Washington sentinel., 1854-02-11
CsnaressiGnal.
THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
In senate--Friday. February 10. 1864

~ Mr. FEIIII, by unanimous consent. Teporteu
from the Committee on Private Land Claims
House bill extending the time for making applica
ions for certain private land claims in California
and the same was considered and passed.
i Also bill 10 confirm private land claim IN
Wisconsin; which was considered and passed
Mr.. THOMPSON, from the same committee
reported bill for the relief OF the heirs Of Lieut.
Charles A. Wickliife; which was considered and
passed.
Mr.. HAMLIN reported bill establishing San
Pedro, in California, port OF entry.
NEBRAsKA-sLAvERY.
On motion Of Mr.. DOUGLAS, the Senate pro.
ceeded 10 the consideration of the bill 10 establish
a aterritorial government for Nebraska.
| The las; clause in the 18th section is in these
words:
aTbat the Constitution and all laws Of the United
States which are not locally napplcablc shall have the
force and effect within the sad Territory Of
on Of the act preparatory to the admission OF missouri
into the Union, approved March ls which was su-
perseed by the principles the legislation OF 1850 COM
monty called the .compromse measures, and Is hereby
declared inoperative.J
| The question pending was the motion OF Mr..
| DOUGLAS 10 strike out the words within brackets,
| and insert in lieu thereof the following:
(which being inconsistent with the principle of
Intervention by Congress with slavery in the States and
Territories recognised by the legislation OF 1850 com
monty called the compromise measures, Is hereby de-
clared imperative and void being the true intent and
meaning Of this not to egsate slavery into any Ter
ritory State, nor TO exclude u herero put 20 leave
the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their
domestic institutions in their way subject only to the
Constitution Of the United States"
/ Mr. SMITH resumed the remarks commenced
| by him yesterday, by quoting the words OF Mr..
| Webster, in deprecating all agitation north or
1 south. Those words of Mr. Webster werethe expo
siton Of the platform on which he stood upon this
measure. He was against all anti-slavery agita-
| tors and all pro-slavery agitators In opposing
this bill no man could say that he was actuated by
1 alr,to He
braska bill of the last session, when left the Mis-
| souri, compromise untouched At the last session
he had voted against taking it up, and with south
/ ern senators he had voted il down He would
vote against il if the Missouri prohibition and the
4 Wilmot provso were both re-enacied by It. He
/ could see for II, unless perhaps, as Inc
administration had cast ID. S! Dickinson into dis
grace and had taken John Van Buren to its bosom,
this measure was necessary to carry out the polcy
| il had adopted
He then traced in detail, the various mutations
| which this bill had undergone since its first being
! reported and thought that the presentation OF The
amendment of Mr.. Dixon had produced the effect
| Of bringing the senator from Illinois up to the
scratch this question OF the repeai Oh the Wis
souri, compromise.
| The amendment now pending. which had been
| adopted in council of war, il was an enactment
with an exordium and aperoraton. II was nothing
more than proposition 10 repeal the Missouri
/ compromise Ii that compromise was TO be re-
pealed he appealed 10 the south repeal il in SO
many words, and not in the obscure indirect phra-
! seology of this amendment If It was TO be re-
pealed, it ought to be done in separate measure.
and not in bill which of itself could not 1--we In
| the Senate half an hour.
The country was not prepared for this measure.
Nothing had been said of it in the newspapers pre-
vious to the assembling of Congress- In this con-
nexion he commented upon the very discordant
notes which had been played by the government
organ on this subject. At first the proposition OF
! MIR. Dixon TO repeal the Missouri act, was de-
| nounced as the proposition of an agltator to be
| avoided by all, while the middle course at first
| proposed by the committee was the only true
course. In five days after, the organ played dif-
4 ferent tune; il then found out that because the
committee were in favor Of the repeal of the Mis-
souri, act that measure was the only proper one
| to be adopted under the circumstances.
/ The senator from Kentucky had announced that
he would vote for the repeal of the Missouri COM
| promise, because it had been oSered voluntarily
| by the north. He denied that any man had any
/ authority TO speak for the north.
The senator from Illinois did not carry the whole
north in his breeches pocket, not by jug-full If,
/ upon the vote, it should turn out that majority
OF the north were opposed TO the bill, he would
| expect the senator from Kentucky to vote against
the bill The bill would not he thought, receive
the support Of majority of the committe which
reported IT, and for that reason if no. other, ought
to be turned out of the body.
| He denied that, under any circumstances, II
could be urged with any propriety or historical
truth that the acts Of 1850 extended in their ap-
plication 10 the Missouri prohibition OF slavery
I If the senator could find any word or report, said
or made during 1850. that those acts would have
The effect now claimed for them, he (Mr. s. would
i abandon the issue. Ii Mr.. Clay were now alive,
he would rebuke this act of wanton breach oi
i faith He regretted there was no statesman from
the south who would rise and resist thisrunworthy
measure. There seemed TO be rivalry between
the southern wings and democrats TO see who
i could give this measure the most earnest support
He contended that the view heretofore taken by
Mr.. CLAW and by the senator from Illinois was
| that by the compromise Of 1880. neither north OF
south had gained anything. II the senator thought
i that the Missouri act was repealed by the prin'
ciples of 1850 why had he not told the people OF
Chicago so in his speech TO them in the fall o.
that year!
The New Mexico and Utah acts did not give
the people of those territories the exclusive de-
cison of this question. They gave to the governor
and 10 Congress a veto on their acts 1fthey gave
the people full power to regulate their own domes
tic institutions, he supposed the committee would
take the credit Of having given them the power tc
establish polygamy.
Mr. S. then at length advertcd to the institution
i of polygamy, and contended that if the principle
be true that the people of the Territories had been
i given unlimited control over their own domestic
Institutions then they had been given the power
10 establish polygamy lie illustrated the pract
cal effects OF that institution in remarks which
i called forth repeated bursts Of laughter.
1 He read the votes in the Senate during the de-
bate on the compromise of 1850, TO show that the
senator from illinois had then voted against two
propositions to extend the Missouri line TO the Pa
ciic The whole policy Of the compromise o
1850 he contended, was, that Congress should
leave the question of slavery as it foundit He
gave notice Of his intention before the close ofthi.
session TO retire from public life, and TO cease al
participation in political contests. This bill
would retard all Legislation at this session. i
would renew the violence of slavery agitation. /
will lead TO a complete stoppage OF all other bust
ness. II would never pass the House.
The passage of this bill would be the explosion
Of the platforms Of both political parties. He saw
no use for any future whg or democratic con
ventons. II would break up the old parties, ant
perhaps lead TO the union Of independent men &c
put down all demagogues and doughfaces ant
slavery agtators, north and south.
! He pursued this point till nearly FIVE o'clock
4. when he concluded.
i Mr. WELLER obtained the floor; and on his
motion, the subject was postponed TO Monday.
After an executive session,
The Senate adjourned till Monday.
House of Representatives.
~rn T.. H.