The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-05
HOUSE OF REpREsEN rATIvES.

THURSDAY, March 4, 1852
Mr.. SlBLEY of Minnesota, by unanimous con-
sent, introduced bill amending the acts establish
ing the territorial governments of Minnesota and
Oregon, Read twice and referred.
MISSOURI RAILROAD LAND BILL.
The SPEAKER announced that the first business
IN order WAS motion made yesterday by MIR.
GROW, of Pennsylvania, to reconsider the vote by
which the Missouri railroad land bill was referred
to the COMMITTEE Of the Whole on the state ofthe
Union. After some conversation,
Mr.. GROW withdrew the motion, but it
renewed by
Mr.. DEAN, Of New York, who moved to re-
consider, and lay that motion on the tabIe-the
effect Of which, if agreed to, would be ratify the
action of the House referring the bill to the Com
miItee of the Whole on the state Of the Union.
| The motion to reconsider and lay that motion
on the table, was decided in the affirmative
| l00,nays 68.
GEORGIA FOR NoN-nTERyEATioN.
| Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia, asked leave to
introduce certain resolutions adopted by the legis-
lature of that State, declaring in favor Of the doc
trtne OF non-interventlon.
| Mr. HOUSTON, OF Alabama, sa i'd that he
wished the House might so into Committee of the
Whole on the state Of the Union and take up the
appropriation bills, reported by the Committee of
Ways and Means. Hereafter he intended to
make motion to that effect every morning.
The resolutions were then read and ordered to
be printed.
BILLS REPoRrED--LANDs FOR RAILROADS.
The House then proceeded to consider reports
from committees.
| Mr.. HALL, from the Committee on Public
Lands, reported bill granting the right Of way
and donation of lands to the State Of Illinois for
railroad from some point in Toledo, Ohio, to
Springfield, which was read twice and referred to
the Committee Of the Whole on the state Of the
Union; also, bill making similar gran, to the
States Of Indiana and Illinois, in the aid of the
construction of railroad.
Mr.. MARSHALL, of Kentucky, hoped that
this bill would pass to be engrossed the present
time. 1t was the same bill which passed the
Senate at the last session, but was lost in the
House for want of time. ItpropOsed to aid in the
construction Of u road from Albany, Indiana, to
st. Louis, Missouri, upon which 100000 had
already been expended. 1t was virtually ma
tional work. forming connection from the val
| y OF the Missouri, with various channels of
communication comirg both from the North and
South BY the construction of 249 miles of this
railroad, no less than $50 miles Of uncertain and
dangerous navigation between st. Louis and the
mouth of The Ohio overcome.
| On motion of Mr.. JONES, Of Tennessee, the
| bill was referred to the Committee of the Whole
on the state Of the Union
The same committee reported the following
bills, which were severay read twice and referred
| ~ Tue 1Ouu1ilttc OI tne w nOle. Dill granting
public lands to the State Of Michigan to aid in the
construction of ship canal around the falls of
ST. Mary; a similar bill in aid of the construction,
by the State Of Wisconsin, of railroad from
Chicago to the head of Lake Superior, to which
amendments were offered extending its provisions
for the benefit of railroad in Kentucky, and also
granting 900 900 acres of land to aid the South
Carolina and Tennessee railroad; also bill to aid
| in the construction Of the SeImas and Gunter's
Landing railroad in Alabama and Tennessee.
| BOUNTY LAND WARRANTS.
| The House took up the Senate bill making land
warrants assignable, &C., which having been sent
from the House to the Senate with sundry amend
ments, was yesterday returned with the non-con-
| currence of that branch in the same but before
any question was taken,
On motion of Mr.. RICHARDSON, the House
went into Committee of the Whole on the state of
the Union, and took up the bill granting 100 acres
of land to actual settlers thereon.
NEXT PRESIDENCY.
MIR. BRECKENRIDGE, OF Kentucky, who
entitled to the floor, said that he did not pro-
pose to express any opinion on the proposition now
before the committee, although if the "grab game'
was to be pursued in disposing of the public
lands, he should prefer that they should be given
to actual settlers. He hoped the House would
excuse him for taking the present opportunity to
reply to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Ca
BELL,) who some weeks since, when the bounty
land bill was up, had made speech upon mat
tiers connected with the next Presidency. Mr. B.
read from Mr.. CABELL's speech on that occasion,
as published in the Globe of Feb. 4, in which he
spoke of General w. 0. Butler as ssmum can
didate" on the compromise measures, as being
preferred by the Northern Freesoilers, &C. He
(Mr. b. was only about to vindicate General
Butler from the aspersions which had been made
against him, from various anonymous sources
and repeated here. 1t was the custom of Ken
tuckians to defend their own men. He did not
desire to disparage others, however. The gentle
man from Florida had avowed his preference for
Mr.. Fillmore. To this he (Mr. B. had no OBJ
lection; but when the gentleman sees fit to con-
trast Mr.. Fillmore's claims with those of General
Butler-to exaIt recent convert above an old
Chrisilan-he was willing to meet him in making
the comparison. The imputations against Gen.
Butler were unjust and unfounded. 1t was not
true that his opinions were unknown, although,
| perhaps, he might not Lave written letter max
ing them public with every change of the moon
The Southern and Northern Wings should be
particularly modest in what they say in relation
to the course of Northern Democrats on the slave
ry question:. Whenever one Of the latter has fall
len in defence ofhe rights ofthe States it has al
ways been received with shout from the South
ern Wings 1t was mainly through their nstru-
mentality that the country has been distracted for
the last ten years on the slavery question.
Mr.. 3. went on to compare the course of Messrs
Fillmore and Butler on the slavery question when
they were in Congress together. contending that
the former had usually been found voting, on
questions relating to slavery, the 21st rule. &C.,
in company with Messrs. ADAMS, G,DDINGs, and
the Abolitionists. Gen. Butler had invariably
supported the rights of the States, and stemmed
the tide, while his Mr. C.'s present allies were
trying to augment it. But for the Wing party
the compromise measures would not have been
necessary. II had also been asked whether Gen.
Butler sustained the resolutions of the late Ken
lucky Democratic State conventions In reply to
this question he read copy Of a letter dated jar.
80, 1852, which he would have read before had
the opportunity presented itself. 1t was from
Gen. Butler in reply to certain inquiries pro-
pounded to him by F. p Blair, esq. He (Mr.
B. had also written to him about the same time,
and Gen. Butler had sent the copy in question as
reply, requesting him to see Mr.. Blair and COM
pare it with the original. 1t was not Gen. But
Ter wish to have the letter published, but he had
authorized him Mr. B to show it.
In this letter Gen. g. says that the resolutions
of the Kentucky convention shown to him
before they were passed--,hat he gave them his
full approval, and that they indicate his opinions
that he 10 in fay Of m IF ha