Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-05

Houses
the bill Of the Senate to extend presumption rights to I'M
surveyed Lands, and for other purposes made report re
commenting "a 'apF.au Of the amen mt oi tie Hsp-e
Win royiso n, ans settler who b.. II Of may
hereafter settle on Lnio Heretofore gt-ehel Il acysarr
OF claims under French and Spanish or other grants
which have been ia IN be hereafter declared by the
supreme Court Of the United States invalid shall be en-
titled to all the rights of preemption granted by this act
ana the act OF September 4, l841
The report was concurred in.
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.
Mr. HOUSTON said that the civil and diplomatic bill
a oeen returned from the Senate with eighty pages
o. manuscript amendments 1t would be utterly impos-
pe 10 go through with these amendments this session
IN any OF the ordinary modes of legislation If they
should attempt to investigate them in Committee of the
Nhoe With the i've minutes any other kind debate
evitably fail to become n law
SEVERAL MEMBERS, Let it fail
Mr. HOUSTON resumed He did not wish to take the
responsibility, member of the Committee Of WAYS
and Means, OF reporting the House upon this vast
amount OF matter but he would appeal the House to
go into committee and decide upon these amendments
without debate Let them adopt such seemed to be
right without further investigation and reject all others
Before moving TO go into committee with view of test
ing the temper of the House, he would ask consent TO
move to suspend the rule allowing five minutes debate
Cries of agreed" "agreed" and several objections
Mr.. HOUSTON then moved to suspend the rules to
enable him to submit his motion
MIR. YENABLE demanded the yeas and nays
Mr.. HOUSTON said that ii his motion conficted with
the of propriety of the House he would withdraw
Mr.. HIBBARD renewed it.
| Mr.. VENABLE demanded the yeas and nays.
Mr.. HIBBARD said that at the request of many gem
| tlemen, he would withdraw his motion
On motion of Mr.. HOUSTON, the House then went
into Committee of the Whole the of the Union
(Mr STUART of Michigan in the chair, and proceeded
to consider the amendments of the Senate to the civil
and diplomatic appropriation bill.
On motion of Mr. H., the committee Immediately rose
and the House adopted resolution closing the general
debate
! The House then again went into committee
DELAY OF BUSINESS
Mr.. SMITH said that he had prepared speech on the
delay Of public business which he had had opporu
nifty to deliver. lie therefore asked leave print it.
Objection was made
The CHAIR stated that il in the power Of the
| committee to give such leave.
Mr.. SMITH then sad that in the five minutes which
he entitled he would lay down four propositions:
First he expected prove that the delay in the business
OF the House was chargeabe to its members Second,
that they had adjourned enough days to constitute
entire short session of Congress- having ourned
during the last session days. and twelve
fifteen days during the present session. Third that
there was regular average absence of sxtyfve mem
bers Of the House. who received eight dollars day with
out attending their duties. And fourth that when
members present they not in the habit of at
tending to their business These the to
which he attributed the delay the business the House.
and he should attempt to point to desderatuma pro-
position that whenever any member should vote to ad
ourn except very extraordinary occasion,
or voluntarily absened himself he should receive
his per diem This the general of his remarks
and he should with without leave write his speech
and make it a good public document. Laughter.
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.
The Committee then proceeded to vote the amend
ments of the Senate this BILL there being much
plant that the amendments could not be understood, as
they not printed
Mr. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania said that none of the
amendments had been printed and impossible for
him TO understand the matters upon which he called
tn he 10
eighty-fve amendments in this way. He did not know
any other way than down every thing which they
could not understand and let it all 60 TO committee OF
conference.
Mr. JONES' Of Tennessee wished to say that he hoped
there would be no committee of conference this bill
Let the House itself dispose Of each amendment let the
| bill be lost.
Mr. TOOMBS said that they could know nothing what
Of the propositions upon which they called tc
vote If he could not consider things integently, h'
would not act-he would have right 10 act. 1t wa
part of his duty his right vote away the pub
lie money and determine grave questions when he could
not have intelligent understanding of what he wa
doing He concurred in part with the gentleman iron
Tennessee Mr. JONES' but did agree with the gen
tleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. STEvESs.) If the Hous
intended abrogae its duties and refer all its business
four men, they had better all home instead Of spend
ing the public money for doing nothing.
i Mr.. STEVENS, Of Pennsylvania, said that if these
amendments should be referred to committee of confer
ence expected the Speaker to appoint three good
who would know how defend the rights of the House
against the dureSe Oh the Senate under Wnch the mouse
! had been acting for the last few years.
Mr.. T00MBS desired TO know how committee of con-
ference could know the will of the House until after the
House had taken action 1t the duty Of the House to
pass upon all these amendments; and then If committee
Of conference should be appointed il the duty Of the
Speaker to appoint committee who would stand by the
rights Of the House
Mr. HOUSTON said that if they should delay I'M
I'll the amendments could be printed gentlemen would
have nothing before them than that which
being read They could get explanation unless they
amined every thing themselves.
Mr.. T00MBS said that if the amendments were before
him he could have the advantage Of his own intellect in
stead Of depending upon the explanation Of other gentle
1t impossible for him to act with any nelli-
gence and if they had got into such condition that the
public business could not be done integenty IL ought
to be done at ALL If 1t true that they had not
time they ought reject all the amendments and stand
by the original bill.
Mr. PHELPS referred TO preceding Congresses to show
that toward their close amendments had always been act
ed upon without being printed.
The committee then rapidly disposed Of tho amend
ments, with but little debate. Many Of them non
concurred in. Among those agreed to- was that which
appropraes $4,000 toward the introduction Of water
into Washington Ayes 81, noes 55.
ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL
On motion Of Mr. PHELPS, the committee rose, when,
On his motion, the House insisted upon its disagree
TO the amendments Of the Senate to the army APP
preparation BILL and agreed to appoint committee Of con-
farppr