The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-28
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
THlRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 1859.
SENATE.

house Dill tue ment or witnesses before
the Investigating Committee was taken up and
passed.
Mr.. HALE offered resolution directing the Post
master General to furnish the Senate with the
number of post routes, and the amount of postage
collected in each State and Territory. Agreed to-
Also, resolution giving certain powers to the
Postmaster General to permit him to make certain
changes in the mail route between Washington and
New York. Agreed to.
Mr. HALE said this resolution would be the means
OF efecting radical changes in the mail transporta-
ton between this city and New York. The mails
were now delayed at Philadelphia and New York
an unreasonable length Of time.
Mr. STUART, from the Committee on Public
Lands, reported bill to regulate the salaries of
the registers and receivers of the land Offices
under the act of April 90 1918.
This bill makes radical changes in the present
law.
Mr.. FTCH, from the Committee on Printing,
reported in favor of printing 5000 extra copies of
the report on the bill for the acquisition of Cuba
Mr. HALE could not see any use in printing such
large number of copies of this report. 1t had
been printed in most of the principal newspapers of
the Union, and would perhaps be published in all
of them.
Mr.. FITCH thought the Importance of this sub
ject demanded the printing of the report exten-
sively.
The yeas and nays were ordered, and the resolu-
tiOn was agreed to-yeas "a, nays 81.
Mr.. HUNTER moved to lay aside the prior orders
and take up the Indian Appropriation bill.
Mr.. GwIN hoped not The Senate had lust got to
point where they could vote on the Pacific Rail
Mr.. HALE in favor of considering the Indian
Appropriation bill. The Senate could legislate on
the Pacific Railroad bill when they had nothing else
to do.
Mr.. GwIN called for the yeas and navs.
The motion was not agreed to-yeas 20, nays 80;
and the Senate therefore resumed the consideration
of the Pacific Railroad bill.
On motion of Mr.. DooLITTLE an amendment was
I'D oil oI Al,
emption on lands reserved for railroad purposes at
$3.50 per acre.
He also offered another amendment, which was
adopted, nstructng the Secretary of the Interior
to advertise for proposals for building n Northern
and Southern railroad to the Pacific.
On motion of Mr.. DOUGLAS an amendment was
adopted, providing that all lands within 40 miles of
the railroad not otherwise set apart, shall be open
to pre-emption at 10 cents per acre.
Mr.. SIMMONS now moved to strike out the whole
Dill, except Mr.. Doolittles last amendment and to
amend that by nstructing the Secretary of the In
terror to advertise for proposals for Central route
also, which was adopted by yeas 80, nays 20.
The bill now was simply as proposed by the sub
stitute of Mr.. BELL. 1t appropriates nothing for
building the road, but simply advertises for propo-
sails for constructing three routes, leaving to the
next Congress to decide the whole question and Sc
lect the best route.
Mr.. PUGH said the bill had been virtually killed
1t was worth nothing in its present shape and he
moved to strike out the enacting clause.
MIR. GwIN concurred with Mr. Pugh in the futility
of passing the bill in its present form. The enemies
OF the bill had voted for Mr.. Simmons amendment.
He appealed to its friends to retrace their steps and
try to do something. He moved to recommit the
whole subject to a select committee, with nstruc-
tions to report Pacific Railroad bill.
On this motion long debate ensued and the mo-
tion was finally rejected.
The bill, amended, was then passed by the fol
lowing vote:
Yeas.-Messrs. Bell, Bigler Bright, Broderick
Cameron, Chandler, Clark, Dixon, DoOlitte, Doug
las, Durkee, Fessenden, Foote Foster, Gwin
Hamilton, Harlan, Houston, Jones, Kennedy, Polk
Rice, Sebastian, Seward, Shields, Simmons, Stuart
Trumbull, Wade, Ward and Wison-3l.
Nays.-Messrs. Bayard Benjamin. Brown, Ches-
NUT Clay, Clingman, Fitzpatrick, Green, Hunter
lverson, johnson of Tennessee; King Mason
Pearce, Pugh, Reid, Slidell, Thompson of n j..
Toombs and Yulee-20.
The Senate then adourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
The SPEAKER laid before the House a message
from the President, transmitting report in rela
hon to our consular and diplomatic system, which
was ordered to be printed
Also, letter from the Secretary of State, trans
mlttlng communication to the Committee on For
eign Affairs, recommending further legislation 70
the relief OF consular officers, and in regard to tn
duties of certain ministers and consuls which wa
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The business first in order was the Consular an
Diplomatic Appropriation bill. The amendmen
striking out the appropriations for all ministers
cept those to England, France, Russia Spain, Bra
zil, Mexico, China and Peru, was rejected
The amendment appropriatng 81, 800 for tn
minister resident at Japan agreed to.
