Washington sentinel., 1854-02-26


Petitions against the repeal of the Missouri
compromise, were presented by Messrs. FEssEN-
DEN, COOPER, and BRoDHEAD
RIVERS AND HARBoRs.
On motion of Mr.. STUART, the Senate pro-
ceeded 10 the consideration ofthe resolution direct
ing the Committee on Commerce OF the Senate
70 report without delay bill making appropriation
for the improvement Of rivers and harbors.
Mr.. HAMLIN said the attendance Of senators
was small; the question an important one, and ne
hoped it would be postponed till next week
Mr. STUART said that there was no use in
keeping mp the system Of appropriations for I'M
provcments Of rivers and harbors, Il the appropri-
ations were so wide apart as TO be useless. There
. was no probability that any bill would pass the
House at this session and reach the Senate till a
late period. He saw no reason why the Senate
should not exercise its own unquestionabe right
Mr. CASS agreed with his colleague He was
in favor of continuing these improvements by the
general government He had radical objections
10 the transfer of such duty to the States and 10
the evying Of tonnage duties
Mr.. BENJAMIN referred to the beneficial eff
feet produced by the appropriation last year of
$4,000 for the improvement of the navigation of
the mouth the Mississippi, and TO the probability
that all the good accomplished would be lost un-
less an additional one was made this session.
Mr.. HAMLlN said that he desired that the reso-
luton should be postponed till Tuesday, because
it proposed change of the universal practice of
originating all appropriation bills in the House
Several senators desired to be heard before the
matter was decided by the Senate.
The resolution was then postponed till Tuesday
next.
THAMES OF CONGRESS.
On motion by Mr.. SHIELDS, the Senate pro-
ceeded to the consideration Of the joint resolution
providing for suitable acknowledgements TO the
commanders and crews of the vessels who so
gallanty and humanely aided in the rescue Of
those on board the wreck Of the steamer San
Francisco. The resolution was considered in
COMMITTEES Of the Whole, and reported to the SEN
ate. II was then on motion postponed, in conse-
quence of the absence of Mr.. GwIN, who had some
objections to the resolution.
FOREIGN ALLIANcEs-cUBA.
Mr.. CASS. Mr.. President, have observed to-
day article in one of the London papers which
I desire to bring to the attention oft The, Senate
refer TO speech delivered by Lord Clarendon the
British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, from
which will read lew lines. 1t is one Of the
most extraordinary declarations that has been
made in my day. What Lord Clarendon said, is
this; after speaking Of the good understanding be-
tween England France, connected with the Turk
ish question, he adds:
"yonr ordshp will be glad also to hear that the union
two Is not confined to the eastern ques
tion, that the habit Of good understanding between
them has become general all matters of policy and
Of policy there Is no part Of the world in either hemis
phere with regard to which we not entirely In accord
Now, there is no misunderstanding that state
ment. 1t is intended 10 be notice TO us that
France and England have come to an agreement
with respect TO the schemes o. aggrandizement of
the United States, and mean to stop it. II means
Cuba. It means any place where we wish to pro-
cure the acquisition of territory.
1t is useless, Mr.. President, for US to tamper
any longer with these questions. II is useless to
say that we shall not take our place among the
nations of the world, and to declare, when inter-
polations are made into the system Of the law of
nations, regulating the powers of the world, that
we have no rightto be heard. How an entanging
alliance is made by the declaration of the Ameri-
can republic that the powers ofthe earth have no
right TO interpolate foreign and tyrannica sys-
tenn into the laws of nations, cannot see. Mr..
President, we shall have TO come to this point. |
have no doubt that the President and his cabinet
are well disposed. have no doubt that they will
take high ground, and support it with all the
means in their power; but they want more than
that they want the moral support Of the Ameri-
can legislature; they want the moral support of
the American people; and that support should be
given by our declaration. The sooner we make
it the better.
Mr. MASON. The paragraph from the speech
Of Lord Clarendon, to which the honorable sena-
tor REFERS had not escaped my attention. Whether
it is meant 10 Indicate at any time, or forany pur-
pose, any interference with the purposes of this
government, do not know; but it is certainly
unnecessary to place any probable construction
on the paragraph, SO far as Cuba is concerned,
because this country has been distinctly informed,
months ago between the two ministers of France
and England and our then Secretary Of State,
when the Secretary Of State declined the propo-
sition Of the tripartite convention, the two gov
ernments of France and England would consider
themselves thereby committed to the position
which they occupied in the correspondence which
was commenced, and gave notice that whenever
the occasion arrived, they would be found united; !;
SO that we have had fair notice. should say,
then, "forewarned, forearmed
Mr. REII. How have w prOfted bV that
notice?
Mr.MASON. We have profted, so far as / am
informed, by remaining, as we onght TO remain,
silent and quiet. do not know what sort of ac-
tion the senator from Michigan proposes on the
part of the government on the part of the
Committee on Foreign Relations but should
rather apprehend, in the present state of public
affairs, this country profoundly at peace, holding
her, usual commercial intercourse with the
tions abroad, that if proposition Of that kind had
come from any senator further south, it would
have been looked upon as a sort of "abstracton."
When the case occurs in tangible form, appre-
hend this government will be prepared to meet il /;
.and for one, am prepared to say that any inter-
ference Of any description with the action Of this
government upon this continent - considering
South America, and the islands dependent, as a
part of til feel satisfied, from what know of
the feelings of the American people, will be re-
sisted by the whole powers of the country. But
at present am not aware of any.
Mr.. CASS. The senator asks me what / would
do? will tell him. would pass just such res
olutions these, and support them to the last
tremity. When so many people around us are
struggling to obtain their liberty, and when liberty
has not a friend in the world except this single
country, and declarations are made that set at
nought the public opinion of the world, we are
told that we must not counteract them, because
1t will be an abstraction.
We might as well call the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence an abstraction. Such measure this
is not an abstraction. To foresee storm is TO be
prepared for it. Declare your principles TO the
world. Let them know what you will do when
the time to do il. That is what should do.
We should take our position and maintain il.
The honorable senator from Tennessee put
very searching and touching question. What
good that notice had done? France and England
have said what they would do. Have we
said that we We're dissatisfied What ground
have we taken? would lei them know exactly
what we would do; that is to say, would lei them
know what our rights What we would do
L.. 4