Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-08-05
THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
SATURDAY, july 80, 1854.
I'M SENATE.

IN SENATE :
The PRESIDENT Of the Senate laid before the body
communication from the Secretary of War; accompanied
by reports the Of the Brssos river Texas
and the surveys Of Georgetown harbor South Carolina
and the Savannah river from Savannah to Augusta in
the State Of Georgia.
On motion by Mr. RUsK, it was ordered to lie on the
On motion by Mr. SEWARD, the Senate proceeded to
consider the amendments of the House Of Representatives
to the bill to provide for the accommodation Of the courts
of the United States in the district Of Massachusetts,
Mr.. TOUCEf explained the amendments made by the
House, which add the cities of New York Phia
dephia, and Baltimore and the bill further amend
ed and passed.
ALEXANDRIA AND WASHINGTON RAILROAD.
The Senate took up for consideration the amendments
of the House Of Representatives to the bill
extension of the Alexandria and Washington Railroad
consisting Of additional section authorizing the Ba
more and Ohio Railroad Company to construct road
from the Washington branch Of their road such point
may be most convenient to point the Potomac
river opposite to Alexandria, and to construct
such depots and piers the Corporation Of Washington
and the President Of the United States may respectively
consent to; also, to construct such bridge the
eastern branch Of the Potomac as may be necessary
yded the shall obstruct the navigation thereof
this line to form connexion with the lines of railroad
running south Of Alexandria.
Mr.. BRIGHT moved to disagree to the amendment.
Mr.. COOPER favored the motion.
Mr.. PRATT argued in, favor Of the amendment.
Mr.. BROWN moved to lay the bill the table, on the
ground that was leading to debate and to the
ton Of time. Lost-Yeas'14, nays %.
Mr.. BADGER thought it would be better to postpone
the bill until next December.
Mr.. MASON would rather have time for more mature
consideration.
Mr.. TOUCEY spoke against the amendment of the
House.
Messrs DAWSON, PEARCE, and PRATT sustained
the amendment, when the question taken on con-
curing in the amendment of the House, and it was de-
cided in the negative by the following vote:
paYso rnp naxwo ~ Wao
nessee, Morton Pearce, and Pratt.
NAYS-MesSrs. Adams Allen, Atchson Badger, Bayard,
wisconsin, Dodge Of Iowa, Evans, Fessenden Fish, tz-
patrick Foot Gillette Gwn, Houston, Hunter, James, NAL
Tory, Mason, Norris Petit, Rockwell, Rusk Sebastian So
lucky, Toucey, Wade, Walker, and Weller-41.
The bills received from the House Of Representatives
read by their titles and appropriately referred
BILLS PASSED.
The following Senate bills received from the House
with amendments were concurred in
bill provide compensation for the services of Geo.
Morrell in adjusting titles to lands in Michigan
bill for the relief Of Phneas NJ. Nightingale, ad-
minstrator of the estate Of Gen. Nathaniel Greene de-
ceased.
HOUSE BILLS PASSED.
The following bills from the House of Representatives
considered and passed, motion by different Sena
tors, without the formality of reference:
bill for the relief Of William G. Smith
Joint resolution giving hundred and sixty of
land to Francis NJ Gwin, Of Indiana.
bill to revive the act approved March 8, 1928, and
the act approved May 26, 1924 supplemental thereto in
reference to the Rio Hondo claims land in Louisiana
bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury pay
John Charles Fremont for beef furnished the California
Indians. a...~
bill for the settlement Of the claims Of p Buckner
and Pierce Crosby, passed midshpmen in the United
States navy.
A joint resolution for the relief Of John A. Bryan.
RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
l.. NJ cnA
into Executive session
The Senate resumed the consideration Of the unfnish
ed business yesterday being the bill from the House of
Representatives making appropriations for the repair
preservation and completion of certain public works
heretofore commenced under the authority of law As
it from the House, the second section Of the bill
reads as follows:
Sec q And be Il further enacted That the Secretary Of
War; expanding any part of the money herein appro
prated SHALL in such he think the public inter-
est requires it, cause resurvey Of the
public hereby appropriated for and he is hereby
horzed to modify the in his opinion the pub
lie interest will be materially benefited thereby" de-
The Committee on Commerce reported on amendment,
adding that portion Of the section quoted above the
following
"And it, on such reexaminaon and re-survey, the said
Secretary shall be Of opinion that ceson of the urisd
ton over place occupied to be occupied any of said
works required from the State in which any work is sua
tod to United States If there shall be- in his opinion,
other sufficient reason tor doing So no y hereby autho
preparation contained in this act and in suchcase he shall
port Congress- its next session. the facts and
which his action be founded in order that Congress may
take such further action the subject in the discretion
of Congress, seem to require
Numerous amendments had been offered and rejected.
The Immediately pending was to insert after the word
so the words "arisng from the condition and cir
cumstances Of any particular work works herein pro-
vided for, shown by such re-survey or re-examna
tom
This amendment received only ten affirmative votes
against thirty two nays.
Mr.. TOOMBS moved to amend the amendment Of the
committee by inserting after the word SO the words
except want Of constitutional power to appropriate
money for the particular object suspended !" which was
agreed to- as follows:
YEASMessrs Badger, Bayard, Benjamin, Brown, Chase,
Hunter Of Tennessee Mason, Morton Pearce Rock
WE'LL Seward Shields, Sumner, Thompson Of Kentucky,
Toombs Wade, and Weller-25.
NAYS-Messrs. Adams, Allen, Atchison, Glass; Dodge of
Wisconsin Dodge Of Iowa, Douglas, Evans Fitzpatrick,
johnson Mallory Norris Rusk Sebastian Side Thomson
of Now Jersey, Touoey, and Walkers
Mr. STUART then moved to strike out from the amend
ment the words said Secretary" and insert President
Of the United States" which agreed to- Yeas %,
nays %.
The question was next on the amendment amended;
which was very deliberately argued by Messrs. SEWARD,
SON. Of Kentucky, DAWSON, CASS, MASON, PETIT,
PRATT, BAYARD, and others.
The question then taken, and decidedin the mega
tive, as follows:
YEAS-Messrs Atchison, Benjamin, Cass, Dodge of Wis
consin Dodge Iowa. johnson, Norris Petit Pratt Rusk
Sebastian Slidel Stuart, and Walker-14.
NAYs-Messrs. Adams, Allen Badger, Bell, Brodhead,
Fessenden Fish, Fitzpatrick, Foot Geyer, Gwn Houston,
Hunter James, Jones Of Tennessee, Mallory Mason Morton,
Pearce Rockwell Seward Shields SUMNER Thompson Of Ken
lucky, Toombs, Toucey, Wade, and Weer-35