The Daily Union

IN CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
Thirtieth Congress - First Session,
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1848.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The journal having been read—

FRANKING PRIVILEGE TO MRS. ADAMS.

Mr. C. J. INGEROLL rose to ask the unanimous consent of the House to introduce a bill of which no previous notice had been given. It was a proposition, he said, to complete the tokens of reverence which had been accorded by this House to the memory of its most illustrious member, by giving to his widow the same mark of national respect which, by act of Congress, now belongs to Mrs. Madison and Mrs. Harrison, to wit: that all letters and packages to and from her address shall be free.

He then sent to the Clerk's table a bill granting the franking privilege to Louisa Catherine Adams, widow of the late JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

Said bill was then read twice: and, no objection being made, it was considered by the House: and

Mr. SAWYER proposed to amend the bill by adding the privilege of the floor to Mrs. Adams.

Mr. INGEROLL said that privilege would be properly accorded by resolution. This proposition was a bill.

The bill was then ordered to be engrossed, read a third time, and passed, as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all letters and packets carried by post to and from Louisa Catherine Adams, widow of the late John Quincy Adams, be conveyed free of postage during her natural life.

EULOGIES UPON MR. ADAMS.

Mr. ASHMUN submitted the following resolution, viz:

Resolved, That the committee of arrangements be directed to cause to be published in pamphlet form, and in such manner as may seem to them appropriate, for the use of the House, twenty thousand copies of the addresses made by the Speaker and members of this House, and of the addresses made in the Senate, together with the discourse of the Rev. Mr. Gurley upon the occasion of the death of the Hon. John Quincy Adams.

Mr. SLINGERLAND moved to amend the resolution by substituting "40,000" instead of "20,000" copies; which was disagreed to, and the original resolution was adopted.

RESOLUTIONS FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF TENNESSEE.

Mr. G. W. JONES, under a suspension of the rules, introduced joint resolutions of the legislature of Tennessee, instructing its senators to vote for an increase of the pay of private soldiers engaged in the war with Mexico. Also, in relation to the services of Captains Gillespie, Peake, Vernon, and Rogers, with their companies as mounted volunteers in the United States service in 1836.

Also, in relation to remuneration for horses lost in the United States service; which were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed.

ENGRAVING.

Mr. LEVIN, from the Committee on Engraving, reported in favor of engraving certain maps and drawings in connexion with Lieut. Emory's report, and a map reported from the Committee on Naval Affairs, in connexion with a memorial of the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Railroad Company; which report was adopted.

Mr. GAYLE presented a memorial of the legislature of Alabama, in favor of cash or scrip in lieu of worthless lands heretofore granted by Congress for the use of schools; which was referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, and ordered to be printed.

LIGHT-HOUSES.

Mr. CRISFIELD submitted a resolution of the legislature of Maryland, in relation to an appropriation for a light-boat on the Seven-foot Knoll, in the Chesapeake bay: a light-house on Greenbury Point; and a light-house on Flat Cap, at the mouth of Annamessex river; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed.

INDEMNITY.

Mr. PILLSBURY presented a resolution of the legislature of Texas, instructing their senators and requesting their representatives in Congress to protest against the relinquishment of the Mexican provinces or States without indemnity; and also against any law which shall be intended to prevent the citizens of slaveholding States from taking their property with them in emigrating to said acquired territory: referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed.

THE REGULAR ORDER.

Mr. CUMMINS called for the regular order of the day—the call of States for resolutions.

Mr. MURPHY moved a suspension of the rules for the purpose of allowing the presentation of petitions; which was negatived.

Resolutions were then submitted and disposed of, as follows:

By Mr. ELIAS B. HOLMES:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing, by law, against the importation of foreign criminals and paupers into the United States; or else, in some way to relieve the several seaport and lake towns from the onerous burdens arising from a fearful and unprecedented increase of foreign paupers.

Adopted.

By Mr. REYNOLDS:

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Lands inquire into the justice and expediency of granting a bounty in land to such soldiers of the old fourth regiment of the United States infantry, as served during any part of the last war with Great Britain.

Adopted.

