The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-01-13
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
IN SENATE.
SArUapAY, january 10, 1882.


The Senate met pursuant to adjournment. The
motion yesterday TO adjourn over to Monday
having been afterwards Withdrawn,
Petitions were presented by Messrs. HALE,
PIERCE, SMITH, BUTLER, FISH, JONES of Iowa,
MoaroN, BoRLAND, Hanson, and others, upon a
variety of local subjects. Those from the extreme
West andSouth being generally peuilonsf for grants
OF public lands TO aid in the construction Of rail
roads.
Mr.. BORLAND introduced bill providing
certain compensation for services of certain sol
diers Of the evolution.
Mr.. SEBASTIAN introduced bill granting the
right of way in portion OF the public lands, to
aid in the construction of railroad in the State of
Arkansas.
Mr.. CLEMENS offered resolution Of inquiry
as TO the expedlency or providing a seperate mill
tary organization for the U. s. Marines.
After some other unimportant business the fol-
lowing bills were read third time and passed. to
wit:
A bill authorizing certain contracts for the
transportation of the U. s. mails in California and
Oregon.
A bill for the relief of Richard King and others.
A bill for the relief of William P. Green.
A bill granting relief to John A. Magaw.
A bill for the relief Of the representatives of
William A. Slocum, deceased.
bill for the relief of Mrs. Margaret Nelson,
widow Of the late Quartermaster Nelson, U s..
Army.
A bill for the relief of Adjutant General Rodger
Jones.
bill for the relief of the representatives of Jo-
seph Watson, deceased.
A bill for the relief Lucas Grinnell.
A bill for the relief of Allen G. Johnson
bill extending patent to John Sly of the
State of Georgia.
On motion Of Mr.. GWIN, the joint resolution
providing for the examination and survey Of the
bay of San Francisco, with lew TO the location
Of navy yard at the most eligible point contigu-
GUS to the city of San Francisco, was taken up,
and the whole subject was postponed till Monday
next.
COMPROMISE MEASURES.
The Senate then, in pursuance of agreement of
yesterday, took up the resolution of Mr. FooTE,
Of Miss, declaratory of the cheerful acquescence
Of the Senate in the compromise measures of Au-
gust and September, 1850, as a final adjustment of
the sectional issues between the North and South
upon the slavery question.
Mr.. DOWNS rose in vindicaton ofthose meas
ures, in repy to the late speech of Mr.. RHETT.
Mr.. d. commended that the statement of the Sena-
tor from South Carolina that the territories of the
North extending from the Mississippi TO the Pa
cifc would afford an ultimate representation in the
Senate of sixtyfou States, while the South would
remain fifteen, was all a piece of imagination.
There were thousands and thousands of miles, of
deserts, Of sands, of inaccessible mountains, that
never could be inhabited by any settled popula-
ton. This was therefore all imagnation-ths idea
Of sixty-four States from the North. Mr.. d. next
commended, that by the late adjustment the South
obtained more territory than they would have ac-
quired by the Missouri compromise line of $500.
He also maintained that opposition by the South
TO the admission of California prohibiting slavery
was useless, and could avail nothing, the prohibi
ton being part Of the constitution Of the State
and as to the irregularity of her admission, it
an untenable argument against her, from the fire.
quent irregularities before pracsed in the admis-
sion Of new States. He also maintained that the
fugitive slave law had worked upon the whole, to
the entire satisfaction of the Senate.
In reply to the declaration Of Mr.. RHETT, that
the public sentiment Of the country control
led by the interests and the power Of the North.
Mr. ID. proceeded to show from the number of
Southern Presidents, Southern officers of the ex-
ecutive government, and Southern officers Of the
two Houses of Congress-; and also from the vast
territorial annexations on the South, while none
had been made North of the original boundaries
of the Union, that from all these facts of history
the statement was a mistake, destitute Of founda-
ton. MIR. ID. next contended against the inexpe-
dency of secession, but the story is old, and
needs no further recapitulation. At the conclu
sion Of his remarks,
On motion, the Senate adjourned.