Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-10-04
Foster and the Irish Famine

painful and thrilling emotion the iptelE.
gence was received throughout the eopn.
try, of the terrible famine which spread
trlbulation over Ireland in 1917. BLASTING
the subsistence of the people, and scatter.
ing death and desolation like plague
through the land. Among the most cher.
lshed OF our recollections is the spontane-
Gus and generous response with which that
call upon humanity was answered by the
American people Cities, communities
and individuals We'd with each other in be-
ing foremost in the offices of Christian
charity, and the prayers of the nation as
cended with the offerings of beautiful
beneVolence. Among other movements of
relief, Mr.. Crittendcn introduced bill in
the Senate Of the United States, on the
10th of February, 1847. See Conqres-
s'onof Globe, oot. II, page 512.)
g a bill TO provide some relief for the suf
ferlng people of Ireland and Scotland.
/ Be 1T enacted, &c, That the President of
tue United States be and is hereby authorized
to cause to be purchased such provisions as
he may deem suitable and proper. and n
cause the same to be transported ahd tender.
ed IN the name OF the government of the Uni
ted States to that of Great Britain. for the
rellet OF the people Of Ireland and Scotland
suffering from the great calamity of scarcity
and famine
Section 2. And be it further enacted that
the sum of five hundred thousand $500 OOO)
dollars be, and the same is hereby appropri
ated, oct OF any money in the treasury. not
otherwise appropriated, to carry into effect
this act.
Section 3. And be it further enacted. that
the President Of the United States be and he
Is hereby authorized. at his discretion. TO en-
ploy any OF the public ships of the United
States for the transportation of the provis-
ions to be purchased as aforesaid.
The bill was eloQuently advocated by Mr..
Crittenden and others. Mr.. Bagby, Ia demo
crat from Alabama objected to the second
reading, and it went over TO the next dav
when its consideration was resumed. on mo-
ton OF Mr.. Crittenden. After slight verb
al alteration, at the suggestion of Mr.. Web.
ster, to the effect that the offering was made
by the people" instead of {" the govern
ment," the bill passed by the following vote;
3" Ayes-Messrs. Allen, Atchison, Berrien.
Br3ese, Calhoun, Cameron, Cass, John NJ.
clayton, Corwln, Crittenden, Davis, DAYTON,
Evans, Greene, Hannegan, Houston. Hunt.
ingdon, Jarnegan, Johnson Of Nd. J,bns1n
OF La, Mangum, Miller, Morehead, Simmons.
S9ule, Sturgeon, Webster-27. Wings, II:
Democrats 10.
Nays-Messrs. Archer, Badger, Bagby,
Butler, Chalmers, Dickinson, Dix, Fairfield.
Mason, Niles, Turney, Wescott Yulee-I3.
Wing, |; Democrats, II.
All the leading minds of the Senate went
for the bill, thus giving it the weight of their
authority as proper and constitutional meas
ure. 1t was sent to the House on the same
day-Saturday, the 9th of February.
On Monday, the first of March, the bill was
read first and second time See House Jour.
nal page 452l. Mr.. George W. Jones (demo-
craft moved that it be laid on the table, which
was lost on formal division, yeas a. navs
81. Mr.. Henry D. Foster appears to have dodg
ed this VOTE for Immediately afterwards be is
found recorded on question of reference.
The House refused to send the bill to the
Committee Of the Whole on the state Of the
Union, for which Mr.. Foster voted, and refer
red it to the Committee of Ways and Means.
On Tuesday, the I'd of March, the friends of
the bill made an Intellectual attempt to get it
up, but failed owing to the rigid rules The
next day Mr.. Winthrop moved that the rules
be suspended, for the purpose of enabling
him to offer resolution instructing the Com
mittee of Ways and Means to report forth
with to the House the bill from the Senate for
the relief of Ireland and Scotland That
Committee had majority of democrats, and
they kept the bill back, with view of smoth.
ering it there and preventing a vote Mr.
Winthrop's motion and instructions were
therefore direct test upon the merits of the
proposition and here is the vote:
Ayes 57-Nays l02. MR.. FOSTER
VOTING NAY.
The Wings, generally, voted for the meas
ure, and the democrats against it, but the lat
ter having large majority in the House, Mr..
Winthrop's effort failed, and the bill was lost.
Mr.. Henry D. Foster voted against it, and it
is little remarkable that Mr.. Hamlin was
one of the few democrats recorded on the
affirmative. Mr.. Foster assigned no reason
at the time for this extraordinary course and
was content with emphasizing his hostility by
several direct votes. No public ground could
be urged in opposition, for Webster, Calhoun,
Cass, Mangum, Crittenden, Clayton, and the
great lights of the Senate had given it their
cordial approval. The democratic party of
the House set their faces against this liberal
act, and Mr.. Foster preferred to follow the
lead of Rhett, Cobb, and Jacob Thompsor-
the two last members of Bucbanan's cabinet