Washington sentinel., 1854-05-26
C0ngressionaI. q
THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
Senatc.-Thursday, MAY 2S, 1884.

Hon. FRANCIS GILLETTE, senator elected by the
Legislature OF Connecticut, TO fill the vacancy
casioned by the resignation OF the Hon. TRUMAN
SMITH. Mr.. G. appeared and was sworn.
Mr.. HAMLlN, from the Committee on Com
merce, reported a bill providing for the erection
of marine hospital at Pensacola, Florida.
Mr.. II. also reported adversely upon the reso-
lutious of the legislature of Texas asking change
of the port of entry from Point Isabel 10 Browns
vile, in that State.
RESCUE OF LIEUT.. STRAINS PARTY.
Mr.. CLAYTON, from the Committee on Foreign
Relations reported Joint resolution manifesting
the sense of Congress towards Commander Ed
ward Marshal, commanding her Britanic majesty's
ship Firago, and the officers and crew who were
detached by his order for the relief of the survey
ing party under the command of Lieutenant ]. G..
Strain.
The said resolution was then taken up II pro-
vdes for gold meals 10 be presented TO the Off
GERS and 500 to each Of the seamen engaged in
the rescue. II was then read third time and
passed.
NEBRASKA AND KANSAS.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill 10 establish territorial governments for Ne
braska and Kansas.
by him yesterday in reply to the senator from
Georgia. He said that The observations he had
made in order TO elicit from those southern sena-
tors who were willing 10 take this bill without the
clayton amendment q statement OIL the great prln-
ciplc which overshadowed all other considerations
in their minds-had drawn from the senator from
Georgia harsh, offensive, personal assault wholly
unpro goked by anything ne had said. Had the
senator been disposed to lash him, his public
course was open 10 the senator, and there was no
sufficient cause TO go into mattecs said to have
occurred in private meetings and caucuses Of
senators and political associates. The senator
from Georgia had endorsed the charge made in
the House by member from Tennessee against
him, that he was present and took part in meet
ing of southern whig senators. He then described
the close. personal friendly relations always ex-
listing between him and Mr. CuURcHwELI, of the
House, and the many professions of Difference by
Mr.. G. TO his judgment on this bill. That Mr.. G.
well knew that, up to the latest hour during the
debate in the Senate upon the bill, he, Mr. B.. had
in no way committed himself for or against the
bill. Yet Mr.. CHURcHwELL. under these circum-
stances, had made onslaught upon him for
having, at caucus of the whig senators, assented
10 resolution demonstrating against the course of
the National InteHigencey. The gentleman who
made the charge was the person selected TO do it.
The senator might expect that he could not hear
the charge repeated in the Senate without feeling
He regretted also TO have heard the senator from
South Carolina endorse the statement that he was
present at a meeting when that senator was au-
lhorized TO declare the southern whig senators
were united in support of the bill. He challenged
any living man 10 say that he ever, by word, writ
ing, or even look committed himself in favor of
repeal Of the Missouri compromise. While he
acted all along with the friends ofthe bill, he never
committed himself in favor oft. He referred TO
and repeated the several conversations with his
colleagues in the other House and with several
senators. in which he had stated that he had not
made up his mind on the bill. He then stated the
reasons inducing him to think the bill ought not to
be passed. He heard Of the resolution respecting
the Natio0al InteHigencer at the meeting, but did
not deem it 10 be serious. He utterly denied
that he was present at any meeting when the
from Nprth Carolina authorized
say that the southern whig senator's We're united
in support of the bill or repeal of the Missouri
compromise.
When that statement was made yesterday, he
had branded il, and now branded it as false 1t
might have been done at meeting after he had
left, but never in his presence. When he heard
the senator from Georgia repeat the statement
made in the House, and heard the senator from
North Carolina rise up and corroborate it, the
whole thing looked 10 him very much like a con-
spiracy 10 entrap him into this acknowledgment in
favor of the bill, and then to make personal on
slaught upon him first in the House and then in
the Senate. The senator from Delaware yester-
day said that all the whg senators had united in
favor of the repeal Of the Missouri compromise.
If such statement was made by any person what
ever, he declared il to be false.
Mr. CLAYTON said he had not said so.
Mr. BELL resumed. He said that the senator
from Georgia looked sterny at him, he did not
know what the look meant, but if implied state
ment that he had al any time avowed himself in
favor OF the repeal of the Missouri compromise, it
was false No living man could say he was
in favor of that repeal. Since the meeting at
which the resolution was adopted respecting the
National inteR'gencer, no one had ever spoken to
him on the subject. Yet il had been traced up
now TO be used in an assault upon him.
lie hoped the senator from Georgia, in his
marks, did not mean TO be personally offensive,
but his manner was apparently very offensive. II
the senator meant that he was an ally of the abo-
tIOnists bpcausp ha v1tpH with them
ton 10 II, that was mere ad cdptandnm argu-
ment. only worthy of the shallowest and lowest
demagogne. If the senator meant that he was an
ally In sentiment or feeling of the aboonists
the senator said that which he knew to be utterly
iaiSe If he meant that he had given the abolition
lists aid and comfort by his vote on this bill, he
had only TO say that the senator had himself given
them whole magazine Of ANN unition, while he
(Mr. 81 had only given them single ration.
lie looked upon the bill as securing to the south
nothing more than simple abstraction, not OF
sufficient Importance TO risk the agitation and
alarm which It's passage would occasion.
Mr. TOOMBS said he would confne his reply
those matters personal 10 himself He repeated
his statement OF what occurred at the caucus. He
never knew till the senator senator said so, that
he had left the ROOM before Mr.. BADGER was au-
thoriZed 10 state in the Senate that the southern
wing senators were united on the bill The meet
ing was called 10 adopt some means TO inform the
pubic that the whg southern senator's were in
favor OF the bill II was said that the course of the
InteHgencer was calculated to cause great msap-
prehenslon as 10 the course Of the whig senators
from the south. The resolution was adopted AT
that meeting those present and those absent were
noted. All southern whg senators were present, |
except Messrs. PEARcE, MORTON, and THOMPSON. |
Inc OBJECT oil the meeting was TO make the opn- |
ION OF the southern whig senator's publicly known.
lie did not know when the senator left the meet.
ing, or whether he left before the senator from !
North Carolina was authorized to make the state
ment.
He denied that he had repeated any Of the SEN
ators conversations; he had only referred TO his |
public acts.
MIR. PRATT said that his recollection of what |
took place at the caucus entirely concurred with |
that of the senator from Georgia.
Mr.; BELL: Was present when the senator |
from North Carolina was authorized 10 make the |
statement.
Mr.. PRATT said the senator was present at |
the meeting, how long he remained he did not |
know.
Mr.. BELL said that, 10 say he was then pres. |
ent, was an Infamous falsehood. This he re- |
peaied vehemently several times, and was re-