The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-10
Monday, February I, 1859.

to the BILL His greatest objection TO the bill
was its unconstitutionality.
Mr.. Gwin said he did not agree with the gen
tleman from Alabama as to the constitutionality
of the measure. If he did, he would not vote
for it under any circumstances, and might not
any how, if he had not been directly instructed
to do so by his State, because he thought its
provisions were not entirely just towards Cali
fornia.
Mr.. Brown said though he should vote against
this bill, he could not see the enormities in it
which other gentlemen had discovered. He
could not see, for instance that the rights of
the States were violated by giving to each a
portion of that which belongs to all of them.
Mr.. Davis gave an account of the cessio8s of
the public domain to the General Government
by the old States, and urged that it would be a
violation of its trust if the General Government
should donate these lands without an eqaiva-
lent. The grants to new States were all made
for an equivalent.
| The question was then taken on the passage
of the bill, and resulted as follows:
Keas-Messrs. Allen, Bell, Broderick. Came
ron, Chandler, Clark, Crittenden, Dixon, boo
little, Durkee, Fessenden, Foot, Gwin, Hale,
Hamlin, Harlan, Kennedy, King, Seward, Sim
mons, Thompson of Kentucky, Thomson of
New Jersey, Trumbull, Wade, and Wilson H25.
Ndys-Messrs. Bayard, Brown, Chestnut, Clay,
| Clingman, Davis, Fitzpatrick, Green Ham
mond Houston, Hunter, Jones, Mallory Mason,
Polk, Pugh, Reid, Rice, Sebastian, Shields,
Slidell, and Ward-22
| SO the bill was passed.
The Acenue Railroad BW-The Senate
proceeded to the further consideration of the
bill in relation to railway along Pennsylva-
MIA avenue, in Washington, in the District of
Columbia.
| 10 fret 10, 4 a
amendment extending the width of the track
to five feet two and half inches, and of the
cars to not less than seven feet.
The next amendment was that prohibiting
the company from issuing bills, &C., to be cir
culated as money or currency, under penalty
of forfeiture of charter. Agreed to without a
division.
The amendment making each stakeholder
liable in his individual capacity for all debts
and liabilities of the company was agreed to-
| % to 10.
Mr.. Reid renewed his amendment, striking
out the names of parties mentioned in the
bill, and providing that the Mayors of Wash
ington and Georgetown shall open subscription
books, and when $l50,000 shall have been
subscribed in shares of 500 each, the subscri-
bers may proceed to construct the road
Mr.. Reid slightly modified his amendment,
and said if it should be adopted he would be
disposed to vote for the BILL He was opposed
to giving a monopoly to individuals.
Mr.. Brown said if the amendment prevailed
he would vote against the bill.
Mr.. Collaner urged that the amendment was
utterly impraetcable, since the company would
be only copartnership.
! Mr.. Reid modified his amendment SO as to
make the company body corporate.
Mr.. Collamer said that would destroy the bill
| entirely.
Mr.. Reds amendment as modified was re-
jected-yeas IL, nays q.
Mr.. Colamer offered an amendment to extend
the route from the north gate of the Navy Yard
to High street, in Georgetown which, after a
! brief discussion, was adopted.
Mr.. Johnson, of Tennessee, moved to amend
by submitting the bill TO the legal voters Of
| Washington at the June election.
MIR. Mason said this was new theory of gov.
eminent, which originated in some Of the So
called free States, aud had not thus far been
substantiated by the courts
A discussion ensued, in which the merits OF
popular sovereignty were considered after
which, the amendment was rejected-yeas D.
nays 35.
Mr.. Pugh then moved to amend so as to give
the city the power Of taxAtion which was
agreed TO without opposition,
|
originally by Mr.. Pearce, substituting the Me-
tropolitan Railroad Company for the parties
named in the bill.
Mr.. Fessenden moved that the Senate adj
journ which prevailed by "a to 10.
Accordingly, the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE
Legislative, Erecutice, and Judicial Appro
priatiQg Billion motion of Mr.. Phelps, O
Missouri, the house thaI vent into Committee
Of the Whole on the state Of the Cnion-yea:
1913, nays As Mr.. Barksdale, of Mississippi
in the chair,) and resumed the consideration o
TIE bill making appropriations for the legisla
tive, executive, end judicial expenses of the
| Government for the year ending June 30, 1860
the pending question being on the motion q
Mr.. Curry, Of Alabama, that the appropriation
of $34,s4S fof the purchase of twenty -four
copies of the Congressional Gtobe and appendS
for each member and delegate lof the Thirty
sixth Congress be stricken out
The question being taken, the motion was
agreed to-ayes II, noes So.
NJ, Cgrry then moved that the appropriation
of Sl3,D39.26 Ear Linqing the Globe, the appro
priation Of $4,000 for reporting the debates G
the Thirty-sxth Congress, and the appropria
ton of $40 for supplying one hundred copies
of the Globe for the use of the Congressional
Library, be stricken out
Mr.. Millson, of VirgiLis, offered to amend
the amendment by retaining that portion winch
referred to the furnishing of the library with
copies CT lie Glcbe; which was rejected.
The amendment was lnen aqopted--ayes Ga
noes 60.
On motion of Mr.. Curry, the appropriation
of 81 900 to pay Mr.. Rives one cent for every
FIVE pages of the Globe and appendix, when the
same exceeds three thousand pages, was strick
en- out.
On motion of Mr.. Keitt, of South Carolina
the Cog mittee, without final action on the bill
rose.
The Admission Of Kansas-Mr. Davis, 0
Indiana, asked leave to introduce bill tC
amend an act entitled, An act for the admis
sion of Kansas into the Union, approved May
I 4, 1858 pending which,
Mr.. Burnett, OF kentucky; moved that th'
House adjourn; which motion did not prevail
ayes Al, noes "a.
The Presidents Message. And then, on mo
ton of Mr.. Phelps, of Missouri, the House wen
into CCu,p.ittee of the Whole on the state of tn,
Union, Mr.. John Cochrana, VI s,et YORK, =
the chair,) resumed the consideration Of tho
Presidents message, and took recess until
clock, p. NJ.
/ Meet SFssIoN-The Committee reassem
bled promptly at the appointed bels
Mr.. Bliss, of Ohio, addressed the Committed
on the subject of the Federal Judiciary, con
tending that the Supreme Court was not au
thority al political questions, and that its de
cisiors uRo4 esnEstitHpttiqnai questions must not
necessarily stand until reEersed:
Mr.. Walton, Of Vermont; stated that he had
prepared with much labor an argument, mainly
statistical, in support of such a revision of the
tariff as would meet the necessities of the Treas
surv 1t was not of character well fitted for