Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-25


Mr.. CASS rejoined, when Mr.. SUMNER obtained the
floor and moved that the further consideration be post
poned until tomorrow.
! And the Senate adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The SPEAKER proceeded to call the committees for
reports.
MIR. LATHAM from the Committee on Public Lands,
which was referred the bill of the Senate for the
tension of the presumption privilege in the State of Cali
fornia reported the same back with on amendment
Mr.. LATHAM made brief explanation of the pro-
visions of the BILL which he said asked for appropri
ton established no principle, but merely for
the extension of privilege upon which the agricultural
interest of California in great degree depended Unless
Congress should make provision of this kind the
suit would be- after the third Of March next when the
right of presumption would cease the greatest confusion
to titles which might result it had heretofore in vio
lence and bloodshed
The amendment then agreed to, and the bill read
the third time and passed.
Mr. LATHAM, from the committee, reported
back bill Of the House of the character the
just passed. and his motion it was laid the table
Mr.. WARREN, from the committee, reported ad-
versey House bill extending the provisions of the
several laws granting bounty lands to the officers
soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of
the United States and sundry petitions Of citizens Of
Pennsylvania asking the passage of such law He also
presented communication from the Secretary of the
Interior which, he said based the action Of the
Committee on Public Lands
Mr.. FLORENCE moved that the bill, report, and the
communication of the Secretary of the Interior be refer
red to the Committee of the Whole the state of the
Union and be printed He said that having introduced
the BILL he desired time examine the views of the Sec
rotary in opposition to its passage.
Mr. JONES' of Tennessee moved to lay the bill the
table.
Pending which
Mr.. RICHARDSON, by direction of the Committee on
the Territories asked consent to to set apart the
7h, Sth and 9th days of March for the consideration of
important local Territorial business, which he stated
CURED carly action The motion agreed to.
HOMESTEAD BILL-ToNNAGE DUTIEs-NEBRAsKA.
On motion of Mr.. EWING the House then went into
Committee of the Whole the state Of the Unon AIr
OLDs Of Ohio in the chair and resumed the consideration
of special ORDER being the bill to encourage agriculture
commerce, manufactures, and all other branches Of in
dusry by granting to every who is the head of
family and citizen Of the United States homestead
Of hundred and sixty Of land out Of the public
domain upon condition Of occupancy and cultivation Of
the same for the period herein specified
Mr.. NOBLE addressed the committee the subject Of
the evying Of tonnage duties by the States for the i'm
provement Of harbors and rivers He said that the
temen who had heretofore spoken this subject had
sumed that the President in his annual message
mended the substitution Of tonnage duties, in lieu Of d
rect appropriations by the Federal Government for such
purposes. He differed entirely in his views Of the
mendation Of the President and conended that no eg
mate inference could be drawn from the message that the
President was in favor of such He argued at
length against the establishment of such system, be-
West and contrary to the provisions of the Constitution
Mr.. KEITT made brief explanation growing out of
the remarks Of Mr.. NOBLE, when
Mr.. EWING took the floor, and said that as the name
Of Mr. Clay had been invoked here and elsewhere in sup
port of the antiquated principle Of the Missouri line, he
wished briefly to show from the public records that
far from being had been asserted the author of that
ne he had connexion with it. He read extracts fro
the speeches Of Mr. Clay in 1852 and proceeded argue
that the language of Mr. Clay showed that far from
Mr. c. having been the author Of the act Of $780, it did not
even originate in the House of Representatives of which
he member; that he coald not certainly tell whe
ther he voted for it. he then Speaker OF the me
that it originated with Senator Thomas of Illinois, in the
other branch Of Congress- that it failed to accomplish its
purpose the North still opposed the admission OF Mis-
souri,; that the next year Mr. Clay here and found
members from all quarters Of the Union in the midst of
excitement and found it necessary to offer the Missouri
compromise of which he the author, and which
compshed the admission of Missouri into the Union.
Further than this Mr. Clay hid felt it be nconsist
ent to advocate the principles of the compromise Of 1850
and to have been charged with being the author of act
utterly at variance with it, that he not only fetit
sary in his vndcaon to repudiate the paternity Of
the compromise Of 1920 but in of his speeches went
to contrast the two and to show the manifest injustice
done the South by the establishment of the line 36o 3
Mr. e. thought it due the memory Of that distinguish
ed patriot thus speak and because Of the perverson of
the views Of that statesman by those who by this means
sought to uphold their perncous designs Let his ashes
rest in peace Let not his bones be dragged from the
grave add additional fuel to the fame by which it was
best hopes of the country.
He disposed discuss the question fairly quietly
and without excitement and he believed it could be SO
determined He had the greatest confidence in the pco-
pie of the North. He believed them to be patriotic
q calm, and reasoning people; he believed them to be
just people when made to the right They had
had more than one evidence of this fact He trusted
them, and looked to them with confidence He appre-
hended danger from those who lived on excitement
a chameleon air vampire blood. He could not
that which others wished to point out so
anxiousy He had vision like that Of Poonius Said
Hamlet to him, Do You yonder cloud that's almost
in shape of camel ?" "By the mass and it is like
camel indeedw "Methinks it is like weasel "Iti
backed like weasel" cor like whale" very like
o whale"
He did not believe the Missouri compromise to be q
constitutional or just compromise or any compromise
at oil that it permanent measure Of peace The
North had always repudated it, and had never regarded
it as final settlement of the slavery question.
In conclusion, he advocated the principles established
by the compromise of 1880
Mr.. JAMES G. ALLEN then obtained the floor, when
the committee rose
The SPEAKER then laid before the House commune
cation from the Secretary Of the Navy transmitting lists
Of clerks and other persons employed in his Department
during the last year. which laid on the table and or
dered to be printed.
The House then adjourned.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 81. 1854.