The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-08
DEBATE IN THE SENATE, THURSDAY EVEN
ING.

| HIM III his hour oil calamIty.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE, THURSDAY EVEN.
ING.
w-Nothingism Tarif-Slavery.
The Tariff section attached to the general ap
preparation bill by the House, met with Wig
oraus opposition in the Senate. The protec
tonsts bitterly denounced it. Mr.. Douglas was
in favor of revenue tariff, but this project re-
duced inequitably the duty on wool. 1t was toe
important a measure, others said, to pass SC
hastily. TWAS an unfair mode Of legislation
others contended. Omnibus bills were wrong
in their very essence. The apprehension that
| to sanction the Incorporation of this extraneous
measure with the general appropriation bill
might serve as precedent hereafter for forcing
| Act, or some other Anti-Slavery measure, had
great weight, and at last the whole of the por
| ton relating to the Tariff was stricken out.
In the course of the debate, Mr.. Clayton
| threw out the idea, that should this mode OF
| legislation be sanctioned, the new party at the
next Congress might lasten bill to repeal the
Fugitive Act, to one of the appropriation bills,
and this brought Mr. Mason to his feet
Mr.. MASON. / have taken no part in this
debate, but the Senator from Delaware this
morning suggested that next year the new party
| might incorporate the repeal of the Fugitive
| Slave Act into the appropriation bill.
Mr.. CLAYTON. Does the gentleman mean
| to say that, in any way or manner, l expressed
i Il L
Mr.. MASON. | heard the threat, and marked
the quarter whence it came. Afterwards, in ex-
PLANTATION. meant to suggest that the Senator
from Delaware was understood to be the expo.
nent of the new party. / believe he would be
| right upon such question as the repeal of the
| Fugitive Slave Act, the Nebraska or other laws
| made to carry out the Constitution. But when
| he talks of the poisoned chalice being returned
to our lips, he meant that future appropriation
bills would carry obnoxious measures to u.s. which,
the new party would or might pass in this way
If the Senator from Delaware be not the expo
nent Of the new party, let him say so here. Vir
GINA, my honored State is becoming grower
of grains; but she needs no protection. She
| wants, however, reduction of the revenue in
a manner which shall be least injurious to the
American people. If the time shall come when
the lower House shall ever graft a repeal of the
Missouri Compromise upon like bill, ] trust
for the honor and dignity of the South, that the
form in which either of these measures may be
carried will not be taken into consideration, and
ask the Senator from Delaware whether he
would look at the form of the thing or the man
ner in which it might be done.
| Mr.. CLAYTON. l meant to reply to the
Senator from South Carolina, but the Senator
from Virginia has imposed upon me a double
duty. | am an humble member of the Amer
lean party; not the exponent of the Know Moth
I ings. The American party is an open party
with an intelligent platform. 1t was organized
and was successful in my State.
Mr. MASON Do you Justify their score
meetings and oaths?
Mr.. CLAYTON. ! know nothing about sucl
, meetings or oaths. The American party ignor,
the whole question of Slavery, and will keep GU
of Congress whoever shall dare to
Mr.. RUSk. Will the gentleman from Della
ware tell me whether there is any America,
, party outside of Delaware?
Mr.. CLAYTON. You see am overloade,
i, with questions.
Mr.. MASON. / object to anybody taking tn,
gentleman from me. | want to ask whether III,
party, which the Senator from Delaware call
3 the American party, is not now in possession O
the Government of Michigan?
MIR. CLAYTON, Ito Mr.. RUsK You'll find GU
within the next fourteen months whether tn
American party is outside of Delaware. Ito MI
M.soN:) And You'll find, very shortly. whethe
e there are any OF them in Virginia. You talk Q
disunon If you, Senators, YOU and each q
you, and the Representatives in the other House
should resolve here, that the Union should b
Dissolved, the great body of the people are s
attached to the Union that they would com
e here and hang you all, or else throw you int
. the Potomac
AT half past ten o'clock, Mr.. BRODHEAD move
an adjournment, and asked for yeas and nay
4 upon the motion. Upon a count, it was negs
o lived by a vote of yeas "a, nays &c.
i Mr.. DOUGLAS. lam for the reduction of tn
|. revenue TO simple revenue standard. / am
free trade man. But ] can't Vote for such
measure as this, ] want to know somethin
: about the bill, / am willing to reduce the tart
/ upon the principles of that of 1876, 20 per cent
: but understand that there are great infracton
i OF the principle in that tariff, Look at WOO
reduced from 30 to 8 per cent, instead of "a DC
cent, according to the general scale. Gent,
l. men from the North tell me thew po for thj
Y measure, because it is about as protective
3 measure as they have ever had; and, therefor,
!, the delegation from Massachusetts, in bot
Houses, so for it. Illinois is one of the large,
wOol-growing States in the Union-is one
J, the Western States; you ask me to go, unds
e these circumstances, for reduction of til
| wool duty from 80 to s per cent, If this hi
!, was right in itself, / would not vote for
y because it is revolutionary in its character.
You can get this into On appropriation BILL whs
; cannot you get there2 Begin to break throug
s these safeguards, and your appropriation bill
will be overwhelmed
Mr.. SEWARD recapitulated the argument
; of his former speech this evening, and was pr
Q oseding, when
: Mr.. BENJAMIN moved to adjourn. Lost
, yeas 20, nays %.
Mr.. SEWARD, (resuming) / haye new,
resorted to any factions continuance to carry ar
: measures, however important they may be
humanity The Senator from South Carolir