Mr. N. K. HALL offered a preamble, stating, amongst other things, in substance, that whereas there had been presented to the House, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, a petition of the marshal of the District of Columbia, asking the payment of an account of $5,361 60 for committing, feeding, and discharging runaway slaves from the jail of the District of Columbia, among which were charges for feeding Moses Thornton 1,240 days, for which the marshal charged $421 60; four persons called Meade, (negroes,) for 635 days each, for which the marshal charged $865 88; and eight negroes called Buckner's negroes, for 462 days each, for which the marshal charged $1,336 64; and charges for keeping other persons for 421, 321, 111, 172, 371, and 371 days, respectively, and that it was claimed that the acts of Congress in relation to the District of Columbia, which continued the laws of Virginia and Maryland in force in those parts of the District ceded by those States, respectively, until otherwise ordered by Congress, authorized and required the arrest and commitment of such slaves, and stating that the use of the jails of the District for such purpose was not required for the full and perfect maintenance of the compromises of the constitution, and that such use was repugnant to the feelings of a large majority of the people of the United States; and concluding with the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be, and they are hereby, directed to report to this House, with all convenient speed, a bill repealing all laws of Congress, and abrogating, so far as they are operative or in force in the District of Columbia, all laws of the State of Maryland which authorize or require the courts, officers, or magistrates of the United States, or of the said District, within the District of Columbia, to issue process for arrest, or commit to the jail of the said District, any runaway or other slave, or fugitive from service, or colored person claimed as such, except on due complaint and proof of, or on conviction for, some crime or misdemeanor, the commission of which by any free white person would authorize, in the same manner, the arrest, commitment, and detention of such white person, on being, in like manner, charged with or convicted thereof.

Mr. H. demanded the previous question upon the adoption of the resolution; which was not ordered, and the resolution lies over.

By Mr. SHERRILL:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a post-route from Gilboa, in Schoharie county, New York, by way of Jefferson and North Harpersfield, to Davenport, in Delaware county, New York.

Adopted.

By Mr. WHITE

Resolved, That the Secretary of War communicate to this House a list containing all the contracts entered into since the 1st December, 1847, stating—first, the name of the contractor and sureties; second, the nature and amount of each contract; whether advertised or not by publishing in one or more newspapers; the rate at which contracts were made the prices paid for articles furnished; thirdly, what contracts have been fulfilled or performed, and what have not been, furnishing the reasons why; and whether any, and, if any, what measures have been taken to enforce the performance or secure the government against loss, by proceedings against the sureties; fourth, whether higher prices have been paid to other persons who have performed in whole or in part any contracts or orders which had been undertaken by others with the reasons prices, giving the names and residence of such contractors and their sureties and whether public notice was given of the failure of the parties to execute their contracts also showing whether the same parties who failed to perform their engagements were interested in subsequent contracts at the same or higher rates.

Adopted.

By Mr. NELSON:

Resolved, That the Commissioner of Patents be, and he is hereby, directed to furnish this House with a list or statement of patents which have heretofore been granted by the United States for the construction of ploughs, and for improvement in the construction of ploughs, setting forth the date of each patent, to whom granted, and the specifications of the inventions or improvements claimed by the patents respectively; whether any, and which, of said patents have been renewed or extended, and for what periods of time; and that he also communicate to this House such other facts as may be in his power to furnish, as shall the better enable this House to judge of the merits of the invention of the cast-iron plough claimed by John Deere Wood.

By Mr. GOTT

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Expenditures be instructed to ascertain and report to this House the expenses of the war with Mexico—giving the items of such expenses, as far as practicable.

Agreed to.

By Mr. LORD:

Resolved, That the Commissioner of Patents be requested by this House to cause all the models now in his department of metallic air-tight coffins, designed for the convenient and safe transportation of bodies, to be examined and reported upon without delay.

Adopted.

AMENDMENT OF RULES.

Mr. DUER moved a suspension of the rules, to enable him to move to amend the standing rules of the House, by adding the following, viz:

Resolved, That no member who is permitted to make a personal explanation, shall be allowed to speak more than ten minutes in making such explanation.

Mr. C. J. INGEROLL suggested that the matter be referred to the Committee on Rules and Orders.

The suspension of the rules being granted,

On motion of Mr. H. COBB, the amendment was referred to the Committee on Rules and Orders.

Mr. PUTNAM submitted the following preamble and resolution; upon which he demanded the previous question, viz:

Whereas, in the settlement of the difficulties pending between this country and Mexico, territory may be acquired in which slavery does not now exist; and whereas Congress, in the organization of a territorial government, at an early period of our political history, established a principle worthy of imitation in all future time, forbidding the existence of slavery in free territory: therefore

Resolved, That in any territory which may be acquired from Mexico, over which shall be established territorial government, slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, should be forever prohibited; and that in any act or resolution establishing such governments, a fundamental provision ought to be inserted to that effect.

