Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-08-05
MIsos by yeas and nays and II decided in the ne
gative Yeas So, nays "a.


gative: Yeas 6S, nays "a.
FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.
Mr. FENTON stated that had he been present yester-
day when Mr. ELIOT Of moved to suspend
the rules to enable him to introduce bill to repeal the
fugitive slave law he would have voted in the affirmative
He was necessarily absent from the House, attending
business at the Executive Departments.
Mr. CULLOM said that he was confined to his room
yesterday and for several preceding days. by severe in
disposition Had he been in his place yesterday when
the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. ELLIOTT made his
motion to suspend the rules he should have voted in the
negative
that they would have voted in the negative on the motion
of Mr. ELIOT had they been present yesterday when the
vote was taken.
MAIL STEAMER APPROPRIATION BILL
On motion Of Mr.. HOUSTON, the House went into
Committee Of the Whole on the state of the Union mr.
ENGLISH of Indiana, in the chair and proceeded to
consider the bill making appropriations for the trans
portation Of the United States mail by steamers
and otherwise during the fiscal year ending the Both Of
June, 1866
Mr. OLDS moved to amend the bill by striking there
from the following:
That the Secretary the Navy Is hereby directed forth
with give the notice provided in the first section Of the
entitled AN supply deficiencies in the appropriations
for the service Of the fiscal year ending thsh of june
thousand eight hundred and ffy-two approved the
twenty first day of july thousand eight hundred and
owance for the transportation Of the United States mail be-
tween New York and Liverpool in the Collins line Of steam
ers, as therein provided"
Mr. OLDS said that he made this motion not because
he favor Of continuing the increased compensation
allowed the Collins line by the last Congress- but be-
his construction of the statute that Con-
gress could not give the notice to terminate the arrange
ment for this additional allowance until the 81 st Deem
ber 1854. The Committee the Post Office and Post
Roads time since reported BILL not only give
this notice to the Collins line but to abolish all the
tracts for transportation Of the mail by mail steam
and to reet the in accordance with the usages
and regulations appertaning to the inland mail service
He hoped therefore, that his motion would be agreed to-
and at the next session the bill to which he had just
ferred could be taken up and acted upon The Govern
ment would lose nothing by this course the compen
saton for the present year must be paid and they would
get rid Of any doubtful construction of the statute.
Mr.. SHELTON opposed the motion of Mr.. OLDs, being
in favor of the notice proposed in that portion of the bill
moved to be stricken out for the that almost the
entire deficiency in the postal service Of the United States
from the extraordinary compensation paid
steamers for the transportation of the mails By erm
mating the contract with the Collins line the people
could have cheap postage at the rate Of cents
which would pay all the expenses for the transportation
Of the mail the Atlantic The interests Of the
country demanded that this contract should be abolished
Mr.. MORRISON moved to strike out the word forth
with in that portion of the bill embraced in the amend
ment Of Mr. OLDs which he said would enable the Sc
cretary Of the Navy to give this notice at legal time
Mr.. WALBRIDGE concurred with Mr.. OLDs that the
Government had no power at this time to terminate the
contract with the Collins line, and spoke Of the advan
tages of that line.
The amendment Of Mr. MORRISON was then rejected.
Mr. MACE expressed his surprise that only Eve minutes
debate allowed question Of SO much Importance
the country at large, and hoped that whenever the bill
abolish the present mail steam service should
come up full discussion would be allowed
Mr.. CLINGMAN opposed the motion Of Mr.. OLps, and
moved to add the part proposed to be stricken out the
following:
"Prosided further That the President shall endeavor by
treaty otherwise, to induce the British Government to
abandon in similar the subsidy paid the Cunard
line in which event the Postmaster General is instructed
take the necessary steps to get rid Of all existing contracts
with ocean steamers for the transportation of the mail
Mr.. JAMES G. ALLEN said, that if gentlemen
would look to facts and figures they appeared
cords within their reach who regarded the postal
interests Of the country could for favor the
continuance ofths line Each trip cost the Government
65S more than the Government received in tho way
Of postage.
Mr.. WAsHBURNE, of Maine, trusted that the COM
nttee would take no measure to suspend the contract
With this line, and I
Mr. MCQUEEN followed on the other side, contending
that the Collins company had not carried out their
tract with the Government.
Mr.. BANKS believed that the Government had the |
right to give the notice to terminate the arrangement
the additional allowance given to the Collins line by the
last Congress- but did think it would comport with
good faith to take such step at this time.
Mr.. STANTON of Tennessee referring to the charge
that these steamers could not be converted into
sels said he believed it universally admitted that
they the swiftest steamships in the world and
only the swifes but the strongest They stronger
Detter war VeSSel uOACeu
He had it from the lips of very distinguished officer Of
The navy Commodore Perry that the Of the
Collins line better adapted for vessels of than
any other steamers that foaed That officer had told
him that, if he had the choice of any vessel
steamer, he would take Of these 1t had been
renty reported that the Emperor Of Russia and the En-
peror of France had both made applications the Col
Inns line for the purchase Of Of their steamers for
war purposes; but this declined by the company
the ground that these vessels virtually at the
mand of the United States for purposes any time
and it therefore not in their power dispose Of them
He did not know whether this true but merely
mentioned it that those gentlemen who did know might
say whether or not it was correct
The debate continued at considerable length when
the amendment of Mr.. CLIaGaAN was rejected.
The question then taken the motion of Mr. OLDs
and it was decided in the negative: Ayes TO- noes r.
Mr. HAVEN moved to amend the first line of the clause
which the committee just refused to strike out by srk
ing out the word forthwith and inserting in lieu there
Of Immediately after the 31st day of December 1884,
He commended that the notice could be given before
that time. .
Mr.. HOUSTON replied; when the question was taken,
and the amendment was agreed to: Ayes so, noes 6l
Other amendments offered, but the following was
the only one adopted:
That the now subsisting for the transpor
tation of the mails from New York Liverpool and from
New York. via Southampton, to Bremen; from New York,
New Orleans, Charleston Savannah Havana and Chagres
and back and from Panama to California and Oregon and
back and from Charleston to Havana and back be term
mated in the opinion of the Postmaster General
be done consistently with the public interest and that
the Postmaster General shall give notice Of such termination
Provded That the opinion of the Postmaster
General with the of the Secretary of the Navy
and the Attorney General Of the United States the
be done without the violation of any contract lawfully
binding upon the United States; and that the transportation
Of the mails these lines be let TO the lowest responsible
bidders, after public advertisement"
The committee rose and reported the hill To the House.