Year: 1860

Mir. TOOMBS. present the neilioii"i of sundry citizens of the parish of Ascen- sion in the State of Louisiana, complaining of tho second section of an act approved the 2d day of June, 1858, in reference to the land known as the Houmas grant, m Louisiana. of which shall ask reference to the appropriate committee; frooaoiy the committe on private land claims would be the one 1 should have suggested; but the gentleman from Louisiana belng chairman of that committee, his colleague suggested the committee on Judlciary' That is a reason which l did not suggest and which the petitioners inform me they did not: but find the same Senator IS also on the Committe on the Judiciary, and as it is competent question for the Commit tee on Public Lands, 1 move its reference to that committee.

 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. l am opposed to having that petition referred to the committee on Public Lands on the prin- ciple that the gentleman assumes. lhese matters ought always to pass to the appro- priate committees. 1 see no reason why the committee on Private Land Claims' where it properly belongs, cannot at once take charge of this subject, and let the gen tleman alluded to leave the room when It IS under consideration, so that the residue ot the committe may act on 1t.

 Mir. TOOMBS. 1 have no objection to that

 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Neither can l see any impropriety in its going to the Judiciary Committee, of which he IS also member; where upon this question, he will not be called upon to act. On the contrary, under our own rules, wherever gentleman himself is concerned, 1t is expect ed that he will withdraw and have nothing to do with the case. Under these clrcum- stances, the business ought not to be sent to committee to which it does not belong, and taken from one to which 1t does belong. l hope the Senate will not set an example of this sort, or we shall have business | thrown from one committee to another to our great inconvenience. As a member of the Committee on Public Lands, 1 call the attention of Senators to the fact that this does not belong to my committee. When the bill was passed which has created this difficulty, l opposed its passage l did so however on grounds which had no refer ence to the subject as it is now presented. l knew nothing in regard to 1t. l was fearful only that some of the claims which existed in my own State might be affected and l might not know at once how they were to be affected l did not approve, al the time, of the manner in which testim ony was to be brought forward; and that was another ground on which l Iopposed it; and object now to this petition being sent to the | Committee on Public Lands, because ii must place me in very awkward position Mir. SLIDELL. The Senator from Ar kansas is laboring under misapprehension He is certainly referring to some other bill | If my recollection is correct, this bill pass ed without any objection or discussion on the part of any member of the Senate. It had no connection with the swamp land | bill.

 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas I am aware of that. Let the Senator go back and look at the passage of this bill. The Senator from Louisiana says 1t was another bill. On the passage of the bill to which the present proceedings relate, l opposed il because it seemed to me that it created tes timony, and 1t was passed after consider | ble debate, in which was almost the only one who did oppose it. The high distinc- tion and great knowledge of the Committee on Private Land Claims was amply suffi cient to pass it. They gave us an amend ment or two, and 1 was satisfied with the amendments that were adopted; and l dc not now want the matter to go to my com mittee. The bill has not reached my State in its effects in any way; but l am opposed to this petition going where it does not be- long.

 Mir. TOOMBS I think the Committed on Public Land is the appropriate commit l tee.

 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas There k no more propriety in sending this matter t( the Committee on Public Lands than tC the Committee on the Judiciary; and if i should not go to the Committee on Private Land Claims what is the use of such committee? To that committee 1t belongs But 1t is said, inasmuch as objection l: made to a reference to the Committee or Private Land Claims, that it is proper i should go to the committee which ha charge of the next kindred subject. Very we'll Then it belongs to the Committee o1 the Judiciary, for grave and serious anC difficult questions of law are involved in i which will have to be decided. At al events, 1 am in some measure compromised by my action on that bill, and beg to b' excused from having anything to do with it

 Mr. SLIDELL. 1 think there is very material difference in the organization o the Committee on Private Land Claims and that on the Judiciary, as applied t' this case Although it does not appear by the rule, it is familiarity known to every member ofthe Senate that the chairman O each committee is consulted, to a certain extent, as to the composition of his com mittee, and for that reason thought it i'm proper that this question should be referred to the committee on Private Land Claims of which my colleague Is chairman, al though, of course, if it were so referred h, would not participate in the deliberation of the committee on that subject.

 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Th' question is on referring the memorial tt the Committee on Public Lands.

 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. l hope the Senate will not do that.

 The motion to refer the petition to th' Committee on Public Lands was not agreed to.

 January 16.

 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, presented five memorials of citizens of Arkansas praying for the establishment of mai route from Grand Glaze, in Jackson coun ty, via Concourse, Pleasant Plains, Ceda Grove, and Piney Woods, to Wolf Bayou in Independence county, in that State which were referred to the Committee ol the Post Office and Post Roads.

 He also presented resolution of thu Legislature of Arkansas, relative to change of mail service in said State, anC the extension of the White river mai line, up Little Red river, to West Point and establishing new mail route iron West Point to Searcy; which was referred to the Committee on the Post Office an( Post Roads.

 He also presented resolution of th Legislature of Arkansas, relative to estab