Washington sentinel., 1854-06-29
C0mgressiOnaI.
THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
Senate, wednesday, june 2s, 1854.

Senate, wednesday, June %, 1854.
Mr.. PETIT made a personal explanation as
TO the report published in the Globe, OF the debate
of Monday last. On Monday last he had spoken
in not very complimentary terms Of the public
disavowal of any obligation TO the CONSTITUTIONS,
and in the official report of the remarks made by
him on that day, as published in the Globe. there
appeared an Interpolation of remarks made by
the senator from Massachusetts,, which We're
never made in the Senate, and had they been
made would have been false. That senator was
reported as saying in reply 10 the charge Of hav-
ing made such disavowal, as follows:
"Mr. SUMNER. said recognized no obli-
cation in the Constitution 10 bind me TO help 10
reduce man TO slavery.p'
The senator had never said SO; and if he had
done so, il would have been false, and would have
been responded to al once.
Mr.. SUMNER. call the senator to order.
say those words were uttered by me reported.
Mr.. PETIT said that he would prove in the
teeth of the assertion, that il was false.
He then proceeded 10 show that the remark was
never made on the floor of the Senate, but that
after the adjournment of the Senate, the gentle
man went to the reporter and had them interpo-
lated into his Mr.. P.'s) speech. He complained
OF this course OF proceeding. No senator had the
right 10 interpolate observations remarks in the
report of speeches Of other senator's. Ii il could
be done, any remarks, no matter how offensive,
could be thus thrust upon the record in the midst
OF senator's speech, and pass without any reply
peared to that statement because none was made
and could not have been made TO what was not
said
He said that on Monday night he obtained proof
sheets of his speech and in them was this state
ment; he said then il was false, and struck il
out; but the foreman OF that Office persisted in
putt.g it in, TO the Justification of the history of
what took place. t&E EA .4
The senator now called him to order for saying
these remarks were never made He would prove
. thnvr ,ot Jx. th.a., H.
Sutton, the reporter, who said that Mr.. SUMNER
called upon him after the adjournment on Monday
and inserted these remarks in the report, which
were not there before. M s
Mr.. SUMNkR repeated that the remarks were
published by him substantially as reported. He
said that his attention was called, by the reporter,
10 an interruption he had made in the remarks of
the Senator from Indiana, and that upon looking
at il, he found il TO be remark made by him in
his seat, and which he had not supposed was
heard by the reporter. The remark, as taken
down by the reporter, was not correct, and he
gave him the exact language he had used.
RAILROAD IN MINNESOTA.
The Senate then, on motion of Mr. STUART,
proceeded 10 consider the bill to aid the Territory
of Minnesota in the construction of railroad
therein and after explanation the bill was read
third time and passed &
FUGITIVE SLAVE Law. s
The Senate then proceeded TO consider the mo
tion 10 refer 10 the Committee on the Judiciary
the memorial from the citizens of Boston, praying
the repeal of the fugitive slave law.
Mr.. DIXON addressed the Senate for over an
hour in defence oflhe fugitive slave law, against
The spirit of disunion which dictated the resisi-
ance 10 il al the north, and in dsclaiming all
political connection with that portion of the whig
party at the north which had become SO effectu-
ally abolitionized.
A debate ensued as 10 whether the subject
should be postponed, and motion to that effect
was voted down. .atES is ts 81 lt
Mr.. MALLORY followed, and in the course Of
his remarks called attention TO the disavowal by
Mr.. SUMNER OF any obligation imposed by his oath
TO support the Constitution. ao1t R
Mr.. SUMNER called the Senator to order. He
had never said anything of the kind. ft
Mr.. MALLORY said he would not put into
dogs mouth anything which was unjust He
asked what the Senator did say. l3 ts
Mr.. SUMNER said he had said he recognized
no obligation upon him personally to assist in re-
turning or reducing man 10 slavery
Mr.. CLAY referred to what he considered un
blushing insoence of denial of the statement
made by him; denial contradicted by the reports,
and by the recollection OF the numerous Senators
near him. He regarded the qualification 10 the
remark as an afterlhought, and one inierpoated
into the reports. ts
Though the Senate might have no legal mea-
sures TO deal out TO the person guilty of moral per-
jury, Senators, by Withholding from such person
all social intercourse, and the courtesy of the bod,
would send the author of such an avowal TO COW
entry. He should be avoided as venomous
reptile. aae
MIR. SUMNER then replied for over two hours
IN repelllng the assaults upon him. and in reply TO
remarks by Messrs. PERTH, MAsoN BUTLER. and
CLAY. He also defended Massachusetts, and in
so doing wentpinto the history of South Carolina
from the days OF the revolution 10 the present day
He compared the number of troops furnished by
the southern States, with those furnished by the
north, holding the latter furnished more than double
the number. He placed himself on the ground
taken by General Jackson, that every public Off
Ger who takes an oath TO support the Constitution,
swears 10 support il as he understands il and not
as others do. assg .itr 8aa stH g,iati
He referred to the fugitive slave law and de-
nounced it; TO the author of that law and his plan
iation dictatorial assumed superiority, and de-
clared himself willing to submit TO comparison
with that senator.
Mr.. CLAY replied to some portion of the sena.
tors remarks
Mr.. BUTLER followed, and defended South
Carolina from the attack upon her history. He
repeated his former statement, that the independ-
ence Of the country was secured by slaveholding
States AT the time of the revolution Massachu
sets, Connecticut, New Jersey, NewYork Penn.
sylvanial Delaware and other more southern States
were all slaveholding States.
He called upon the senator to deny the fact.
Mr.. SUMNER said the northern ofthese States
were not generally considered slave States.
Slavery existed there rather by accident than by
positive adoption, as part of the system Of the
State.
Mr.. BUTLER said this denial was based like
all the other arguments Of the senator, upon a
false and fancied assumption Of facts. The error
OF the senator was too papably historical false to
require further argument
He said that the law had been executed in Bos-
ton, Massachusetts and Boston had vndcated
themselves, in spite of their misreprcscntng advo-
cate.
Mr.. BELL then gave his recollection Of the
debate on Monday, yielding the floor 10 Messrs
FEssESDEN, RUsK, SUMNER, CLAY, GILLETTE and
PETIT, who gave their rccoeclions OF H.
Mr.. SUMNER said that he understood the
question then propounded 10 him was, whether
he personally would aid in the arrest of fugitive
TO return him TO slavery
Mr.. TOUCEY said he would never hold a man
responsible for hasty declaration. He desired
the senator TO state now whether he recognized
any obligation 10 return fugitive slave.
Mr.. SUMNER. To which emphaticay an
swer, No.
The memorial was then referred, andthe Senate
ajourned.
House Of Representatives.
The SPEAKER laid before the House, COM
municaiion from the War Department, in COM
pliance with resolution calling for copies OF sur
veys Of the Ohio river, and especially near Ma
rieta laid on the table and ordered 70 De printed
PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.