead Morton, Nelson, Newell
Otis, Outlaw, Phoenix, Reed, Risey, Rockwell,
Rose, Ross, Rurnsey, jr, Sackett, Schenck
Schoocrait, Seldom, Sylvester, Spalding, Sprague
Stany, Frederick =. Stanton, Thaddeus Stevens,
Taylor, Thurman, Tuck, Van Dyke. Vnton. and
| Wright -I9.
| NAfS-Messrs Andrews Ashe, Averett, Bealc
Booth, Bowlin, Boyd, Albert G Brown William
j. Brown, Buel, Burt t. G.. Cabeil, Joseph Cable
| George Alfred Caldwell, Cartier, Cleveland, Will
hanson X. w. Cobb banner, Dimmick Disney
Durkee, Ewing, Featherston, Fitch. Fuller, CID
| dings, Green, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, lsham c.
! Harris Hubbard Holiday ,Inge, A. Johnson Jones
! Julian, kaufman, Preston King, La Sere, Letter,
Llttletcld, Job Mann, McClernand, Mcdonald,
Mcdowell, Robert M. McLane, McMucn, Nc
Queen, Morris, Morrison, Olds, Peaslee, Peck,
Penn, Potter, Powell, Robbins, jr., Robinson Root,
Savage, Sawtelle, Shepperd, Richard H. Stanton,
/ SteIson, Strong Sweetser, Thomas, Jacob Ihomp
son, James Thompson venable, Waldo, Wallace,
Young-7S
BOUNTY LAND LAW.
| Mr.. ROBINSON, from the Select Committee
heretofore appointed reported bill to insure the
prompt execution OF the act passed on the 2Sth of
September, 1850, granting bounty lands to certain
officers and soldiers engaged in the military SER
vice OF the United States. IL read twice, when
he asked that the bill be put it's passage Before
that was done, however, he begged leave to read
the report Of the COMMITTEES.
MIR. KAUFMAN said that the bill was long, and
an important one, and he trusted that 1t and the re-
port would be printed. 1t would occasion delay
|
the gentleman from Indiana; in the meantime,
members could read the bill and the report private
ly, and understand II better than at this time. 1t
| might be made the order OF the day for Wednesday
next.
! Mr.. ROBINSON said that he would like 10 &C
cunmodate the gentleman; but the execution of
the law had been put OFT too long already. delay
in passing the bill would afford the officers of the
Department pretext for not going on. The re.
port was not very long
Mr.. KAUFMAN replied that it looked like a
In ha,. Of
diana.
Mr.. ROBINSON then took a position at the
Clerk desk, and read the report of the select com
Inittee the subject, going to show among other
things, that the Bounty Land act provides means
for its own execution, but devolvng it on the Sec
rotary Of the Interior. Additional Legislation was
therefore necessary and this should be without de-
| lay TO render the law eftcient. Alter reading the
report, he said 1t was not his purpose 10 make a
speech. He thought that those who had listened to
| the views Of the committee would be satished when
they heard the bill read, and vote for ii without
further discussion. The report a unanimous
one The bill designed to do nothing more than TO
legallze the appointment OF clerks already made
by the Secretary Of the Interior. He of opinion
| that Congress should act without delay, to
leave the Executive Department without excuse for
| delaying to issue the land warrants. If the Sec
rotary thought it necessary to appoint clerks with
out authority OF law, why are not the warrants is
sued I! II looked TO him Che would not say it was
so) as ii there was disposition to embarrass the
execution OF this law, and, if possible, to defeat ii;
| throwing ana ltnpeulmentS In lt5 way,
that Congress may repeal it. He wished the re-
sponsiblity to rest where II belongs, and to pass
this bill day.
Mr. JOHNSON of Tennessee, understood that
all the bill did was to egalize what the Secretary
OF the Interior has already done Ii was an import
ant bill, and required to be investigated. As cerk ks
have already been employed, inconvenience
would result by delaying the consideration OF the
subject for a few days
Mr.. ROBINSON replied that, 30 far az the num-
Der OF clerks in the Pension Office recently APP
49,.
ze it, but, at the same time, the bill proposed to
organize the force by the appointment of chief
clerk, at salary OF one thousand six hundred dol
lars per annum.
force was there and that the work progressing;
them the delay OF two three days in acting on
the bill would occasion inconvenience.
Mr.. ROBINSON demanded the previous ques-
ton
Mr.. BAYLY requested the gentleman to with
draw the motion, he wished to be heard for a
few moments.
Ms ROBINSON did not acquesce
Il MIR NlNTON expressed the hope that the de-
Inand Tor The previous question would not be enter
! tanned as the bill had not even been read yet.
b Mr.. KAUFMAN objected to the reading OF the
0 bill, because he wanted it printed.
? Ihere was much ,onfuson; and when order was
restored the bill vas read providing for the APP
pointment vi additional clerks and establishing
new rules of evidence.
d Mr. MI LER, IN reply to the gentleman from
It Indiana, CHR RoBiSsoS,) desired To say that the
3 report waH not unanimous. lie did not concur in
u the report, and did not believe that the bill ought
to pass. IL was evident that more than twenty
clerks ought To be employed, and lac had arrived
Is at that conclusion from the testimony The bul
= proposed thirty seven; and it wac IN evidence
that but about three four hundred cases could
examined In the Third AUDITORS Office per day
) the mu.ter rolls would not permit more. There
fore, only twenty clerks could be proftaby EN-.
poyed. The clcfks have already been appointed
) and instead OF passing the BILL had better sc,
whether or not articles Oi impeachment should no
he lr,,tt Inc
r. clerks without warrant Of law. He thought tina
3 the House ought to stop.
j Mr. ROBINSON said that there seemed ~ be
r question Of veracity between the gentleman ant
a himself as 10 tie ununimity Of the committee IL
z agreeing ~ the report.