Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-26
CONGRESS-.
rHIarY THIRD coSGRess--TIRsT SESSION
senate, Monday, June 2s, 1854.


Senate Monday, June 26, 1854.
Mr.. Bell presented a number of resolutions
of the Legislature of Tennessee, praying re-
peal Of the duty on railroad iron, or the sus-
pension Of its collection for two years after the
completion Of the road in favor Of the con-
struction Of railroad to the Pacific; praying
that measures be taken to level the east bank
Of the Mississippi; in favor Of granting bounty
land to the Tennessee mounted volunteers of
the war Of 1912; in favor of ma king the same
allowances for horses, &C., lost during the Mex
can war, that is now allowed in cases of other
wars; and, also, in favor Of cheap ocean poet
age.
Several other memorials in favor of cheap
ocean postage were presented.
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 for
those who shall make such sale, sc, for the
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
Mr. Johnson from the Committee on Print
ing, reported favorably, with motion to print
1000 copies of the House document in relation
to the Black Warrior affair; and the report
was agreed to.
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-
setts, praying the repeal of the Fugitive Slave
Law.
Mr.. Jones, Of Tennessee, then addressed the
Senate upon the subject Of the memorial He
said that if the memorial stood by ITSELF I'M
connected with the circumstances, he would
have had nothing to say. The right of petition
was an uDdoubted one, and one for which he
had the highest respect. He believed that
even his Satanic Majesty had the right to send
up a petition to that high Court which he had
insulted, and from which he had been hurled
By the motives and object of that petition it
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 this 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 war
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 q system of
measures, on the part of the Northern fanatics,
to trample 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.
lie then took up the Address to the People
of the United States, adopted at o recent meet
ing of members of Congress who opposed the
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 writer's of fiction.
He said he rejoiced to believe that not one
Southern man attended that meeting.
He repealed the intimation that the South
had any design to dissolve the Union, and pro-
nounced it UNANIMOUSLY and wickedly false.
He did not consider the Union would con-
tinuo one day after the repeal Of the Fugitive
Slave Law.
Mr.. Rockwell replied calmly defending the
memorialsts. All they asked was the repeal
of an act of Congress, only four years old.
Was there treason in that
He warned gentlemen Of the great and in
crcasing feeling created at the North, by the
repeal Of the Missouri Compromise.
Mr., Jones responded.