The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-11
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
THlRTY-FlFTH CONGRESS--SECONO SESSION.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 1859.
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Senate chamber with applause from the galleries.
Mr.. lvERsoX introduced a bill to abolish the
franking privilege of members of Congress.
Mr.. HUNTER introduced the Military Academy
bill.
Mr.. SMaoNs presented the credentials of H. B.
Anthony, Senator-elect from Rhode Island
Mr.. BTGLER submitted resolution setting apart
Friday and Saturday of each week for private bills
Lies over
Mr.. SLIDELL introduced bill making an appro-
priation Of 30O0O0O0 to facilitate the acquisition
of CUBA by negotiation. Referred.
Mr.. DAVIS then concluded his remarks in opposi-
ton to the French Spoliation bill He contended
that as France had broken the treaty upon which
these claims were founded the United States were
no longer bound by it, either legally or morally
and that the claims had fallen to the ground. He
said he would admit that the United States had
had an opportunity to renew the broken treaty and
consequently the fallen claims, but held that they
; had persisted in not doing
Mr.. CHITTENDEN reioned briefly, after which the
bill was passed by the following vote:
Yeas:-Megsrs. Bates, Bayard, Bell Benjamin,
Broderick, Cameron, Chandler, Chestnut, Clark
Clingman, Coamer, Crittenden, Dixon, Doolittle,
Durkee, Foote, Foster, Hamlin, Hammond, Hous-
ton, Pcarce, Seward, Simmons, Stuart, Toombs,
Wilson-26.
Nays-Messrs Bigler, Bright, Clay, Davis,
son, Johnsons of Tenn, King, Mason, Polk, Reid,
Rice, Slide, Trumbull, Ward, and Yulee--2O
The Military Academy bill was then taken up
and passed.
The resolution of Mr.. PEARcE presiding those
who should have the privileges of the floor was ta-
ken up, debated, amended, and finally passed. The
resolution admits to the floor Senators and ex~Sena-
tors, President of the United States and his private
secretary, EX-Vice Presidents, Judges of the Su-
preme Court, heads of Departments and Foreign
Ministers. Secretaries Of Legation, heads of Beau
reaus and Clerks of Committees excluded by
amendment to the original resolution.
Mr.. KENNEDY, of Maryland explained that he
would have voted and spoken in favor of the French
Spoliation bill had he been present. He was acci-
dentay absent moment or two, and thus lost the
opportunity of recording himself the proposi-
ton.
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. HARRIS, of Maryland, offered resolution
expressing sympathy for the abduction of the Jew
ish boy Mortara, aad calling on the Government to
use its friendly offices with the Papal Government
for the purpose of obtaining his restoration to his
parents. Objected to.
Mr. HARRIS gave notice that he would offer the
proposition upon the first favorable opportunity
Mr.. BARKSDALE, of Mississippi, offered resolu-
tion that whereas foreign journals and capitalists
had given notice that the cesson of Cuba would
not be tolerated, with the consent of Spain be
it resolved that the President communicate the
correspondence between this Government and
France and England in relation to the acquisition
of Cuba by the United States. Agreed to.
The House then went into Committee of the
Whole on the Indian Appropriation BILL
The pending question was upon the amendment of
Mr.. SHERMAN, to reduce the appropriation for ex-
penditures OF Indian agents in Oregon and Wash
ington Territories from Sl6l 900 to $50 900 The
vote being taken by teers resulted in the adoption
of the amendment by yeas, IL nays so.
Mr.. BLAIR introduced an amendment, making GER
tam appropriations for removing to, and subsising
the Indians upon, reservations in Washington Cali
fornia and Utah, which was adopted
Mr.. SMITH of Virginia introduced an amendment
that no Indian agent should expend the money ap-
propriated otherwise than provided for in this
act Carried.
Tho hill was than laid asida 10 bo ,o,,o,..5 l.. A., -
House.
The Presidents annual message was then taken
up
Mr.. Nichols, of Ohio, debated the Pension bill
which lately passed the House, denouncing it as ex-
traordnary and pernicious in its character and
opposed to common sense. 1t created in his udr-
ment, two classes in the community one bearing
all the burdens of Government; and the other mere
pacemen, and be trusted that those who had vet TO
act on this bill would pause and reflect before they
inflicted such curse upon the country. The act
granting pensions tohe soldiers of the revolution
was not a precedent for the present bill, and was
never designed to furnish precedent for lepsla-
tion of this character. The revolutionary war was
struggle for independence, in which men en-
gagged under no organized government and without
pay. In iSl2 regular government existed which
contracted debts for the prosecution of the war and
fulfilled all the stipulations into which it had en-
tered with its citizens. There was, therefore no
parallels the two cases. He denied that the prospect
OF reward had any effect in inducing enlistment
ana considered such an argument gross insult to
the patriotism of the American people He placed
his reliance upon the courage, elevation and en-
lghened patriotism of the people, qualities which
were not to be inf1amed developed by granting
pensions to men who had passed the age when they
could be of service in the field.
