Worcester daily spy., 1859-01-21
THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS Second Session
1r1Ir


Before taking up the Pacific Railroad BILL
Mr.. Benjamin of Louisiana reported substi-
tute 70, Mr. AIason's BILL which authorized the
President to use the public forces of the United
States.
MIR. Benjamin's substitute, which was order
ed to be printed, is as follows The first sec
ton gives power to the President, whenever
he has reason to apprehend that any of the
transit routes will be obstructed or closed by
lawless vessels, or that an attack is threatened
against the persons or property of our citizens,
to use the land and naval forces to prevent the
threatened injury, on condition that the forces
used are withdrawn as soon as the object is ac-
complished.
The second section gives power to the Pres
ident, in cases of actual violence to our citi-
zens in any of the Central American States or
in Mexico, to use the land and naval forces in
exacting instant redress, the forces to be with
drawn as soon as redress is granted
The Invalid Pension bill was taken up and
passed. The Pacific Railroad bill as amend
ed, came up.
Mr.. Davis moved to strike out all after the
enacting clause, and adopt as substitute his
minority report, the main features OF which
are, an appropriation of $10,00O,000 and ten
sections Of land per mile, to construct the
road-the said 100000 to be refunded in the
form of net proceeds, into the Treasury. No
termini are named and no monopoly is to be
given to any special company. The road is
to be run from the Atlantic States to the Paci-
fc States. He believed that the road could be
built over a certain route on these terms, and
made long speech in support of his views.
Mr.. Davis spoke for three hours, strongly
advocating Southern road, and gave large
details Of the topography of the route to show
that the road from Texas to California is the
shortest and cheapest.
1t may here be mentioned that Mr.. Pughs
amendment, to terminate the road at the East
ern boundary of California, was not lost, as
was enormously stated 1t was temporarily
withdrawn, to enable Mr.. Davis to offer his
substitute.
Mr.. Green, of Missouri, in reply to Mr.. Da-
Wis, deprecated the tenor of that Senator's
speech, which, he considered, tended to exalt
the advantages of the Southern at the expense
of the other routes. He argued the question
at length, and was followed by
Mr.. Doolittle, who recommended taking
three estimates for contracts first, for a road
North Of parallel Al; second, between parallels
81 and 43; and third, South of 81.
Mr.. lVerson spoke against the central route,
and Mr.. Brown argued upon the Constitution
atty of the measure, when Mr. Mason moved
to adjourn. The motion prevailed, and the
Senate adjourned
HOUSE.
The Speaker announced Messrs. Sherman,
of Ohio, Bocock, Ritchie, Groesback, and
Ready, as the Select Committee on the charges
of alleged corruption in the Navy Depart
ment.
The bill to amend the pre-emption laws
came up.
Mr.. Blair, of Missouri, offered the Home
stead Bill as an amendment, but it was ruled
out of order.
The House, by four majority, rejected the
bill, refusing to order it to be engrossed.
The House went into committee on the Pres
ident's Message, and Immediately took recess
till seven O'Clock.
EUening .SeSsion.-Mr. Purviance of Penn
sylvania, in the course of his speech, said he
wished to test the sense of the Democrats,
whether they were ready to sustain the Presi-
dent in his recommendation of specific duties.
He replied to Mr.. Washburne of Maine, re-
marking that that genteman's platform might
suit that State, but Pennsylvania must be al
lowed to make her own, and insisting that pro-
lection must be one of the planks which she
would never surrender
Mr. Thompson of New York also dissented
from Mr.. Washburne's last speech. He denied
any mans right to make platform for the Re
publican party, which had no narrow planks
and containedn elements of disunion and dis
trust He therefore trampled on all new plat
forms.