The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-19
'THiRTY-SECOND CONGRESS.
ARsT SESSION.
SATURDAY, July IL, 1852.
The SENATE was not in session to. day.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr.. MACE, in pursuance OF previous notce, and
by unanimous consent, introduced Dill 10 ADMIT
railroad iron free OF duty.
The bill having been read first and second time,
he moved that it be referred TO the Committee OIL
Ways and Means -,
Mr.. JONES, Of Tennessee, moved that the bill
be laid upon the table, and demanded the yeas and
nays, which were ordered.
Mr.. ORR appealed to tho gentleman to with.
draw the motion, as, he said, 1t was an unusual
Mr.. JONES replied that he did not want the bill
referred at all
The question was then taken on the motion to
lay upon the table, but no quorum Votcd-yeas 81
nays "a
Mr.. STUART moved that there be a call of the
House.
After conyc rsaton between several gentlemen,
and points OF order had been raised and over
ruled
The question was taken by tellers. and decided
in the nreat,vc-ayes IS, noes SO. 1t being now
apparent that quorum was present
The qur stion was again taken on the motoh 10
lay the till upon the table, and decided In the neg
atve-Yeas a. nays -,
Mr. MACE withdrew his motion TO refer the bill
TO the Committee of Ways and Means, and now
moved its reference TO the Committee OF the Whole
the state of the Union, and that II DC printed
And he demanded the previous question.
Mr.. PRESTON KING wished to offer An amend
ment to the bill; but
Mr.. MACE refused to withdraw the demand,
csteeming the bill already perfect in itself
Some informal proceedings ensued, when
Mr.. DEAN moved that the bill be laid upon the
table; and the question was decided in the affirm
ativc-yeas IS, nays 69-as follows:
YEAS.-Messrs. Abercrombic, Allison, Averett,
Babcock. Barrere, Beaie, Bell, Bibighaus. Boyd,
Briggs, George ii. Brown. Buell., Burrows, T. T.
CaGcll, Lewis d. Campbell, Chandler, Chapman,
Curtis, Dawson, Dean. Dimmick, Disney, Dun
can. Florence, Floyd, Fowler, Gamble, Gaylord,
Giddings, Hamilton, Harper, lsham G. Harris,
lsc all, Haven, Holiday, Hereford Houston. John
w. Howe. Thomas NJ, Howe, Thomas Y How, jr.,
Ives, Jackson. Jenkins, Andrew johnson, DAME!
T. Jones, George w. Jones, J CLANCY Jones,
George G. King, Preston King, Kuhns, Kurtz,
Landry, Le:cher, Mann, Martin Mason, Nolan
ahan. NJ, Nair, Meade, Mllson, John Moore, Muir
ply, Murray, Newton, Andrew Parker, Peaslee,
Penn, Penniman, Perkins, Price, Reed, Riddle,
Robbins, jr Robe, Russell, Sackett, Savage,
Schei merborn, Scudder, David l.. Seymour, II. II.
Stanton. Thaddeus Stevens, Taylor, Thurston,
Tuck, Walbridge, Washburp, jr., and Wlldrick-
NAYS.-Messrs Aiken, Willis Allen, David J.
Bailey, Thomas H Bayly, Bisscll, Bocock, Bowie,
Bragg. Brenton, Albert G. Brown, Joseph Cable
Caldwell, Thompson Campbell, Chastaln, Church
well, Chugman, Cobb, Conger, Daniel. John G
Davis. Doty, Eastman, Edmun dson, Ewing, Flick
lin, Fitch, Freeman, Gentry, German, Green,
Grey, Hendricks, Hem, James johnson, Robert
w. Johnson, Lockhart, Mace, Humphrey Marshall
McMuen, Nc queen, Miller, Molony, Morehead,
Nabers, Orr, Samuel w. Parker, Phelps, Por-
ter. Powell, Robinson. Scurry, Smart, Smith,
Stanly. Benjamin Stanton, Frederick r Stanton,
r.
Stuart, Townshend, Venable, Wallace, Ward,
Watkins, Alexander White, Williams, and Yates
60.
