The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-07-06

ted to Mr.. Sumner, of denying any obligation
upon him to execute the Constitution In return
ing fugitive to slavery.
MIR. Sumner commenced at little after two
in a most fervent and eloquent manner, pow,
erful reply to the abuse thrown upon him, and
in defence of his position in opposition to the
Fugitive Slave Law. He placed himself on the
broad ground taken by General jackson, that
each public oficar who takes an oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United States
swears to support it as he understands it and
not as others understand it,
No Senator dissented from this doctrine de
could not be expected to understand the Con-
stitution as the Senator from South Carolina,
who understood it as including whole host OF
bloodhounds, paving to get loose their hinder
parts.
He is still speaking.
House of Representatives., June 2S, 1884.
The Speaker laid before the House q COM
munication from the War Department, trans
hitting, In response to a resolution OF the
House of goth June a copy of Fuller.s Report
of the Survey of the Ohio River. Laid on the
table, and ordered to be printed
The Speaker announced the business before
the House to be the bill to provide weekly
mail service between the Atlantic ports and
San Francisco.
Mr.. Skelton by consent introduced bill
for the better protection of life and property
on the coast of the United States which was
referred to the Committee on Commerce, and
ordered to be printed.
Messrs. Cobb, Haven, McDougal, McMul-
len, Olds, Chamberlain, and Mace, debated the
motion to reconsider the vote ordering the
California mail bill to be read third time.
This motion was made for the purpose OF
amending the BILL and the debate took in its
scope, to some extent, the amendments pro-
posed which, however, were not important
The vote was recons;dered, and the amend
ments adopted.
Upon the question, '"Shall the bill be read
a third time?"
The yeas and nays being called for,
Mr.. Bridges moved to lay the bill on the
table; upon which motion the yeas and nays
were ordered, and the result was-yeas "a,
nays 20.
4 Mr. McDougal moved to reconsider the vote.
Mr.. Letcher moved to lay that motion on
the table
Mr. McDougal moved that the House go
into Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. Letcher's motion was decided in the af-
frmatiye-yeas 70, nays 48. So the bill may
be regarded as defeated.
This bill would authorize the Postmaster
General to contract with the lowest and best
bidder, after the usual advertisement, for the
transportation of the mails to and from New
York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, and from
New Orleans to San Francisco, by the most
expeditions practicable route; the service to be
performed semi-monthly, and at such times as
in connexion with other mail service, as at
present, will secure as near as practicable, q
weekly mail, each way, between the points de-
signated; the entire cost Of such service not
to exceed two hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars per annum.
Ga motion of Mr.. Phelps, the House resolv-
ed itself into Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union, (Mr. Olds in the chair)
The consideration of the ten million appro-
priation bill was then resumed.
Mr.. Jones withdrew his motion to strike out
the enacting clause.
Mr. Houston addressed the House, first caus-
ing to be read by the Clerk, a resolution adopt
ed by Congress in 1896, as expressive of his
views on the duty of the House.
He responded to the remarks of Messrs.
Benton, Haven and Peckham, relative to the
absence Of documents, and alleged that they
had not made q call for such information when
they could have done 80.
Mr.. Haven replied, that when the bill was
brought up, Mr.. Houston, by bis own motion,
made call for correspondence impossible
MIR. Houston proceeded at length, refusing
to yield the floor to the opponents of the pend
ing measure.
The House bill to change the annual meet
ing of Congress to the first Monday in Novem-
Der was rejected in the Senate-yeas Is,
nays 33.
In the House, yesterday, Mr.. Richardson de-
nounced in severe terms the author and pub
fishers of despatch from this city, accusing
him of fraudulcntly retaining the "Clsyton
amendment in the Kansas Nebraska bill
The debate on the Ten Million Appropria-
ton continued until eight o'clock in the even
ing, when the Committee rose, and the House
adjourned.
Senate, Thursday June 90, 1854.
Mr.. Fessenden presented petition from
New Hampshire, praying for the repeal of the
Fugitive Slave Act. He said this memorial
was not open to the objections, on the score of
locality, which had been urged against the
Boston memorial. This was signed by all
the legal voters of the town of Milford, New
Hampshire, the birthplace of the President
Referred
Mr. Sumner presented the memorial of the
men of the town of Pepperel Massachusetts,,
praying the repeal of the same unrighteous,
inhuman, and barbarous, act. This memorial
came from the home of Prescott, who COM
manded at Bunker Hill. The gentleman who
sent it to him signed himself Hunker Demo
crat of the olden time. Referred.
On motion of Mr.. Gwin, the Senate pro-
ceeded to the consideration of the bill to estab-
Ill 1c L~k.
and Shanghai, via the Sandwich Islands and
Japan.
Mr. Seward addressed the Senate in support
of the bill; after which, it was postponed
The bill appropriating 5000 600, to carry
out the treaty with Mexico, was received from
the House.
Mr.. Hunter moved to proceed to the consid-
Grafton of the said bill.
MIR. Shields demanded an Executive session
on that motion which was conceded and the
doors were closed.
House Of Representatives., June 90, 1854.
MIR. Faulkner after brief explanation con-
corning the condition of the business before
the Military Affairs Committee, asked leave to
move to make the bills for the improvement Of
the condition of the army the special order for
the 9Th of July, proximo.
But objection being made, leave was not
granted.
Mr.. Mace asked leave to make personal
explanation, which, he remarked, was due to
himself and MIR. Richardson, of Illinois and
leave being granted Mr.. M. proceeded to ex.
plain that he was in no way responsible for a
dispatch to the New York Times, accusing MIR
Richardson of perpetrating frauds in incorpo
rating provisions in the Nebraska bill, sc.
The billto change the posta rates was then
taken up.