The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-18

for the amendment and the Senator'S Missouri
divided, Mr. Polk taking sde and Mr. Green taking the
other Even Mr. Bell yielded to the temptation Of the inter
est OF Tennessee IN maintaining contract which nxed the
Memphis
But the South united as it was could have defeated
MI wilson amendment, but for the reachery Oh the een'
free State SenaorsAlen of Rhode Island Bger OF Penn
syvania Fitch of Indiana of California Jones Of Iowa.
Lane Of Oregon Rice of Minnesota and Stuart Of Michigan
who had been long accustomed act upon that floor 71
nison and Sympathy sOt the South to have the man
full OF tender "reminiscences proved irresistible.
Not single Democrat voted for the amendment with the
exception or Gen. Shields of Minnesota
Mr. Gwn OF California and Mr. Lane both men of Southern
Ortn and associations did finch from being true 70 ther
ior Iner constituencies AS TO Mr. Lane he aDsontey wal
lowed and glored his shame Not satisfied with voting
10 Keep the mail route far from Oregon as possibly
could be without going out Of the limits Of the Cned
states he made speech which he maintained that the
Texas route was just the route which ought TO have been
selected And as shall the sequel he even voted
against an increased speed upon the Salt Lake route which
leads towards Oregon with which may easily be connected
by branch.
The next question was upon the following amendment,
moved by Mr.. Stuart of Michigan:
g And be fther enacted That the Postmaster General
be- and he hereby directed reduce the service under
the contract with Buterhed Co., made September 10,
1857 for carrying the mail from the Mississippi river
san Francisco, to weekly trips, at compensation Of
per annu provided section of the act Of
March g. 1857 reduction 10 commence with the next
quarter
This amendment carried by the following vote
HEAs-Aessrs. Allen Benjamin, Bgler, Cameron, Chand
Ter, Cngman, Doolte, Fessenden Fitch, Foot Foster,
Green, Hale Hamn, Harlan, Hunter lverson johnson Of
Tennessee, Jones' King, Lane, Mallory Mason, Pearce
and Wilson'S.
NAYsMessrs. Bayard, Bell Bright, Frederick, Brown,
Davis, Fitzpatrick Gwn Houston, johnson of Arkansas,
Polk, Reid Rice, Sebastian, Trumbull and Ward-l6.
All the Republicans voted in the affirmative with the
cepuon OF Mr. Tumbu, who believed that Congress had
power to reduce the rate of service Believing the whole
contract, made illegal and useless the Republicans
wished to make the expense Of it little possible.
The Southern Senators divided upon this question Some
OF them voted for the reduction as matter Of policy TO
serve the contract from entire abrogation
An amendment, discontinue fine Kansas and Stockton
route was agreed to without division nobody seeming to
be willing to assume the responsibility of that piece of OBJ
Mr. Broderick of California moved amend the bill, by
adding the following:
And be ii further enacted That the Postmaster General
be- and he hereby, authorized and required order
increase Of speed the mail route between St. Joseph
Missouri, and Pacervile, California, require the
mails TO be transported through in twenty five days Pro
cdd That if said contractors have heretofore offered to
perform said increased service for than the
General shall contract pay than said
toned offer, at increased expense not exceeding
hundred and thirty thousand dollars"
This amendment carried by the following vote
YEAs-Messrs Bell Bigler, Bright Broderick, Cameron
Chandler Clark, Collamer Doolitte, Douglas Fessenden
Foot Foster Green, Gwm, Hale Hamn, Harlan, Houston
Jones, King, Polk, Seward, Shields, Simmons, Trumbu
Wade, Wilson, and Wright-29.
NAYs-Messrs. Allen Bayard, Benjamin, Brown, Chestnut
Clay, Chngman Davis Fitch Fitzpatrick, Hunter, Iverson
Johnson Of Arkansas Johnson of Tennessee Lane Mallory
Mason Iearce Pugh, Reid Sebastian Stuart Toonbs, and
Yuee-4.
In this VOTE the South was defeated the issue being Of
such nature that many of the Northern gentlemen who
IN the habit OF acting and sympathy IVith the
South hardly had the courage audaciy GO manli
ness as MIR verson phrased it, to stand by their South
them.
The measure proposed for which the whole West
including Missouri, clamorOus and which a darling
OBJECT with the people OF California The south was beaten
had been upon the question in both branches OF
the Congress at its first session. Then, the South
escaped final defeat by compelling the President to pocket
the resolution which Congress had passed for an increase
Of speed the St. Joseph route That resource Of the EX
ecuve Veto or OF Executive pocketng always resored TO
by the South when anything satisfactory them
red through Congress- not open them this case
the obnoxious measure was fastened upon an appropriation
bill, which the President would be forced sign They
escaped defeat at last but this by the extraordinary and
wholly unexpected loss of the entire Post Office appropra
ton bill, between the Senate and House.
