The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-04

| WASHINGTON, Jan. "a, 1851.
SENATE.-Mr Seward presented the memorial
OF the Quarterly Conference of the Wesleyan Me.
thodist Communion of Hector Circuit, New York
praying the reE ,al of the Fugitive Slave Law
winch was, on motion, laid on the table.
A large number of petitions were presented
On motion of Mr.. Hamlin, the Committee on
fnnllng was directed to inquire what additional
provisions of law are necessary to provide for the
census printing
bill providing for the claims of American citi.
zens for spolations by the French, prior to 1901,
was read third time and passed
The Senate next took up bill granting the riph.
OF way and donation of public lands to Mssis-
sppi and LOUISIANA, to aid in the construction of
railroad from Madisonville, louisiana to Jackson
Mississippi. After long debate, the bill was
amended by attaching to it another bill of similar
character, to aid in the construction of railroad
from Louisville to St. Louis, across Indiana and
Illinois, and then was ordered to be engrossed
ne private calendar was then taken up, and
bls OF the following titles ordered to be ell.
crossed:
Bill for the relief of Elizabeth Jones' and o,bs,
children of John Carr bill for the relief of Thomas
Hutchinson bill for the relief of the representatives
Of Joseph Watson; bill for the relief of Nathaniel
Champ and others.
A motion to adjourn till Monday was lost.
And the Senate then adjourned.
HoUsE.-The House, in Committee. has TO- dav
been occupied 10 the consideration of bills on the
disposed of.
Among these were bills remtting fines, or grant
ing remuneration to mail contractors; sum to
the Virginia Woolen Company, amounting to
Sc 0S5, for failing fulfil contract entered into
with the Government, caused by the loss Of the
vessel in whicha part of the supplies were shipped,
and the smallpox breaking out in the establish
ment and others of an individual character.
Most Of the bills, however, which came up,
were for granting pensions to persons engaged in
the military and naval service of the United States.
Some of these it was intended should have retro
spsctive operation; but amendments were adopted
determining that the pensions or allowance con-
templated shall commence from January 1850.
1t is difficult to perceive upon what principle
such amendments were made. The parties were
either entitled to a pension, or they were not In
the former case, they should have it at least from
the time when application was made 10 Congess,
and in the latter, they ought not to have it at ALL
The amount thus saved can be of but little conse-
quence TO the United States, while it might have
been of much importance TO the participant OF his
countrys bounty, his widow and children. 1t
might have carried additional gladness to the bosom
of the child of penury and sorrow. Solomon says
it is better to go to the house of mourning than OF
feasting and perhaps if the gentleman from New
York had made visit of that kind this morning
before coming to the House, he would have han
died the pruning knife more sparingly with refer
ence to the objects Of his solicitude and official
rgor might have yielded 10 individual Distress
In the absence of any thing of public import to
report, / have thought little moralizing would
show at least that l was not asleep during these
proceedings-if any one could sleep in the House of
Representatives and that, if it cannot remedy
what is past, it may not be without its good results
as respects the future.
After about two hours had been spent in Com
mittee of the Whole, the bills which had been
adopted without the amendments alluded to as tc
the period at which pensions shall commence were
passed by the House. Those SO amended were OBJ
jected to, and remain on the Speakers tasle fol
future discussion.
The House then adjourned till tomorrow.