Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-17
"The Eclipse" in the Senate.


Chairman, the Hon. Mr. Pearce, of Mary
land, reported joint resolution to the Sen
ate, providing for an observation of The
eclipse" and authorizing the employment
of q vessel ''to transport notmore than i've
astronomers to some point where the eclipse
can be best observed" The Hon. Mr.. Brown
(of Mississippi had his difficulties. He
-"exprcssed the apprehension that the expedi-
ton would cost too much a similar expedition
was fitted out once before, to determine the paral
lax of the sun, and instead OF five thousand, IL
cost half million of dollars
There was, doubtless, good deal in this
consideration of Mr.. Browns, ifhis facts were
accurate A parallax costing halfa million
of dollars was certainly a very eXtravagant
parallax, and although, between the Lecomp-
ton Constitution and the Covode Committee,
it will probably cost good deal more, with
out any grumbling, to determine the paral-
lax-i c. the difference between the appa-
rent and the true place-of Il conspicuous
luminary in the political and moral tirma-
ment, still we think that Mr.. Brown was
not altogether wrong. He did not oppose
the resolution in itseif-he only sought to
prevent the proposed expedition from being
converted into IL job. lie had no objection
to the eclipse being observable only sought
to prevent stealing from being called astron-
omy-and we trust his warning will be Ell
fectual. But an Honorable-Senator from
Georgia was not to be confined III any such
pent up Utica as mere economical or NOR
| al principle. His difficulty was much more
seriOus-it was constitutional, and he thus
stated it:
"Mr. Ivorson believed that the government has
no such power az contemplated by the resolution.
1t was an of. shoot Of old Whisgery.'
Mr.. Pearcc explained. He tried to di-
vert the objections of Mr. lverson from his
resolution to himself. lie was quite will
ing, personally, to be considered can off
shoot from old Whigscry," nay-speaking
like man, as he always does-he expressed
his pride in having adhered to the Wing par
ty as long as it existed, and his determine
ton to adhere to the Democratic party, with
equal fidelity, so long as it should continue
to be the only conservative party III the
country. But he protested that the Coast
Survey, to which the matter Of his resoIu-
ton belonged, was established before the
Wing party existed Clearly he did not re-
gard the eclipse as II partymeasure. MIR.
stood on the Constitution, and defied the
sun. He
-"said that Congress had power to regulate com,
mercc, but he could not see that the observation
of an eclipse of the sun, would enable ships to get
into port any faster.
Obviously he was under the impression
that ships sail nowhere, except into port"
that the whole art of navigation consists IN
sailing fast, and that Il sea with sky over
it is altogether unconstitutional. With 1.-THE
waters under the earth" he would doubtless
have been willing to do anything, within the
reasonable limits of strict constructing but
he could not persuade his constitutional CON
science to take 1.-The heavens above" upon
his platform. Nay, more,-so improper did
the whole business Of looking ut the sun
through national telescopes, appear to him,
that he thought it necessary to clear the
skirts Of the Democracy from all respon-
sibilty for such an outrage. Mr. Pearce, he
said,
admitted that he belonged to the old Whi5
party. which was the party that believed in lib
crai construction Of the Constitution. The SENT
tor was now attached tn the Democratic party,
but the old clDycn foot would now and then stick
out"
w ilill Il w w INV ~
had "belicvcd in Il liberal construction of the
Constitution" What Il dlabolral body it
must have been, when its cloven-foot stuck
out in such an enormity rs sending five AS
tronomers To Labrador. Mr.. Pcarce could
do no less, under such circumstances, than
vindicate his resolution even further. lie
"cxplaincd," says the report, THAT this OBJ
scrvation was the best means OF determining
the longitude" and then, doubtless, having
further explained to Mr.. tyerson what lon
situde was. he proceeded to show that 1t
''wa5 important to the navigating interest"
that such tribes should occasionally be look
ed after. Whatever impression the explain
alton may have made OH the Honorable Sen
ator from Georgia, it was happily satisiacto-
ry to his brethren ut large, for the resolution,
after further discussion, was read 4 third
time, and passed by Il vote gilmore than two
thirds of the members present. The Senate
then addressed itself, rs in duty bound, to
the more important matters "i Kansas and
the CINCINNATI platform, and Mr.. lve!Sdn
took no further part in the proceedings, be-
ing content with having consigned himself
to postcrity in the company of the intelli
gent individual, whom Sydney Smith re-
membered to have heard speaking dsre-
specially Of the equator.--BaH. Erchunye.