The amendment Of Mr. Broderick and the vote upon it,
deserve the most careful consideration
The amendment intended to eectuate the policy Of
the law OF March g. 1857 baed hitherto by Presidential
usrpaon the policy Of aiding emigration 10 the Pacific by
establishing upon the line of emigration such mail service
respect speed frequency and of compensation
would induce and enable the contractors make good
road and sustain upon it, at short intervals adequate
tons for tho supply OF man and beast The law Of March
1857 left the selection of the line to the contractors upon the
simple reasoning that what would be the best for them
would be the best for emigration and that they would
look to the carriage Of passengers for profit well the
carriage Of mails they would have sufficient motive keep
IN the probable route Of passengers BY complete perver
son however OF this policy route had been imposed
contractors which could become Of emigration
to California although might serve that purpose for Ari
iona, there anything IN that dismal region attract i'm
migrants. California, which IS pnng for population,
cheated The West from which so many desire to migrate
overland 10 the Pacific, cheated And the whole
try cheated by this sacrifice of large and generous
legislation to sn6serve the imaginary purposes of sectional
and disunicn railroad.
duty of Congress as well in just vndca-
uoh oil IT'S own constitutional prerOgatves as IN defence OF
the pubc involved the question 10 enforce the
law Of 1891 aud 10 restore to the Contractors that discretion
the choice OF route which they would probably
wisely and which the President had certainly exercised most
unwisey This duty Of Congress the Republicans exerted
themselves with energy and unanimy to be per-
formed, but without success.
What remained to be attempted, the Texas line being
the present upon the country by party and
sectional Influences eecuae the law Of 1857 the
other mode embraced in Mr. BrOdercks amendment which
leaving the Texas line undsturbed provided for vigorous
Western emgrants and which would be selected today bv
contractors LEFT to exercise their own choice Tho mode Of
proceeding embodied Mr.. Broderick's amendment was
expensive inasmuch required a second contract in
case IN which one was enough but expensive that
the fault of Mr. Broderck or OF the Republican Sen
atoTs lie and they had endeavOred to conform
the existing contract to the law of 1857 make the exist
ing contract answer the purpose contemplated by the law
But they had been defeated in this by the South nothing
remained the existing being wholly useless so far
emigration TO the Pacific concerned but provide for
another contract which would tend to subserve that import
ant national object II there double expense the re-
sponsbiy was not upon those who insisted upon neces
ay service put upon those who Kept up an unnecessary
service.
Only Southern Senator's outside of Missouri voted for
MI Brouercks amendment These two were Mr.. Bell Of
Tennessee and Mr. Houston Of Texas both whom are op
posed to the Administration and to the dsunon policy the
DeocIatc party Inc people OF the West and of California
and oregon will not fail take notice that without single
exception outside of Missouri the whole body of the South
Democratic Senators voted against the natural and CEN
trail route of emigration to the Pacific Without single OK.
ceptoD outside of Missouri they combined TO DENY TO Cali
oa what they had fraudueny secured for Arizona and
for their own projects Of terminating Pacific railroad upon
the Mexican Gulf of California.
OF the freeState Democratic Senators Messrs Bpler
Bright Douglas Gwn, Jones' Shields Wright voted for
Mr.. Broderlcks amendment Messrs Allen, Fitch Lane
Pugh, and Stuart, voted against it.
voting he did Mr. Bger Certainly did not renraennt
the President who had pOceed resolution 10 reduce the
time Of the Salt Lake mail to thirty days and who must have
been still more opposed to reduction TO twenty five days
Mr. Bgler voted he ought have voted and with The
additional merit of voting independently President die
taon IL may be presumed however that he was raced
up to the performance OF his duty by his energe and in
uena Democratic constituent the contractor upon the
Lake route.
Broderick's amendment was carried and would now
be law but for the failure Of the whole Post Office appropr
alton bull 1t can be carried again. in spite Of the President
and oil the Sou whenever another Post Office appropriation
bill is passed. This amendment would be the law TODAY
but for the first mistake of Congress putting the
form of separate resolution which Mr. Buchanan pocketed
That mistake will not be repeated
Mr. Brodericks amendment being disposed of, Mr. Rice
moved the following addition to the bill
And be further enacted That the Postmaster General
be- and he hereby authorized to contract for the convey
Of the entire letter mail Paul in the State of
Minnesota and the head of Lake Superior Wisconsin TO
Seattle on Puget Sound in the Territory Of Washington for
years, at cost not exceeding hundred thousand
dollars per annum for weekly service.
and be further enacted That the contractors shall have
the right OF presumption hundred sixty acres of
land not then disposed of or reserved at each point
saTy for station, not TO be less than miles
each other and provided That mineral land shall be
thus pre-empted.
and be further enacted That the said service shall be
performed within twenty days each trip that before
entering into such contract the Postmaster General shall
satisfied of the ability aud disposition Of the parties
de and in good faith perform the said contract"
This amendment carried by the following vote
YEAs-Messrs. Allen, Benjamin, Bgler Broderck Cam
eron, Clark Clngman DOottle Douglas Fessenden Foot
Foster Green Gwin, Hale Harlan Houston johnson OF
Arkansas, Jones' Lane Polk Pugh Reid Rice Shields Sim
mons, Stuart Toombs, Trumbul Wade, Ward Wilson and
Yulee-33.
NAys-Messrs Bell, Hunter, Johnson of Tennessee, and
Mallory.
Only fourteen Southern Senators voted for the amend
ment and against it. Many other southern Senators