The Washington union., 1858-03-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
Congress First Session.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1853.
SEN ATE.

Mr. HAMMOND presented the memorial of r. smith,
administrator Arthur Middleton praying to be allow
ed the outfit Of charge afaires the duties OF when
office discharged by said Middleton while secretary
of legation at the Court of Marid which referred TO
the Committee Foreign Relations
Mr., MASON presented the petition OF John Mason ana
Others heirs of jeremiah Gilman officer III the reso
lutionary army praying TO be allowed hall pay "nn
was referred to the Committee on Revolutionary osis
Mr.. DURKEE presented petition OF the mi~auAee
and Rock River Canal Company praying Una. INC o'A'e
of Wisconsin may not be released rom s nuoo'cuhess
to the United States for moneys received rom e Sae Vi
the canal lands without provision being made 10 protect
the rights OF the company which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
Denny widow OF John W. Denny, praying that her pen
sion may be continued which was referred to the Com
mittec on Pensions, tafsa
Mr. PEARCE presented a memorial of the owners and
conductors the Touring mills at Georgetown, District
of Columbia and Others praying that the bill to restrict
the and circulation Of bank notes in the District OF
Columbia may not become law which was ordered to
lie on the table.
REroRTs COMMITTEES
Mr. PUGH from the Committee the Judiciary, to
whom was referred the bill further to amend the Act
to divide the of Illinois into two judicial districts,
approved February l3, 1855 reported general bill as
subsute entitled bill to provide for the issuing ser
vice and return of original and final process in the circuit
and district courts of the United States in certain cases
which was considered and passed.
Mr. HAMMOND from the Committee ON Naval Affairs,
the Navy to pay the officers and of the expedi
ton In search of Dr. Kane the rate of pay as was
allowed to the officers and seamen Of the expedition un-
der Lieut. De Haven which was read and passed to sec
ond reading. @
Mr. BROWN from the Committee the District OF
Columbia to whom referred the memorial OF me-
chanics of the District of Columbia reported bill tor the
enforcement of mechanics liens buildings, &C. in the
District of Columbia which read and passed to
second reading This bill is in Its main features similar
to the provisions that subject in the Revised Code
Mr. b.. from the committee, submitted an ad-
verse report the petition of Thomas Halenan which
WAS ooneurred in
COAST SURVEY
Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, from the Committee on
Printing to whom referred motion to print ten
thousand copies Of the annual report of the Superntend
cnt Of the Survey for 1857 for distribution by the
Superintendent reported resolution that in addition to
the number there be printed ve thousand copie
for distribution by the Treasury Departmentthe same
to be printed and bound in quarto FORM and that such
printing shall be done to the satisfaction of the Supern
tendcnt of the Coast Survey
Mr. PEARCE remarked that these reports contained
very valuable information and he thought it would be
much better that they should be distributed by the Su
perntendent of the Coast Survey than from the Treasury
Department The Secretary of the Treasury was already
burdened by very onerous duties and II THIS mode OF
distribution should be adopted the matter would be con-
fded to some subordinate clerk In illustration OF the
Importance of these reports he alluded to dangers to nav
igaton in the most trequented waters OF the United
States which known until their presence was
demonstrated by some shpwreck but whose position has
been carefully ascerained and communicated to those In
terested navigation by Of skeleton maps issued
from the Coast Survey Office ~.
Mr. HAMI.IN admitted that the publication of docu-
mens by the Senate had gone to great extent but
he thought that this the last document printed by
the Senate ut which the should be laid for in i'm
portance it not equaiied Dy any document pileu
by Congress.
Mr. JOHNSON of Arkansas, said that the utility OF
the document not questioned. .a
Mr.. HAM[IN went on to say that he would neither
.lx..J tLnn ,1,nrSn chlnU al
ton The change proposed by the committee would he
taking away from the who has the deepest inter
in it, and transferring it to some subordinate clerk
who had no interest in the matter at all.
Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas defended the propriety OF
the action recommended by the committee
The hour having arrived for the consideration of the
special ORDER the further consideration OF the resolution
was postponed until tomorrow
ADMISSION
Mr. SEWARD made an elaborate and carefully-pre-
pared speech in opposition to the admission OF Kansas
under the Lecompton constitution. He commenced by
saying that eight years ago we slew the Wimot provso
and buried it under the floor of the Senate chamber
-Four wears ago we exploded altogether the time honored
system governing the Territories of the United States
by federal rules and regulations and substituted in its
place the gospel of popular sovereignty all whose
WAYS were to he ways of wisdom, and all whose paths
were supposed to be the owery paths of peace Never
theless the question of slavery slavery In the Terri
tories Of the United States Is again stirring the masses OF
to-day The manged proyso has burst the cerements OF
the grave, and ia striking hands here in our very
with the gentle spirit OF popular sovereignty run
mad and scattering dsmay and consternation through
out the administration benches in both chambers Of Con
gress.
Mr. s. proceeded to contrast the present situation OF
the country in to freedom and slavery with its
situation in the early days of its history At first there
were twelve slave States and only one free State
there were fifteen slave States and sixteen free States
At first the action of the federal government gene
rally in Of free labor and free States now, it il
generally In favor of slave labor and slave States Among
the prominent acts in favor of freedom the
hbition of the African slave trade while the other
hand the repeal of the Missouri Compromise di-
rect Intervention in favor of slavery But strange to
say after the government had been intervening with the
question Of slavery freedom in the Territories of the
United States for than sixty years the remarkable
discovery made that Congress had right to inter
at all, but that ''perfect freedom included the
freedom to establish slavery. This not doc
had been vagant for several years seeking the adoption
eighty " but now it brought to the baptsna font
and received the euphonous of popular
ereignty The people had heretofore enjoyed all the
liberty which free people could desire but their repre-
sentaves In Congress scduced to of the fruit
of the tree Of knowledge of good and evil and the result
the knowledge of evil rather than good Mr. s. also
alluded 10 the Interference of Mssourians with the
ons In Kansas and commented the Dred Scott decis
ion well various other matters which have hereto
fore been discussed in connexon with the Kansas ques
ton
Mr. THOMSON, of New Jersey, alluded to the
troverses that had constantly existed hitherto in refer
to the condition of things in Kansas and said that
there was favorable opporpity to put an end To