Washington sentinel., 1854-02-24
C0ngressi0naI.
THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
senate-Thursday, February 23. 1854.

Senate-Thursday, February 23, 1854.
/ The CHAIR laid before the Senate commu.
nIcaton from the Secretary Of the Interior, in re-
ply 10 resolution of the Senate, as to what course
was necessary for the completion of the insane
hospital for the District Of Columbia.
| CREDENTIALS OF SENATOR'S.
Mr.. HAMLIN presented the credentials of the
Hon WM. PITr FEssENDEN, senator elect from the
State OF Maine, for six years. from March g. 1858
Mr.. T. appeared and was sworn.
Mr. SHIELDS presented the credentials Of the
Hon. STEPHEN A. DoUGLAs as senator from the
state OF illinois, for six years, from the Sd oi
| March, 1853
/ Mr.. d. was sworn at the special session Of the
Senate last March.
ATMOSPHERIC TELEGRAPH.
| MIR. SHIELDS presented the memorial of the
inventor OF the atmospheric telegraph, proposing
TO test his invention for the length of ten miles,
and asking an appropriation Of five thousand dol
lars for that purpose. Referred to a select COM
| mttee.
| MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
Messrs. SEWARD, CHASE, and FOOT pre-
sented remonstrances against the repeal of the
Missouri compromise.
RELIGIOUS ToLERATIoN.
| Mr.. JONES' of Tennessee, presented the me-
moral OF a Baptist convention of Tennessee spray
ing that religious freedom may be secured 10 Amer
| leans in foreign countries.
| Mr. CASS. Mr.. President, l have a petition
| TO present, which Is but the forerunner of many
others. II asks the interposition of this govern
| ment with foreign powers, where such nterposi-
| ton is required, in order to secure 10 American
| citizens abroad the enjoyment of religious wor-
| ship while living, and place Of sepulture and
| the right of Christian burial when dead And
| strange is il that such demands are rendered ne
| cessary by the arrogance Of earthly presumption
| in this day of knowledge and of searching in
| curry. But so 1t is, and public opinion in this
xlz
tion, and il is time that our voice should be heard
| and needed. The freedom Of religious worship
is a subject which belongs to the kingdom of God
and not 10 the kingdom of man, and no human
ruler can interfere with it without equal injustice
and presumption.
OF course we claim no right to interpose be-
tween other governments and their own people,
except indeed, the right of judgment and of con-
demnaton common TO all countries not crushed
by the foot OF the oppressor when such acts of re-
voting tyranny occur to shock the feelings of
mankind But when American citizens are the
sufferers it is the undeniabe duty of this govern
ment to take all such measures are justified by
the laws OF nations to insure their protection and
| the exercise OF rights which ought to be wholly
without the scope of political institutions as they
are without their just authority. propose, sir, at
some convenient time, when the Senate is less
engaged than at present, to move the reference
to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the ex-
ceent report made last session upon similar petit
lf.
wood now no longer among us, and upon that oc-
casion shall ask to be heard in relation to this
general subject. Independent of the momentous
| principles involved in IT, and which Of them
selves furnish sufficient motive for their ex-
| animation, / have another, which is personal to
| myself
1t will probably be recollected by some of the
| senators that submitted few remarks TO this
body when the question was first before us. Our
proceedings, and particularly my share of them
with h,,A ;a
Hughes, IN a letter signed by himself and pub
lished in the papers after our adjournment / do
not object at all TO that course though certainly
must have been greatly misunderstood, Judging
by some Of the sentiments imputed to me. Now,
sir, propose, not so much to review the review,
as TO redeem myself from misapprehension and to
reassert and maintain my true views. And while
shall execute this task with all the respect due
to the personal character and to the high position
Of this distinguished prelate, shall do il with the
freedom which belongs equally TO the subject and
to my own position member of this depository
of so much of the national power. move the
reference of this petition 10 the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
BILLS PASSED.
MIR. JOHNSON reported bill for the relief of
settlers upon public lands reserved by acts grant
ing land for railroad purposes; which was taken
up and passed.
Mr.. PEARCE reported Joint resolution ac-
cepting certain volumesthe reports Of the juries,
Fair at London--presented by her Britannia ma
Jesty's governmental the United States and the
same was considered and passed.
BILLS INTRODUCED.
Mr. PEARCE introduced bill providing for
re-examlnation of the accounts between the United
States and the State of Maryland. Referred.
Mr. BRODHEAD introduced joint resolution
authorizing the late experimenting clerk of the
census (Mr. Kennedy TO use certain statistics in
the census Office in the preparation Of private
work. Referred.
NEBRAsKA--sLAyERY.
On motion Of Mr.. DOUGLAS, the Senate pro-
ceeded TO the consideration of the bill to establish
territorial government for Nebraska
The last clause in the 18th section now is in
these words:
g That the Constitution and all laws of the United
States which not locally nappcabe shall have the
elsewhere within the United States except
ton Of the act preparatory to the admission Missouri
consistent With tbe ppnsne of 0e h n IN
with slavery in the States and Territories,
cognsed by the legislation Of 1885, commonly called the
compromise measures is hereby declared imperative
and void; 1t being the true intent and meaning Of this
act not to legslae slavery into Territory State
to exclude 1t therefrom but to leave the people thereof
perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic instu
tons in their own way subject only to the Constitution of
the United States"
CHASE 10 amend the same by adding thereto the
folowing
"Under which the people Of the Territories, through
their appropriate representatives may If they fit
hbit slavery therein
Mr.. TOOMBS said that he came to the consid.
Grafton of this bill with heart full of gratitude,
that after conflict Of so many years this Question
had arrived at solution. not by any temporary
| expcdient, but upon the broad pIincple of the
Constitution and justice, which was the only prin-
ciple upon which it ever could be settled There
was much in the arguments Of the friends of this
bill addressing them TO the good sense fthe peo-
pie, while the contrary the fact with respect
| to its opponents. The freesoiers, who lived,
moved and had their being in agitation and ex-
citement, had revived their old speeches against
| the compromise of 1850, and arrayed them against
| this measure. The senator from Massachusetts,
| in opposing this BILL not only maigned the people
Of the south, but also those Of his own section
when he styled those northern men who did not
think as he did white slaves. Such statement
was libel on the north. Recently in New York
there had been evidence that this was a libel
There were men there who refusing all political
association with abotonists and freesoiiers, re-
fused even Office TO accepting that association
and one hundred thousand freemen Of that State
had responded to their manly conduct
The question Of this day was the old one Of the
power andright and expediency of controlling the
naD IN thn ,c AZ.