Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-03-04
THIRTY.FOURTH CONGREss-FIr.t scssIo
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2e, 1856.

CONGRESS-Elrst session,
------
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2e, 1856.
SENATE.
Mr.. Toombs offered resolution, which lies over,
calling on the Secretary Of the Navy 10 furnish char
crs and causes specifically ret forth by the Naval
Board for tho removal or displacement Of Naval Of
fcrrs.
Mr.. Weller reported bill making appropriations
for the new fOrcations.
a message was received from the President Of the
United States communicating all the documents call
ed for in the British enlistment case.
On motion of Mr.. Mason, six hundred extra copies
were ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Mason offered resolution requesting the Pre-
sidcnt ofthe United States, If not Incompatible with
the public Interests To inform the Senate whether any
offer hs. been made by Great Britain to submit to
friendly power tho arbitration OF our differences with
regard TO tho construction Of the Clayton-Bulwer
tr-niy.
He said that on former occasion he stated bis i'm.
preston that no such offer made but that it was
probable some suggestion nt such character was
thrown out, either incidentally unotfciay, to our
minister. The British government, through its of.
cial organ has announced that such offer has been
made, but no; having been accepted, would be re-
uewed. 1t was therefore, important that the true state
of tho cnse should be made known.
Mr. Iale addressed the Senate the stnte OF Kan
sns Affairs He stated that his remarks were not so
much for the purpose of replying to the speech of the
Senator from Tennessee, lMr Jones,) as for the pur
pose Of replying TO the challenge which he considered
had been thrown down by the President: who had
challenged the approval of the country for what he
had done in regard to Kansas matters. He quoted
the remarks of Mr. Toucey, who had said that he did
how It possible fnr the President 10 take
any other course t!nu he had done, without tho utter
abandonment Of his constitutional duty. Dir. Hale
denied the truth of this, and to show that the
President hnd omitted his constitutional duty in not
protecting The bona 6de settlers in Kansas in the
crc.e cther rights. There WAS state OF facts there
such would demand and justify his interference.
He then went To consider the state Of the cOun
try at the time of the passage of the Kansas bill and
quoted from the arguments of the friends OF the BILL
on tue strength Of which it was passed. When il
was before the Senate, the statement wns made over
and over aain, that slavery to go into that
territory. lie proved this by reading quotations from
Senators Petit, of la, Hunter, Brodhead, Bad
ger, Toucey, Everett, Cass and Thompson, Of
New Jersey. Mr.. Clemens Ind also stated that the
President had in conversation declared the same thing
to him. Nobody who advocated the bill densd these
statements, aud the bill was passed the ground that
il was great measure o! freedom.
When there sume resistance In Boston to the
return of fugitive slave the President telrgraphed
to the officer to go to any expense necessary IN order
to execute the law; but still, when tho while men Of
Kansas were resisted 10 the exercise Of their consttu
onal rights were told TINT the President had no
authority TO interfere Was not the freedom Of suf
frage as important HI the ownership of savsl Mr. II.
went to read extracts showing the position OF the
in which they declare themselves unalteraby Op-
posed to the extension of slavery over territory now
free.
Mr.. Toombs expressed his concurrence in the poll.
cy of the President in relation to Kansas matters and
believed him entitled 10 tho support Of every friend
Of order in the country lie defended the course OF
the President at some length.
Adjourned until Monday.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Many bills were introduced aud resolutions Of in.
"a, .I. thnT hv
structing the committee naval affairs to enquire
into the expediency of making al Immediate proy-
sion for the construction of ten steam soops or other
vessels of war, with auxiliary steam power, and TO re-
port by bill or otherwise.
The House went into n committee on the whole on
the State of the Union, Mr. Pennington IN the chair
and proceeded to the consideration OF the bill making
appropriations to supply deficiencies for the year end
ing June 80, 1856. Adjourned.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 90, 1856.
SENATE.
The President sent in the documents relative to
the offer to submit the construction Of the Clayton
md BuIwer Treaty, by which it appears that no form
al proposition was made to Mr.. Buchanan, who re.
pents merely his conversation with LOru Clarendon
on ,he subject.
Mr. Buchanan in letter to 1lr Marcy, dated "a
November last. says that in the course OF his conver
sation with Lord Clarendon, be observed 10 him that
the most serions difficulties between the two govern
ton. Lord Clarendon said that when two govern
ments disagreed about the construction Of treaty
the best and natural mode was to refer the ques
!ion TO third power.
At al early period in the negotiations, Lord Claren-
don made this suggestion, but Mr. Buchanan iocu-
ary replied thar the Emperor of Russia was the
only power sufficiently independent to act as an i'm
purtnl umpire in the case, and England had gone
10 WIT with him.
Mr.. Buchanan in another letter to Mr. Marcy, da-
,h..r Nd
Clarendon strongly az hs could the reasons wEich
be thought ought to induce the British government
10 re!nquish the Bay leland to Honduras. Lord
Clarendon replied that the islands ara not Of the least
alue to Great Britain, and the only question with
hem was whether the national honor did not forbid
his course.
Mr.. Buchanan, in letter to Mr.. Marcy, dated NO
vember 9Th, says:-"I had on interview yesterday
with Lord Clarendon, by appointment. lie men
said lha, the brst mode to settle the question was oy
arbitration. replied thnt there WIS hotnlnS 10 ai
pirate. He said the true construction oil trea'y
vas proper subject for arbitration l tolo n.'i
lid not consider IL question for construction a ai.
The language pluin and explicit ana .housn' s
his would be the almost unanimous 1p,u'o, VI ino
Amcrcun people hut in writing to you shoulu uieh
ion what he had now said at our first interview:
MT. Buchanan to Mr.. Marcy, IN letter dated FEB |
nary 9th 1856, says:-"Ere this can reacn w ash-
ngtou YOU will have read the speeches OF Lord Der
oy and Clarendon IN the House OF Lotus on iIuls
;y,rendon saws, in relation to the Central American
,,.atiom. I'm such case correspondence is useless,
nd Inst no time in offering to refer the whole ques.
ion ion to arbitration of any third power both sides
,crecinr 10 be bound by the decision. That offer
,ss NOT been accepted, aud hope upon further con-
dyrntiou the government Of the United States will
,gree 10 it.
7Mr buchanan resumes: 1t is therefore proper to
tate, as matter of fact, have reported TO you IN
he most faithful manner every conversation which
t,,,t,- 7 ord aop md
his subject, the reference of these questions 10
riendy power. Az never learned that the British
government made any such offer TO the government
# the United States through Mr. Champion, ihIeI
hat his ordshp must have referred 70 Ine senVd aond
conversation bstwseu bim and myself, which e0ao