Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-15
CONGRESS-.
THIRTY TnlRp coNoR tss--YIRsr SESSION
Senate, Wednesday, FEB. is, 1854.


The Chair laid before the Senate Lieutenant
of the exploration Of the valley Of the Amazon.
Ordered to be printed
MIR. Fish presented the remons.rance of the
Society Of Friends Of New York, against the
passage Of any act allowing an extension Of
the area Of Slavery
House bill for the relief of John O. Mears
was reported, taken up, and passed.
Mr.. Dawson reported q bill comforting addi-
tional powers on the Corporation Of Washing
ton
Mr. Hamlin reported the bill to abolish ton
mage duties on Spanish vessels.
Mr.. Everett introduced bill to recompense
the discoverer Of the anesthetic agent used in
surgery
Mr. Stuart submitted resolution, directing
the Committee on Commerce to report without
delay bill making appropriations for the i'm
provement Of rivers and harbors. Laid over.
Mr. ,Rusk introduced bill to provide for the
surviving officers Of the Texas navy.
The French Spoliation bill, which was yes
terday ordered to be engrossed for q third read
ing was taken up and passed--yeas ~, nays
is.
The following bills wero severally taken up
and passed:
A bill to establish land district in Florida,
to be called Tampa District
A bill constituting San Pedro, in California
port of entry.
A bill ceding to Ohio the public lands in that
State remaining unsold and unappropriated on
the 3lst Of March, 1854.
A bill relinquishing to the city of Dubuque,
Iowa, certain land occupied as grave yard.
A bill establishing Pilatka and Bayville,
Florida, ports Of delivery
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill to establish o Territorial Government for
Nebraska.
Mr. Houston said that, though yet extreme
ly unwell he would, If possible, conclude his
remarks to-day. He would do SO, though he
could not understand that there was any public
interests requiring urgency in the passage of
this bill. He thought that the boundaries Of
Kansas might be SO fixed as not to include
them within any Territorial Government
He repeated his views of the high character
Of the Indians for honor and probity, and as
serted that no instance could be found wherein
the indians had ever broken treaty. He was
for civilizing and Outstanding the Indians.
He was opposed to the bill because it connect
ed three great subjects into one bill These
subjects were Nebraska, where no sufficient
population existed the Kansas Territory,
which was entirely Indian country; and the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise
He read a letter published in the Richmond
Enquirer, in which his opposition to the bill
was anticipated and denounced. He replied to
the charges, and said that he would not de-
grade himself to the level of the writer by
hating him.
He was opposed to all the provisions Of this
bill relating to the Indians; and if anythingi in
the bill could be more repuguant to him than
those provisions, it was the one relating to the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise He was
opposed to the repeal of that measure because
we had always stood upon it. He stood upon
it on the Oregon bill, and the South had sus-
tanned him. That Compromise formed partof
the supreme law Of Texas. He stood firmly
upon the Compromise acts of 1850. He was
the only Senator now present who had voted
for every measure embraced in the Compro-
mise of 1850. In voting for il, he never sup
posed he was voting for repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise. Il was fnality Of this
Slavery agitation. II had been 80 accepted
and approved by the people Of the United
States. Would not the repeal Of the Missouri
compact lead to excitement and agitation If
one compact was to be set aside, was it not On
authority and sanction for tramplng the other
under foot?
Though party lines no longer existed to any
great extent he would support this Admins
tration by voting against this bill, on the prin-
oiples avowed by the President in his letter &C
cepting the nomination at the hands of the
Convention at Baltimore That Convention
laid down platform, that the Democratic
party would forever resist slavery agitation in
any shape or form.
The President endorsed this resolution so
did the candidate for Vice President. He read
the resolutions Of the Baltimore platform, and
the letters Of Messrs Pierce and King, and CON-
tended that in preserving this compact, he was
supporting the principle Of non-agitation Of
Slavery then svowed by them.
The South had not asked for this measure.
IL would be no benefit 10 the South. IL would
be measure which would apply the knife 10
the throat CT the South. He came into Con-
gress, over thirty years ago, upon this Missouri
Compromise. There were but three in Congress
now, who were then in Congress-they were
Messrs Benton, Everett and himself
He continued his remarks till haltpast two.
The question was then taken on Mr.. Doug
lass amendment to the 18th section, and il was
agreed to-yeas 35, nays 10.
Mr.. Chase then submitted On amendment,
to the effect that the people Of the Territory,
through their appropriate Representatives
may, II they see 6t prohibit the existence Of
Slavery therein"
Mr. Pratt proposed to amend by inserting
cor permit after the word prohibit; !" pend
ing the consideration Of which, our report
closed.
House Of Representatives, Feb is, 1854.
After our report had closed yesterday, Mr..
SHELTON, Of New Jersey, made in Committee Of
the Whole, very earnest and effective speech
in opposition TO the Nebraska Bill
The Speaker laid before the House DOM.
munication from the Treasury Department,
transmitting report relative to receipts of
customs.
Mr.. Cobb, Of Alabama, asked leave to pre-
sent an amendment 10 the Homestead bill, and
that il should be printed; which was agreed
to; whereupon, several members gave notice Of
their intention to move amendments and sub
stitutes. which were all referred TO the Com.