The daily union., 1852-10-27
From the National inseiliseneer.
Mexican boundary Commission.
WAsHISGroS, October IS. 1852

Ta us EaitoTs Of he .Nitionat infsuigeneer'
Passing through this city my return from the south
en part of Virginia, your paper OF this date has ailen
undsr my eye hnd ia IL report dated on the llth IN
.ao,. addessed by the Secretary Of the Interior 10 lhe
p,ssdsnt OF the United States, advising him that under
Inc oueraton OF the pyovso attached TO The appropriation
10 Congress al The last session for continuing the survey
II ,he Mexican boundary, that work must be suspended
and The commission recalleii 70 which IS appehueu
nos Nv The President, in which he says Aitef care
fal peruss OF the foregoing report and an anAou' o
alteration OF The question involved 10 ~ am ,s,uo'any
compelled 10 concur in It's result &c any nv 'uen
, ,he Secretary OF the interior TO notify The Secrea-
W.. c,.,a ~ !. ,h,s decision" in order that the latter
-, ;nsorn the Mexican government "of The causes
rss .aoona, his government 10 suspend the further
prosecution Of this work. @o'
r. nnhshog this report The editors OF the lntelligencer
are pleased 10 renasA
ii,,Ia idea thai he imposing on the Executive the
,s necessity o breaking upor snspending the commls,
n and lurnng adfiit In the wilderness, two thousand
,Is from home without subsistence or transportation,
Hnu from an impression that small part oi the line
hsn egroneously laid down. But, innocent the
smher might have been OF any such purpose in moving
nv ~ ~ ConpTess in adopting the provso IL appears. fiom
~ - erv able and lucid view OF the presented hy the
Sasraa,y oi the Interior that the President could not.
;,h dns respect for the law, decide Otherwise Than he
has done
ain this case the prohibition Is 70 the bIoadest and
..,nsomurehen.iye terms II provides that no pant Of
: ,n shall be used or appended except upon
- Tnrm,,on 10 when | have already referred; and al.
,hooSh am satisfied that the practical operation OF ie
a Inous ~ he apmoralion not fully considered or
mesn 40 MOI see how, BY lair construction OF lie
law am par 0f money can oe drawn from the treas
n,v and am therefore compelled respectfully 10 submit
IN Won he propney OF at once suspending lhe operations
- h COMMISSION as there means at your disposal
TO MAINTAIN i N Inc he'u'
,a 10 the appropriation as came from the House And
a. vorr paper will furnish materials ior iature history,
he asks through your columns 10 shew mat ne offered II
,.;,h tpll knowledge that would impose the Execu-
live .be cruel necessity (as you term ID OF breaking
~ ~ suspendIng the commission with all its
noncas He desires a 50, 10 show "lhat the practical
sraon of the proyiso fully considered and fefe-
ssn both BY The senator who proposed and by the
Senate that passed IT,
On The 27lh Of August, 1852, the appropriation bill be-
ns under consideration in the Senate the p,ouso in qus
,on was offered amendment, and, for its history
| annex the remarks taen made on II by The mover,
taken from the Congressional Globe OF the 3o,h OF
that month the Official reporter Of the Senate:
.Mr. MAsoy Mr. President, offer further amend
mont 10 The biilno however, by instruction of the
mitee but OF my own motion. There Is provision in
the bill oT running anu mayco e nnan, ,hs treaty. o
Guadalupe Hidalso, $4,000 propose TO amend tins
clause by adding 10 y;
Prorided THAT no pan of this appropriation shall 9
u.,d or ex pended untl il shall be made satisfactorily 10
appear 10 The President United States that the south
e boundary New Mexico not established ty the com
missioner and surveyor OF the United states urhfr n2r'h
Of The town called Paso than the laid down on Ds
urnelps map. which is attached TO the treaty
"Mr President, this is intended 10 affect the appro
pralon for continuing the survey OF the Mexican bound
ary The object is prohibit The expenditure OF any
portion the money until the line which has been adopt
ed by the American commissioner shall De Reformed ac
cordnc to the terms OF the treaty. will not consume
the time OF The Senate, because take Tor granted that
they are informed OF the actual condition Of things IA 10
that boundary. 1t is in substance and briefly this: BY
the terms OF the treaty, each governmenMexico and
the United Saies-was required to appoint "A commits
sioDer and sufvey represent their respective gov
ernments asceranng The boundaries prescribed By The
treaty To enatlc them 10 ascertain those boundaries,
Dsurnel's map made part OF the treaty, and they
were required CONFORM 10 the boundaries laid down
upon that map The treaty describes The southern bound
ay OF New Mexico, which north OF the town called
Paso' By examination OF The map and measurement wila
the map scale. will be found thai the boundary runs
about eight miles north Of the town; bot the commssiont
on the part the United States has assumed IN place o
that boundary tie parallel OF latitude OF 80 deg % min
norh and the effect oi ii has been TO transfer the actual
boundary some thirty -four miles norh OF the boundary
prescribed BY the treaty. The surveyor who was assn
caed with The commissioner under the treaty and who,
under the treaty construed by the Committee For
egn Relations in their report made lew days since,
associated in tqaal right and without whose assent
the commissioner had power 10 determine this bound
AIRY, dssenied. He placed his veto, as he nal aunony
10 do under the treaty, upon the act oil the comms
Ihe SECRETARY oil tne INFERIOR, upon
being reported to him. instructed the surveyor 10 sign
the agreement, thus fixing the southern boundary
Whether the surveyor has obeyed this instruction we are
informed II the surveyor does obey that instruction.
then a QUE slion will be presented which am prepared
TO meet-lhat The OF both officers does commit this
government; because IL il departure from the treaty
Bot 10 that question have yet come As al pres
enl ino med Il is The act Of the commissioner alone who
has Imiird this gross aad extraordinary departure
from me o tho treaty, ~ consequences ol which.
should become the law tie United States will sustain
loss oil mote Than hve thousand square miles oil effl
tory, and will be thrown tar north upon that southern
boundary as TO render Il exceedingly doubtful whether
southern right Of way will be obtained to our pos
sessions on the Pacihs.
The object OF this amendment is TO break down that
commission where il stands unless this line is formed
and for oae am fully prepared 10 take such Tespons
by Under The instructions which have been given
The surveyor by the Secretary OF the lnefor II they
obeyed, the government will sustain loss 10 the extent
that have mentioned, unless The present commission is
broken down; and The object oil the amendment In the
alternative 10 attain that end"
Ia the concluding paragraph you will find The object
avowed 10 be, 40 hsak doua hat commission Whsre IL
sands" and the senator Offering il declared himself
fully prepared TO take such responsibility"
IN the ebate tha, followed you will fad that
tor on either side, notwithstanding the object thus avow
ed, objected 10 the provso On the contrary, one Of
them. tMf Pearce, Of Maryland,) whilst defending the
administration, referring 10 The senator who offered hs
amendment. said :" do not object to the amendment
which he has introduced" &c
In the end the amendment was agreed to without d.
vision.
The comm ssion being now recalled, il is 10 be pre-
sumed that every thing connected with will under
The revision Of Congress AT present have other OBJ