The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-03-01
rmocEEpIAcs or coNaREss.

nlhAli-- Ali Mason from f1F NoWnlPifr d
pa foreign relations reported hill % ndem-
liiy the master and owners 81 the Spanish i
schooner Amistad Mr. bradbury from the ,
Judiciary Committee, reported back three
petitions from Femme yaHia, asking for the
rrpeal 6fthe fugitive slave Law, stating that
legislation was wholly ineNpcdirnL The
consideration NJ the cheap postage bill was
resumed, Mf Seward offered an amendment
making che weight Of uewspapor7 on which
s,,-in,.s' II 80 be- charged ihr7r instead OF two
ounces The amendment was debated at
some length and adopted
Housr,-Alr Stanton, hom the committee
on naval affairs reported q bill authorizing
the establishment ot line of mail steamers
FROM San Francisco 10 the Sandwich Islands
apd pnrls ui China, 90 CONSIST of six Ycsseis E
and line at four steamers between liiladrl-
phia, Norfolk, Antwerp and other ports Of
Eurupc-to be- ru constructed ~ a. be- con-
,orlad into var steamers on terms similar IA
Collins line the Government a. advance So
o00IooO Of sroek'
THuRspAY, Fob 20. ,
SFSATR.-l'lw cheap postage hli Whs tax .
en- up. The Amendment making three cents
the uniform rate, was voted down, az was al
- the amendment abolishing the iTduhing
privilege
The House resumed the confederation Of
the bill reported yesterday hy Mr. stanton
steamers from Philadelphia and Norfolk "a
Antwerp, aud from California TO- China NJ
ter some debate It was reirWed 10 ciiiiiiiIi iiGc
ct dc whole,
FRfpAY Feb q.
IloUsE-Mr Gidding- asked leave 10 IN
/ trnduce q resolution, that the President be-
/ requested - inform the House, IL compatible
with the public Interest, whether Mr fhonp-
son, subject of the British Crown. aud also
] "A u,.utlt.r al the lipttah Parliament has lHpu
T recently grossly 'I-'- M STrfUgncTi, Mas
snchusctts, and l's iErTuual liberty literally
| endangered hy tsc ,lt1r.i, .ut that state, in
violation oi -our treaty supuIa1ons Wih the
British Governments pom objections being
made, hc gave notice that hr would ash tu
oiler the resolution go another tmv,
Mr. johnson offered a joint resolution. pro-
yidlug tor au Amr ndmvHt~ut th" Constitution
ai titr United States in substance, 90 Glpyt
thc Prrsidcnt directly by the people; Scna.
tors by the people OF their respective states,
and the tcrim OF the United States Judiciary
to be- limited Referred 20 the committee ut
the whole on the state ct the nion.
SArrnpAY, Feb %.
SENArE.- Hon. Robert ilntoul, Dr. sen
ator from Massachusetts, appeared, and took
HE scat
The Military Ncadcmy and Revolutionary
Pensions bale, ~ern passed.
The debate on the reference of the prcs-
dents Message being resumed Mr. Downs, OF
La. argued At lcngtn that the Fugitive Sla'o
law was executed, and would continue Ia be-
cNrcurd ia good faith, aud a. promptly as
the most sanpuuc expected.
Mr. Clemens, of Ala, SAID he was Eot one
of those who voted Tor 'hr Compromise nlts.
hut WAS one, who allcr their passage -oansd-
cred they should have q tair trlaI One only
of tto-oa acts was ~ any way liable tu bee re-
poalcd or disturbed, and that was the fugi.
1--WE slave iaw, n Ice believed that the law
was a dead letter. he would say thu day tor
tho dissolution ot the Union haI aIr,N,,i, lie
thought that those who DECLARED shat the law
was not execute s"uuld immediately adNo-
cate - dissolution ol the Uuiuu.
Mr. Borand, OF Ark, debated the Compro-
mise acts. lie expected 40 good re- uts from
this law, and had not been disappointed, lie
SAW no suppression ut'gilatun fe~uiting from
thc compromise. Acrv was excitement now
slavery was discussed, .aa several days
were spent iu TO-, and ON AL these occasions
agitation took place. The subject lad been
mirouucrd hy the senator lrnnl Kentucky ),
Mr. lurnoy of Tenn, spoke at length,
pointing out the failure OF tue Compruuis,,
acts. Tie denied that any change had taken
place la the popular sentiment at the North.
Judging truui Mr. filimorr's act, aud speech
rr.,--tt,i
}
than rs duty resulting from ms position.
Mr. Chase, OF ONO, said that agitation on
slavery subjects was almost always comment
ed IN some manner or form by him who had
denounced aeatators. Under hc decision OF
-rrTU 7VrTT1TCmC U0uTT m TTge's case, the uuty
OF executing the law IN regard To fugitive,
was denied TO the States. lie was OF the o.
pnlon that the duty was one belonging to the
states, and not 10 the Central Government
IAN f,t aim la
STATE action, would be insufficient II lett to
the States it might be cilectual. llo consid-
erred the decision of the supreme Court ia
Prigg's case as practically eNpuugng the con
sutuuonal provision Tor the rendition OF iug-
tive slaves.
Mr. Dodge Of Iowa, defended his State from
the charge OF preventing the execution OF the
Constitutional rights OF Southern ciuzens.--
He considered that the President had done
perfectly right
HoUsE.--The bill making appropriations
for the Post Office department was discussed
aud passed.
The House next went into Committee Of
= the Whole on the Fertilization. Bin. Mir
l-.sl y iy,Nt,te-i ti1ttiugs opposed IT.
After further debate various amendments
; were voted on, and the Committee rose. Mr.
MrGauphey moved to lay the bill on the Ia
bic which was agreed to, yeas ~, nays 81.
MONDAY, Feb p.
SENATE.-Mr Hunter reported bill, al
lowing change IN value of the silver dollar
and its fractional, coins.
Mr. Hunter reported the Indian Appropria-
ton bill, with some verbal amendments, which
were concurred in, and the bill passed.
The Senate then took up the Cheap Post
age BILL and copcurrcdNn the amendment al
lowing weekly pSwspapcrs to circulate free
I OF postage within the county where publish
ed.
Mr. Risks substitute for the House bill was
taken up and adopted.
fhe substitute Provides a rate of three
cents on all letters prepaid, and five cents on
those unpaid letters foraa distance exceed
ing 5000 miles, TO be charged double these
rates The bill also imposes on newspapers
a tariff of from Eve Ia twenty five cents per
quarter, for weeklics, according to distance
semi-woeklics double, tri-weeklics treble and
daily papers five times the above rates
i Il.