The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-01
THlRTY-SIXTn CONGRESS --SECOND SESSION

persons, in favor of the Constitution as it is an
the Government and the enforcement of the laws
I-Mr. FOSTER presented several petitions in fs
vor of the Border States resolutions. NH
LANE, from the Committee of Conference on th
Oregon War Department bill, recommended tha
the Senate agree to the House amendment, with a
amendment making the amount to be paid two mi
lions four hundred thousand dollars, and allowin
the Auditor to receive additional evidence in re
gard to the supplies furnished, &C., and tha
the Secretary of the Treasury be author
lied to pay the claimants in the bonds @
the United States; report agreed to-
The Post Office Appropriation bill was thel
taken up, and the amendments of the Com
mittee of Finance considered. d.-The Sc
lect Committee of Five consisting of Messrs
Crittenden, Bigler, Thomson, Seward and Trum
bull made report upon the propositions of th
Peace Conference. They recommend Congress t.
submit the propositions, as amendments to th
| Constitution, to the Legislatures of the severa
States.--Mr. HALE objected to receiving thu
report to day. and asked that it lie over one day
under the rule--Mr. SEWARD said himself ant
the Senator from Illinois Mr.. TrumbulD had no
concurred in the ma ority report, and had not OBJ
tanned permission to make a minority report. He
| had therefore drawn up a joint resolution which
| embodied his views. 1t was read as follows:
WHEREAS The Legislatures of Kentucky Illinois ant
New Jersey, have applied to Congress to call Con
yenton for proposing amendments to the Constitution
therefore
ReSolued That IL other States be invited to take tbt
subject into consideration, and express their will
subject to Congfess, in pursuance of the fifth article
the Constitution.
Mr. BIGLER, in answer to Mr. Hale, said that the
resolutions in fact read the first time yester-
day, and no rule had therefore been violated
Mr.. DOOLlTTLE said that it was a mistake that
Wisconsin sent delegates to the Peace Conference.
He had a proviso which, at the proper time, he
would offer to the first section of the amendment
proposed by the Conference, which was:
"Provded, That this section shall take effect the
express condition that no State or any part thereof
admitted or hereafter to be admitted, shall
have the to withdraw from the jurisdiction of the
United States and that the Constitution be the supreme
law of the land, anything contained in any Constitution
or ordinance OF any State Legislature to the contrary
Notwithstanding"
The report and amendments to the joint resolu-
tions were ordered to be printed and laid over
Mr.. TRUMBULL, on the part of the Committee
appointed by the Senate to join similar Com
mittee of the House, to notify Messrs. Lincoln and
Hamn of their election to the Offices of President
and Vice President of the United States, respect
lively, reported that they had discharged that duty
and presented the acceptances of the gentlemen
aforesaid, which were read.-i he Post Office Ap-
preparation bill was then taken up, and Mr.. GWIN
explained the amendments of the Committee at
some length.-The hour of P. NJ. having ar
rived, the CHAIR called up the special order, the
Report of the Select Committee on the propositions
of the Peace Conference.-Mr. HALE renewed
his point of order and read the twenty rule
on the subject.-Mr. CRITTENDEN said the in.
teress of the country and the issues of peace of
war were hanging on their action, and yet
gentlemen raised points of order at time
like this. The gentleman should have raised his
point of order yesterday, and not to-day.-Mr.
FESSENDEN did not think the interests ofthe
country were quite so dependent on the action of
the very respectable gentlemen composing the late
Conference as the Senator from Kentucky seemed
to think. They might have plans of their own
which were quite as worthy of respect. The rule
was that report should be considered on the day
on which it was made, and the Senator from New
III III hoA foot riuhf IN bot fhoO obi
tion; yet the Senator from Kentucky, because lie
attached particular Importance to this report,
reproached the Senator from New Hampshire
for raising his point of order.-Mr. CRIT
TENDEN replied with asperity, and charged Mr..
superiority. FESSENDEN-"I did not
make any such allegation. ."-Mr. CRITTENDEN
--(excitedly and turning towards Mr.: Fessenden)
"I did not; the Senator and myself understand the
matter differently. Some low conversation
was then held between the Senators, evidently not
of very friendly character. The Senate then
took up the report of the Select Committee by
yeas 26, nays 23-as follows:
Yeas-Baker, Bayard, Bgler, Bragg, Bright Cling
man, Crttenden, Dixon, Douglas, Fitch Gwin, Hunter
Johnson of Arkansas, Johnson Of Tennessee Kennedy
Lane Latham, Mason Nicholson, Pearce Polk, Powell
Pugh, Rice, Sebastian, Thomson, Wigfall-26.
