Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-24
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 81, 1852.

The SPEAKER stated that the first business in order
was consideration of the report of the Select Commit
tee the bill explanatory Of the bounty land act of Sep
TENDER 3d. 1850the pending question being on the mo-
ton refer the bill and the substitute reported therefor
by the committee to the Committee of the Whole the
state Of the Union.
Mr.. FITCH, who was entitled to the floor, addressed
the House opposition to the substitute reported by the
select committee, stating that its provisions We're very
crude and imperfect and the adoption OF the first section
rendered totally unnecessary for already bill had pass
ed the House making land warrants assgnable which had
now probably received its engrossmen in the Senate He
then proceeded to review the sections of the BILL stating
his objections to each.
Mr. CLARK said that he was gratfed that the chair
man Of the select committee Mr. DUNHAM had moved an
amendment providing that these land should be
made assgnabe under such regulations as the Secretary
of the Interior may prescribe which he considered lar
preferable the mode designated in the substitute which
provided thiry-one different ways of assignment lie
strongly advocated the claims of registers and receivers
for compensation for locating bounty land warrants which
he thought just and equitable. He then proceeded
further discuss the questions connected with this sub
ject but before concluding the morning hour having ex
pired) y
Mr.. BAYLY, of Virginia, moved that the House pro-
coed consider the business the Speakers table, stat
ing that he would follow this motion, if agreed to- with
motion that the House go into committee for the purpose
of taking up the Mexican indemnity BILL.
Mr. JONES, of Tennessee, suggested that if gentlemen
desired expedite the passage of the bill just under
sderaton and economic tme the proper would
be allow this bill to be referred to the Committee Of the
Whole on the state of the Unon and be made the special
order of the day for Monday next. This the only
way in which they could reach the bill.
Mr. BISSELL asked that he might be allowed to make
suggestion in addition to the just made by the gen.
teman from Tennessee and that was, that this bill had
better be laid the table at If he could obtain the
floor for this purpose he would submit this notion for he
this measure would pass the House There
bill before the Senate which he thought would meet
the of the House. and it useless to spend
time in considering this unintelgbe and incongruous bill
He asked the gentleman from lava if he would not yield
the floor to allow him to move that this bill be LAID
on the table.
The motion of Mr. BAYLY that the House proceed to the
consideration of business the Speakers table then
agreed to.
But before transacting any business of this kind
MEXICAN INDEMNITY BILL.
On motion of Mr.. BAYLY, of Virginia, the House went
into Committee of the Whole on the state of Union Mr.
JONES' of Tennessee in the chair and resumed the
sderaton of the bill to provide for into execution
in further part, the twelfth article of the treaty with
Mexico, concluded at Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Mr.. BAYLY, of Virginia, being entitled to the foor
proceeded to address the House this subject He
ferred the first bill of this kind which had passed the
House. and said that after going through discussion of
every thing which then and has since been advanced
it passed the House by vote of 2S to &c. there being
fewer votes against this bill than usually given
against appropriation bills matter how unexcepton
BILE they were. This bill then sent to the Senate,
where it was also passed. almost without oppositonat
least far votes concerned At the last session
of Congress this subject again brought before the
House by unanimous report of the Committee of Ways
and Means and 1t again thoroughly discussed when
the oppOsluon TO the bill was that its oppo-
nents could not obtain the yeas and nays its passage
Again, at this session Committee of Ways and
Means had examined into the subject and had reported
this BILL he had been informed, by unanimous vote.
After these repeated decisions of the Congress
this subject it would that further debate would
be superfuous But Duff Green and his associates on
the oath of November addressed long memorial to the
President Of the United States eliminating the Secre
ary of State the financial organ of the two Houses of
Congress- and, consequence, the two Houses them
selves and, with modesty peculiarly his Duff Green
asked the President archives
of the Government He however took for granted that
the President would give it such direction The keep
er Of the archives paid by this Government for diff
ferent purpose than to preserve caumnes against the Sc
cretary of State the financial organ Of the Houses
and, as consequence the two Houses themselves This
memorial had also been laid upon the tables Of members
and he had asceraned by the debates here had made
some impression upon few members Of the House Such
being the case he felt it his duty notice in detail its
pretended statements of facts with its caumnies upon
himself he would have nothing to do He had lived forty
years in vain without reproach upon his character it
was In vain that the people and the Legislature Of his
State had expressed their confidence in him in almost
every form in which it could be done il vain
the House Of Representatives had expressed similar
hdence to an extent that few of his predecessors
joyed any thing which Duff Green and his associates
could would affect his character in the estimation
any body whose good opinion was valuable
Before considering the memorial for the information Of
the House, composed was very large extent of
new members and being familiar, he was with this
subject from its inception he felt it his duty to refer,
somewhat in deta to what occurred in respect TO the
payment of these Mexican indemnities
Mr. b. then went into history Of the origin Of this ndem
nifty and the several arrangements which had been made
Tor Its payment In his opinion the arrangement made by
Mr. Webster was advantageous than the best one
made by Mr. Walker Mr. Walker obtained four per cent
for the first nstalment but that time the export duty
on specie was ten per cent, while, when Mr. Webster
effected his Arrangement 1t was and half per cent
MIR Letcher the Minister to Mexico, mentioned that his
arrangement at three per cent for part and four and
nall per cent. for part better than the arrange
ment which made before 1t certainly was for
the reasons which he (Air. b. had stated.
MI ~ then referred at length to the charges of Duff
Treen stating that they like the dews Of heaven in
inns, ana this aonethat his fell equally upon
fell
AFTER personal explanation between Messrs. GREY
gentleman
Mr. JOHNSON, of Tennessee obtained the floor and
after commenting upon the remarks of Mr. BAYLY in re-
ference to DUH Green proceeded orepy arguments
made yesterday against the amendment which he then
offered providing that the instament should be paid
to the proper authorities of Mexico by the Secretary
the Treasury under the supervision Of the President of
the United States He contended that the Secretary Of
the Treasury belonged much to the Executive DEPART
ment the Secretary of State and that IL would be
proper for the instament to be paid by former "a
by the latter He referred to the letter Of secre