The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-20
TKlNTY-SECOND CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.
MoNpAy, July l9, 1852.

SENATE.
MIR. SUMNER presented petitions signed by
w. c. Bryant, Washington Irving, James Fen'
more Cooper, and others, praying an international
MIR. HAMLlN presented petitions in favor OF the
passage of the bill now before Congress known as
the Land Distribution bill.
Mr. BRODHEAD presented the memorial OF
Colonel William F. Small rendering TO the United
States the services Of regiment Of volunteers tor
the defence of the frontier Of California, their Oh
ject being to form permane mt settlements on the
mountain slopes OF California. Inc compensation
asked is q grant oil land.
yRAScIs aARpTERE
Mr. DAVIS reported bill authorizing the Sec
rotary of War to purchase a lot OF ground adJoin
ing the United States arsenal at Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, OF Francis Gardiere, provided the cost
of the same does not exceed s 500; and the said
bill was considered and ordered to be engrossed.
COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.
Mr. flAMLIN submitted the following resou-
ton, which considered and agreed to:
Resolued. That the Secretary Estate be requested
to prepare and communicate to the Senate. al the
session Of Congress- abstracts or selections u
such portions OF the diplomatic and consular cor
respondence in the Department. within the last iour
years, rs respects new commercial regoiaiohs
adopted in the several nations with which We have
intercourse, and such other Information as may IN
his opinion promote the commercial interests vi the
United States.
THE TARIFF.
Mr. JAMES gave notice of bill relating to ap.
praisements of merchandise, and to prevent fraud
in the valuation OF imports and Tor other purposes
[The BILL it is unders stood proposes to provide Tor
the assessment Of the ad valorem duties according
10 the home valuation, TO be ascertained annually
by the Board Of Apprasers and pubiisnsad ny b na
chemicals, dyestuffs. raw silk and tin, are to be
made free Of duty II also will propose that all
non enumerated articles shall be assessed the same
duty as paid on the goods or articles which they
most resemble
THE TEHUANTEPEC GRANT.
Mr. MASON submitted the following resolution:
Resolred That the President OF the United States
be requested to communicate to the Senate i NOT
in his opinion, incompatible with the public inter
est) the correspondence between the Governments
of the United States and Mexico in regard to a
right of way across the lsthmus OF Tehuantepec,
granted by Mexico to n Mexican citizen, and which
grant, by subsequent assignments, was transferred
10 q citizen or citizens, OF the United States, en-
bracing all information in the possession OF the
Executive concerning The alleged abrogatlon OF
SUCH grant by Mexico, the diseontinnance OF the
work, and expulsion OF those engaged In IL; to-
eetber with all documents connected herewith.
And that, under like limitation, he be requested
to communicate to the Senate the correspondence
between the two Governments, with the accomPa
nying documents, ir relation to any proposed con
ventions between them regarding such grant OF the
right of way.
Mr. MASON explained the Garay grant and the
subsequent assignments by which the right OF way
became the property OF Americans He also al
luded to the instability of the governments in Next
CO, owing to which that grant was abrogated and
given TO Others and now it was said to be in the
hands of the British government. he consider
ed that II was the settled determination OF tue
American people that the right of way over
n route necessary 10 be traversed by them in
passing to and fro the different portions OF the
country should be in the exclusive possession
Of any European government. lie desired this re
solution should pass, in order that Congress might
have the information necessary to enable them to
adopt such me might be required to ensure
the protection of the rights Of American citizens,
the exclusive right of way over any portion OF
this continent.
The resolution was then agreed to.
THE LANDING AT VERA cRuz
On motion of Mr.. BELL, the Senate proceeded to
the consideration Of the resolution submitted by
him some months ago, requesting the Secretary 81
the Navy TO ommunicatc to the Senate copy OF
the memoir filed in that Department by Lieuten-
ant Temple of the landing Of the United States
troops in 1877 at Vera Cruz ,o,,
Messrs. WALKER, MASON, and BORLAND
opposed the resolution, the ground oil its being
proposition TO publish a book at the cost OF the
Senate.
Mr.. BELL replied; and Mr.. DOUGLAS hoped
the resolution would be passed.
The subject was then postponed.
TINE DEFICIENCY ELL.
On motion Of Mr.. HUNTER. the Deficiency bill
was taken up. The only amendment pending was
one of the Senate appropr!ating OF $50 600 Tor the
pay and mileage OF members Of the Senate This
the House refused to concur in.
Mr.. H. moved that the Senate insist on its
amendment, and said:
If the Senate concur in that motion, l shail ask
for a committee Of conference. Before the qpes
ton is taken. however, on that notion hope |
shall be ipduiged in word or two OF explanation.
| am convinced that the House OF Representatives
disagreed to the Senate's amendment because they
did not understand il. 1t was supposed that this
amendment was designed TO cover the money Ia
ken or mileage atthe last called session Of the Sen
ate. 1t was also supposed that by voting down
this amendment they could defeat the practice
which has hitherto prevailed Of claiming and re-
ceving mileage in such cases The House OF Rep.
resentatives, however, is mistaken TO some extent
to the fret supposition' and, think entirely as
to the second.
This amendment. ia for $4,000, to cover a def
cheney; and the whole amount OF mileage taken
for the last called session, to which reference has
been made, will not exceed $40 600 or ) Al 200.
The deficiency therefore was not caused entirely
by the mileage of that session. presume that
the House of Representatives designed to deprive
the Senate of mileage for that session; but II that
were the design, they would utterly fail by this
means to accomplish their object. The money was
taken more than year ago. 1t was taken accord
ing to law; il was taken according TO the decision
Of those appointed by the law to decide on that
matter; it was taken according to the opinion oil
the Attorney General; and the accounts OF the dis
bursing agent who paid it have passed the proper
accounting department The money, then, which
was thus taken, legally vested in tbose who have
taken it. There is action which the Senate or
House Of Representatives could take, or which the
Whole Government could take, which could divest
those Senators Of their property in that amount.
But. sir, apart from that, the effect Of defeating
this appropriation would be to deprive Senators OF
their per diem allowance; and, if the House intend
TO insist on what they have done, the effect will be
To deprive US hereafter of that allowance; BECAUSE
if the Senate is to be deprived Of pay and mileage
until ths money is restored they cun never receive
either, Tor it il impossible by any action which they
could take, either on this amendment or any other
bill, that they deprive Senators Of property
which the law has vested in them. Again, cir,
this deficiency arises not from that source alone.
but from other Causes II is well known that seve
raj Senators have come here to supply vs"snoies,
and that they, Of are entitled to their mile
age.
these have been the causes which have created
this deficiency; and unless this amendment ia
agreed to there will be no money to pay to Sena-
tore their per diem allowance; for understand that
the money in the hands Of the Secretary for that
purpose lie nearly exhausted. The effect, then, of
refusing this amendment will not be to deprive
Senators Of the mileage for the called session, but
to stop their daily compensation for services which
they are rendering, and TO refuse the mileage
OF those who have been recently appointed
think, therefore, when the House comes 10 under
stand the matter fully, they will probably recede
from their amendment.