The amendment reducing the appropriation 70
defraying the expenses of the commission to run tn
boundary line between Washington Territory an
the British possessions, agreed to-.
Mr.. STANTON moved to reconsider the vote b.
which the first amendment was tabled.
Mr.. HOPKINS moved to lay the motion the
table.
Carried-99 yeas to 50 nays.
The amendment of Mr.. CRAWFORD, reducing the
appropriation of $4,000 for carrying into effect
the provisions of the treaty of 1915 to $40 900 was
rejected by yeas AS, nays l45.
The question then recurring on the motion tc
strike out the whole section making said appropria
ton, 1t was lost by yeas 3S, nays l63.
The bill was then rejected by yeas SO, nays 30.
Mr.. BRANCH, of North Carolina, moved that the
vote by which the bill was rejected be recon sidereC
with view of securing some arrangement by
which the bill could be saved.
Mr.. LErCHER, of Virginia. hoped gentlemen of the
opposition, who desired to make a new bill, would
inform the Committee what they wished. otherwise
the Committee could come to no conclusion in re
gard to their desires. Let them distinctly state
what amendment they desire.
Mr.. NICHOLAS, of Ohio, asked who had the power
in the House and was responsible for carving out
the Presidents recommendations.
Mr.. LETcHER thought it would puzzle Philade
phia lawyer to tell who had the power. Laugh
ter.) He had thought there an Administration
majority, but had ascertaned that upon Lecomptor
and this bill there was nOt-So that there must be
some sort of an opposition majority. The session
was drawing to close, and unless these appropria
tion bills were passed, an extra session would be
necessary. He had no interest in the matter. No
body In his district was minister consul but he
thought should confer together and get at thf
desire of the majority. If these bills were defeated
the Government would not have the necessary
means.
Mr. GIDDINGs said before he voted for the bill he
would have to know whether the bill apprOpriatine
S3O,000,0O0 to enable the President to purchase
Cuba, would be reported by the Committee of Way
and Means. If so, he wished to stop the Admins
traton where tits.
Mr.. LETcHER said the Committee on FOREIGN AT
fairs had Cuba in charge. lfthe House passed sucl
bill the Committee of Ways and Means would b.
obliged to conlne their action to that Of the
House.
Mr.. STANTON said there number of missions
which were totally unnecessary and should be
stricken out. He thought it would be better tC
frame new bill.
Mr.. RTcHTE, of Pennsylvania, said there were
only two or three missions to which gentlemen or
his side of the House objected.
Mr.. BRANCH, of North Carolina, felt there was
responsibility resting upon the House that this bill
should not fail. He hoped some satisfactory ar
raugement would be made.
Mr.. BARKsDALE thought if the Committee o.
Ways and Means would report bill leaving out
the mission to Persia, and the clause for carrying
into effect the Act of l8l9 it would pass. laugh
ter.)
Mr.. CRAWFORD said he was willing to take hi;
share of the responsibility of the defeat of the bill
He indicated that those with whom he acted would
continue to vote against the bill unless their view;
were met.
Mr.. PHELPS asked if the amount of S45, 900 which
the gentleman proposed to give was not the amount
of the contract with the Colonization Society?
Mr. CRAWFORD said il it was used by the Presi
dent to out that contract il was not his fault
He had voted for MIR. Barksdae's amendment tG
prevent that application of the money, but it had
been voted down. 1t was for the President
to decide whether he would give that amount t.
those who by law were entitled to bounty for cap
turing the slaves or give it towards educating Ih
negroes. He could take his choice
Mr.. SMITH, of Va, said the law was thing
and its administration another. He could not he Il
it if the President miSapped the money.
Mr.. CRAwFouD asked the gentleman if he did no
know before he voted for the appropriation tina
it would be used to support and civilize the Afri
ans2
MIR. SMITH said the naked question was whethe
it was right and proper to put this money in tn
Presidents hands to carry out the act of 1919. HI
thought it was proper to do so, and had, therefore
voted for it.
Mr.. CRAWFORD said he was ready to carry out tn,
law of the land, but there was law authorizing
the President to feed, clothe and educate negroes
Africa. His of them ceased after he had re
stored them to their native land. Would the gen
tleman be willing to vote for the carrying out O
this policy in regard to negroes that might be cap
tured OIL our Southern coasts within the next fey
years?
Mr.. CRAWFORD then went into history of tn
action Of the South, in regard to the slave trade
and showed that in l760 South Carolina had beel
rebuked by the British Government for taking mea
ss9es to support the traffic. In 1919 the South ha
voted for the act more efectually to suppress tina
trade, but circumstances had changed since thei
and it depended upon the action of the Mort