Mr.. BUELL. moved to reconsider the vote just ia
ken, and to lay thatRotion upon the table; pend
ing which the morning hour expired.
MIR. SACKETT moved that the House resolve
itself into a Committee Of the Whole House on the
private calendar; but the motion did not prevail
ayes 40, noes not counted.
INDIAN APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House resolved itself into Committee of
the w hole on the state Of the Unon-Mr Disney
in the char-and resumed the consideration of the
bill making appropriations for the current and
contingent expenses Of the Indian Department,
and for fulfilling treaty stipuations with various
Indian tribes, for the year ending June 30, 1853.
Mr. HOUSTON, who was entitled to the floor 10
close the debate, did not avail himself of the priv
cge, he desirous, he said, OF having the bill
passed upon without unnecessary delay.
Mr.. SlRLEY offered an amendment to the bill,
appropriating $50 600 for the subsistence Of any
Indian tribes residing within the limits Of the
United States who may hereafter be suffering for
want OF food or proper ciothing-to be expended
under the direction of the Secretary OF the INTERIOR
provided that in shall any Of the money he
paid out, unless reliable statement shall be made
to the Secretary Of the existence OF ouch state OF
suffering among the Indians az is contemplated by
this clause.
Mr.. DUNHAM raised a question, that the
Amendment was not in order, il not being an ap-
preparation required by any existing law.
the CHAIRMAN overruled the point
Mr.. SlBLEY said that. within the Territory
(Minnesota) represented by him, sixty or hun
dred Indians have perished by starvation within
the last few months. This fact had come to his
own knowledge. The suffering condition OF the
Indians is increasing from year TO year. He had
himself seen whole bands Of Indians, who were re-
duCcd 10 such state by exhaustion, for want OF
food, that they scarcely possessed the power OF To-
cumotion; and they only succeeded In living
through the season by aid from private lndlvld-
uals.
Mr. PHELPS said that by treaty stipulations
and by law we appropriate $500 600 annually,
which ia divided per capita among the Indians, for
their support and subsistence. The gentleman
from Minnesota now proposed to increase this
amount fifty thousand dollars, without a re-
commeudatlon or estimates from tie proper de-
partment or the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs,
but bis information, derived from a
residence among those Indians. If Congress
ehall make this appropriation in one instance, II
must be followed up in others; and no one could
foresee the extent to which the expenditure may
hereafter be increased. There would be found on
the plaina, in state Of starvation, Indians who
pluuder our travellers and merchant train5, and
you must disburse the money to keep them alive
that they may scalp helpless women and children.
Mr.. SlBLEY said he did not purpose to benefit
the tribes of Indiana who now receiving annui-
ties.
MIR. PHELPS replied: Then you will spend it
for the wild Indians who commit murder and de
prcdations on the plains. There is amount IF
s 10 900 appropriated, which may be expended,
under the direction OF officers of the army, when
Indians visit the forts and military stations, and
found to be in a destitute and starving condi
ton.
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, said if he thought
humanity demanded this appropriation, he should
feel himself bound to support the amendment. But
there was not one vesuge OF recommendation
from official source. II such suffering as had
been described existed, the Government agent
would have been bound 10 report the facts to the
Indian Department, which would have commented
the subject tU the action of Congress To vote the
amount now proposed would set an example TO
which bounds could be defined; and beside,
neither the Committee on Indian Affairs Of the
House nor that Of the Senate had had the subject
under consideration.
Mr.. JONES, Of Tennessee, opposed the amend
ment, for similar 20 those advanced by the
gentleman who preceded him.
Mr.. SlBLES remarked, il had been said no in
formation upon this subject had been received
from the Department but there not officer
who would not go heart and hand in favor of the
appropriation, II brought before him in a proper
shape. IL was true there documents be-
fore the House showing this state Of things but
he had letters from reliable SOURCES stating that
within the last six months scores Of lndane in Min
nesota have died of starvation. The gentleman
from Missouri said that this appropriation would
be In the nature Of a premium to wild Indians; but
that gentleman must know Rs well az he (Mr. SiB