Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-07-08
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.


In parting with this body tender its members my sincere
wish for their prosperity and welfare
For yourself, sir believe me truly, &c. G. DEAN
The communication was laid the table and ordered
to be printed
The SPEAKER also laid before the House o commune
cation from the Treasury Department, relating to the
leases made with the Bank of Commerce and the Bank OF
the State Of New York for their respective hudngs for
the of the assay Office in the city New York which
referred the Committee Of Ways and Means and
ordered to be printed
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The House then resumed the consideration of the bill
granting lands equally the several States to aid tho
construction Of railroads and for the support schools
Mr. BENNETT said that the bill proposed to give the
old States some share Of the public lands They were
obtained for the benefit Of oil the States and this the
only principle asserted by this bill, and the which
passed the House during the last Congress- The
under consideration only proposed to carry ont the
pledge given by the United States that the public do
main should be held and used fund for the
common benefit Of all the States and upon the
faith of that pledge and upon that express condition that
the old States ceded all their claims TO the public lands
the Government As to the residue Of these lands they
been purchased and paid for by all the States the
Old States however paying by far the greater propor
ton of their expenses Under such Of facts in
sis that the old States had no interest in this
treasure was strange and remarkable.
Instead of answering the arguments which had been
presented in support OF the bill its opponents had thrown
al kinds of denuncaion and abuse upon those who sup
portedit. As illustration of this kind of answer
to proposition plain and just he would refer to the
speech Of the gentleman from Ohio, (Air DIsyRY lie
would proceed to that Speech which put
forward n correction of what he had said, and would
show that it contained false and untrue statements
(Which the language used by the gentleman in refer
to his remark than ether speech he had ever
heard
Mr. b. accordingly replied at length to the arguments
of Mr. DISNEY against the BILL and proceeded to show
wherein that gentleman erred in his statements.
Without concluding the consideration Of the bill
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.
! On motion Of Mr.. HOUSTON, the Hoase went into
Committee of the Whole the state of the Union Mr.
ORR, of South Carolina, in the char and resumed the
consideration of the bill making appropriations for the
civil and diplomatic expenses OF the Government for the
year ending June 30 1855.
Mr. CHANDLER had heretofore offered amendment
appropratng $500 600 for the continuation Of the works
to supply the city Of Washington with water which Mr.
GREENwooD had moved to amend by adding thereto
proyso that portion of this amount shall be applied
unless the Corporations of Georgetown and Washington
shall appropriate and pay equal to onefh of the
amount required to construct the dam, aqueduct
voir and other works necessary to bring water into the
city of Washington.
The question was taken on the amendment of Mr..
GREENwoop, and il WAS agreed to: Ayes I5 Al
Mr.. OLDS moved to amend the amendment Of Mr..
CHANDLER just amended by adding thereto the fol-
lowing:
"Pouded That part of this appropriation shall be
pended unless of contract to be entered into
for the furnishing Of all the materials labor TOOLS
chnery Of every descriptions and matter and thing
mastery and work manlike manner after FIRST ting pro-
poals for sixty days in the daily journals Of this and
other cities throughout the nioa the advertisement call
for proposals for the Great Falls work. reported and
commended by Lieut. NJ c. Meigs tho Rock Creek work.
reported and recommended BY COL Geo. w Hughes and
for lifting by steam weterpowe from the Potomac Rock
Creek less than nine millions of gallons of pure
daily Sufficient for three hundred thousand inhabitants and
eeyang the to convenient location at near
Georgetown hundred and fifty feet above high tide
distributing reservoir which shall contain not less than y
millions gallons And it further proy cd that persons
proposing shall accompany their bids with the of
two responsible suretie who will into bond with
that the work shall be completed within
1 We
after its completion the President the United States to
such plan aud rs in his Judgment IS best for
the Government after first submitting them board of
three civil engineers who shall report opinion their
relative merits il writing as to which plan is the best for the
interests Of tho Governments Propded FURTHER That the whole
cost docs not exceed the Of il the Great Falls
project is adopted s80ooo0 if the Rock Creek project
adopted, and 100000 the project to lift by
is adopted"
Mr.. Obs explained his amendment How, he nqur-
ed, can we go home to our constituents and tell them
have made this appropriation towards the introduction of
pure water into this city, when have that the
work now in progress will cost six millions of
dollars to be taken out Of the Treasury of the United
States? IT, however, contract should be made with
sponsble persons for the completion of the work in
workmanke manner within the estimate Of the engineer
they could justify themselves. His amendment
not to defeat this work. but its completion with
in the estimate of Capt. Meigs, S. 100000
Mr. CRAlGE felt the utmost confidence that this work
could be constructed within the estimate of Capt Meigs
He had examined that estimate and the work ITSELF
it had progressed and he felt the greatest confidence
in The calculations of the engineer He opposed
the amendment Of the gentleman from Ohio the Presi
dent had under act of Congress- selected the
plan in preference the Rock Creek and Little Falls pro-
jects Gentlemen should give the data upon which this
work was to cost six millions of dollars.
The question then taken on the amendment of Mr..
Obs, and it was rejected: Ayes %, noes 60.
Mr.. SMITH, Of Virginia, then moved to amend the
amendment Of Mr.. CHANDLER amended on motion of
Mr.. Greenwood by adding thereto the following:
"Procided, That of the money hereby appropriated
shall be expended in the constru ton of said work
tracts shall be entered into by the President Of the United
States with good and responsible PERSONS with good and
sufficient surtes for such portions Of tee work
ed and materials to be furnished will in his opinion
the faithful completion Of tho work upon the plan above
fcred to for the Of $4,000 900, ies within
carcd to be the true intent and meaning the Con-
gress under which the President adopted said plan for bring
ing ter into the city of Washington that the sole and
usive of the be brought by said aqueduct is
for the purpose of the Government establishments in the said
city, to the extent they may require il; and the cities Of
Washington and Georgetown and the inhabitants thereof
may upon such and conditions and uldcr such Iegua
on may hereafter be pr scribed by act of Congress-
the surplus Preceded That the whole expense of the
additional pipes necessary the distribution shall be borne
exclusively bs the Corporations of said cities erectyey
iad 5rori1R further Thu twenty per cent the work
done each shall be retained until the completion
| OF the contract
Mr.. S. said that his amendment would headoiT Madam
Rumcr by spuating that this work should be contracted
for within the estimates OF Capt Megs SO Madam Ru-
NOR would die should his amendment be inserted He
hoped when the bill should be reported to the House. the
amendment of Mr.. GnEESwooD would be rejected
MIR STANTON, Of Tennessee opposed the entire ap-
rronration. the that this work woull