The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-04
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
SENATE.
MONDAY, May 8, 1851.
CLASSIFICATION or CLERKS.

MONDAY, May 8, 1851.
cLAsslrrcA ALTON or CLERKS
The President pro tenn. laid before the Senate
communication from the several departments,
made in compliance with resolution OF the Sen
ute of the 7th March 1851, calling upon the sew
eral Heads Of Departments to report some plan
for classifying clerks in the several departments
apportioning their salaries according to their serV
ices and for equalizing the salaries OF clerks OF
the same grade in the different bureaus and de-
partments referred to.
The message. without being.read ~ ertsnso, was
referred to the Committee on Finance and ordered
to he printed.
Mr. CLEMENS reported adversely the bill re-
funding the State Of California expenses incurred
in suppressing Indian aggressions in that State.
Mr. FELCH asked that the Committee on
Public Lands be discharged from the further
sideration Of the various memorials, praying for
a modification Of the bounty land law, which
was agreed TO.
RAILROAD BILLS.
Mr.. BORLAND, from the Committee on Pub
lie Lands, reported back without amendment the
bill granting the State OF Arkansas the right OF
wav and donation of land for the construction
Of a railroad from Fulton to Games landing IN
that State; which was read and passed to second
reading
b
State Of Wisconsin the right of way, and dona-
ton of the public lands, for the purpose of locat-
ing and constructing a railroad from Fond du Lac
to GAINESVILLE
The question being on ordering it to be en-
crossed for a third reading.
Mr.. SHIELDS submitted an amendment ex-
tending the road to Chicago, Illinois, and grant
ing to the State of Illinois the same privileges,
under similar restrictions, as is granted by the bull
to the State of Wisconsin.
Mr. WALKER said he regretted to see the
amendment offered, and he hoped the Senator.
from Illinois would consent to withdraw it. The
bill concerned the State of Wisconsin alone. H.
linos had already had her full share ofthe public
lands for railroad purposes. Wisconsin had re-
ceived nothing. Besides he would frankly state
that in his opinion, the road which the Dill pro-
vded for would turn out more to the beneht OF
Illinois than Wisconsin. In fact, he believed 1t
would prove to be highly prejudicial to the inter-
ests of his State. He should support the bill here
however, because his constituents differed with
him in opinion and the legislature of Wisconsin
had passed resolutions in favor of the measure.
The bill was further debated by Messrs. DOUG
Las, SHIELDS and BRADBURY.
The motion to lay upon the table not prevailing
the bill was ordered to be engrossed.
Mr.. DOWNS, by leave, introduced bill
granting to the State of Louisiana the right Of
way, and donation of land, to aid in the con-
struction ofa railroad from Shreveport to the
Mississippi river in that State; which was read
twice by unanimous consent, and referred to the
Committee on Public Lands.s
INDIAN TREATIES.
The special order being announced,
MIR. ATCHISON, pursuant to the notice which
he gave on Friday last, moved that it be postpon-
ed and that the Senate proceed to the consdera-
ton of executive business for the purpose OF con-
sidering certain treaties which had recently been
negotiated with certain Indian tribes.
Mr.. MANGUM expressed the hope that the
motion would not prevail. He admitted that the
Indian treaties were important, but he thought II
was vastly more important that the dehclency Dill
should be acted upon.
Mr.. ATCHlSON conceded the urgency which
existed in the case of the deficiency bill, but he
could not see that there was likely to be any end
to the debate upon it. He conld assure Senators
that it was very important that these treaties be
acted upon Immediately. He was daily receiving
letters from various sources, urging the mmedi-
ate importance of the subject.
Mr. HUNTER hoped the special order would
not be postponed.
Upon division, the motion was disagreed to
ID to o.
DEFICIENCY BILL.
The Senate then resumed the consideration OF
the bin providing for deficiencies in the appropri-
atoms for the current fiscal year.
The pending question being on the amendment
reported by the Committee on Finance increasing
the appropriation for the Collins line
Mr.. RUSK addressed the Senate IN support OF
the same. The question in his opinion was simply
whether they should continue or abandon these
ocean mail steamers. He gave his reasons for
sustaining the bill at some length, replying to
some of the remarks of the Senator from Virginia,
[Mr. HuSrER,l and especially urging the import
ance of the enterprise in view of its warlike as,
pect. He thought these steamers would be found
well adapted to war service, if there should be
any occasion for them, and while England could
nut upon the ocean fleet of thousand steamers
in an emergency, and we only twenty, or inclu-
ding those already contracted for, but twenty
four, he thought there should be no hesitation
about passing this amendment.
After some time spent in executive session, the
Senate adjourned.