The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-26

A bill to make Quincy, Illinois port OF en-
try, was reported by Mr. Fuller, from the Com
mittee on Commerce
Mr.. Richardson urged It's immediate passage
Mr.. Wentworth, of Illinois, and MIR. Fuller
also advocated the bill; but its immediate pas
sage was opposed by Mr.. Smith, of Virginia
who did not approve of extending Federal pa
tronage any further than was absolutely ne
cessary, and who thought custom-hous,
would next be asked for, with all its expensive,
cOncOmitants
Mr.. Disney, of Ohio, supported the pendin,
motion, and argued the disturbances and ne
cessity of the proposed BILL explaining how
dependent such cities as Quincy are upon TIT
ports through which they are now forced t.
import their foreign merchandise. The bill
was finally put upon its passage, and passed.
The House then took up the bill yesterday
making an appropriation for tho support o.
the Military Academy at West Point
Mr. Smith, Of New York, opposed the appro
priation, in an elaborate earnest, and energet
ic speech. He believed in the progress of the
human race, and deplored the continuance Of
the spirit Of war. 1t was sad thing to con
template, ard inconsistent with our character
for civilization, and our proft Of being
guided by the principles OF the Prince of Peace
My voice is still for war;" were the words Of
Roman and a Pagan two thousand years ago
and should not now be repeated.
MIR. Smith was twice interrupted by Mr.
Orr, who appealed to the Speaker to know il
Mr.. S. was in order, alleging that he was not
speaking to the question Of the appropriation.
The Chair decided Mr.. S. to be in order and
he continued to recite the financial, moral, and
religious arguments against the practice OF
war.
He said he would repudiate. all war debts,
and would scout the idea that'one generation
has right to harden future generations with
debts. Europe may be revolutionized, but
will never be happy or prosperous unless it
repudiates also.
A preparation for war, Mr.. Smith urged,
never prevents war, but is ever conducive to
its realization. We need no army and navy
schools. We need other schools, and for these
he would vote the most liberal appropriations.
Treaties are now in the course of formation
between our Government and those of England
and France, respectively and Mr.. S. was graf
flied at knowing that they embraced the most
liberal, tolerant and pacific features He look
ed forward to the time in which international
courts would be as essential to the civilized
world as municipal courts now are to every
to the conflict of arms would be deemed re-
turn to barbarisn, as universally as the disre-
gard of the internal laws Of nation now
would.
The world has enjoyed forty years of pros
perity and progress, because it has enjoyed
forty years Of peace Il had in this respect so
far improved as to afford great hope for the
future.
At the conclusion of this speech, (halfpast
two o'clock, cur report closed.
Senate, January 10, 1854.
The Hon. Mr.. Toucey appeared in his seat
to-day
Mr.. Petit submitted resolution directing
an inquiry by the Committee IN Pensions, as
to the propriety of extending the laws regula-
ting the pensions Of the widows of revOlutiOna-
ry soldiers, to the widows of soldiers of the war
of 1872 He read a letter in which he said
was given two excellent reasons for the extern
sion. One was, that a woman who was worthy
of being the wife Of soldier of 1912, was
worthy of having a second husband and that
the wants OF woman who had buried two
husbands were not less than the wants of
woman who had buried but one. The resolu-
ton was adopted.
Mr.. Brodhead presented the memorial of
citizens of Philadelphia, demonstrating against
the establishment Of mint of the United
States in the city of New York
Mr.. Gwin submitted resolution calling
upon the President to inform the Senate what
number Of United States vessels of war are end
have been engaged on the coasts of California,
Oregon, and Washington; and whether the
same be sufficient to prevent the settiDg-out of
expeditions against foreign countries
Mr.. Gwin. caused to be read also the procla-
nation of the President, published in the morn
ing papers, In relation to the recent expedi-
tons sent out from California against parts of
Mexico. He said that the citizens of Califor-
MIA were not lawless people At the time of
the first expedition the United States had no
force on that coast sufficient to prevent it leav-
ing California. A single ship with a single
gun could have stopped it. The expedition
consisted Of but forty five men, and passed
without the least opposition.
This state Of things seemed an invitation to
lawless men, who could be found in all COM
munities, to embark in such expeditions. If
the President desired, as by his proclamation,
he seemed to do, to prevent these expeditions.
he should have sufficient naval force there for
that purpose. At the time of these expeditions.
there were but two vessels of war in the Pacific
one of these was at the Sandwich Islands, the
other, off Peru. The vessel containing the
second expedition was towed cut by steam
ship, and no vessel of war was there to prevent
it,
Such expeditions would be started, unless a
force was provided to prevent it. The President
could not stop them by proclamation. force
adequate TO the purpose would have to be pro-
yided and maintained. He had frequently
hot oh =
kept there, but he had been answered that
that would be too expensive. He strongly urged
the increase of the naval and military forces
on the Pacific The rich mineral States adl
joining California presented too strong tempt.
alton to the lawless and marauding to be re-
sisted, unless sufficient force was there to
prevent it.
Mr.. Petit said he had no objection to the
inquiry; but he thought the defence offered by
the Senator for the marauding and lawless ex-
petitions of his constituents-.hat they we're
not confined by bolts and bars, by naval forces,
by soldiers with arms in hands, and thus pre-.
vented from going abroad and robbing and
stealing from their Observation-Disclosures His
argument would amount to this that if their
neighbours doors were open, and goods and
precious articles lay exposed, and no watch dog
or armed man stood near to guard them, they
would enter and take them.
Mr.. Gwin responded, denying that he had
made any such defence of his constituents
Mr.. Shields eontended that the Senator had
charged the President with failing to place a
force on that coast when the Senator knew
the President had no force at his command.
MIR. Badger maintained that the Executive
was blameless in not providing naval forces to
guard the coast, and the responsibility of the
failure belonged to Congress, who had wan.
tonly cut down oil estimates for their army and
navy.
Mr.. Gwin replied, contending that the ma.
val force had not been equally distributed
Mr.. Dawson followed, showing that Congress