The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-22
THIRTY SECOND CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
MoNDAY, February 81, 1853.
SENATE.

from the President, communicating, in reply to
resolution OF the Senate, copies of the applications
heretofore made by British fishermen for the pri-
vege OF 6ahing off the coast and in the waters of
Florida.
Also, report from the Secretary of the Navy,
transmitting, In response to a resolution of the
senate, the report of the commissioner appointed
to examine the quality of the coal mines and coal
neids on the western waters.
THE HoMgsrEAD-THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Mr.. HUNTER moved to take up the bill from
the House making appropriations for the support
OF the army.
Several Senators appealed to have permission to
present petitions, &C.. and MIR. H. withdrew his
motion, intending TO renew it at IL O'Clock.
Mr.. WALKER moved to take up the Homestead
bill.
Mr.. DOWNS said he in favor of the Home
stead bill, but desired to have taken up the bill TO
aid Louisiana in preventing foundations of the
Miss phi river.
Mr.. HUNTER said if these bills were taken up
tney would postpone the appropriation bills to the
last hour of the session, when every thin g would
have to be left to the committees of conference.
Messrs. WALKER, GWlN, BORLAND, and
RUsk supported the motion to consider the Home
stead bill.
Me-. BELL said be regretted to hear the Senator
from Texas express his willingness to give any
other measure precedence over the Pacific Rail
road bill.
Mr.. RUSK. There is no Pacific Railroad bill
there one, but it is dead.
Mr.. BELL desired TO have some explanation OF
the manner of its death.
Mr. RUSK said it was killed, disjointed, and de
stroyed on Saturday by the amendment Of the
Senator from Illinois, which was voted in by ma
iority of two.
Mr.. SHIELDS said he wished 10 reply to the ter
rible charge made against him by the Senator from
Texas His amendment had destroy ed the Senator g
project, but not the road; il had secured, if any
thing, the construction of the road. If the bill
passed as amended on his motion, it would secure
the construction of road to the Pacific, while
70 no
have been constructed. He was in favor of road
to the Pacific; but he was unwilling to have the
twenty millions appropriated by this bill all ex-
pended in Texas and California, at the two ends,
and then have no road to connect those parts He
desired to have the money applied to the construc-
ton of the road in the Territories where land was
OF no value and the money needed In the States
the land granted by the bill of value, and with
IT the road could be constructed.
Mr.. RUSK desired to know why the Senator
had never given the benefit Of his wisdom to this
subject, and framed some proposition by which
the road could have been constructed.
Mr.. SHIELDS said he had done
Mr.. RUSk thought it would have been better
had the Senator introduced it long ago, and not
waited till the eleventh hour to introduce propo
sition which had knocked the whole subject into
cooked hat.
He pointed out how and in what particulars the
Senator's amendment had disiointed the bill and
destroyed its efficacy.
Mr.. DOUGLAS said that it had been confident.
ly asserted that the bill was killed, and that his
colleagues amendment did it. He did not think
so. The amendment did not alter the amount of
aid granted by the bill There now appro-
priated by it the same amount of money and of
lands was before the amendment. The means
afforded by the bill to the contractors not re-
duced by it. The only effect of the amendment
in this particular was TO require the expenditure
OF the twenty millions that part of the road
lying within the Territories. The whole road,
whether in the States or Territories, would be
road-to be constructed throughout as one road.
for ts onsfr
ton viii have all the means afforded them under
this-amendment as they had before. The same
quantity Of land and of money is appropriated,
and IN its construction il will be of difference to
them whether the money shall be applied to one
part of it or another tin no way weakened the
aid given by the bill to the company.
The amendment did not disjoint the bill as to
the construction OF the road in the States. The
bill, it originally stood, required that the road
should not be constructed through any State with
out the assent of said State previously given by the
Legislature thereof. The amendment said that
the road shall not be constructed in State except
by State authority. The legal effect of the amend
ment was the same as the provisions of the bill
before lis adoption. The original bill and the
amendment in this particular were precisely the
same. But the amendment gave the bill strength,
for 1t would enable some gentlemen to vote for it
who could not have done so before.
Mr.. RUSK. And il prevents others from voting
for the bill who would have done before.
Mr.. DOUGLAS said the amendment, perhaps,
made some man mad, and who therefore would
not vote for il; but no one who would vote for it
before could say the amendment created any con-
stitutional objections to his voting for it
Mr.. PRATT said he could not vote for the bill
with this amendment in it. 1t prohibited the ex
peDditure of any part of the money in any State;
in Texas there were no public lands, and the road
could not be constructed through that State with
out either money or lands. He was in favor of the
southern route, but as the road could not be run
through Texas it would have to be run on the
northern route.
- 49,
where there was no land along the route of the
road the same quantity might be taken elsewhere
Mr.. PRATT. But in the same State, and there
are no public lands in Texas.
Mr.. WELLER desired now to submit motion
TO reconsider the vote by which Mr.. SHIELDs's
amendment had been adopted on Saturday. He
regarded the motion privileged one.
The CHAIR said the motion far privi- |
legged as 10 be permitted TO be made and entered |
the journal, but il could not be acted on until
that bill was before the Senate.
Mr. WELLER was in favor of taking up the /
Pacific Railroad bill with a view of amending il /
satisfactorily to is friends who he thought were
rather unnecessarily alarmed az this amendment /
He did not consider the bill dead; he thought il
had vitality enough in IL TO be able to send loco
motive to the Mississippi.
Mr. BELL opposed considering the Homestead |
bill; IL IL passed IL woul1 absorb all the lands in
the States and put end 20 all hOpes fconstruct
ing railroads by that meaBs.
Mr.. BRIGHT called The Senator 20 order; II was
not in order this motion to discuss the merits Of
either bill.
The CHAIR considered the Senator In order.
Mr.. BELL pursued the subject for some time;
and was replied 10 by Air BoRLAND.
Mr. GEYER in favor Of considering the
Railroad bill, and opposed TO taking up the Home
stead bill till that as disposed Of.
Mr.. GWIN said that the Railroad bill was dead
The Homestead bill House bill, and If not
amended by the Senate would become law. There
10 postponing il for the Railroad bill,
and thus defeat both.
Mr.. SEWARD asked II the Homestead bin was
not taken up, would The Senator from Texas move
10 take up the Railroad bil'
Mr. RUSK said he would not. IL would be a
useless consumption of time.
Mr.. BROOKE said be would make the motion.
He believed the Railroad bill had some vitality
yet. He differed from those of it's friends who re-
garded it something like the animal mentioned in
Mother Goose's Melodies, which "while it lived,
II lived in clover and when it died it died all over
He thought it still could be put in proper shape and
passed.
Mr.. WELLER said be would vote for the bill as
il now stood but if ii were taken up, he thought
could be amended to please all its friends.
Mr.. BADGER opposed considering the Home
stead bill. The Railroad bill not dead nor
diving but by little proper treatment it would
vet carry out the objects its friends desired
oompIish by it.
Mr.. RUSK asked the Senator, did he not know