Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-08
Congressional
The following proceedings were held in Con- gress at the dates specified:

The following proceedings were held in Con- gress at the dates specified: l Tuesday, March 30, 1858.
 SENATE.-Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, from the committee on printing to whom was referred motion to print the report of the Se- cretary of the Interior, communicating Major Emory's report on the Mexican boundary sur vey reported motion to print it; and the mo- ton was agreed to.
 He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred motion to print the resolutions of the Legislature of New Mexico, reported in fa- vor of it; and the motion was agreed to-
 He also, from the same committee. to whom was referred motion to print the report of the Secretary of War, communicating information Ill relation to officers of the army absent from duty, and the cause of such absence reported Tn favor of the motion; and 1t was agreed to- 1 He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred motion to print the report of the Secretary of War, communicating lists of per sons employed nj the War Department other than army officers, reported in favor of the mo- ton; and it was agreed to.
 He also from the same committee to whom was referred motion to print the report of the | Secretary of the Navy, in relation to Govern- ment vessels in the Pacific ocean, and private vessels employed as government transports, and the annual expense thereof reported in favor of the motion and It was agreed to.
 He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred motion to print the report of the Secretary of War; in relation to surveys of the Potomac river in the vicinity of Washington, reported in favor of the motion and 1t was agreed to.
 He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred the motion to print the memorial of Lawrence kearney, reported in favor of the motion, and it was agreed to.
 He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred motion o print additional copies of the report on ohn Claiborne on the consump- ton of cotton in Europe, reported a resolution for printing five thousand copies, and it was agreed to.
 MT. JOHNSON, of Arkansas The com mttee on printing have instructed me to report bill (S. No. 218) amendatory of the act enti- tied An act to provide for executing the pub lie printing and establishing the prices thereof and for other purposes" approved August 26, 1852. 1 wish to call the attention of the Sen ators to it, at the very earliest possible day l shall ask that it be acted on. The printing laws are very defective. All that th3 know ledge of the Superintendent and his office has been able to give us, and all the experience we have had ourselves by several years service, and all the information we can get from the ac- counting officers, have been availed of in draw. ing this bill to perfect these laws.
 The bill was read first time and ordered to a second reading.
 TiTdoy, April ?, 1858.
 SENATE.-On motion of Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, it was
 Ordered, That the petition of John B. and ,I Thomas Johnston, on the files of the Senate be referred to the committee on claims
 BILLS INTRODUCED.
 Mr. SEBASTIAN ask ed and by unanimous consent ohtailcd leave to introduce bill (S No. 233) for the relief of Samuel C. PhasiI and others; which was read twice hv its title and referred to the committee oil the Jud.ca
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, asked. and by unanimous consent ohtaued, leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 234) concerning the remission of fines, penalties and forfeiturts; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the committee on the Judiciary
 The Senate, as in committee of the whole resumed the consideration of the bill (S No. 46) to grant the right of pre-emption in certain lands to the Indiana yearly meeting of the So- ciety of Friends.
 Mir. STUART. I am very anxious indeed for the passage of this bill. think it is i'm pGrtant, highly So, to the Indians who are con- nected with and benefited by this school II the Senatot from Alabama. when he comes in to-day, shall say that he has not examined this question, and wants time and opportunity to do so, l shall have no objection to d motion to re. consider being entered, that he may have that opportunity; for l feel assured the more this bill is examined, the more it will impress tself rpon the mind of every Senator here as being as l said before, eminently just and pro. per.
 The PRESIDENT pro temyore. Does the Senator from North Carolina insist on his mo- tion to postpone?
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. I wish to state, a member of the committee on pub Ii; lands, was not present when this report was adopted. The bill extends the pre-emp- tion privilege to religious society We have had during the last two or three Congresses, not less than one thousand petitions in behalf of va rionS societies throughout the United States, asking for public lands. This bill, it is true. requires the payment into the Treasury of Sl p an acre for the land So far it is no inins- ice to the public; but whenever you commence eyten ling facilities or benefits of this charac- ter connected with the public lands to societies of any description whatsoever, you will have taken a step that leads to--where, 10 one can tell
 am satisfied, with reference to the prblic lands and their disposition in the future, that this will De as unwise step as we can possibly l take. l say to those gentlemen whs represent the old States, and have ever been so jealous in regard to the disposition to be made of the public lands that by passing this bill they now take the first step towards system of dona- ton of the public lands for every kind of wild scheme that can be presented to Congress- Pass this bill, and your files here will show, within twelve months from this time, certainly. within the period of the next Congress, a very large increase Of petitions that will be present. ed here Tn favor of various schemes, for the dis position of the public lands If you grant this special favor to this society, it will be taken as precedent, and the dollar and quarter an acre will become matter of small conseouencp the precedent having been extented of giving privileges of this kind connected with the mb he lands. You will find it not very long be. fore the dollar and quarter will be dispensed | with, and they will become nothing but naked donations for the objects which the parties pre- terring petitions may have in view.
 l hope this bill will not be passed bv Con gress; hope it will never become law. It is for charitable, educational, and various other purposes that these petitions have hitherto been presented Hitherto the most extensive pro- visions have been made by the laws of Con- gresS Tn the new States for educational purposes. hv grants of public lands to the States for that object. Then in regard to the Indians, if it is upon that ground that the Senator wants this grant, we can well Say that the government of the United States has incurred expense with out stint in every direction for the Indians; and many persons, myself among the nun. Der, think your Indian expenditures have been in some respects of the most extravagant char acter. l do not think the public lands now ought to be opened to oiects of that kind. It seems to me that sound policy would forbid our embarking in any system of this nature.- This is but the inception of it; and I hope it will not succeed. 1 know of no instance in which bill of this nature has ever been passed and become law hitherto I hope verv ,,nch