He referred to the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury, showing the expenses of the Government
to be SSl ,0000 600 annually and the anticipated de-
hcit for the present fiscal year to be $50 900 000
and asked where the money was to come from to
pay these pensons He had made a calculation
based upon the bounty lands conferred upon sol
diers of the of 1872, and found that it would re-
quire 36,O00 600 per annum to start this pension
system. There was no way of meeting an expense
of this sort, and the Government would be obliged
if the bill became law, to repudiate.
Mr.. FENToN made some remarks in support of the
views embodied in the substitute which he had
offered for the original bill
Mr.. ANDERSON, of Mo-, addressed the committee
upon the general subject of our foreign relations
lie thought the protection of our rights demanded
the adoption OF more rigorous policy than has
heretofore been pursued. He referred to our rela-
tions with Spain, and complained that she had in
every way lnsuted and wronged us, violated rights
and refused to make just reparation for injuries
inflicted on our citizens. She had nsulted our flag,
imprisoned our citizens, contiscated their property
and refused the just demands of our government
lie knew not what instructions had gone out to our
new Minister to Spain, but he knew what the in
structIons OF a patriotic people would be. They
would call on the Minister to demand the immedi-
ate settlement of the claims of American citizens
or submit to the alternative of and the capture
of Cuba, to be held as indemnity for the past and
security for the future.
Mr.. Anderson then passed to the consideration of
relations with Cuba, and contended that the
possession of that island necessary to our secu
rity. He endorsed the principles Of the Ostend
Manifesto and said that after having offered lbe-
raj and even eXhOrbiant price for the purchase of
Cuba, would be justified in the event of the re-
fusal of Spain to sell, to seize the island Sefpre-
servation, the hrst law OF nature, demanded the
pursuance of this policy
Passing to the consideration of our Mexican rela-
tions he thought we should no longer permit that
country to refuse our just demands, but should take
the most Vi gorous measures for the protection of
our interests there, in accordance with the views
expressed by the President in his late message
Mr. A. then touched upon Central American to-
pics, and urged the necessity of comforting upon
the President powers for taking immediate steps
for securing the safety transit route our cit
lzens lie referred to the course of Franceand Eng
land who, Jealous OF our extension, interfering
in the affairs of the Isthmus the prejudice of the
rights and interests of the United States He urged
at once the bold and unequivocal assertion of the
doctrine that no foreign interference would be per-
mitted upon this side of the Atlantic, and the sus-
tanning of that declaration by the most vigorous
action. Great Britain had violated the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and was asserting rights and estab-
fishing controli Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which
should not be tolerated by this Government If she
had right to protect these countries from filibus-
ters, she had equal right to exercise that protecto
rate against all others, doctrine inconsistent with
our true foreign policy. He concluded by saying
that we had too much diplomacy, and too little
action, and that more energetic measures were i'm
peratively demanded.
Mr.. WAsHBURNE, of Maine, presented his views
upon the political parties of the day-the Democ-
racy, which recognized the equal rights of all men;
and the Aristocracy, which denied those rights.
The real question before the American people was
whether those representing the Oligarchical prin-
ciple, or those sustaining the Democratic idea,
should prevail? He contended that the true
Democracy the Republicans, who derived
their principles from the Declaration of lndepend-
ence, while the so-caled Democratic party would
establish Oigarchy upon the ruins of our present
republican system. The Lecompton Constitution
embodied the views of the Oligarchy, where the
paramount claims of property and slavery were
contended for. He said, if the blessings of liberty
were to be secured this generation must sustain the
Republican party. The Democratic party was essen
tally Southern and slaveholdng one, and yielded
its candidates for the Presidency to the South and
its National Convention permitted the slaveholding
minority to control the non-slaveholding majority,
thus discarding the Democratic principle that the
majority showed rule. Mr.. Washburne then pro-
ceeded to attack the Lecompton Constitution, the
Dred Scott decision, and the institution of slavery,
denouncing the latter as a great moral and social
evil. He concluded by urging all those opposed to
slavery to unite with the Republican party; to re-
gard that party fixed and necessary fact: to op-
pose all entangling alliances with other parties or
any compromise of principle; and then he prophe-
sled that the Republican party would be in
possession of the Government
The Committee then rose and passed the Indian
appropriation bill with the amendments
The joint resoluti n, appointing Prof. A. D. Bache
and Hon. Geo. +. Badger, Regents of the Smithso-
nian Institute was adopted, after which the House
adjourned.
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