Nays-Anthony, Bingham, Chandler, Clark, Cola
Hale, Harlan, King, Morrill,, Seward, Simmons, Sum
ner, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson and Will
son-23.
The joint resolution from the House, proposing an
amendment to the Constitution, was received and
read first time.-Mr. HALE objected to its sec
Dnd reading.--The CHAIR decided that it could
not be read second time, but might be debated.
MIR. COLLAMER objected to this ruling, and
discussion on points of order ensued.--Mr.
PEARCE moved a suspension of rules Nos 16 and
II, so as to allow bills to go to the other House
during the last three days of the session. agreed to-
The CHAIR decided that the joint resou-
lion from the House would have to go until
10 morrow.---Mr. CRITTENDEN now moved
to make the joint resolution and the report
Of the Select Committee the special order
for tomorrow, at twelve and half O'Clock P. NJ;
agreed to.-Mr. SEWARD desired his joint reso-
luton to take the same course. He would offer it
as substitute for the other propositions.
Senate then proceeded to the consideration of the
Post Office Appropriation bil.-Mr. GWIN
moved to reduce the appropriation for the overland
mail route from S1,150,000 to 81 ,000 OO0 upon
inally adopted by yeas 30, nays 4.--0n motion |
If Mr.. BRIGHT the Senate decided to proceed to
the consideration of Executive business by yeas |
.5, navs 24.-After some time spent therein the |
ioors were opened and the Senate resumed the |
Post Office Appropriation bill, which was consid- |
,red up to the hour of adjournment.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. GILMER presented a petition signed by the
aides of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vir-
,inia, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Yer
mont, Indiana New Hampshire, North Carolina
md the District of Columbia and was proceeding
o state its contents, saying that they pray Con-
.ress to take measures to restore peace and recon-
lie existing difficulties, when Mr.. CRAIGE, of North
Carolina, interrupted and demanded the regular
BARR said he supposed the right of
,etition was in order at any time.-Mr. GILMER
withdrew the petition for the present.-The mo-
ion to reconsider the vote by which Mr. Corwin's
proposed amendment to the Constitution Yesterday
allied to receive the required two-thirds vote
vas announced as the first business in Or
KILGORE, who moved the mo-
ion, called the attention of his Republican
low called upon to give. But few days ago
hey all emphaticay declared, by sustaining the
unanimously adopted, that they had no
esire disposition to interfere with slavery in |
he States where it exists. Yesterday, however,
hey seemed to have forgotten this declaration car
led away by wild fanaticism and also the peculiar
condition of the country requiring action. If |
hey had changed their grounds since the occasion
o which he had referred, and were now disposed
invade the sovereignty of the States, then be
10 Republican. In repeated speeches be had said |
hose who accused the Republicans of such de- |
ign uttered SANDER. Should they say to the
world, when they are about to possess the power
If the Government that they are for using it to
break down the sovereign rights of the United
States and invade their privileges? If that was
she doctrine, he could not subscribe to it.
They should bear in mind that they were not the |
masters, but the mere servants of the people, The
zen to their masters. and the latter should be ask
I'd whether they will approve or reject it
He appealed to them for the sake of the peace
and quiet of the country, and for the good of the
Republican party, to come forward to-day, and
with the same unanimity they voted for the reso-
ution to which he had referred, declare the same
thing in the pending proposition ss amendment
to the Constitution If you fail to give peace you
wrong yourselves and not the people, and on your
head will fall the responsibility. STAN
TON said that while there were fifteen
States acknowledging allegiance
to the Federal Government, and therefore having
in their hands the power to protect them
selves against an invasion of their rights, it
was a matter of little consequence whether
such an amendment to the Constitution should be
or not. But the state of the country
is now essentially and radically changed. Seven
or eight States now deny allegiance to the Govern
ment, and have proceeded to organize separate
independent of the federal govern
ment. Whether it will be recognized or not is
question for the future. If these States maintain
their position for year two, and it should ap-
pear that nothing but subsection can bring
them back, he would be disposed to recognize their
In this state of things, if the re-
naming slaveholding States remain in the Union,
they are entitled to additional guarantees. Ex- |
camation on Democratic side-"Good, that is
right There are now seven slaveholding
and nineteen free States. In ten years hence
Delaware will, to all practical purposes,
be free. This will make twenty free and six slave
holding States, and in a few years more we will
have five more free States. There would then be
the requisite three ourths of States to change the
and confer on the Federal Govern
ment power to interfere with slavery in the States
He held that this was power which should never
be invested in Congress, even if there were only
one saveholding State Slavery was a matter of
local and State concern. If he were a citizen of
slavehoding State, desiring the emancipation of
slavery, he would resist interference by the Federal
Government. If it was the purpose to afford Con-
stitutional protection to the slaveholding States
w hich the altered condition of the country de.