Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-05-16
TnIRTY-EOyRTH o9NGRgs--Fir.t Session
WEDNESDAY, MAY II, 1856.
'SEG ATE = go.


Mr.. Clayton said that he had soen in this morning .
newspapers all extract purpnrtnS to be from letter
of the British minister III Washington to Lord Csrem.
don, dated Washington March 81, 1856, in which Mr..
Champion says:
ut will be within your Lordship's recollection that
Mr.. Ciaytcr was informed by Sir Henry Bulwer be-
fore tho treaty of 1889 WIS signed that Ruaan was de
jars and de dct1 British possession and Mr. Clayton
M, stated that he considered Ruatan a. much Bril-
tsh possession es jamaica or ony other British West
India Island"
Mr.. Clayton said That this statement vas utterly
untrue in every part iii and the British Minister
must have abDred under as strange hallucination
entered the brain of any nau to make such n
statement. Nothing like it had ever escaped him, in
conversation with Mr. Champion or anybody else.
fortunately for him, however, the fact did not rest
| merely upon th- -t.t..nsnta vf MI Champion and
himself, bu: he hal living witness First he would
call tho attention of the Senate to letter written by
Mr.. Crstnptcn aud ieaa IL its Ssnate on tie l2t o
January, isll, G the coprse OF one Of 9ir Gla/
speeches. in which hu Was altpmptiHY to vr0ya that
Ruatan was dependency OF Buze, and was not
exempted from n. provisions Of the treaty OF 1850
He then had Mr. Champion testimony ON the sub.
ect, tGi e racG j. &c tie Senate, epd hs proposed to
read it now again; TO ccuraict this ststeI which
was made known 10 him this morning for the hrst
time, an Of which he had the most remote concep
ton In this letter air Champion said, the Dependent
cies ct British Honduras ure. in my opinion distinctly
statement deliberately &er utine the records of
his egat!on and the Irresistible conclusion was that
Rustan wac not included in those dependencies.
Mr.. Clayton prGceeded to say that while he was
detained at lis lGdsilgs by sickness iE February ar
March last, Re was called upon by NJ. Crittendvn;
and while they were engaged in copYersalion upou
this subject, Mr. Champion came 10 to invite Mr..
Clayton to dine with him. Mr. Clayton was too sick
to accept the invitations but lie took the occasion 10
ask Mr. Champion il he knew any thing Of the charge
that he (Mr. Caylon) had admitted that Ruatan
exempted from the operation of the treatv, and
Mr.. GranipGT, III Ike u Ist unqualified terms,
.ed Tint there was no truth in tie reLort
that Mr.. Claycn l@l ever n!lds such IntiIna:oa to
him.
Mr.. Critenden corroborated the statement Of Mr.
Clayton. lecould not pretend 10 detail the CONVEX
Saun nj which he thus accidentally presan: but.
according to his recollection. the substance of it
directly co.rgry to the statement in the newspaper,
and sustained the aou,LIt which Mr.. Clayton had
given Of 1t.
Mr.. Clayton said that lie had made speech siter
speech in the Senate, endcGvorns 10 prove tie direct
reverse OF what Tie paper had represented him as
admitting. He was willing to put the mos, clIarita-
bic construction upou il, but il was al utter isake
Mr.. CGss thought it was very Certain that Mr..
Clayton, unles. il; some III Of insanity, could never
have said to rCraInpton what e;rlbuted 10 him.
Mr.. Pratt inquired What evidence there yas that
this letter wns authentic He thought there rust be
some mistake shout u.
Mr. Clayton had no knowledge of ia authsuticity.
When his attention was called to il this morning hs
prove that the statement. nc matter by whom made,
was false. If Mr.. Champion never made such Il
statement he was not injured by these remarks; but
if he did make IT, It was for him to explain it, II had
Appeared in the public prints; and until it was denied
or disagoa'ed Mr.. Clayton was bound TO suppose it
was genuine docuhant, but he should be very hap.
Nv TO be assured oI the contrary.
After debate the Senate yeas II, nays l9 refused
to reconsider the vu;e by which the S-raie passed
tho Iowa rail mad bill on Friday last and n uurnsd.
HOUSE CT REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. Bennett of New York: from tie CCGimii.ee o.
public lands reported bill granting million oi
acres to Florida, to aid in the construction o three
railroads, embracing en- e1tsnt Of five hundred miles
lie moved the previous question.
Mr. Jonea, T.. Tennessee, said III. HnuIe had come
TO pretty pas, when bills of this character. inyoiv
ing such arge appropriations cannnt be enquirsd in
TO unless by the grace and special iaHor vi tho co!D.
mltee which reports tlieln.
M, Bennett thought he was doing favor by pro.
nosipr 10 get rid OF these bills h soon he Could
il was we'll known that if they be referred L" the
committee o. 80. "hoGs on the state vi the Union
,h.y caunu l.. sctet ~. Ct this seaslG IL reuiyo
question: MIR. Bennett said the c0:nnittee On public
ani- intend Reporting similar bills to aid railroads III
Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Wis
CuE,,u, requiring about six millions of acres.
Tie bill Was pussedyess 81, nays 81.
The House took up the bill defining the duties Of
commissioners of elections in tie city OF Washing
tom and prescribing pains and penalties for their viz
a;inn facilitating the elections at the pUlls &c.
Mr.. Meech4m moved tEat the bill be put on its
passage, and demanded the previous que.tion.
Mr.. Humphrey Marshall moved that the I'LL be
committed ~ the committee vi the whole on the state
of the Union.
MIR. Jones Of Tennessee said he understood the au
tlorities Of tile city approve of The bill
Mr.. Davis OF Maryland, saii HI understood the CT
ty authorities did not approve Of it.
The demand Tor the previous question was second
ell, when
Mr.. Humphrey Marshall moved & iec.Lstrs.tion
Of the vote, with q view that amendments might Do
made II the bill should BIZ passed. in its present form,
il, would give advantage to foreign born !voter' over
u alive Americans.
Mr.. Joue, OF Tennessee, replied, saying he knew
rutiry in n. bill which covered under veil.
Mr'Johea III r-lnessse moved to lay the motion
on the rabs, bat the Question nss ec,oet il tie
ga,ve-yea. e., nays "; pondIa the hlIIths II ous,