New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-17
XXXvIrH CONGRESS.
SENATE. .WAsRIsc4 on, Jan. is. 1ss
SECOND SESSION.


Joseph Holt TO perform the duties Of the Office on Sec
Rotary of War; made by the esgni ton of Sec-
Ietary Floyd He fully sets forth the leesl reOns foe
Mr.. RICE (Dem Mimi offered resolution scr tls
appointment Of Special Committee Of Seven bv IN
ate, with instructions to inquire into the expedeuey OF
the passage OF general act for the admission of rev
States and the readjustment of the limits Of Calisr
| MIA, Minnesota and Oregon.
First New-Mexico shall be bounded on the no4x
| by the 37th degree of laude east by Texas; SOUTH
by Texas and the Mexican boundary; and west By tbs
| Hath degree Of longitude.
Second. Kansas including the present territories of
Kansas, east of Longitude l4O; small portion Of New
Mexico north of latitude g. and that portion OF Ne
braska which lies south Of latitude 43.
| Third: An enlargement of the Jurisdiction of Min
nesota to embrace the proposed Territory of Dakota
and the portion of Nebraska lying north Of latitude
| 49,
Fourth An enlargement of the jurisdiction OF
Oregon so as to merge and include the Territory Of
Washington. -
Fifth? A readjustment of the State of California so
to include that portion Of Utah and New. Mexico
lying west Of longitude ia.
Mr.. BIGLER (Dem., PENN moved to take up Mr..
Crittenden's resolutions.
Mr., LATHAM Dem, Cali opposed Mr.. PoweIls
amendment. If the amendment is accepted, the Con-
stitution will be so amended that the extension Of
Slavery will be forever preeluded, and we will never
get Cuba. He didn't want TO take any resolution
which would again precpitate the question on the
American people, II he understood the question thor
oughly, if this amendment go before the people they
will never consent to it.
The Chairman 0Ir Foot here decided that the IN
finished business being the Pacific Railroad bill, takes
precedence of the special order, the Kansas bill
Mr.. BIGLER moved to postpone all other business
and take mp the Crittenden resolutions.
Mr.. WADE rep, Ohio called for the Yeas and
| Nays, and it was carried-Yeas, q; Nays, %.
Mr.. SUMNER rep, Mass.) moved for a vote ON
Mr.. Powells amendment in article line IA, after the
word Territory to insert now held or hereafter to
be acquired" The following is the vote:
B6 csn efHss D5s ss9i% 6is e
Mesc Eic6Sl:oa Fssiss R Powell Pash Rice salisbury.
COsmer Dion. Dooht, DuIkee, Fesendsn, Foot Potter
n UtlH Ts Eyek TIumSul, WsGe. wilson,
Mr.. WADE made motion to vote on Mr.. Biger's
motion to postpone regular business and continue the
Crittenden resolutions. The following is the vote:
YEAs-Messrs Bsysrd, Bensmin, BigleI, Bragg Bright,
Cllsman Chenden 0ogslss Fitch, Green HsmPhi, Hunter.
Peeree Polk Powell Pugb Rice Salisbury Sebastian, slds
EGYs-Me.n. Anthony Baker, Bingham cemsEcn, Chan
der Clark Coamer Dixon DOot,e Durkee fessende1 Foot
n nSss' SUMNER ng Ten Eyci TTmba WADE Wkn.on
Mr. SIMMONS rep, X. L. took the floor, and
said--I have lived under every President. do not
want Georgia or any other State to seeede. Georgia
has the ashes of one of Rhode Islands who fought
at Eutaw Springs. l am States-rights man well
as national man. The Personal Liberty bills OF Mas
sachusetts believe passed when both branches OF the
Legislature OF that State and the Governor were Dem
ocratc When the Personal Liberty bills were passed,
thew did not prevent the operations of the Constitution
The Slavery question belongs TO the United States to
decide. II is matter OF moonshine about Its be-
longing TO the States individually. These are deprayed
Questions thrown up by the Democrats here charging
the Republican party with breaking up the Government.
do not care what kind Of laws You pass in Georgia
| affecting Ne.
shall vote for this amendment because ibeheye il To
| be abstractly true and because would much rather
see the existing difficulty settled by general enforce
ment of the laws and by general obedience TO them,
than by changing the Constitution to make 1t conform
TO any sectional other dissatisfaction. Yet would
by no means have il understood that by this vote
commit myself against all measures, what, In my
Judgment may be any Just and reasonable measure in
tended to compose the present difficulties. IL does not
follow because dissatisfaction Is unreasonable that 1t
should not be, appeased., Especially does not
| this follow when the dissatisfaction Is caused
| BY persistent misrepresentation, which we may
hope lime and reflection will correct. II Is always
with regret and with dstrust OF my judgment that
differ from the distinguished Senator from Kentucky
(Mr. Critenden. Especially do regret that am u.
able to agree with him in a neasure which be brings
forward to compose the difficulties which agtate the
country Distinguished not for the length Of his
service than for the ability and patriotism with which
| that whole service has been Illuminated, had been
taught before knew him to regard him as the model
of statesman and patriot. During my acquaintance
with him he has fully justified the opinion with which
approached him. But, passing over other objections
think there is fatal defect in any attempt to settle
the Territorial question by constitutional amendment
| do not believe that any amendment that would DO at
all satisfactory to both sections could secure the
assent Of threefourhs Of the States -Four States
| already out of the Union, far as their own
acts can place them without it, Three others are wait.
ing impaiiently for the forms OF secession which shall
sever them from the ag of their country Seven States
would refuse even to consider proposition fog an
amendment to the Constitution. To adopt an amend
to the Constitution requires the assent OF twenty
five States and only twentysix States would vote upon
| II he
condition of the country, the passions OF men could
| calm down, and the minds of men could be brought
together with such unanmity that all the states but
but one would render their assent TO any proposition
for settling the question that has so long and so utterly
| divided them. / might refer to other objections,
but even if the should be passed Immediately,
and should receive the prompt assent OF the South
very doubtful contingency there is not time In the
Atlantic States before the 4h Of March to pass upon IL
with the elaboration due TO grave matteri nor in
the Pacific States-the assent of one Of which would be
necessary TO its adoption. The vote certainly could
| not be transmitted here within that time. think,
also that the provision which makes this applicable TO
all territory to be hereafter acquired will be regarded
all over the North an invitation to thbustering,
| and as provOcation 10 war with Mexico
| / know it was not so intended by the
| Senator who proposed, by his colleague
who accepted il, but such would be the opinion enter
tanned of its practical effect and in that apprehension
| confess ] should largely share. But regarding the
primary objection, which stated as sufficient to con-
| troll my vote, do not care 10 discuss the Others
believe that ii the danger which menaces us is TO bo
avoided at ALL il must be by legislation, which is more
ready more certain and more likely 10 be satisfactory
than Constitutional amendment; The main dlihcuiy
is the Territorial question. The demand Of the Sena-
tors ON the other side of the chamber, and Of those
whom they represent is that the territory south OF the
line of the Missouri Compromise, should be open tn
their peculiar institution. All this territory, except
| the Indian Reservation Is within the limits oil New
McKee, which, for part of its northern boundary,
| rnna mn two degrees above that line. This is now -