The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-09
PROCEEDINGS OF THB TNIRTY,SIXTH CONGRESS
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, May S.-The VICE PRESIDENT
announced the following Senators as the Select
Committee the French Spoliation bill, viz
Messrs. Crittenden, Toombs, Davis Hamlin John
son. OF Tennessee, Benjamin and Grimes-The
CHAIR laid before the Senate communication
from the Postmaster General, in answer to a resO-
luton of the Senate Of March 8, 1859, calling for
information concerning the number of dead letters
annually returned to the General Post-odice &c,
From this document. it appears that the system
proposed by Mr.. o. L. Woods is attended with en-
barrassments that would not repay the trouble and
expense of carrying it out. Under the present sys-
TEN all the really valuable deadletters are returned
to the writer's, If not dalivorod T., thoso 10 -.
they addressed; and the accumulation of dead
letters results in part from lack of socitude and
vigilance on the part of postmasters, and in part
from the careless habits and the comparatively
restless lives of the American people, Every
possible means will be adopted by the de-
partment to remove the cause first named
while, for the removal of the latter, they
must look to time and the people themselves.
The number of dead letters received during the
year ending March 30, 1860, was: domestic
CTS 1885, drop letters 394, 1885, foreign 76 $40; which
added to the number held for postage and badly
directed, &c makes the total amount, ,264, ,l28.
The CHAIR also laid before the Senate
communication from the Secretary of
the Interior, in answer to a resolution of
the Senate calling for the amount due the
Choctaws according, to the principles of settle
ment prescribed in that resolutions which was re-
terred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.-Mr |
PEARCE, from the Committee on the Library, re
ported joint resolution, providing for an observa-
tion of the eclipse of the sun, which will occur on
the 18th day of July next. 1t authorizes the en-
ployment of a vessel to transport not more than
hive astronomers to some point where the eclipse
can be best observed.-Mr. BROWN expressed
the apprehension that the expedition would cost
too much. similar expedition was fitted out once
before to determine the parallax of the sun, and
instead of S5,000 it cost half million of dollars
Nit. lVERSON believed that the government
hoe SrnhI fr,ta lnto1
ton. 1t was otf-shoot of old Whiggery.-
Mr.. PEARCE said that if the Senator meant to saw
he was an off-shoot of old Whiggery, he was un-
doubtedly correct He adhered to that party as
long as it existed, and would adhere to the Demo
cratic party with equal fidelity so long as it re-
mained what it now was, the only conservative
party in the country. If the Senator meant more,
he was mistaken The Coast Survey,
to which this matter belonged, was estab-
lished before the Whig party existed. -
Mr.. IVERS0N said that Congress had power to
regulate commerce, but he could not see that the
observation of an eclipse of the sun would enable
ships to get into port any faster. The Senator ad-
mitted that he belonged to the old Whig party,
which was the party that believed in liberal con-
structiOn of the Constitution. The Senator was
now attached to the Democratic party, but the old
coven-foot would now and then stick out. Laugh
ter. Mr.. PEARCE explained that this observa-
ton was the best means of determining the longi-
tude witch was important to the navigating inter-
est.-Atter further debate the resolution was read
n L., lii
On motion by MIR. FESSENDEN, the Senate pro-
ceeded to the consideration of the bill amendatory
of the act of March 3, 1857 TO ascertain and set
tie private land claims in California; but some
amendments having been adopted, it was laid
over.-Mr. CLINGMAN resumed his remarks |
which he commenced yesterday, giving the reasons
why the Democratic party should adhere to the
doctrine OF non-lntervention, and opposing the
resolutions of Mr.. Davis, on the ground that there
was no necessity at the present time for such de-
carations in advance. Can Congress pass bills to
establish protect slavery in the territories? 1t is
only where the people of the territories are hostile to
slavery that Congress is called on to protect it.
The question, therefore, was simply this suppose
a territory is hostile to slavery, and the Legi,la
ture will not protect slave property legs-
late against it. Then is the time when it is said
that Congress ought to come in. Is there any
political possibility that such law can pass the
two Houses? We have had test upon that al
ready, in the Territory of Kansas, which not
f only does not not give the South any projection,
ator from Mississippi (Mr. BROWN bad
brought forward proposition to afford
protection to slave property in that Territory, and
Southern Senators give that proposition no sup- |
port. Perhaps they know that such legislation
would be unavailing; for if every Southern man |
should vote for it, it could not get the votes of
Northern representatives in the House. We all |
know what clamor raised two or three wears |
ago by the Abolitionists, when it was falsely as
serted that Congress intended to force slavery into
Kansas; and the attempt to pass such measure as
that now proposed, would only result in mischief |
Even if it should pass it would be worth nothing |
in Territory where the people adverse to it;
for as soon as they became State, they would be |
not only free State, but an abolition State and it
would require an army to enforce the law while |
they were in territorial condition. He regretted
that Southern men should have thought it necessa-
ry to withdraw from the Charleston Convention, |
and thought they made mistake in so doing 1t |
was time for all good Democrats to close up their
ranks, and prepare to meet the common enemy, for |
we should soon hear the war-cry from Chicago.-
Mr.. BENJAMIN said he had listened with sur |
prise to what had fallen from the Senator from |
North Carolina The Cincinnati platform would |
do well enough if there was no difference of con-
structlon; but it was well known that two inter |
pretations were put upon it at Charleston-Mr. /
PUGH disputed the correctness of this statement. |
MIR. BENJAMIN qualified his language by |
saying that two opposite doctrines on this subject
were avowed in the Charleston Convention by men |
claiming to be Democrats, and proceeded to advert
to the action OF that body ustifying the Southern
delegations In withdrawing under the crcumstan- |
ces 1t Is brand on the good faith of the Demo- |
cratic party, and imputation on their honor it |
Is unworthy OF them, and of us all, that we should
go before the people and ask their votes in favor of
one party or another, with the avowed purpose |
OF presenting opposite interpretations, and oppo
site sets OF principles in different sections of the
confederacy, as being the principles of a common |
party. he would never be party to such contest |
as that hen he went into electoral contest, he
wanted to have the principles of the party with |
which he acted written in letters of light, so that
no man can misconstrue them-by them to stand, |
with them to fall. That he understood to be the
position of the Louisiana delegation at Charleston.
he believed that in less than six weeks the Demo-
cratic party would be reunited. He was willing |
to 60 for any man who could stand on platform of
constitutional principle, and if the Baltimore Con-
vention shall adopt platform recognizing South
ern rights, and the Democratic party are pledged |
to stand bY and uphold those rights the Seceders