The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-07
EfrIoIENcY on THE aAvY,

The resolution submitted time since by Mr. Sill
DELL calling the President for copies of the records OF
the proceedings OF the several naval courts OF inquiry
ganized under the act of Congress approved January l6
1887, to amend az act entitled act to promote the
efficiency Of the navy taken up and after brief dis
gusson, on motion by Mr.. BAYARD, it ordered to
He on the table.
After the consideration of executive business the Sen
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
COMMITTEES
Mr.. J. CLANCY JONES, Of Pennsylvania from the
Committee Of Ways and Means, reported bill making
appropriations for the support of the Military Academy
for the year ending 30th june 1859 which read
twice and referred to the Committee of the Whole the
state of the Union, and ordered to be printed
Mr. HARRIS, of Illinois, presented certain papers
atng to the contested election from Ohio and Ne
brska which respectively referred to the Commit
tee of Elections, and ordered to be printed
MIR. WASHBURNE, of illinois, from the Committee on
Commerce, reported back bill further to amend act
to provide for the better security of lives and
on board of vessels propelled in whole in part by
steam, and for other purposes and its further consider
alton was postponed until the first Tuesday in February
next.
Mr.. COBB, Of Alabama, from the Committee Pub
| lie Lands, reported the following resolution:
Resolved That five hundred copies of the report of the
Commissioner Of Public Lands be printed for the Of
the Land Office
After brief colloquy between Messrs. COBB, LEIGH
Err, and JONES of Tennessee the resolution refer
red to the Committee ON Printing
Mr.. WHITLEY, of Delaware, from the Committee on
Agriculture reported resolution for the printing for the
of the members of the House of hundred thou
sand extra copies of the Agricultural Report of the Com
missioner of Patents for the year 1856
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee, opposed the resolution
Mr.. WHITLEY, of Delaware, said that the committee
had instructed him to report that resolution because
every member OF it, and he believed every member of the
House, receiving from their constituents every day
letters by the bushel asking for these reports.
Mr.. LETCHER, of Virginia. raised point of order that
the Committee Agriculture could not report upon a
subject that had not been referred to them.
The SPEAKER decided the point to be well taken,
and accordingly the resolution not received.
Mr.. FAULKNER of Virginia, from the Committee on
Military Affairs reported bill to supply an omission in
the enrolment OF certain act therein named which
read twice and committed
Mr.. CLINGMAN, of North Carolina, from the Com
mttee Foreign Affairs reported the following resolu
tons;
Reora, That the President be requested to communi-
cate to this House, if not incompatible with the public
interest, all the correspondence between the Department
of State and the government Of Paraguay in any
relating to our differences with that COVE rnment.
Resolved That the President be requested communi
cate to this House. if not incompatible with the public in
tcrest such correspondence has passed between the
Department of State and minister the govern
ment of Brazil in relation to the opening of the Amazon
river and the contracting of reciprocity other treaty
Resolred That the President be requested commun
cate to this House, if not incompatible with the public
interest all correspondence which has passed upon the
subject of relations with Spain not heretofore made
public.
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER, of Tennessee, moved to amend
the resolution to include in the call New Granada
| and Paraguay.
The amendment was agreed to, and the resolution
adopted.
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER, of Tennessee, from the Committee
Territories, reported bill for the relief of Richard H.
Wakeman and it read twice and committed
Mr.. CRAGIN. of Massachusetts, from the Committee
Invalid Pensions reported bill for the relief of Ihos
Miller and it was ordered to be placed the private
calendar.
Mr.. MAYNARD of Tennessee, from the select com
mee appointed under resolution Of the House of the
18th u, to investigate the conduct and of the
late Clerk submitted report, accompanied by resou
ton asking for authority to employ stenographcr
clerk.
The resolution was adopted
NEUTRALITY LAWS
On motion of Mr.. j. CLANCY JONES, of Pcnnsylya-
mia, the House then went into Committee of the Whole
the state of the Union Ir PHELPS of Missouri in the
chair and resumed the consideration of the Presidents
annual message, the question being first the motion
of Mr. MAYNARD of Tennessee, that the amendment of
Mr. QurrMAN of Mississippi to the resolution of Mr. j.
CLANCY JONES Of Pennsy lvania be referred to select
committee
Mr. MAYNARD stated that he would change the d.
recton Of his motion to the Committee Military Al.
Mr. sICKLES, of New York, addressed the House at
considerable length the resolutions The adnpistra
ton and the conduct eminent officers in the public
vice had been denounced without facts without record
before Them but with very imperfect knowledge of the
state Of things and in advance of that requston which
they had made upon the Executive for such information
would enable the House to come to intelligent con-
cluson upon grave public question. He should con-
tent himself at this time by putting upon record his dis
sent from some OF the propositions which had been adj
vanced to which he could not give his approval and TO
which he did not believe that the House would
If they had been listening to discussion in House
of Representatives convened by Mr. President Walker in
Nicaragua, they could not have listened TO arguments
more peculiarly in unison with his peculiar theory
of government illustrated there, more in conflict
with the policy and history Of government, which
they forced to listen to this floor. They
told that the neutrality act of 1878 inconsistent
with the theory of government and at with the
principles OF people Az he had read the history of
his country he had taught himself to believe that the
policy imboded in the neutrality act the policy hand
ed down to us by General Washington, and imboded in
constitution, from the administration of Washington
to the present day He had supposed that the whole
country sustained the President in permitting either its
citizens citizens who the representatives of any
power great small to compromise the neutrality of
the United States with reference to any nation people
with whom at peace 1t had been said that the
Executive had authority to send the naval force upon
the high to capture those who had violated
laws that his authority could not be extended beyond
the marine league Had gentlemen forgotten the treaty
for the suppression of the slave trade the coast of AT
RIGA, where this principle is recognised where had
tered into express stpuations to send squadron of not
less than eight guns for the purpose of exercising police
over those watersa police not limited to those waters,
but extending all those seas for the purpose of
breaking up that traffic ia slaves 1t notorious