The republic., 1851-02-21

| and Yulee-l3.
NAYs.-hIessrs. Atchison, Badger, Baldwin,
| Bell, Borland, Cass, Clarke, Clay, Cooper, Davis
| Of Massachusetts,, Dawson, Dayton, Downs, Ewing,
Felch, Gwin, Houston, Hunter, Jones, Mason,
Miller, Pearce, Pratt, Rusk, Sebastian, Seward,
Shields. Smith, Soule, Spruancc, Sturgeon, Up
| ham, Wales, and Whtconb-34
And, after some additional amendments, EN-
| bracing no principle
| The Senate adjourned.
| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
| EFFICIENCY or THE NAVY.
| Mr.. STANTON, from the Comm ittee on Naval
Affairs reported bill to increase the efficiency OF
the navy which was referred to the Committee Of
| the Whole on the state Of the Union.
PROPOSED NEW LINES OF MAIL STEAMERS
| The SPEAKER announced the pending question
| TO be the motion TO refer to the Committee Of the
Whole the state of the Union the bill reported
yesterday by Mr. STANTON, of Tennessee, from the
Committee ON Naval Affairs, authorizing the Secre
| tary of the Navy to contract with MIR. Thompson
of Philadelphia, and others, for the establishment
of line of six steamers between San Francisco
and the Sandwich Islands, and Hong Kong and
Shanghai, in China; and for line of four steamers
| between Philadelphia and Norfolk to Antwerp and
/ other ports of Europe. The vessels to bo cons
structed to be convertible into war steamers of
the first class, and to be commanded by officers OF
quired On the reputation Of the Secretary Of the
Navy, United States certificates Of stock Ito the
| amount of five millions Of dollars) to be issued
to the contractors, to be redcemable in Six years;
the cost OF the vessels not to exceed the amounts
advanced to Mr.. Collins per steamer. The con-
tractor only to receive pay from the Government
for carrying the mail matter. &c;
| Mr. BOCOCK said that his object in obtaining
| the floor was twofold memorial had been
ferred to the Committee NavalAffairs, at the in
| stance of his colleague from the Richmond district
| asking, in the name OF convention of merchants
| who meet at Norfolk, for the establishment Of a
line Of mail steamers from Norfolk to some port in
Europe. This was entrusted to him, (Mr B.,) as a
member of that committee. 10 prepare a report
| upon ii. That submitted by the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. STANToS) meets with the demands
of the memorialsts, and the two can be considered
together. The report made yesterday isn response
from Virginia as well as from Philadelphia. In the
second place, his motive in rising grew out Of the
| unprecedented course of the gentleman from Ma
| ryland, Mr.. McLANx,) who addressed the House
on this subject. The gentleman who reported the
passage; he asked no unusual privilege but simply
to postpone the consideration of the measure until
Monday; it would not have been special order.
| The gentleman regretted that he was not present
to that the bill be laid upon the table, but the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. STEpHENs) made
| that motion before any debate had taken place.
The motion, however, was oyerruled. and then the
| gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. SrASroN) moved
to refer the bill to the Committee Of the Whole on
the state of the Union, where it would come up for
fair and full discussion. Not content to wait until
| that time, the gentleman from Baltimore undertook
10 affect the proposition pnfavorably, by speech
at that stage.
The gentleman had just been engaged in inn
portanf discussion on the RIVER and Harbor bill,
and had come out of the contest flushed with VIC
| tory. He would not sny that the gentleman tri-
| uInphed over the Constitution, but over majority
| of the Democratic party of the House. He not only
regretted that he was not here to lay the bill on the
table, but attacked it vigorously. The gentleman
| from Tennessee (Mr. JoNEs) seemed to warm to-
wards the gentleman from Mary land as returning
from the fields of lattudinous construction; but in
the Of few moments the latter said that he
4 had voted sums OF money for mail steamers, and
his friend from Tennessee drew off little. But
the gentleman progressed his grounds seemed to
be slightly changed he was now opposed TO ad-
vances to enable the company to construct steam
ers One would suppose that it was uncean, and
that he would not touch it with a forty foot pole.
But the deusion was dispelled, for he said that he
voted for the payment of sums in advance, for
lines of steamers previously established; and 1.-The
| very scheme he was then advocating contained
proposition of this very character. Where
the difference between the proposition he (Mr. b.
was supporting and that, and between the advance
of money and the advance OF the credit Of the Gov
| ernment? The gentleman voted to advance money,
and the bill before them proposed to advance the
credit Of the Government. The gentleman said
| that there was proposition to establish line from
his own city. He begrudged this amount to Phila-
delphia and Norfolk and wanted it for Baltimore!
Mr. B. said that he power to establish
these lines under the clause of the Constitution to
establish post offices and post roads; he did not
| what right we have to expend millions OF dollars
for the transportation Of few letters to Europe.
| II would be extrayagant and corrupt, and ought
to be discarded He contendcd that the power to
build steam vessels is found in the clause to main
| tain a navy. The object of the bill was to
struct them for useful purposes in time of peace,
| costing the Government nothing; and in time of
war they could be devoted to hostile purposes The
ships osGngng to the navy Then no Tnno.oye
ton now before the House is the cheapest ever SUBJ
mitted to the American Congrcss-cheapcr than
| the other lines Of mail steamers; and the proba-
bility is that the Government will never have to
| pay Mr.. Thompson one cent. II was all right to
advance money to benefit Now York and other
places, but was wrong when the credit of the Gov
ernment only asked to benefit Virginia!
Mr.. MILLER protested against the bringing in
of the bill at this late period of the session. when
the House were admonished that they have no time
to any sng ou the ne
this important measure, and forcing the action OF
the House.
Mr.. STANTON, of Tennessee, said that he did
not intend to force the the action of the
House.
Mr.. MILLER was glad to hear it.
Mr.. STANTON would not say what he would do.
Mr.. MILLER said that he did not refer to the
gentleman, but to others who voted against laying
the bill the table, He would prefer that the bin
be laid the table rather than it should be sent to
the Committee of the Whole the state of the
Union, because it might b. claimed by the MAORI
ty to be one OF the general appropriation bills,
which could be done with much propriety as 80
regarding the HaIbor and River bill.
This system of steamers commenced less than
ak years ago; and the cost to the Government
has already risen to s. ,l32, ,609 per annum The
gentleman who had just taken his seat showed that
the system is unconstitutional. The argument is
complete and unanswcrablc. The right TO estab-
sh those lines were claimed under the clause Of
the Constitution which authorizes the establish
ment of post offices and post roads; but the gen.
tleman from Virginia says that it cannot be done,
because the Constitution confers such power.
And why The Constitution grants power to
tablsh post offices and post roads to carry letters
within the limits of the United States If this
power was not granted in the Constitution, the
than to carry your flour, bacon, and tobacco.
Then, without an express grant to carry leters
from New York to Liverpool, IL is unconstitutional.
lie repeated, that the whole argument Of the gen.
tleman ia conclusive that the whole system is in
direct violation Of the Constitution under the clause
which be and bis frienda acek maintain. IL WA