The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-29

The appropriation of SIS 000 10 construct
bridge over the Potomac river, at the Little
Falls, three miles above Georgetown, proposed
by Mr.. Smith, Of Virginia was opposed by A.r
McMullen, who was in favor of no appropria
ton, but commended that bridge at George
town was more necessary, and would be built
The question was then taken by tellers, and
the appropriation was sdopted-yeas II, nays
So.
The appropriation of 100000 was moved by
Mr.. Chandler for the prosecution of the plan
of bringing water into the cities of Georgetown
and Washington, as already commenced under
the superintendent Of Captain Meiggs, of the
Engineer corps,- al. States army.
Mr. Chandler addressed the Committee in
recapitulation of the arguments heretofore
urged by him and others in support of the
measure.
Senate, Monday, June 20, 1854.
Mr. Clayton, from the Committee on Foreign
Relations reported bill making further pro
vision for the suppression Of the African slave
trade. He explained the bill, which provides
certain restrictions upon the right to charter
sell or transfer of American vessels in foreign
ports; and provides severe punishments fol
those who shall make such sale, sc, for thu
purpose Of allowing such vessel to make voy
ages to the coast of Africa.
Mr.. Chase gave notice that tomorrow he
would ask leave to introduce bill to prohibit
slavery in the Territories of the United States
The Senate then resumed the consideration
of the motion to refer to the Committee on the
Judiciary the petition presented by Mr.. Rock
well, signed by 1900 citizens of Massachu-
sets, praying the repeal of tho Fugitive Slave
| Law.
Mr.. Jones' of Tennessee then address ed the
Senate upon the subject Of the memorial He
said that if the memorial stood by itself, un.
connected with the circumstances he would
have had nothing to say. The right Of petition
was an undoubted one, and one for which he
had the highest respect. He believed that
even his Satanic Majesty had the right to send
up petition to that high Court which he had
insulted, and from which he had been hurled
By the motives and object of that petition il
was to be Judged. If these petitioners sought
the repeal of this law from considerations OF
public benefit, they were entitled to respect
but if their object was to promote mischief and
create discussion, then they deserve the most
universal contempt. This was not the first
petition on ths subject, and would not be the
last. There was an attempt to excuse this pc
tition on the ground Of the passage of the Ne
braska bill. But this could not be done
These petitions were part and parcel of the
concerted plan to keep alive agitation and wal
upon the South.
The prayer Of the memorialists had once
been attempted to be carried out and it had
received four votes in the Senate. Four Sena.
tors only had been found who would give the
sanction of their names to the unholy purpose
This was but one movement in a system oil
measures On the part Of the Northern fanatics
to tramplc down the Constitution of the United
States.
He referred to the character of the people
Of and the place whence the memorial came
Boston The blood of the first and the last mar.
tyrs to the cause OF freedom and the country
the blood Of Warren and Batchelder, now min
gle in that State.
He then took up the Address to the People
of the United States adopted at recent meet
ing of members of Congress who opposed the
Nebraska bill, and criticised and commented
upon the same with great severity of language
! and manner.
He advised the unknown author of it to
abandon politics and take to the rich field Of
fiction, and in time he bid fair to rival the au-
thor of the Arabian Nights Eugene Sue, and
other distinguished writers Of fiction.
He said he rejoiced to believe that not one
Southern man attended that meeting.
He repelled the intimation that the South
had any design to dissolve the Union, and pro-
noanccd it UNANIMOUSLY and wickedly false.
He did not consider the Union would con-
tinue one day after the repeal of the Fugitive
! Slave Law.
Mr. Rockwell replied, calmly defending the
memorialists. All they asked was the repeal
of an act of Congress, only four years old.
| Was there treason In that
H. v.flonan of tho 0raat and m
creasing feeling created at the North, by the
repeal Of the Missouri Compromise.
Mr.. Jones responded
House of Representatives, June %, 1854.
Mr. Houston moved that the House go into
Committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union.
Mr. Benton arose to question of privilege
and would read the exposition of the point he
would make, which was expressed in series
Of resolutions
The Speaker ruled these resolutions out OF
order.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole, and the Mexican Treaty appropriation
bill was taken up
MIR Houston briefly remarked that, as it was
his purpose to move to close the debate on this
BIZ on Tuesday or Wednesday, he would not
Mr.. G. w Jones moved to strike cut the enact
ing clause He said he did this, not to defeat the
bill, but to prevent motions for its amendment.
He would vote for the bill, not because the Ex-
ecutive wished it, but because the treaty re-
peals the 1th article of the treaty of Guada-
lupe Hidalgo and would thus relieve US of re-
sponsibiity for Indian depredations upon Mex
leo.
Mr.. Grow obtained the floor, and yielded it
to Mr.. Benton.
Mr. Benton addressed the House at length,
affirming that the right and duty of tho Rep
rescntatives of the people to control the treaty
making power of the country by means of its
scrutiny, in voting appropriations, was one of
the most important privileges it possessed un-
der the Constitution; and he averred that this
was especially and emphatically true in extra
ordinary instances like the present.
Mr.. Benton deliberately reviewed the ques-
ton, historically, referring to precedents in
England, and in the annexation Of Louisiana,
Florida, &C., in this country.
He showed, by reference to the Message of
the President, that 80 important an act as the
annexation of any region of country, with its
population, was the work of the Executive
That Message, he affirmed, was nothing but
demand for the check of the House OF Repre-
sentatives. The appropriation was aneeessa-
~" the President thinks, and We are called upon
to act. An obligation is laid upon US, and
then we are asked to consider it
Mr.. b. alluded to certain negotiations re-
speeding Pacific railroad through Mexico, ON
private account, and said that we were asked
to pay ten millions for what Mr.. K. j. Walker