Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-05-15
THE. LATEST NEWS
RECEIVED RY
MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.
CONGRESSIONAL.
% EWAsnlSoToS, May Il.

CONGRESSIONAL.
ORG CT WAsHlSGToS, May H.
| SESATE.-Mr. Clayton said he had seen in
this mornings newspapers an extract purI ort-
ing to be from letter of the British Minister
at Washington, dated March 81, '56, in which
Mr. Champion says: ut will be within your
Lordship's recollection that Clayton was inform
cd by Sir Henry Bulwer before the treaty Of
1850 was signed, that Ruatnn was de jure and
de facto British possession, and Clayton has on
various occasion since, in conversation with me,
stated that he considered Ruatan as much Brit
ish possession as Jamaica or any other British
West India island"
Clayton branded this statement utterly ur-
true, in every part. The British Minister must
have labored under aSstTa3ge ahallucination as
ever entered the brain of any man, to make
such a declaration. Nothing like it had ever
escaped him i'll conversation with CHAMPION or
any body else, fortunately for him that the fact
did not rest merely upon the statements of
Champion AID himself, FOR lac had living wit
ness.
First he called attention to letter written by
Ny. Crampton, and read in the Senate on the
10Th Jan'y, 1854, in the courSe of one of Clay
toms speeches, in which he attempted TO prove
tat Ruatan was not dependency of Belize and
was not exempted from the provisions of the
treaty of 1850.
He then had Crampton-s testimony on the
subject, aud read it to the Senate; and now read
again to contradict CIumpton'sstatcmant, which
was made known TO him this morning for the
first time, and OF. Which he had not the most re-
mote conception.
In this letter Champion said: "The dcpenlen
cics of British Honduras arc, in my opinion, dis
tincIy enumerated in the treaty of 49, He
had made this statement deliberately, and the IL
rcsistiblr conclusion was that Rutan was not
included in these dependencies.
Clayton said while he was detained at his LODI
gings by sickness. in February or March last,
he was called upon by Crittenden. While they
We're engaged in conversation upon this subject,
CHAMPION came in to invite CLAYTON to dine
with him, Clayton was too sick to accept the
invitation, but took occasion TO ask Champion if
he knew anything of the charge that he, Clay
ton, had ever admitted that Ruatan was exempt
cd from the operation of the treaty, and Cranp-
ton, in most uncquivocal terms, acknowledged
there was no truth in the report. Clayton had
never made any such inSinuatiOn To him.
Crittc:ldcn corr0boratcd Clayton'S statement.
lie could not pretend to detail the conversation,
at which nc was accidentally present, but accor-
ding to his recollection, the substance OF it was
directly contrary to the statement i'll the news
papers, and he sustained the account Clayton
gives of it.
Clayton said lie had made speech after speech
in the Senate, endcaTOring 10 prove direct re-
verse of what lac was represented as admitting
/
StructiOn upon it, but it was an utter mistake.
Cas- thought it very certain that Clayton, I'M
less in some fit Of insanity, could never have
used to Champion, what was attributed to him.
Mr.. Pratt cuquired what evidence there was
that this letter was authentic He thought there
must be some mistake.
Mr.. Clayton had no knowledge as to its au-
thcnticity. When his attention was called to ii
this morning, he was much astOniShed and lis
first duty was to prove that the statement, 10
matter by whom made, was false. If Champion
never made such statement, lie was not in
! iured by these remarks; buff he did make it,
it was for CHAMPION to explain. 1t had appear
ed in the public prints, and until it was denied
or di<avowcd, nc was bound to suppose it was;
genuine lie should, however, be very happy
to lie assured tc the contrary.
| Mr.. Fish said, i'll response TO the question from
Clayton, that while he thought there was some
mistake in the copy of the letter, said in the
course Of two interviews with Champion, that
the latter stated to him Clayton always denied
that Ruatan was British possessions.
Mr.. Cass said, Great Britain being repeatedly
driven from one point of defence, has invaria-
bly, taken refuge at another, rs recent events
showed.
The Senate after debate refused to reconsider
the vote which on Friday passed the Iowa land
bill. Adjourned.
HousE-NIr. Bennett, of \. Y, from the COM
"a million acres of land TO Florida, to aid in the
construction of three railroads, embracing 800
miles, and moved the previous question.
MIR. Jones Of Tennessee said the House had
come to pretty pass, when bills of this char
actcr involving such large appropriations, can
not Gc enquired into unless by the grace aud
special favor of the committee which report
them.
Mr.. Bennett Thought he was doing the House
= favor by proposing to get rid of the bills as
soon as he could. 1t was well known that if
they were to be referred to the committee of the
whole on the State orthe Union, they could not
be acted on this session. Imrcply to an inquiry
Mr.. Bennett saidthc committee on Public Lands
intended reporting similar bills for railroads III
Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi Alabama and
Wisconsin, requiring 5000, 600 acres of land.
An unsuccessful motion was made to lay the
bill on the table.
The bill passod by ST against 81. Adjourned.
ERHNT w ASsIfJN(iTHN