Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-05-01
CONGRESS-.


| The Senate was engaged for the most part, on
Monday last, in considering the deficiency bill. A
number of private bills taken up, read third
time, and ordered TO be engrossed.
Mr.. Cass submitted resolution that the President
of the United States be requested to transmit to the
Senate so far compatible with the public interest,
copy of the correspondence of the American Charge
at Vienna with the Department of State. on the sub
ject of the apprehension and Imprisonment, by the
Austrian authorities, of the Rev. Charles L. Brace,
an American citizen.
Mr.. Borland gave notice that on Wednesday next
he would move to take up the resolution calling for
the object of the naval expedition to Japan.
The Senate, after executive session, adjourned.
The first business before the House, on Monday,
was the resolution moved by Mr.. Stany, of N. c.,
for the appointment of select committee TO inves
gate the accounts of Trenholm and Macbeath. for
public printing performed for the House of RePresen-
tatives during the last Congress.
Mr.. Stanly withdrew the original resolution, and
substituted another calling upon the Secretary of the
Treasury to furnish the accounts of those individuals
whether they were paid before or since Congress ad-
journed. The yeas and nays having been ordered,
the motion was carred-yeas I04, nays 81, and the
resolution was adopted.
The House then took up the bill to extend the
time for locating Virginia military land warrants and
after passing the bill went into committee of the whole
and took up the homestead bill.
Mr. Bowie, of Maryland, who lad the floor from
Saturday, then addressed the committee. He refer
red to the progress of the United States, the debts of
which had been discharged by of the revenue
derived from public lands; and said he proposed
enquire into the expediency OF wasting portion of
the public territory. He did not mpugn the motives
of the advocates of the BILL but he could close
his eyes to the destructive effects of species of leg
isation which is calculated sap the foundations of
the government, and which would result in the
deplorable consequences.
The public lands, he said, it was now admitted,
the common property of the United States, and are
held for the general benefit; and he trusted that the
time will never again arrive when this right will be
J questioned. he is led
to determine which of FIVE projects that before it,
for the disposal of the public domains, shall prevail
If the bill, he continued, would encourage, pro-
poses, agriculture, commerce and manufactures, he
should not oppose it, but he deemed its tendency
to be the reverse, and to parayse each and all of Them
The effect would also be TO cede to the Western
States, in which lie the lands that it is proposed to
settle. The principle of gratuity, he contended, is
unknown to the Legislation of this country; and he
referred to The Roman history TO prove the injurious
consequences that result from the which
it is proposed to pursue.
/ He contended that nothing is more dangerous than
the infusion of dissimar population, with foreign
sentiments and habits, and which, according the
census, already amounts directly or Indirectly, 10
fourth of the entire population of the United States.
The national domain, he sad should be retained for
national purposes, to meet those eXgencies that
arise, to pay debts that have been incurred. and to
sustain the public credit; and with reference to the
bill itself, it not enough that it should be shown
to be constitutional-i must be proved TO be eXpe-
dent, and there report before the committee
to satisfy members that head, the propri-
ETY. of dsposing of the public revenue in the manner
that is contemplated.
He insisted that the position Of the United States,
with reference to the powerful maritime nations of
Europe, would not justify the wasteful expenditure
of the means which may be required for the repairs
and erection of Notifications TO enable them 10 con-
tend successfully against them in of hostiites
He was going on with his remarks when his hour
expired, and the hammer of the chairman fell.
The Committee then rose, and the House ad-
Ijourned.
The chair laid before the Senate on Tuesday, com
munIcatonS from the Secretary OF the Navy, In re-
spouse resolutions of the Senate, relative certain
allowances to officers of the navy and concerning the
several kinds of coal used in the navy.
Messrs Bayard and Cooper presented memorials
from ourReyman printers, praying the establishment
of government printing Office.
! A joint resolution from the House providing for
the establishment at Salem of the seat of government
of Oregon territory, taken up and passed.
| Mr.. Sumner introduced bill to enforce liens in
admiralty, and to regulate proceedings therein.
| The deficiency bill was then resumed.
Mr.. Seward addressed the Senate for hours in
support OF the amendment giving additional aid TO the
Collins line.
Mr.. Underwood followed he was in favor ofallow-
ing $25, 900 trip.
After executive session, the Senate adjourned
On the same day the House resolved itself into u
Committee of the Whole, and took up the homestead
bill.
Mr.. Stephens, of Ga, took the floor, and after al
ludng 10 the policy which had been recently pursued
by which hundred millions of OF land had
been g ven way, expressed himself being opposed
to the passage of the bill before the committee until
some general system of disposing of the public do
main shall have heen adopted. In every free and rep
resenative country he said, there exis, parties
He did not rise to defend any party faction, but
to lay down grave fundamental principles, without
which government be sustained. Parties, he
commended, must be organized with reference the
predominant questions of the day and the great po
Dtical question present in this country he consd-
cred to be the law for the reclamation of fugitive
slaves. The majority of the people he believed tc
be in favor of the performance oil all constitutional obi
cations and party could stand unless were ac
tuated by such principles.
| He went on to state that it, which he did not ad
nit, the North would not stand up for the consttu
tion he should not how soon the confederacy
were rent asunder; he expressed himself opposed to
National Conventions. and 10 surrenderng to an ir
responsible body the power TO prescribe principles
on which the country is TO act. The people, he con
tinued, would not vote for any who should not be
in favor of the fugitve-slave law. He then read ex
traits from the Union and Tribune, from which he dis
sented and four ether papers, 10 show that the Wings
were more in favor of the compromise, body, thar
the Democrats. He deemed the opposition to the in
situations of the South, against the Lord Of
Creation: the colored man being inferior the white
intellectually and morally. and who he said, is
entirely different being He was proceeding show
the decrease in the number of free blacks, when com
/