Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-23
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

SENATE.
MIR, Howard from the Committee on Pa
ciic Railroad, presented and asked for the
printing of a voluminous report of the tes-
timony taken by the Sub Committee, rela-
| tive to the Southern Trans-Continental
Railroad Company. - .------- ...s
For Defending Fenian Prisoners.
Mr.. Sumner from the Committee on
Foreign Relations reported adversely bill
to pay Mr.. Mckenzie forty-four thousand
dollars in addition to the fifty thousand
already paid him, for defending Fenian
| prisoners.
Annexation of Winnipeg.
The Senate then took up Chambers res
olution directing the President of the
United States to appoint a committee to
open negotiations for the annexation of
the Winnipeg district as a Territory or
State.
Mr.. Chandler said he had offered the
resolution in the interest of peace and
good will, and proceeded to show the rea-
sons why negotiations should be COM
menced; that the Government had shown
its rights to recognition by maintaining it
self for some time against all attempts for
its suppression; that our own free Repub-
lie, which had invited the whole world to
come in and occupy the entire continent
could not countenance the theory of a do
minion on our borders; that not any part
of the continent belonged to the crown
that the injury inflicted upon the United
States in the hostility Of the British Gov
eminent acknowledging the rebels as bel
hgerents upon the breaking out of the re-
bellion, and her spoliations on our COM
merce during the war must now be re-
paired and made good.
Mr.. Chandler continued at some length
in the enforcement of his propositions,
closing as follows:
Referring to the existence of the Cana
dian Dominion as antagonistic to our in
terests, be said that if the British Gov
eminent designed to continue indefinitely
her sway there, she must be prepared to
maintain it by such force as would with
stand the Government of the United
States; he hoped, in the interest of hu-
manity, that the rumor of setting out of an
armed force to suppress the Red River in
surrectionists would not prove true, as
their ultimate destruction would certainly
follow. An army less than 200, 900 British
regulars would be utterly futile, and if the
American people should protest, even these
MOuAu nOb DO DCblcI lDdil Ii lOICO VI lUU,-
600.
He then referred to the facility with
which the American volunteers were dis
ciplined and Injured to the hardships of
war as compared with the soldiers of other
nation, claiming that the United States
to-day was the strongest military power on
earth, and only needed to manifest its
strength to secure a favorable hearing by
foreign governments.
MIR. Howard desired to know whether
the Canadian Government were enlisting
Indians in their service.
Mr.. Ramsey replied that there was no
doubt of the fact and that the coming con-
hict threatened to involve other Indians
on our frontier. He also called attention
to the report that the proposed expedition
was to proceed by way of Sante Ste Marie
canal in the State of Michigan. He read
from private letter in confederation of
his statement to show the difficulty of
transportation for the expedition in any
other than American vessels than might be
chartered for the purpose.
Mr.. Howard expressed an assurance that
the Michigan State authorities would not
permit the use of Ste. Marie canal in
furthering any military operations by the
OfANAoh ouNhOAlSiSop anu thS nObu
not fear any assent by the State TO such
expedition. He would 60 further and say
he had it from an authoritative source that
permission would not be given by the
United States authoritiesfor moving troops
within our limits. Great Britain had no
right to ask any such license, and he pre-
dicted she would not.
Mr.. Sumner thought the apprehension
xrhinh ho1 hoop axnraCcoI xrnr,ll
founded; that it was not contemplated by
the British Government to use the canal
referred to.
The discussion terminated by reference,
on motion of Mr.. Chandler, to the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations.
The Last of slaves, but not OF Rebels.
A number of bills were passed, including
one to repeal an act of Feb 2S, 1908, Mr..
Sumner stating that it was the last on the
statute books connected with slavery pro-
hibiting the importation of persons of color
into certain States Also bill prescribing
an oath of Office for persons who partici-
pated in rebellion, but who are not dis
qualified by the fourteenth amendment to
the constitution, the oath being identical
with that required by those whose political
and legal disabilities have been removed.
Public Lands in the South.
A joint resolution providing that all
public lands in Alabama, Mississippi, Lou
isiana, Florida and Arkansas, shall be sub
ject to disposal under the homestead by
presumption, under the same regulations
as apply to lands of other States, was
amended and laid over.
Specie Payment Postponed.
Quite number of bills were indefinitely
postponed.
A bill to provide for a return to specie
payments, being the last bill on the sub
ject introduced by Mr.. Sumner, was in
| definitely postponed.
At 4:45 the Senate went into executive
session and shortly after adjourned until
Monday.