The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-04-26


Colfax introduced, bylunanimous consent, a
bill providing that the regular dealers in
newspapers and periodicals may receive
packages by mail at pro rata rate, maps and
engrsvlngs, phonographicat paper and en-
velopes books bound and unbound, blank or
printed cards to go through the nails at
cent per ounce under 1900 miles. They
are now charged letter postage by recent
decision of the Department. The present
California postage is to apply on letters car
ried by the Overland Mail from theAtlantic
cities to the Pacific cosst, even if under 1000
miles. 1s sl
Mr.. Coifax stated that he would call up
the bill when the House was full. -ll
The House went into committee of
the whole on the state of the Union.zz I'D.
Mr.. Florence briefly explained his Tariff
substitute, claiming that it avoids the per-
plexities and complications of the maia bill; /;
that it is free from compound duties has
no minimum gives specific duties for our
country's staples, and leaving for further
legislation any extension of the system.
Mr.. Corwin, in reply to Mr. Elliott's allu-
sion to him, says he did not agree TO all the
provisions of the fugitive slave law. If he
had been in Congress when it passed, he
would not have voted for it, preferring the
old law. He thought there was no coustitu-
tonal warrants for one of Its provisions, but
there was higher. authority Than himself.
When be. was a member of Mr.. Fillmpre's
cabinet he said the bill was constitutional,
aud hence he assenteds to thePresident's ap
proval of it.
Mr.. Corwin, resuming, said he had doubt
Us TO the constitutiOnality of that provision
Of the law of 1850, which authorizes the
courts TO appoint the commissioner, and
regretted that they. were not to be appointed
by tue President, by and with the advice OF
the Senate, owing to their Judicial function.
They who framed the constitution, detcrmn-
ed that our rrigbts should not rest ontradition,
like the British country, but they wrote
aud printed our Constitution so that there
might be no mistake about it. Were there
no fugitive law, Southern man could go
into the free States and with the Constitu-
ton iii his hand, reclaim the fugitive, be-
cause the Constitution gave him the right,
and said the person owing labor or service
should be delivered up. The trainers of the
Constitution put on it this construction, and
therefore he adhered to this view of the sub
ject.
Messrs Carter, Elliott, and Davis contro-
verted the position ofMr. Corwin.
MIR. Corwin in his further remarks
kept the committee in remarkably
good humor. When his hour expired, there
was general acquiescence that he should
continre bis speech. 1 -
Mr. Curtis wished to know how much
time he wanted
Mr. Corwin thought lie would get through
before the Convention. laughter. He made
some good natured hits at the South, which
were ali received in a similar spirit. He
said, among other things, that some would
dissolve the Union Tomorrow, because their
negroes ran SO fast that they could not
reach them, but they ought to recollect that
these negroes have TO run through slave
States before they get to free States. Why
not kill the negroes South because they don't
catch the fugitives. Laughter ] John Brown
got up scheme in Chatham to operate in
Virginia, contrary to our laws, Why not
call on the British Government to deliver
up those engaged in that transaction. If
there was no other reason why This was not
done, it was because Great Britain
wants our cotton and we don't desire to
go 10 war with her. Laughter 1t
would not be long before MassscI:u-
setts followed the example OF indiana, and
would pass law prohibiting. free negroes
coming thither. and so It woul be with other
free States hen they found that they were
going to have a negro pauper population.
The Republican party are not opposed to
) the recovery of fugitive negroes. There
was not one in a hundred thousand who
would undertake to repeal the present law
aud substitute State legislation Everybody
knows that we would not be in orr present
position if it had not been for the repeal Of
the Missouri Compromise. His speech was
generally moderate and conciliatory. r
The committee rose and the House ad-
journed.