The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-12


up bill rom the House OF Representatives for the relief
Of Capt Douglas 0tinger the case was exceedingly
meritoous one and he thought ii would occupy any
portion of the time of the Senate.
The motion agreed to- and the bill passed
yeas rs nays l5
SENATOR'S
Mr.. SEWARD moved to postpone all prior orders for
the purpose Of proceeding 10 the consideration Of the
port of the Committee the Judiciary the memorial
OF the Legislature of Indiana claiming that Messrs Lane
and Mccarty her ghtfully elected senators. The
motion being agreed TO, Mr. s. submitted amendment
TO the report of the committee, TO allow Messs, Lane
and McCay to occupy seats on the floor of the Senate
pending the consideration OF their claims, and giving
them leave to speak thereon,
Mr.. PUGH moved to amend the amendment by striking
out all after the word that, and inserting substitute
that the resolution of the Senate adopted June 18th,
1858, affirming the right of Hon GRAHAM N. FIrcn and
Hon JEsE D. BRGr senators elected from the State
of Indiana. the former until the 4th of March, 1861 and
the latter until the 4th of March, 1868 final dec
sion of all the subjects then in controversy and conclu
siye we'll upon the Legislature of Indiana and all per-
Claiming under iss authority upon the senators
named in the resolution
Mr.. SEWARD remarked that it would not be necessary
to dean the Senate by any extended course of argument
upon this subject, but he should only state few con
secuiyo propositions in "a consecutive He
enced by alludng TO the transcendent importance OF
this question: for under system every State ought TO
be represented in each house of Congress If the state
in the memorial of the legislature of Indiana
true she is unepresened in the Senate than that
she is msepsened here 1t unjust to that State to
refuse to hear her appeal nay it was tyrunnicl The
senator from Ohio and the senator from Delaware Mr.
BAyApD had conendcd that the Senate having had
the subject under consideration and TO decision
thereon that decision final and conclusive but he
took issue with them upon that question. The Senate
not like court of law whose decisions not liza
bic to be reopened for argument For the first time the
State of Indiana party in the she comes here
demanding TO be heard and has sent two men, in whom
she has confidence to speak her sentiments Justice re-
qnires that this demand of sovereign State should be
acceed to- The Senate acted not from precedents but
from sense of Justice, cxpedcncy and regard To the
public welfare and interest He also alluded to the alien
and sedton laws which had been much denounced,
proof that the decisions Of Legislative bodies not lin
fallible.
Mr. BRIGHT said that he should like to speak this
subject but his friends had advised his colleague and
himself to leave their cases in their hands. He would
seek other occasion to the gross nisrepre
scntatons OF facts by the senator from New York in
nexon with this subject
Mr.. PUGH moved to lay the subject the table,
with view to allow the senator from Louisiana Mr.
BESoAMNl to address the Senate on the acquisition OF
Cuba s
Mr. GREEN inquired whether il would be the general
understanding that this would be final disposition of
the subject would it be liable to be called up at any
time privileged question
Mr. CoiLAMER supposed that it could be called up at
any time
MIR. BAYARD thought that laying it upon the table
by vote OF the Senate would dispose of it, that vote
Mr. TRUMBILL said this was only preliminary
question to determine whether these gentlemen should
be allowed to advocate their own claims or whether
others would have to do 1t for them.
Mr.. PUGH said the preliminary question the
whole question, as he understood it,
Mr. BAYARD thought the real preliminary question
was whether the Senate after having decided the
matter would consent to reopen the for any purpose
whatever 7
Mr. COILAAIER wanted to know, before the vote
taken, whether this, being privileged question, could
not be called up at any time, though 1t should be
laid on the table.
The VICE PRESIDENT was understood to say that he
would decide hat question when the proper time should
arrive.
Mr. COLLAMER thought there was some danger of be-
ing caught in trap about this thing.
The question being then taken, the motion of Mr..
PuGn agreed to--yeas 81, nays 20-as follows:
Messrs Allen Bayard BENJAMIN Bgier Brown, Ch"snu
Clay cngman ana f,zprink Gwi lapn"na "a Houston Hun
ncdy Mallory, Mason Polk, pngh Reid Rice, Sebastian sIlcl
NAys-Mcssrs. Bates Bell Bodecs, Cameron Chandler Clark
caner Doote Douglas purkne fessenen Foot Hale Harlan
King Seward, simmons Trnhbul, Wade aud Wilson-2o
PRIVATE BILLS
Mr. IvERsoN was willing to allow the private calcn-
tlar go until to morrow, to allow Mr. Ben
JAMiy to speak, if it could be then taken up. Thcre
least fifty private bills from the House of Representa-
tves besides those from the Senate the private calcn
ela and least day this session should he de-
voted to them. He then submitted resolution, that to-
morrow at o'clock, the Senate will proceed to the
consideration of the private calendar which agreed
to. tH
ACQUISITION
The Senate then resumed the consideration of the bill
making appropriations to facilitate the acquisition of the
island Of Cuba by negotiation.
Mr.. BENJAMIN spoke of the importance of the CON
sderatons involved in this question: and said that he
should be compelled to glance rapidly at many things
which he should like to elaborate and points would
haye TO be omitted entirely, as he wished TO make his
remarks as Met possible. Cuba interropical
island lying ut our very doors Her external commerce
amounted TO eighty millions OF dollars per annum her
territorial equal to four or FIVE of the
smaller States of the confedcrcy and in population she
would rank as the fifth. Her harbors were unrvaled
for capacity and security The prescnt condition and flu
ture destiny of that island absorbing subjects of
contemplation to the American people, and afforded
legitimate field for the abest statesmen of the land 1t
would be impossible to come to thorough understand
ing of this subject without examining the condition OF its
population, white and black. Experience had fully dem
onsraed the truth of the assertion that tropical produc
tions arc dependent upon compulsory labor alone-at
least, their production upon q scale commensurate
with the wants of civilized man. Take particular
instances in which slave labor and frpo labor have
been opposed to 'cioh other Compare the Hayti of
to the independence of that island, her production of
sugar alone exceeded the productions of the whole Eng
lish West India colonies; and in addition to that, she
exported vast quantities of cotton, Coffee cocoa, and
indigo If Hayt be considered unfair subject of
comparison If il be suggested that nearly the whole
property of that island destroyed at the bloody period
of its revolution other and still striking
examples Compare the English West India colonies, the
French West India colonies and the Dutch West India
colonies in which the disastrous experiment of cmanc
patton has been made take British and French and
Dut,h Guiana and the whole Of them together do pot