Washington sentinel., 1854-07-11
GomaressionaI.
THIRrY-THIRD CONGRESS.
senate-Monday, July 10, 1854.
FIRST SESSION.


| Agricultural Society of -- county, Virginia
praying for the establishment of prohibitory duty
| on guano.
Mr.. SHIELDS presented the memorial of the
| members OF the lcanian community IN Illinois
praying grant of land in Iowa; 10 be paid foI
after selection and settlement.
Messrs. SUMNER and CHASE presented me-
MORALS in favor of The repeal of the fugitive slave
| law.
BILLS INTRODUCED.
| Mr. HUNTER, on leave, introduced bill to
| graduate the price of the public lands, and for
other purposes
Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed
| Mr. MALLORY introduced a bill 10 establish a
marine hospital at Apaachicoa, Florida; read
| twice and referred 10 the Committee on Com
merce.
BILLS REPORTED.
Mr.. MASON, from the select committee on the
subject reported resolution determining the
! number and salaries Of the persons employed by
the Senate.
Mr.. CLAY reported bill to make Tuscumbia
in the State of Alabama port of delivery; and
the same was considered and passed
On motion by Mr.. SEBASTIAN, the Senate
proceeded 10 the consideration of the House bill
10 authorize the President Of the United States to
cause TO be surveyed the tract of land in the Ter
ritory of Minnesota, belonging to the half breeds
or mixed bloods Of the Dacotah or Sioux nation
Of Indians, and for other purposes; and the same
was considered and passed.
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATION BILL
Was received from the House, and, on motion
by Mr.. HUNTER, was taken up, read twice, and
referred 10 the Committee on Finance.
TELEGRAPHIc TO THE PACIFIC.
On motion, the Senate proceeded to the con.
sideration of the bill establish line Of telegraph
from the Mississippi river 10 San Francisco, Cali
fornia.
Mr.. HAMLIN moved an additional section pro-
vding for the punishment Of any operator for
divulging any message or dispatch sent by the
government; and il was adopted.
Mr. CHASE moved an amendment providing
that the rates TO be charged against the United
States for me ssages shall be regulated hereafter
by Con- gress; and il was adopted.
Messrs. EVANS and BAYARD opposed the
bill, and Messrs HAMLIN and GWfN replied !;
the bill was then postponed till tomorrow.
On motion by Mr.. SEBASTIAN,
Resolved That the President be requested cause to
communicated to the Senate all the correspondence and
other official documents file In the Department of the
Superintendent of the lntero respecting the claims Of
persons for services performed and supplies and subss
with Indian agents in the year 1851 and enrolling the
names of claimants, the amount respectively Of their
claims what account created, and 10y what authority
Resored That the Secretary Of the Interior furnish
the Of the Senate certified copy of the register
record Of the heads of families entitled life estate
vaons under the Cherokee treaties Of 1917 and I89
THE HOMESTEAD.
The Senate then resumed the special order be-
ing the House bill TO grant homestead of one
hundred and sixty acres Of the public lands 10
actual settlers.
Mr. CLAYTON moved TO amend The bill by
striking out the sixth section, which is in the fol-
lowing words
''sEc. O. And be further enacted That If any individual
resident Of any of the States Territories
citizen the United States but at the time Of max
ing such application for the benefit of this act shall
filed declaration Of intention as required by the natura
zaton laws ofhe United States and shall become citizen
Of the before the issuance of the patent
provided for in this act shall be placed upon equal
ing with the native born citizen of the United Statos
And in lieu thereof insert:
"sEc O. And te further enacted That any mechanic or
other citizen Of the United States Of full age engaged
aud accustomed TO any business trade calling other
than the cultivation Of land shall consideration of his
inability comply with the conditions this act by
of his want of knowledge, Skill experience such
cultivation of land be entitled TO receive in lien of Ieo
of land, herein provided the Of $780, be
paid to him out of any money In the treasury not other
wise appropriated.
Mr.. BRODHEAD said that, as there were sew
eral substitutes TO be offered to this bill, the time
of the session short, and the weather warm he
moved that the bill be postponed till the second
Monday in December next
Mr. GWIN hoped that this would be regarded
as a test vote.
Messrs. HAMLIN and JOHNSON said they
would vote against the postponement though
would be.
Messrs. PETIT, BROWN, CAss, and STU
ART, opposed the motion to postpone; which was
then reiecied-yeas IL, nays 32-as follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Bayard, Benjamin, Brodhead, Butler,
Fnpatriek Hunter Mason, Norris pearce, and Thompson
Of Kentucky-l7.
Cass Chase Dodge Of Wisconsin, Dodge Of Iowa. Douglas
Gcyer, Gletee, Gwin. Hamlin Houston James Johnson
Jones Iowa. Jones of Tennessee Pett Rockwell Rusk
etiaD. Slunrt Sunn wada
Walker, Weller, and Williams-32.
Mr.. CLAYTON explained that the object of the
amendment was 10 test whether Congress will
vote 10 give aliens who have not been naturalized
an equal share in the national property with ma
tive born Americans. Though the bid was con-
fined 10 those now resident here, there would
undoubtedly hereafter be propositions 10 extend
the right TO other aliens who may come here.
Mr.. CLAY argued that the words now resi-
dent were indefinite and uncertain.
Mr.. DIXON differed from the Senator from Della
ware in the construction placed on the section
lie understood II as requiring the alien 10 be at
the passage Of the bill a reaident of the United
States, that he should declare his intention 10 be-
. come a citizen, and should actually do so before
he was entitled 10 receive patent for the land.
He was for making the foreigner citizen in fact,
as wei as IN name, and was for giving him an in
terest in the soil. He thought the policy Of natura.
lizaton good one, and would always resist il.
repeal.
Mr.. SHIELDS said the bill gave an alien the
right 10 cultivate the soil for five years, aler which
time, if he became citizen, he was 10 receive a
patent He suggested that il was a wise policy TO
draw the foreign population from the large cities
and plant them in the Territories on the frontiers
II this could be done, much Of the i'll feeling now
prevalent in the large cities would be dispelled
Mr.. CLAYTON said the bill placed aliens on
the same footing with native born citizens. II re-
qured the alien 10 cultivate the land for FIVE years
during which time he could become citizen, and il
gave himthen patent. Il required the native born
citizen 10 cultivate il for FIVE years, and then gave
him patent. So the alien just landed on our
shores was exactly the same footing as the ma
tive born citizen. He was opposed TO cheapenHg
the character of an American citizen by offering
bouniies 10 the aliens TO come here and accept IT,,
Mr.. DODGE, of Iowa, referred TO a similar pro-
vision in the act of 1888, granting pre-empton TO
actual settlers, and a similar attempt TO exclude
foreigners from its benefits. That report was re-
sisted by Messrs. r. J. Walker, of Mississippi, and
G. G. Clay, OF Alabama and was defeated.
He defended the loyalty and good character of
the naturalized citizen he said their names were
never wanting on the army roll in time Of war.
He called on the opponents of foreigners TO come
out boldly and show their colors. He did not de-
sire the contest on single feature in this bill. He
challenged the most couraR eous them TO say was
he willing 10 propose repeal Of the uaturaliza-
ton laws? He believed there was no man who
did, except they who composed that miserable
4