Washington sentinel., 1854-01-13
ConarfssionaI.
THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
'senate--Thursday, january ne, 1854.


Senate--Thursday, January l2, 1854.
The CHAIR laid before the Senate communi-
cation from the Secretary of War, transmitting the
| report of the commissioners who examined the
different sites for Military Asylum in the West
which was read, and ordered 10 be printed. The
reports Of Generals Jesup, Twigs, and Surgeon
General Lawson, recommend Harrodsburg Springs
as the best site.
JUDICIARY. COMMITTEE.
Mr.. BUTLER said that there had not yet been a
quorum ofthe Judiciary Committee in attendance;
as that committee had much business before il,
he moved that an additional member be appoint
ed, TO continue until the other members should
have arrived. Agreed 10; and MIR. WILLIAMS
was appointed
AMERICAN REGISTERS FOR STEAMERS.
Mr.. COOPER presented the memorial of the
Accessory Transit Company" asking for spe-
cial enactment which will allow the steamers of
that company 10 obtain American registers; the
owners are citizens OF New York, but the COM
pany IS chartered by the State of Nicaragua, and
unless the company obtain the substitution OF
trustees for the owners, the steamers cannot sail
under American register, or the American flag.
MAIL VIA NICARAGUA.
Mr.. WELLER gave notice of bill to establish
semi-monthly mail from the Atlantic 10 the Pa
chc by the way OF Nicaragua.
DISTRICT AFFAIRS.
Mr.. BRIGHT presented the memorial of citi-
zens of Georgetown and Washington city, pray
ing the purchase OF site and the erection OF a
new custom-house.
Mr.. MORRIS gave notice Of a bill TO incorpo-
rate the Washington cemetery.
SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES.
MIR. CHASE presented memorial from New
York, signed by John Jay, John p. Hale, and
others. praying the prohibition by Congress of
slavery in all the Territories of the United States
Mr.. G. said he would not move to refer the petit
tion to the Committee Territories, because that
committee was opposed to the prayer; but moved
that it be laid the table he giving notice that at
an early day, he would move to refer il and petit
tions of kindred character 10 select committee
TONNAGE DUTIES.
Mr.. MALLORY introduced bill to repeal the
discriminating duties on the tonnage of Spanish
vessels. Referred 10 the Committee on Com
merce.
Mr.. BADGER submitted resolution, chang
ing the rule regulating admissions 10 the floor of
the Senate.
Mr.. BELL submitted resolution which was
agreed 10, calling for correspondence with the
government Of Chill in relation 10 the imprison-
ment Of certain American seamen at Valparaiso
in 1850.
COMMITTEE CLERKS.
On motion Of Mr.. GWIN, the select committee
on the subject OF railroad to the Pacific was al
On motion Of Mr.. ADAMS, the committee on
retrenchment and reform was allowed to employ
clerk.
On motion it was ordered that. when the Senate
adjourn ii adjourn till Monday.
CLAYTON-BULwER TREATY.
The Senate then resumed the consideration OF
the motion TO refer to the Committee on Foreign
Relations, the message Of the President transmit
ting certain correspondence on the subject of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty.
Mr.. CLAYTON then addressed the Senate on
the subject. He said that he was somewhat sur
prised after listening to two thirds of the speech Of
the Senator from Michigan, TO find that the Sena-
tor and himself arrived at nearly the same identical
conclusion.
He was glad that he and the Senator concurred
in the opinion that England desired a new treaty,
and that this government ought not TO listen to
any such proposition.
He regarded the Senator's great error in this
matter as having commenced on the 9th of jan
uary of last year, when he asserted and argued in
the Senate that the Central America, as under
stood by the Senate, in ratifyng the treaty, in
cluded the settlement AT the Belize commonly called
British Honduras; and he regretted that the Sen
ator still persisted in his original error.
he said he was surprised at the ignorance on
this subject displayed in recent British dispatches
and with view 10 ascertain il there had not been
some mistake made by the rather inexperied
British Secretary of State, he addressed note to
MIR. Champion on the subject. He had received a
reply, in which il was stated as Mr.. Crampton's
opinion that the British government in speaking
of the Belize as being in Central America, used
the term as geographical one and not as polt-
cal one.
He considered the Senator from Michigan as
taking the British side of this question. Take from
him the assumption that Central America includes
the Belize, and he would venture to allow the
whole fifteen columns of that Senator's speech 10
go unanswered Notwithstanding il full of
errors. He challenged the Senator 10 produce the
authority Of a single American Secretary of State
TO sustain him, or TO produce a line from Mr.
Marcy TO that effect and he would at once end
the controversy and admit the Senator to be victor
Mr.. then described the title by which Great
Britain held the settlement at the Balize and point
ed out the difference between the mere right of a
settler and the right of sovereign dominion. He
also described what were the dependencies Of the
Belize, contending that the Senator from Michigan
was greatly in error in supposng Roatan a de-
pendancy of the Belize.
He commented al length upon what took place
between himself and Mr.. Bulwer at the exchange
OF ratifcations of the treaty, and contended that
what then passed between them in nowiss could,
and did not change, alter or affect the treaty. He
referred to various diplomatic documents to show
that Great Britain before and after the treaty had
expressed an understanding on this subject, very
different from that TO be found in the recent paper
OF Lord Clarendon.
He quoted the case of the protocol to the Mexi-
can treaty, which was wholly disregarded by Mr..
Folks administration, as in no wise affecting or
altering the treaty. If this protocol could not
alter the treaty. how could mere declaration by
Mr.. Bulwer, and counter declaration by himself,
change the treaty, concerning which they were
written.
Mr.. C. then adverted to the statement made
in the Senate by Mr.. CAss, during the last
winter, rendering conversations between himself
and the late Vice President KING, and contended
that Mr.. CAss had done him, as well as Mr.. KING,
great injustice in that matter.
Without concluding, Mr.. C yielded the floor 10
Mr.. BADGER; on whose motion
The Senate adjourned.
House Of Representatives.
The SPEAKER laid before the House mes
sage from the President of the United States in