The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-03
THIRTY-SECOND CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.

e
THIRTY-sEcoND CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
WEDNESDAY,, February 2, 1858.
SENATE.
MIR. HAMLIN presented FIVE petitions, praying
that every soldier in the of 1912 be given 100
acres Of land.
RAILROAD IRON, ETC, ETC.
Mr. MANGUM presented the memorial of the
Legislature Of North Carolina, praying that the
duty on railroad iron be abolished.
MIR. DAVIS presented the memorial of Dr. Chas.
T. Jackson relative to his right to the discovery of
the an@sthetic agent used in the army and navy
in surgical cases
Mr.. HOUSTON presented the memorial Of Phi6p
Gormly, of Georgetown, setting forth several al
legged wrongs and injuries sustained By him in
consequences of the misconductof Samuel Strong
late superintendent of the work at the extension
Mr.. FISH presented the memorial Of the Cham
Der of Commerce of New York, uniting with the
Legislature of North Carolina in an application for
the improvement of Cape Fear river
REeIsrERs TO VESSELS
Mr.. SEWARD reported bill authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to issue registers and
Certificates of enrolment to American built ves-
sells owned in whole or in part by persons of for
egn birth, but who have filed declaration Of the
intention to become citizens of the United States;
which bill was considered and ordered to be en-
crossed for third reading.
THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION.
Mr.. WELLER. from the select committee to
whom were referred the message of the President
of the 18th of January last concerning the Mexi-
can Boundary Commission, reported that the COM
mittee are of the opinion that the act of Nav Is,
1850, creating the Office of Surveyor and Commits
sioner of the Boundary Commission limited the
appointment Of those officers to the let of january
1853, and that since that day those offices have
been vacant.
THE WAREHOUSE SYSTEM.
On motion of MIR. HUNTER, the Senate took up
the bill to amend the present warehousing system
by establishing private bonded warehouses; He
briefly explained the provisions of the BILL which
have heretofore appeared in this paper.
Messrs. MILLER and BRODHEAD suggested
some objections to the section extending the time
TO three years during which imports may remain
in warehouse; and the bill was then postponed till
tomorrow.
REORGANIZATION OF THE NAVY.
MIR. STOCKTON moved to take up the bill for
reorganization of the navy.
Mr.. cAss suggested that the Senator from Loui-
sana had the floor on the Tehuantepec question.
After some debate the bill was taken up.
Mr.. STOCKTON submitted various amend
ments, which were ordered to be printed. And the
bill was then postponed till Tomorrow.
CENSUS PRINTING.
On motion of Mr. BORLAND, the Committee
on Printing was ordered to consider and report
some measure for printing the returns of the
enth census.
THE TEHUANTEPEc ROUTE.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the
resolutions reported at the last session by the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations concerning the grant
- of right of way across the Isthmus of Tehuante-
pee to Garay, and now owned by American citi-
zens.
Mr. DOWNS addressed the Senate at length
upon the resolutions, supporting them, and en-
forcing that it was the duty of the United States
to protect and maintain the rights of its citizens
under the grant, and thus secure to the world a
common highway to the Pacific.
MIR. SEWARD obtained the floor; and on his
motion the subject was postponed till Tuesday
next
GENERAL RILEY
The House bill for the relief of General Bennett
Riley was read a third time and passed.
RAILROAD TO THE PACIFIC.
The Senate proceeded to consider the bill to
establish an emigrant route, &c., to the Pacific.
For which MIR. RUsK, from the select committee,
had reported a substitute granting land and
twenty millions of dollars, to be issued in bonds
with five per cent. interest, redeemable in fifty
years. The work to be dene by contract.
Mr.. BRODHEAD submitted an amendment
striking out all of the amendment, and inserting
provision appropriating $780, 600 for the survey
and reconnaissance of the route.
This amendment was supported BY Messrs
BRoDHEAD, BAYARD, and BRIGHT; and op-
LAND, MANGUM, and RUSK.
The Senate, without taking any question, ad-
journed.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The SPEAKER appointed Messrs JONES of
Tennessee, STEPHENS of Georgia, CHANDLER of
Pennsylvania, DAVIS OF Indiana, and DEAN of
New York, the committee on the part of the
House to act in conjunction with that of the SEN
ate to ascertain and report mode of examining
the votes for President and Vice President of the
United States, and OF notifying the persons elect
ed of their election.
Mr.. RICHARDSON, from the Committee on
Territories, reported bill to organize the terrific.
rial government of Nebraska; which was commit.
ted to the Committee Of the Whole on the state OF
the Union and ordered to be printed.
THE ARMY BILL.
The House laid upon the table-ayes 49, noes
35-the resolution offered by MIR. HoUsroN yester-
day, proposing to close the debate on the Army
bill one hour after the same shall have been CON.
sidered in Committee of the Whole on the state of
the Union.
The House proceeded to the consideration of the /
Senate bill reported from the Committee of Ways
and Means. s.amendatory of existing laws relative
and the half-dime.''
MIR. DUNHAM, in continuation of his remarks |
from yesterday, said that oyer half a million of
three cent pieces were coined during the past year
Receiving the silver at the market price, and in
cooperating twenty per cent. of alloy, the profit |
from this single source was seventy eighty
a
the three-cent coin. If it be not made, we shall
find the whole currency of the country to be in
deprecated coin. If the House shall pass this BILL
making change in the other denominations of
con there will be less necessity for the coinage of
three cent pieces, and therefore less profit from
the coinage.
The committee proposed, by this bill, not only a
seigniorage on gold at the mint in Philadelphia
but at the branch mints in New Orleans, San Franz
cisco. Dahlonega and Charlotte. While coming
in Philadelphia costs less than half of one per
cent, the cost in New Orleans and Charlotte il
four per cent. A large expense is incurred by
maintaining those branches, which cannot coin as
much in one year as the PhiladeIphia mint can in
two days. Gentlemen bad objected that it was
proposed to reduce the of the silver coin; but
what is the value of the worn out and clipped
Spanish coin. Our three-cent pieces contain
twenty per cent. of alloy; the average depFecia
ton of the old Spanish coin is twelve per cent;
while the bill proposed that the American silver
coin shall contain ak seven per cent. of alloy.
The demand for silver change in the country is
great that, notwithstanding the vast deprecia,
ton in the old Spanish coin, they still maintain
themselves in circulation without any legislation
whatever This being the fact, be submitted
whether they should leave things as they are
with this foreign coin, and deprecated three.
nil have in xph;o ,,,;llb