The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-23
CONGRESS-.
THIRTY-THIRD CoNGREss-FIRsT SESSION
Senate T'uesdap Feb ID 1884

CONGRESS.
THIRTY-THIRD coNGREss-FIRsT SESSION.
Senate, Tuesday, Feb IA, 1854.
The galleries were crowded at an early hour,
in the expectation of hearing the Hon. Sam
Houston speak on the Nebraska Bill.
The Chair laid before the Senate a commu-
nication from General Armstrong, of the Union,
asking to be released from the engagement be-
tween that paper and the Senate, for the pub
GcatiOn of its debates and proceedings.
Mr.. Johnson submitted resolution, that
John c. Rives furnish the Senate with an equal
number of the proceedings of both Houses, that
he now furnishes to the House.
Mr.. Seward and Mr.. Brodhead presented
memorials from New York and Pennsylvania,
against the passage of any act repeating or
abrogating the Missouri Compromise.
Mr.. Bayard presented memorials in favor of
Congress adopting the principle of COMPRESSION
al non-intervention in all Territorial Bills.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill providing for the settlement of the claims
of American citizens for spoliations committed
by the French prior to 1900.
The bill was then passed-yeas &c, nays =
as follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Allen, Badger, Bayard Bell,
Dawson, EVANS, Fish, Foot, Hamlin, Houston,
James, Jones of Tennessee Mallory, Morton
Pearce, Petit, Pratt Sebastian, Seward,
Shields, Smith, Sumner Toombs, Wade, We'll
Ter, and Wright-26.
NAYs-Messrs. Adams, Bright, Brown, Cass
Chase, Clay, Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge of
Iowa, Douglas Fitzpatrick, Jones Of Iowa, Ma
son, Norris, Rusk, Slidell, Walker, and Will
Gams-17
The Senate then resumed the consider alton
of the bill to establish Territorial Govern
ment for Nebraska
MIR. Houston then addressed the Senate in
defence and vindication of the Indians. He
traced the history of the Cherokees from the
time of the treaty of 1885 down to their loca-
ton in the present Territory of Nebraska
which was guaranteed them by the most sa-
cred pledges of the Government that in the
enjoyment of this home they should never be
disturbed
He accused the Government of bad faith
and asked when had the Government ever done
an honest act, or fulfilled any promise with re-
spect to the Indians! He advocated the policy
of furnishing Indians with food and the means
of prosecuting agriculture in which they would
soon become civilized and christianized COM
munities. The present policy of keeping up
armed posts, &c, cost more than would in
few years christianize and civilze every Indian
east of the Rocky Mountains. He elaborated
these points at great length.
Mr.. Houston had not concluded, when he
yielded the floor, and the subject was post
poned.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration
of Executive business.
House of Representatives., FEB. H. 1854.
The following is the Committee of Inquiry,
appointed in pursuance of the resolution of
Mr.. Mace, to make Investigations respecting
certain ocean mail steamers, &c, VIZ: Messrs.
Mace, Goode, Walsh, Reese, Kittredge, Pen
nington, Elliott ]. c. Allen, and Puryear.
Mr.. Stanton proposed a resolution, to autho-
r;zs the printing Of 10000 copies of the Patent
Report for 1894, for the use of that office,
and 10000, for the use of the House The lat
Ter number was on motion of Mr. Straub, in
creased to $4,000; and the resolution was
adopted.
On motion of MIR. Jones, of Tennessee, the
House then resolved itself into Committee of
the Whole on the Homestead Bill, Mr.. Olds in
the chair.
This bill is entitled: {" A bill to encourage
agriculture, commerce, manufactures, and all
other branches of industry, by granting to ev-
cry man, who is the head of a family, and a
citizen Of the United States, homestead of
$50 acres of land, out of the public domain,
upon condition of occupancy and cultivation Of
the same, for the period herein specified"
Mr.. Dawson addressed the Committee at
length, in support of this bill.
Mr.. Mace arose, and said that he proposed,
for the first time in his life, to deliver speech
from the manuscript He said that he would
speak upon the bill which had been reported
to this House from the Committee on Terrific
ries and which was identical with that now
before the. Senate in relation to Nebraska.
In order that he might not be catechsed in
the course of his remarks, he said he would ex-
plain his past course upon all kindred ques-
tions. He proceeded to do so, and showed that
he had never occupied a position antagonistic
to the interests of the slave States.
The Compromise of $50 did not in his Opin-
ion, repeal the Compromise of 1924 COM
pact that had been made in good faith, and
approved, sanctioned, and re-afirmed, IN all
the subsequent legislation of the country bear
ing directly or indirectly upon the subject.
The present is the first time, the speaker
said, that Slavery has formed the basis of par
ty divisions In all former times the boast ap-
peared to be that one party contained more
Pro-Slavery men than the other.
1t had been said in the Senate that Mr.. Clay
himself doubted the constituti0nality of the
Missouri Compromise. If this were SO, all his
tory in relation to it must be false; and if Mr..
Clay were now alive, not only would this state
ment not be made, but a proposition to repeal
that Compromise would hardly be made in any
body of which he was a member.
Mr. Mace related incidents of the history of
the Compromise of 1850, and descanted upon
the nature of the concessions then made. He
said they were made by the North in good faith,
and that their boasted fnality was honestly
believed in. He was still speaking, when our
report closed.
Senate, Wednesday, Feb. Is, 1854.
Mr.. Fish presented the remonstrance of the
Society of Friends of New York, against the
passage of any act allowing an extension of
the area of Slavery.
The French Spoliation bill, which was yes
terday ordered to be engroesed for third read
ing, was taken up and passed-yeas 81, nays
Is.
The following bills were severally taken up
and passed:
A bill ceding to Ohio the public lands in that
State remaining unsold and unappropriated on
the 3lst of March, 1854.
bill relinquishing to the city of Dubuque,
Iowa, certain land occupied as grave yard.
The Senate resumed the consideration OF the
bill to establish Territorial Goverpment for
Nebraska.
Mr.. Houston said that, though yet extreme
ly qpwell, he would, if possible, conclude his
to-day. He would do SO, though he
could not understand that there was any public
requiring urgency in the passage Of
this bill tie thought that the boundaries Of