The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-28
Monday, January 25, 1853.
SENATE.


Monday, January Is, 1858.
SENATE.
The Neutrality Lav.-Mr. Mason, from the
Committee on Foreign Relations, to which was
referred the message of the President OF the Uni
ted States of the th inst. in relation to the arrest
of VIM. Walker reported a bill. 1t provides that
when any vessel or vessels are arrested without
the territorial jurisdiction of the United States,
for violation of the provisions of the act OF
1918, it shall be the duty of the commanding
officer making such arrest to bring or send said
vessel or vessels, with all on board, together
with their cargo, to the port whence they sailed
or where their clearance was had, and there to
surrender it and them to the collector of the
customs, to be dealt with according to law.
Mr.. Mason also submitted an elaborate report,
| which occupied about half an hour in the read
| ing. closing with the following resolutions:
Resolued, That no further provisions of law
| are necessary to confer authority on the Presi-
dent to cause arrests and seizures to be made
| on the high seas for offences committed against
the act entitled 6 An act in addition to the act
| for the punishment of certain crimes against
the United States, and to repeal the acts therein
mentioned" approved April 20, 1918.
| Resolved, That the place where William
Walker and his followers were arrested being
without the Jurisdiction Of the United States,
| their arrest was without warrant of law. But
| in view of the circumstances attending it, and
its results, in taking away from the territory of
State in amity with the United States Ameri-
can citizens who we're there with hostile intent,
| it may not call for further cepsure than as it
might hereafter be drawn into precedent if suf
fered to pass without remark.
Mr.. Douglas did not concur in the report.
Mr. Foot expressed his hearty concurrence
in the general principles and propositions. While
he concurred with the committee in sustaining
| the President vet 80 far as blame was imputed
| to Con-. Pauldng he was unable to give it his
| concurrence.
Mr.. Mason moved that the bill and report be
| printed and that it be made the order OF the
| day for the 9th of February; which was agreed
| to.
Contested Seats.-Mr. Bayard called the at
| tention of the Senate to the report made from
the Committee on the Judiciary in relation to
the contested seats of the Indiana Senators,
and gave notice that he would call up the
report the first thing tomorrow.
Kansas Afairs.-The Senate then proceed
ed to the consideration of the special order.
Mr.. Harlan, of Iowa, then proceeded to de-
liver an earnest speech in opposition to the ad-
mission of Kansas into the Union under the
Lecompton Constitution. He directed his re-
marks in the first place to an examination of
certain positions assumed by Mr.. Douglas in
his speech on the same subject. He analysed
| the doctrine of popular sovereignty as secured
| to the people by the organic act of 1854, which
| had proved, he thought, a very insecure guar
antee for the most primary rights of the people
in that Territory.
| Mr.. II. then proceeded to review the dogma
that the Constitution carries Slavery into the
Territories of the United States. This assump-
ton, he thought, involved the right of the slave
holder to settle, with his human property, upon
the public lands anywhere within the Union !;
and, if 30, then upon the unoccupied public
lands within the free States. The Constitution,
in its only three clauses having reference to
slaves, treats of hem expressly as persons, and
| as persons only. =" Slaves are made and held
by the law of force in local communities, and
not by the constitutional law of the lard.
The speaker concluded his remarks by ad-
verting to the intolerance of Southern public
opinipn. which allowed M sN''-- T~--i--rst'FJ
exactions.
A discursive debate then arose, with respect
to the accuracy of a statement made by Mr..
Harlan, upon the authority of Gov. Walker, to
the effect that in nineteen counties of the Ter
ritory OF Kansas there was no census of voters
for the Constitutional Convention. This asser-
tion was contested by Messrs. Polk, Bigler, and
others, and was reafirmed by Messrs. Stuart
and Wilson. Mr.. Pugh deemed this a vital
point in the whole Kansas discussion, and desir
ed more light on the subject.
HOUSE. ~
The Speaker announced the select commit
tee on the subject of the Pacific railroad, as
follows: Messrs Phelps of Missouri, Jones of
Tennessee, Washburn of Maine, Millson of Vir-
GINA, Curtis of Iowa, Corning of New York,
Underwood of Kentucky, Groesbeck of Ohio,
~ +
sippi, Farnsworth of Illinois, Phillips of Penn
sylvania, Leach of Michigan, Bryan of Texas,
and Scott of California.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole Mr.. Branch, of North Carolina, in the
chair,) and resumed the consideration of the
invalid pension bill.
Mr.. Gartrell, of Georgia, addressed the Com
mitee in defence of the institution of domestic
Slavery as existing at the South, and the me-
cessity for its extension and perpetuation un-
der this Government replying to the remarks
of Mr.. Blair, of Missouri, who few DAYS
since denounced the institution as o cancer
upon the face, which, unless removed, would
eat into the vitals of the body polite This,
he said, was fanatical idea, stereotyped by
| certain politicians, from the time of John Ran
dolph to this hour. He maintained the reverse
of the proposition, and held that Southern Sla
very was right in principle and practice; that
1t was blessing both to the African and to the
European races, developing the resources and
assisting the progress of the country. And that
| 1t had elevated the nation in the scale of mo-
rality, wealth, enterprise, and intelligence, TO q
| point never attained by any other nation Sla-
very was not only sanctioned by the Constitu.
ton, but by the highest possible authority, the
| Bible. DIR. G. then read passages from the Old
| Testament, which he argued not only sanction.
ed Slavery, but provided laws for it's protection
| for all time to come.
Mr.. G. had not concluded his remarks when
his hour expired, and he asked leave of the
| House to print the remainder of his speech.
| This led to considerable discussion and con.
fusion, during which the floor was assigned to
Mr.. Washburne, of Wisconsin. After order
had been restored, Mr.. Washburne addressed
the Committee on the subjects of the financial
revulsion, bank credit, &c. He held that the
principal cause of the prevailing financial dis
tress was the extravaganza and the corrupt
and corruptiDg practices Of this Government
during the last twenty years.
The country was suffering under pecuniary
distress and universal bankruptcy. People had
| looked for relief to the Presidents message !;
but the message came and went, and brought
no ray OF hope. The President only assailed
the State banks. He attributed the financial
revulSon to the repeal of the protective tariff
OF lo42, and the substitution of the revenue or
tree trade tariff of 1916. This was done against
the voice OF the people, as expressed in the
election OF 1910, and for no other reason, that
he could learn, than that the protective tariff
| was a Wing measura