The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-20


purposes, postponed until this day.
The subject was discussed by Messrs Clark
and Cochrane of New York, and Mr.. Burlin-
game of Massachusetts.
Mr.. Comins, of Massachusetts, obtained the
floor, when the Committee rose, and the House
adjourned.
Friday, Janua,y-l4, 1859
SENATE.
BIZ IntrOduced.-By Mr.. Fitzpatrick A
bill to establish line of mail steamers from
New Orleans or Mobile to sundry ports therein
mentioned on the Gulf of Mexico.
This bill proposes to authorize the Postmas-
ter General to contract with any parties that
have obtained a like contract from Mexico for
the conveyance of the mail TO and from this
country and from the Republic of Mexico every
week by steamers-the terminus in the United
States to be New Orleans or Mobile, to touch
each trip at Galveston, Matagorda Brazos San
tiago, Tampico, Vera Cruz. Coatzacoalcos Ia
basco, Laguna Campeachy, and Sisal. The
contract not to exceed a - term of years
and not to involve an expenditure f thou
sand dollars per year, the same To be paid out
of the Treasury.
Railroad on Pennsylvania ADenue Mr.
Cameron moved that the Senate proceed to the
consideration of the bill from the House of Rep
sylyania avenue, in Washington city.
Some discussion took place, when, the hour
of one o'clock having arrived
The Chair announced the special order, being
the Pacific railroad bill.
Mr.. 1versOn moved to postpone the special
order, for the purpose of taking up the private
calendar.
The question being taken, the motion of Mr..
lverSon was not agreed to--veas "a, NAYS b.
Pacific Raiiroad Bill. -The Senate resumed
the consideration of the Pacific railroad BILL
the pending question being on the motion of
Mr.. Harlan to strike out the words fixing the
eastern terminus of the road at g point on the
Missouri river, between the mouths of the Big
Sioux and Kansas rivers, and to insert propo
sition that it shall be between the thrty-seventh
and the forty-third parallels of latitude
This proposition was rejected by the follow
ing vote:
Feas-Messrs. Allen, Broderick, Cameron
Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Doolitte, Durkee
Fessenden, Foster, Hale, Hamlin, Harlan
Jones, Pugh, Simmons, Trumbull, and Wade
10.
Ndys-Messrs. Bates, Bayard, Bell, Benja-
min, Biger, Bright, Brown, Chestnut, Clay,
Clngman, Crittenden Douglas, Fitch Fitzpat-
rick, Green, Gwin, Hammond, Hunter, Iverson,
Johnson of Arkansas, Johnson Of Tennessee.
Slde, Stuart, Thompson of Kentucky, Toombs,
Ward, Wilson, Wright, and Gulee---35.
MIR. Wilson moved TO amend the bill so that
the road should be built on the shortest pract
cable route between the parallels of latitude of
thirty-tour and forty three, which was rejected
as follows:
Ieas-Messrs. Bates, Broderick, Cameron.
Chandler, Clark, Dixon, Doolittle, Durkee,
FeSsenden, Foster, Green, Hale, Hamlin, Har
Ian, Johnson of Tennessee, King, Polk, Pugh,
Sebastian, Simmons, Trumbull, Wade, and Will
son-23. III
Nays Messrs. Bell, Benjamin, Bigler,
Bright, Brown, Chestnut Clay, Clingman, Crit
tenden, Douglas, Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Foot, Gwin,
Hammond Houston, Hunter, Iverson, Johnson
of Arkansas Kennedy, Mallory, Pearce, Reid,
Kentucky Toombs, Ward, and Wright-3l.
Mr.. Bigler then offered an amendment for
several sections of the bill. This amendment
proposes to divide the road into three equal
sections or divisOns--to be called the Eastern,
Middle, and Western-and specifies the terms,
conditions, and proportions, on which the pub
| lie lands and the money Of the Federal Gov
eminent shall be devoted to a construction OF
the different longitudinal divisions of the road.
AS the chief difficulty to be encountered in the
construction of the work is found in the middle
division, Mr.. Bigler's amendment provides for
special grants of land and money to be assigned
To this part of the route.
Mr.. Wilson moved to amend the proposition
of Mr.. Bigler by striking out the clause that the
three divisions should be of equal length, and
inserting a provision that the eastern and west
en divisions of the road shall he FIVE hundred
miles each, and the remainder shall be called
the middle division; which was agreed to.
Mr., Doolittle moved to amend the substitute
| by adding the following proviso:
Procided, also, That any contract which may
be entered into shall, before it takes effect, be
submitted by the President to the Congress OF
the United States, and shall take effect from
and after its ratification by an act or joint res
olution of Congress.
The question being taken, the proviso was
adopted-yeas "a, nays %.
| A long discussion ensued on various amend
ments, in which Messrs,. Wilson, Cameron,
Mallory, Simmons Seward, and others, partci-
pated. Without coming to any decisive vote,
at length Mr.. Mason moved to recommit the
bill and all the amendments; which was not
| agreed to, as follows:
Teds-Messrs. Bayard, Benjamin, Brown,
Chestnut, Clay, Clngman, Crittenden, Fitz-
patrick, Hammond, Houston, Hunter, Johnson
of Tennessee, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Reid,
| Rice, Slidell, Stuart, Thompson of Kentucky,
| Toombs, Wade, and Ward-23.
| Mays-Messrs. Allen, Bell, Bigler, Broderick,
| Cameron, Chandler Clark, Davis Dixon, Doc
little, Douglas, Durkee, Foster, Green, Gwin,
! Harlan, Iverson, Johnson of Arkansas, Jones,
King, Polk, Pugh, Sebastian, Seward, Shields,
Simmons, Trunlhul Wilson, and Wright-29.
MIR. Toombs moved to lay the bill ON the
table; which was decided in the negative, by the
| following vote:
Teas-Messrs. Bayard, Benjamin, Brown,
Chesnat, Clark, Clay, Clingman, Crittenden,
Fitzpatrick, Green, Hale, Hamln, Hammond,
Houston, Hunter Iverson, Johnson of Tennes-
see, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Reid, Rice, Slidell,
Stuart, Thompson OF Kentucky, Tocmbs, and
Ward-27
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Bell, Bigler, Broderick,
Cameron, Chandler, Collamer, Davis, Dixon,
Doolittle, Douglas, Durkee, Fessenden, Foot,
Foster, Gwin, Harlan, johnson of Arkansas,
Jones, King, Polk, Pugh, Sebastian, Seward,
Shields, Simmons, TrumbulI, Wade, Wilson,
and Wright-30.
! And after some further debate, without reach
ing a vote on the bill or amendments, the Senate
adjourned until Monday next.
HOUSE.
The standing committees were called, and
made reports Of private bills a large number
of which were placed upon the calendar. No
business of public character was transacted.
nf, II,