The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-23
TIL IRT Y-FIFTH CONG ESS,
Second Session.
Tuesday, December Ia, 1858.


Tuesday, December IA, 1853.
SENATE.
Mr. Hale offered petition of citizens of New
Hampshire, praying the establishment of com
mon-school education in the navy, and Libraries
on board of ships of war;
Mr.. Rice introduced a bill to aid in the con
struction of railroads to the Pacific.
Mr.. Rice gave notice of bill for the organi
cation of Dacotah Territory.
Mr.. Mason introduced a bill to equalize tn,
compensation of the Ministers to France anc
England from July, 1855, to January, 1867.
petition was presented from j. Horsforc
Smith, asking to be allowed to import iror
steamships duty free for his New York coast
ing line. 1t was referred to the Committee or
Finance. -
Mr.. Broderick gave notice of bill for the es
adjustment of a line of telegraph to the Pacific
also, bill to establish a line of steamers from
San Francisco to China, via the Sandwich
Islands and Japan.
The consideration Of the Pacific railroad bill
was now resumed
Mr.. Davis, of Miss, offered an amendment
which he intended to propose as a substitute fol
the bill reported by the majority of the specia
committee. The amendment proposes tina
government shall advertise for proposals for til,
carrying OF the mails, munitions of war, troops
Ncy by railway, between the States of the At
iaht!c ana the Pacific; appropriates alternate
sections OF the public lands, for six miles on
each side OF the road, to aid in its construction
one-half OF said lands to be sold and uncondi
tionally conveyed by the contractors in five
years, and the remaining half within ten wears
provides that the contractors shall locate the
route, and furnish survey to the President
stpulates that the road shall be divided into
sections OF twenty-five miles each and when /;
section shall be completed, patents shall be is
sued tor three-fourths of the land pertaining tc
that section, the remaining fourth being retain
ed as security Tor the completion of the sue
ceeding section; authorizes the President tc
make contracts for twenty years for carving the
mails, military stores, troops, &C., at rates moi
exceeding those which the Government would
have to pay by any existing mode of transport
alton; appropriates Sl0,000,0OO to aid in til,
construction OF the work, upon certain guaran
ties and conditions; provides that no dividends
shall be paid to stockholders until the advance
shall be repaid to the United States; provide.
that the United States Government shall take
possession OF the road and revokes all grants
OF land and m9ney in case of any failure ofper
torrance on the part of the contractors.
Mr. Mason, with view of testing the strength
amendments on the table. The yeas and NAYS
were ordered, and resulted as foliows :
leds-Messrs. Allen, Bates, Bayard. Bepia-
min, Brown, Cameron, Clay, Clingman, Critten-
den, Fitzpatrick, Hamlin, Hammond, Houston,
Hunter, lverson, johnson of Tenn, Mason,
Pearce, Reid, Sebastian, Slidel Thomson OF
New Jersey, and Toombs-23.
Nays-Messrs. Bell, Bgler, Bright. Broder.
lck, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Davis, Dixon.
poolittle, Durkee, Fessenden, Fitch, Foot, Eos
ter, Green, Gwin, Harlan, Jones, Kennedy.
King, Polk, Rice, Seward, Shields. Simmons.
Stuart, Trumbull, Wade, Ward, Wilson, and
Wright-32.
So the Senate refused to lay the bill on the
table-yeas %, nays 80.
Mr. Davis, of Mississippi, now addressed the
Senate in support of his amendment
Mr.. Green offered an amendment, that the
eastern terminus should be somewhere between
the mouth Of the Big Sioux river and Fort
Smith, in Arkansas.
MIR. Doolittle thought the best route would
ne from breckenridge, on the Missouri river to
Puget's Sound, and thence down to San Fran.
cisco.
MIR. Brown thought it would be better to Law
the whole subject aside for this session. as It
would be impossible in two months to consider
the multiplicity of propositions that were Of
fered.
Mr.. lverson opposed Mr.. Doolittle's amend
ment as 1t would exclude the South from any
chance of having the terminus.
MI Folk suggested that the terminus might
be liked somewhere between the 32d and 4Yth
parallels of latitude
Mr.. Davis moved to change the pending
amendment, SO as to allow the terminus to be
anywhere within the limits of the United States
Ibis motion was adopted.
Mr.. Wilson's motion to postpone was then
negatlved, and the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
MIR. Washburne, of Illinois, gave notice of
bal for the establishment of a mail route from
Minnesota to Puget's Sound.
MIR. Phelps, from the Committee of WAYS
and Means, reported bills for the payment of
invalid and other pensions; for the support of
the military academy; for the contingent and
other expenses of the indian department.
Mr.. Kellogg, of Illinois, offered resolution
calling on the Secretary of the Treasury to fur
nish statement of the amount and kinds of
the productions of the British Colonies import
ed into the United States free under the reci-
procity treaty, and also the amount and kinds
of the productions of the United States export
ed to said colonies under that treaty, and also
the like exports and imports from 1850 until
the ratification of said treaty; which was adopted.
The House then resumed the consideration
of the Watrous case.
Wednesday, December Is, 1858.
SENATE
Various memorials of little importance were
presented, with the exception of one from the
of ironmasters who met in Phila-
delphia ON December 90 l849. On this me-
mortal, Mr.. Cameron addressed the Senate