The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-22

by the Legislature of the Territory of Washington at the
fourth annual session. begun and held at Olympia IN shd
Territory which were ordered 10 lie on the table
Mr. MASON presented memorial from the president
of the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire l1lHovu
Company prayg for the erection OF bridge upon the
piers of the Potomac aqueduct ana 70 authorize sd
pany to extend their road into the District of Columbia
Also memorial signed by every member OF the bar
of Washington urging upon Congress an increase OF the
salary of the Judge of the criminal court OF the District
of Columbia by placing that officer on ioouhg WIN INC
Judges of the circuit court
Several other petitions presented and appropriate
ly referred.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
On motion by Mr. GWIN, resolution was adopted
authorizing the select committee on the Pacific railroad
to employ clerk at the usual compensation
On motion by Mr.. JONES, resolution was adopted IN
strucng the Committee Commerce to inquire into the
expedency of making appropriation for the construc
ton of custom house at Keokuk, in the state OF Iowa
also as to the peoprety of making Sioux city port OF
delivery and making appropriation for the erection OF
a custom house at the latter place.
Some discussion ensued in relation to the employment
of clerks to the several standing committees but, with
out taking any action thereon the subject was laid over
BILLS INTRODUCED.
Mr. WILSON, in pursuance of notice asked and OBJ
tanned leave to introduce bill to appropriate one million
acres Of public lands of the United States for the ben
eft of free public schools in the District of Columbia
which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed
Mr.. WRIGHT asked and obtained leave to introduce
bill to continue the Improvement of the harbor OF New
ark, New Jersey.
Mr. GWIN asked and obtained leave introduce bill
to amend an act entitled Gan act to provide for holding
the courts of the United States in of the sickness
other disability of the Judges of the District courts APP
proved July 20, 1856.
Mr. JONES asked and obtained leave to introduce
bill to divide the State of Iowa into two judicial Districts
and bill for the relief of certain citizens of Sioux city, in
the State of Iowa
The above bills were severally read and referred.
RECESS OF CONGRESS.
Mr. BIGGS submitted Joint resolution providing that
when the houses of Congress the 24h in
slant ii be to meet Monday the 4th of January next
which, after brief debate, adoptedyeas "a, nays
l2-fs follows ,r@ 's.
YEAS--Messrs Bayard Bell, Benjamin. Bggs, Bigler,
Bright Broderick Chandler Clay, Davis, Dixon Doolt-
tle Durkee Evans, Fitch, Fitzpatrick Foot, Foster,
Hale, Houston, Hunter, Ierson johnson OF Arkansas,
Jones, Kennedy, King, Mason, Pugh Reid, Seward,
Thomson of New Jersey, Trumbull, Wilson, and
Wright-34. @@@ @
NAYs-Messrs Allen, Brown, Clark, ColIamer Fessen-
den Green Gwin Hamlin johnson of Tennessee, Polk,
Stuart, and Wade-l2
AFFAIRS IN KANSAS. Asna.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the Presidents
annual message and s..w
Mr.. BIGIER delivered able and argumentative
speech in vndcaton of that portion OF the President
message in relation to Kansas affairs He remarked that
no one regretted more than himself that this discussion
been upon the Senate in this
ture For his own part he was anxious to avoid
discussion this exciting topic until we should have
learned the result of the election in that Territory on the
acceptance or rejection the slavery clause in the
stitution. But the honorable senator from Illinois had
deemed it proper to pursue different course and there
therefore alternative left to the friends OF the adj
ministration but to respond He alluded to the import
ant and delicate character of the subject under consde
tion and reiterated the declaration which he had made
former OCCASION that he had never in the course OF
his public life felt greater anxiety to do his whole duty
to his country and his constituents than now.
Mr. b. would admit that the senator from Illinois had
delivered able speech in opposition to the policy ind
Gated by the administration and it would be idle to at
tempt to the senator arguments the correct
ness of the premises with which he set out conceded
This he could not do He believed the whole argument
of that distinguished senator rested unsound and
insufficient foundation The senator after saying that
the President had fallen into fundamental error had
very gacousy excused that by saying that it
not at all strange when remember that the President
not in the country at the time OF the passage OF the
Nebraska BILL that he should have misapprenended its
true meaning But the senator himself not in the
country when the Declaration of Independence writ
ten, when the constitution of the United States was
formed and yet he claims to understand the true intent
and meaning of those instruments. While Mr. b. did
claim infabty for the President he did claim that
he had been actuated by conscentousness and by an
earnest endeavor to do justice not only to the people OF
Kansas but to all Others of his countrymen He then
took up the objections which had been urged by Mr.
DOUGLAS and replied to them in detail That senator
had claimed with great eaestnes that in order to COM
ply with the provisions of the organic act it necessa
that the constitution should be submitted TO the peo
pie for Kansas for their acceptance rejection but it
was somewhat remarkable fact that when the Toombs
bill referred to the Committee Territories at the
last session. that committee of which the senator from
Illinois himself chairman had reported it back to the
Senate with that provision stricken out which required
that the constitution should be submitted to the people
Mr. b. proceeded to show that the positions assumed
by Mr. DOUGLAS utterly at contriey with those laid
down by Gov Walker in his letter of resignation Sew
erl States had been admitted into the Union without the
previous passage of enabling act by Congress and he
claimed that, far from the precedents being as as
sumed by the senator from Illinois, they were the other
way AS to what his action might be in the future, Mr.
b. said he could not foresee because the is not
fully made up and no man can tellwhat day may bring
FORTH what phase may be assumed by the affairs
of Kansas If the officers of the government there do
their duty however, to afford fair expression Of
the will the people, and they apply for admission into
the Union under that constitution whether with slavery
or without slavery, he should feel bound to comply with
their request He alluded to speech of Mr. DouoLAs
made In June last at Springfield Illinois, and criticised it
with severity contrasted with the present posi-
ton of that senator He thought that the republicans
could not object 10 the infomalties at Lecompon after
urging the admission of Kansas under the constitution
formed at Topeka which much irregulpr and
informal In the settlement of this question, his first
and then he prepared to make every reasonable
adjustment of this unhappy controversy.
Mr.. STUART obtained the floor but yielded il to al
low Mr. DOUGLAS to say few words.
Mr. DOUGLAS thought it would have been better If
the senator from Pennsyv had confined his attention
to the arguments that had been advanced instead of at
lacking the consistency of other gentlemen. For his
he would his public for it