Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-21
CONGRESS-.


THrRTY-THIRD CoNGR Ess--rIRsT SESSION.
Ia the Senate yesterday, after a long discus
sion upon the Homestead BILL
MIR. Hunter moved q substitute for it, This
substitute proposes to graduate the prices Of
the lands from twenty five cents to one dollar,
according to the time the same may have been
| in market; allowing the State to take preomp.
| ton rights to any land within its limits and
also for purposes Of internal improvements.
1t also gives the actual settler quarter section
of land for which, after five years cultivation,
| he shall pay twenty five cents an acre.
Messrs Cass and Bright advocated the sub
stitute if they could not get the bill! as it came
from the House, they we've willing to take this
| Mr. G win moved to amend the substitute so
that prescriptions in Calfornia be put at one
dollar per acre; which was agreed to.
Mr.. Chase moved an amendment, the effect
Of which was, that when the public lands in
any State should te reduced TO thirty thou
sand acres, they should be ceded to the States
| in which they lie.
Mr.. Hunter opposed the amendment, and
the question having been taken, 1t was decided
in the Degatiye-yeas 6, nays 81.
MIR. Chase moved to strike out the word
"white," believing, as he did, that it would
| give strength to the bill.
The question was taken on the motion Of
Mr.. Chase and it received s affirmative votes
| to 38 nays
The question was then taken on Mr.. Hun
ters's substitute as it was amended and it was
decided in the affirmative, as follows:
fEAs-Messrs. Adams, Atchison, Benz amin,
Bright, Brodhead, Brown, Butler, Cas- Clay,
Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge of Iowa, Douglas,
Evans, Fitzpatrick, Geyer, Gwin, Houston,
Hunter, James, Johnson Jones Of Iowa, Mallo-
ry, Mason, Petit, Rusk. Sebastian, Shields,
Slidell, Stuart, Thompson of Kentucky, Thorn
son of New Jersey, Toombs, Toucey, and Walk
er--34.
NArs-Messrs. Allen, Badger, Bell, Chase,
Dawson, Fessenden, Fish, Foote, Gillette, Jones
Of Tennessee, Pratt, Sumner, and Wade-i3.
The bill was then ordered to be engrossed
for third reading, and the Senate adjourned
at 9 O'Clock P. Nj.
In the House, yesterday,
The Army Appropriation bill was passed by
vote of SO TO g.
Senate, Friday, july 81, 1854.
Mr.. Chase presented several petitions pray
ing the abolition of slavery in the District of
Columbia.
Mr. Geyer introduced bill fixing the time
Of the next meeting of Congress.
| The Homestead bill, ss amended last night
by the adoption of the substitute moved by Mr.
Hunter, was taken up on its third reading
Mr.. Shields said be had adhered to the
original bin as long as there was any hopes of
it, but bad then taken the next best PROPOSE
| ton.
Mr.. Cooper said he was opposed both to the
original bill and to the present one.
| Mr. Douglas said this bill secured both the
homestead and graduation principle, and he
would vote for it.
Mr. Stuart denied that there was any aban-
Comment Of the homestead principle in the bill
Messrs Badger and Toombs discussed the
powers Of Congress over the public lands.
| Mr.. Chase said that he would vote for this
| bill as it now stood, because it was the only
measure which could be obtained at this ses-
sion.
The bill was read third timc, and passed
yeas &c. nays H.
House Of Representatives., July 81, 1854.
The Speaker announced the first business in
order to be, the consideration Of Senate bills,
Of . private character, upon the table.
On motion of Mr.. Phillips, by consent, the
Committee Of the Whole were discharged from
the further consideration OF the Senate bill TO
confirm TO Dusuan dc la Croix the title to Ger.
tain land in Louisiana; and the bill was passed
On motion Of Mr.. May, by consent, tho Sen
a.e bill empowering the Alexandria and WASH
ington Railroad Company to pass through this
city to connect with the Baltimore branch, was
taken up.
Mr.. May moved several verbal amendments
which were adopt d; and On additional section,
also, empowering the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road Company to extend its branch road
through tho District to point on the river,
opposite Alexandria.
The amendments were agreed to, and the
bill was passed.
The House then proceeded to the regular
order OF business, ami many private bills we're
passed.
Mr. Bayly, OF Virginia, arose to privileged
question. A communication had been sent to
the Colt Investigating Committee by one Ben
jamin E. Green, charging Gen. Bayly with
CORRUPTION and fraud, while chairman Of the
COMMITTEES of Ways and Means, 10 receiving
pecuniary advantages from Mr. Corooran, tho
banker, tor causing certain payments to Next
co, from our Government, TO be made through
the banking house Of that gentleman.
There appeared to be . general disposition
| in the House to pay no attention to the sub
jsct; and Mr.. Houston proposed, as means Of
fixing its condemnation upon the charge, to
lay the subject on the table.
Mr. Bayly said that, on his own account, he
cared nothing for the matter; but the House
had honored him with it's confidence and he
believed il due TO the House that an invostiga-
ton should DO had
A select committee Of seven was accordingly
ordered.
| 70 General Towsop, Psymaster General Of
the army, died in this city, yesterday. Mr..
Pitts, clerk 10 the State Department. from
Poughkeepsie N. X, also died yesterday.