Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-01-12
From Washington.
Thirty-Third Congress- First
Session.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81.
HOUSE.

The Speaker laid before the House
report from The Superintendent Of the
coast survey.
The committee on Printing was in
slrucied 10 consider the propriety of
| printing 10000 copies thereof.
| Mr.. hendricks rose 10 present The
| proceedings and a memorial Of large
meeting held al Indianapolis, relative TO
the instructions 10 travel and commerce
by .he citizens ni Erie; lie SAID, he had
not filed the papers with the clerk of The
House, brcause of the dis nguished
charncter OF the persons "ho took part
IN The proceedings, and the Importance
of the sublect-he wished the subject to
be brough, directly before the House-i,
is no, one OF local interest nor of The
citizens Of Erie and the railroad com
pany; New York and all The Yves, have
an interest in it. For many days arm
ed companies of men. threats, violence
and bloudshed have hello and obslructed
one of the great channels OF commerce
between The Eas, and West II a com
pany of six, seven or eight hundred men
had invaded our borders, interrupted our
commerce, stopped our mails and hind.
cred iniercommuicalion of our people,
the men OF the whole company would
have been a. once arrested-the same
section of the constitution which conlers
the power on this government to repel
in,aslons is equally applicable in This
case-she country believes in the oblga
ton TO suppress insurrec,on-h would
not say, however, whether this mrve-
ment was strictly Df that character, thai
comes within The provision of the con
stilu'lnn. bat he would say that his sec.
ton of the country was interested in
having commerce free on the routes OF
traffic. liz moved that the memorial be
referred 10 The committee on Military
Affairs.
Mr.. McNair remarked tha, the Lpgis
Iaiure OF Pennsylvania was about to as.
semble, and would doubtless take the
matter into consideration, so far as E.ie
is concerned; and no action, therefore is
necessary here. lie had no doubt ,ha.
the Governor would make meulinn of il
IN his message, and he was satisfied 'hal
Pennst lvania would settle The question
as relates TO Erie.
! Mr.. Richie, Of Pennsylvania, remark
ed THAI This subject should no, have been
brought here al all as It was now before
the Supreme court of Pennsy lyania aud
the Uni!ed States Great for the ives ern
district of tina, State. These Courts
had ample Jurisdiction. The gentleman
from Indiana vas in error; the facts were
simply these: the railroad passes thro'
The county oil Erie, and company was
authorized by law to build the gaage four
feet eigh, inches, and The company in
defiance of this laid down guage of six
feet, and therefore was the aggressor.-
lie understood that The people of Erie
are acting under legal advice. and there
would no. be the slightest difficulty in
enforcing The decree of The Court. The
proceedings of the Indiana meeting were
based on entire misrepresentation.
Mr.. Boy &c said: This is one Of those
accidents to which your are subject, be
cause you have no, the institution of
slavery; il We can do any thing to aid
you, we will, for we Of the South are
conservatives; We can only Offer you our
sympaIbies-is is one of the mi slorlunes
TO which you are exposed by having
your white population made up Of free
men. Laughter.
i Mr.. Deck begged to present history
of the difficulties, but the question of
order was raised, and he was denied The
privilege.
The memorial was referred, under the
rule, TO the committee of Military affairs.
Mr.. Houston, from the committee Of
Ways and Means. moved thai The esli
mates for the river and barbor bill be
transferred TO The committee Of Com
cree.
Mr.. Ewing moved the committee Of
Roads and Canals as an amendment. -
He observed that that committee was
COMPOSED of majority of members
living in the Mississippi valley, and il
4 was due 10 tie Wes, that such reference
| should be made. Nine tenths Of The
appropriations heretofore have been di.
vided as spols among the Atlantic States.
Our President has never lived in the
West. and therefore finds i, impossible
10 sympa.hize with the people of the
Mississippi valley; he therefore claimed
il as right tina. the subject should be re-
ferred 10 committee favorable TO appIo-
pria,ions for tina, section of the country.
The further consideration OF the sub
jec. was postponed ill Friday next, and
The House adjourned