Mr. BRODHEAD moved that the resolution be laid upon the table; upon which question the yeas and nays were demanded and ordered; and being taken, resulted—

yeas 105, nays 92, as follows, viz:

YEAS—Messrs. Green Adams, Atkinson, Barringer, Barrow, Bayly, Bedinger, Birdsall, Black, Bocock, Bowdon, Bowlin, Boyd, Boydon, Brodhead, Charles Brown, Albert G. Brown, Burt, Cabell, Cathcart, Chase, Clapp, Franklin Clark, B. L. Clark, Clingman, Howell Cobb, Williamson R. W. Cobb, Cocke, Crisfield, Crozier, Daniel, Dickinson, Donnell, Garnett Duncan, Featherston, Ficklin, French, Fulton, Gaines, Gayle, Gentry, Goggin, Green, Willard P. Hall, Haralson, Harris, Haskell, Henley, Hill, Hilliard, Isaac E. Holmes, George S. Houston, Inge, Iverson, Jackson, Jameson, Andrew Johnson, Robert W. Johnson, George W. Jones, John W. Jones, Kaufman, Kennon, Thomas Butler King, Lord, Lumpkin, Maclay, McClernand, McKay, McLane, Mann, Miller, Morehead, Morse, Outlaw, Pendleton, Pettit, Peyton, Phelps, Pilsbury, Preston, Richardson, Richey, Robinson, Roman, Sawyer, Shepperd, Simpson, Sims, Robert Smith, Stanton, Stephens, Thibodeaux, Thomas, Tompkins, John B. Thompson, Robert A. Thompson, Toombs, Turner, Venable, Wick, Williams, Wiley, and Woodward—105.

NAYS—Messrs. Abbott, Ashmun, Bingham, Brady, Butler, Canby, Collamer, Collins, Conger, Cranston, Crowell, Cummins, Dickey, Dixon, Duer, Daniel Duncan, Dunn, Eckert, Edwards, Embree, Nathan Evans, Faran, Farrelly, Fisher, Freedley, Fries, Giddings, Gott, Gregory, Grinnell, Hale, Nathan K. Hall, Hammons, James G. Hampton, Moses Hampton, Henry, Elias B. Holmes, John Houston, Hubbard, Hudson, Hunt, Irvin, Jenkins, James H. Johnson, Kellogg, Daniel P. King, Lahm, William T. Lawrence, Sidney Lawrence, Leffier, Lincoln, McClelland, McIlvaine, Marsh, Marvin, Morris, Mullin, Nelson, Nes, Newell, Palfrey, Peaslee, Peck, Pollock, Putnam, Reynolds, Julius Rockwell, John A. Rockwell, Root, Rumsey, St. John, Schenck, Sherrill, Silvester, Slingerland, Caleb B. Smith, Truman Smith, Starkweather, Andrew Stewart, Chas. E. Stuart, Strohm, Tallmadge, Taylor, James Thompson, Richard W. Thompson, Warren, Wentworth, White, Wilmot, and Wilson—92.

So the resolution was laid upon the table.

Mr. C. J. INGEROLL, who reached his seat a moment too late to record his vote, stated that if he had had the opportunity, he would have voted in the affirmative.

NOTICES OF BILLS.

Notices of the future introduction of bills were given as follows, viz.:

By Mr. HOLMES, of New York: A bill to authorize the Brockport and Clarkson Plankroad Company to import from Canada a certain quantity of lumber free of duty.

By Mr. JENKINS: A bill to satisfy claims for bounty lands for military services in both wars with Great Britain.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS.

Mr. HUNT, pursuant to notice, introduced a bill for the relief of the legal representatives of Abraham Hogeboom, deceased: read twice, and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Mr. JENKINS, in pursuance of notice, introduced a bill to regulate the compensation to postmasters, to exempt certain newspapers from postage, and to reduce the postage on transient newspapers: read twice, and referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

DEFICIENCIES OF APPROPRIATIONS.

On motion of Mr. VINTON, the House resolved itself into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, (Mr. Hunt in the chair,) and proceeded to the consideration of the bill further to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the fiscal year ending the 30th June, 1848; which was read through, and then read item by item.

Mr. SCHENCK moved to strike out the item of $5,000 for contingent expenses under the independent treasury act.

[On this subject an animated debate took place, a full report of which we have prepared, but which the crowded state of our columns obliges us to postpone till to-morrow.]

The SPEAKER, on the 24th instant, appointed a committee of one from each State, under a misapprehension of the nature of the resolution by which it was authorized. The following is the committee (as corrected) to escort the remains of the late John Quincy Adams to the place selected by his friends for the interment:

Mr. Hammons, of Maine,	Mr. Brown, of Mississippi,
Wilson, of N. H.,	Morse, of Louisiana,
Collamer, of Vermont,	Schenck, of Ohio,
Ashmun, of Mass.,	French, of Kentucky,
Thurston, of R. Island,	Gentry, of Tennessee,
Rockwell, of Conn.,	Smith, of Indiana,
Newell, of New Jersey,	Wentworth, of Illinois,
Mellvaine, of Penn.,	Phelps, of Missouri,
Houston, of Delaware,	Johnson, of Arkansas,
Ligon, of Maryland,	Stuart, of Michigan,
Meade, of Virginia,	Cabell, of Florida,
Barringer, of N. C.,	Pilsbury, of Texas,
Holmes, S. Carolina,	Thompson, of Iowa,
Lumpkin, of Georgia,	Tweedy, of Wisconsin
Hilliard, of Alabama,