The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-02-17

purpose OF waiting OF Genera Pierce, and in
forming him Of his election He stated that il
was usual, when the Vice President elect was
in the city, for the same committee TO wait on
HIM also but il he were absent, then his cleo
ton was notified by the President Of the Sen.
ate.
A message was received from the Senate, in
forming the House that MIR. Hunter had been
nominated TO wait on Gen Pierce.
10 was then moved that when the House ad-
Journ, it adjourn TO meet tomorrow at eleven
o'clock, the effect Of which is to rescind the
resolution TO meet at seven o'clock. The yeas
and nays having been ordered, the motion was
agreed to-yeas 81, nays rs.
The House then adjourned.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10.
The House concurred in the amendments re-
ported from the Committee of the Whole on
the state of the Union to the bill to establish
the Territorial Government of. Columbia. Ito
be composed of one of the two geographical
divisions of 0regon.) including an amendment
to change the name from " Columbia to that
Of Washington; " when
The bill, under the operation of the previ-
Gus question, was passed-yeas laS, nays 49,
The title was then amended so rs to read
of Washington
The House resolved itself into a Committee
of the Whole on the state of the Union. (Mr
Hubbard in the chair,) and resumed the consid-
GRAFTON Of the bill to organize the Territory of
Nebraska.
Mr. Howard opposed the bill. giving his rea.
sons for doing so at length, The principal one
was. that the geographical limits of the pro-
Id.
tribes, contrary TO the treaty which stipulates
that they shall not he incorporated within any
State or Territory hereafter to be formed. He
oontended that there wasnot population enough
in Nebraska to authorize such an organiza-
ton.
M. Miller pointed to the provision in the
bill, that "nothing therein contained shall be
construed to impair the rights Of person or
property now pertaining TO the Indians in said
Territory, so long as such rights shall remain
unextinguisbed by treaty between the United
States and such Indians" &c.
Mr. Hall responded insisting that the bill did
not include a single Indian tribe with whom
we have a treaty. ------.
Mr. Sutherland endorsed the arguments OF
the gentleman from Texas. Mr.. Howard
Mr.. Hall resumed, and showed the import
ance of settling the country between Missouri
and the Pacific coast Ii was necessary for
the protection of emgrants, for the facilitaton
of commerce and for the strength of the Union.
Mr. Clingman said the gentleman who last
addressed the Committee had not succeeded in
removing the difficulty. He believed that the
population of Nebraska does not exceed eight
hundred persons q gentleman near him said
not five hundred
Mr.. Hall said, that if tho bill should become
law, thirty or forty thousand people would
flock to Nebraska in the course OF few months.
They are only prevented from going thither
row by tho regulations of the Indian Depart
ment. 1t was not from the Indians the emf
grants we're to DO protected, but from sickness
and from the storms on the way to Oregon and
California
MIR Sutherland further opposed the bill
The only effect of organizing the Government
was to induce n more rapid settlement, and
the expenditure Of vast sums of money to ex-
tnguish the Indian title to lands while we
have in the eleven adjoining States four hun
dred millions of acres yet unsettled, and two
hundred millions in the market.
MIR. Richardson argued, that by opening up
the territory to settlement, the military force
now there could be dispensed with, and that
five hundred settlers even would do more to
protect all our interests in that quarter than
all our troops. The only means to settle the
territory intervening between the Western
States and the Pacific was by passing this bill
Mr.. Clingman moved an amendment, which
was agreed to-that no part of the territory
occupied by the Indians shall constitute part
of the Territory of Nebraska
Mr.. Jones, of Tennessee, offered an amend
ment, to strike out all in the bill after the en-
acting clause, and inserting an appropriation Of
$50 900, to enable the President to enter into
negotiations with view of extinypishing the
Indian title 10 the lands in Nebraska. This
was disagreed to--yeas 81, nays II.
| Several other amendments were disagreed
to- when
The Committed rose.
MIR. Letcher moved that the bill be laid upon
the table: but the motion did not prevail-yeas
40, nays 10Y.
The amendments reported from the Commit
tee were then concurred 10, and the bill was
passed--yeas 9s, nays "a.
And the House adjourned
friday FEBRUARY II.
Mr.. Seymour, from the Committee on Com
merce, by unanimous consent, made report,
accompanied by bill esta bIishing reciprocal
trade with the British North American colo
MES, ON certain conditions
The bill and report were ordered to be
printed
Mr.. Seymour moved TO recommit the bill.
and that its further consideration be postponed
until Thursday next.
Mr.. Seymour withdrew his motion
The bill contains the following provisions.
First. Whenever the Government of Great
Britain shall agree with the Government of
the United States, that the people of the United
States shall enjoy unmolested the same rights
to take fish Of every kind in the Gulf of st.
Lawrence, ON the coasts and shores of New
ioundland Nova Scotia, Cape Breton New
Brunswick and Prince Edwards Island, and
of any aud all other the British possessions in
North America, and in all bays, gulfs creeks,
and waters or places Of the sea, bordering on
and an adjacent to the British possessions 10
North America and to dress cure, and dry the
same on the coast and shores Of any part of
the British possessions in North America as
are or shall from time to time hereafter be en-
joyed by the subjects Of Great Britain, sub
ject, however, to the rights Of the prOprietors
or possessors Of the ground where said fish may
be dressed, cured, or dried and whenever the
Government Of Great Britain shall agree with
the Government Of the United States, that all
cases of fishing rights or privileges, and lands
necessary to the enjoyment of the same, made
by British subjects to any Of the people of the
United States, shall have the san,o force and
effect ~ if made to British subjects and when
ever the Government Of Great Britain, with
the consent Of the Government of the provinces
of Canada and New Brunswick, shall agree
with the Government of the United States that
the people Of the same, in Americag bottoms,
and with boats, RATS, end vessels OF every de-
scriptiqn, may use aud navigate the river st.
Lawrence and the river St John, in New Bruins
wick, from their sources to the ocean, together
with all canals and waters connecting the
great Northern Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean,
through the river St. Lawrence, as the same
now are or hereafter may be enjoyed by the
subjects Of Great Britain, subject only to the
a. n -