The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-13
THIRTY-SECoND CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
WEDNESDAY,, January IL, 1858.
SENATE.

SENATE.
The CHAIR laid before the Senate report from
the Treasury Department, enclosing estimates for
the branch mint In California
Also, report from the Secretary of State, trans
hitting certain correspondence with Mexico con-
corning the Texan Indians.
And report from the Secretary of the Interior,
transmitting Mr.. Stansbury's history OF the late
Industrial Exhibition in London; all OF which were
ordered to be printed;
woRKMEN ON THE CAPITOL
Mr.. HOUSTON presented the memorial of Ger
tain workmen on the Capitol, complaining of GER
tain deductions made in their pay by Samuel
Strong, late superintendent OF that work, which
deductions we're applied to the benefit of the said
Strong, and various other charges and allegations
against Mr.. Strong. Referred to the Committee
REFusDING DUTIES.
Mr.. FISH presented the memorial of the Cham.
Der OF Commerce of New York, and of several
merchants, praying that certain illegal duties paid
to the treasury, but not under written protest, be
refunded.
NEW REGISTER.
Mr.. HAMLIN reported bill authorizing the is
sue OF new register to a Hanoverian brig, now
owned BY citizens of the United States in New
York; and the same was considered and passed.
APPROPRIATIONS BILLS PASSED.
Mr.. HUNTER reported the House bill making
appropriations for the payment of naval pensions
for the year ending June 80, 1854; which was con-
sidered and passed.
Also the House bill making appropriations for
the payment of invalid and other pensions for the
year ending June 80, 1854; which was also passed
with verbal amendment.
FRAUDS ON THE eovzRNMEST.
Mr.. UNDERWOOD offered the following reso.
lution which was agreed to:
Resosued, That the Committee on Finance be
instructed to inquire into the expedency of appro
Priatlng sum not to exceed S100, 0G0, to be ap
piled under the direction of the President in the
investigation of frauds and perjuries committed
against the Government, and in bringing the of
tenders to punishment.
COMMITTEE CLERKS. "a
MIR. DOWNS offered the following resolution
which was agreed to: la
Resolred, That the clerks of the standing com.
mittees of the Senate who have been on duty from
the hrst day ofthe present session be allowed
pensation therefor. aa
TREATIES WITH cENrR AL AMERICA.
MIR. CASS submitted the following resolution,
which lies over:
Rssolpsd, That the President of the United States
be requested, so far may be compatible with the
PUBLIC lntereat, to communicate to the Senate CO.
pies OF any correspondence which took place with
the Minister of Great Britain in the United States
in respect to the treaty negotiated by Mr.. Squier
with Nicaragua which was submitted to the Senate
In 1850; alsoa copy of said treaty and of any sub
stitute for it, any part of it, submitted to the
American Government by the British Minister,
and OF the letters of the latter urging the accept
ance of such substitute, and the replies thereto;
place between the Secretary of State and the Brit
ish Minister, and the Minister from Costa Rca in
respect to projet which was submitted to Mica.
ragua, Costa kica, and the Mosquito Indians and
copy Of such projet, with the instructions given
to Mr.. Walsh, the special agent deputed by the
United States 10 present that preet to the of
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA, also of such other
correspondence may have passed between him
and the Secretary oil State upon the subject; also
copies OF the correspondence with Mr. Kerr, charge
d'affaires OF the United States in Nicaragua, in
reference thereto, together with any correspon.
dence with the government of Nicaragua or its
Minister in respect to the same projst. And the
President Is further requested to communicate to
the Senate copies of any letters which may have
been addressed to this Government by the Minister
of Nicaragua, or the Minister of Great Britain in
reietence TO the construction and purport of the
convention between the United States and Great
Britain, signed April 10, 1850, and proclaimed
uiy 1850, and of the replies made to Them fany
THE CLAYTON BULwER TREATY.
Mr.. SOULE said that, when the other day the
debate was suspended, he was going to state the
occurrences which TRANSFERRED in Executive session
upon the ratification of the treaty He thought it
however due to himself not to proceed to do so
until he had ascertained the of the Senate as
to the proprety and right of abiding to the
proceedings, and the sensbiity which had been
eyinced afterwards had but confirmed him in the
wisdom and propriety of that course. Not that he
apprehended any serious consequences would re-
suit to the nation from any such disclosure; for
indeed In this, as in many other instances, that
which Is kept secret ia found when divulged to be
OF but little Importance. Still, it was due to those
who had voted for the treaty that the gov
erning such votes should go forth to the country
He had indicated on Monday last the scrupIes
which induced MIN to be dissatisfied with the word
ing OF the treaty when informally presented to
Senator'S himself included, and also how those scru
pies had been met and answered. He was not alto
gether satisfied with that answer; and though he !
felt the utmost confidence in the then chairman of
the Committee on Foreign Relations be presumed !
IN fban |
tonable provision of that treaty, and the assurances
nc received from that gentleman, a few seconds |
after an interview with Mr. Clayton, were the same
as had formerly been given. When the treaty |
came before the Senate he felt it TO be his duty 10
state in debate on it the difficulties and doubts |
which had arisen in his mind on this point, al |
though he intended to rest his vote upon the intel
ligence, wisdom and learning of those more com |
petent to judge of such matters than he was; and
then it was that the Senator from Michigan used
the language that never before had Great Britain |
been known to surrender dominion without war.
When he had expressed the doubts upon his mind |
as to the effect of these words, friend of his from
the South, but now no longer in the Senate de-
clared he had heard enough of it, and would vote |
against it. These assurances thus given, and thus
repeated, OF the true object of the treaty,
the reasons governing him, as we'll as |
other Senators, in voting for the treaty. He could
hardly have supposed that there was a single SEN
ator who voted for the treaty but who supposed 1t
contained an absolute remuneration by Great Bril- |
tain of all her rights and claims to dominion in
Central America. IL mere was one VINO supposed
il meant only to relate to the canal, and contained
no remuneration by Great Britain, let that one
take the floor and so declare himself
He had seen in the newspapers a correspondence
going to show discrepancy between Mr. Kings
letter to Mr. Clayton, and what he had just said
the understanding of the treaty He did not 30
understand it. II was fully admitted and under
stood by all when the treaty was under considers
ton that its terms did not refer to or interfere
with the iicense-ior that was the proper term-of
Great Britain to cut logwood at the Belize; and
Mr.. King in his letter merely refers to this preca
rious right or license to cut logwood in Honduras
as being in way affected by the treaty. MIR.
King does not mean that the claim of Great Bril-
tain TO dominion in British Honduras is not ex.
cluded by the treaty; for he expressly warns DIR.
Clayton not to use any words implying an admia-
sion of any right to such dominion. MIR. Kings
whole letter amounts to nothing more than that
the treaty does not abolish the precarous license of
Great Britain to cut logwood in Honduras
It was remarkable fact that the conversations
respecting the British Minister'S scruples upon the
point OF national pride, &C., took place some time
after the treaty had been sent to England, and bad
been supervised by Lord Palmerston; and that not
till two months ate, its ratification by the Senate
did the British Minister deem any explanation of
its terms to be necessary. Bot it was he thought,
easy to see what the object OF Great Britain may
have been. Forgetting tie nature Of our Govern
rnent and its institutions, and supposing the Min
lister of State to possess powers unknown to our
hat pf htoh in thar