Richmond Enquirer

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

EVENING SESSION.—Tuesday, Feb. 24th, 1835.

The House, according to order, re-assembled at 6 o'clock, P. M.

The Speaker laid before the House a communication from the Secretary of War, transmitting a copy of a report and survey of Cumberland river; which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Beaty, on leave, moved to print 500 extra copies of the foregoing communication and document: which motion, by the rule, lies over one day.

On motion of Mr. Connor, the House then went into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, Mr. Vance in the Chair, upon the bill to establish certain post routes, and to alter and discontinue others, and for other purposes.

The bill was read by sections; various amendments were offered and adopted, and others rejected, when Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, moved an amendment, directing the Postmaster-General to cause the mail between New Orleans and Mobile to be carried daily, instead of tri-weekly, as at present.

The motion was resisted by Mr. Connor, because it was an innovation upon the principles of the bill. He believed the Postmaster General, whenever the finances of the Department would permit, would establish a daily mail between those points.

The amendment was advocated by Messrs. Johnson of La., E. Everett, and Seaborn Jones—and opposed by Messrs. Connor and Beardsley.

Mr. Johnson of Md., moved to strike out the enacting clause of the bill.

Upon this motion, a desultory and exciting debate ensued, in reference to the management of the Post Office Department, in which Messrs. Johnson of Md., Wise, Connor, Peyton, Beardsley, Lane, Hawes, Stoddert, Garland, and Lytle participated.

Without taking the question on the motion to strike out the enacting clause, the committee, on motion of Mr. Polk, rose, and asked leave to sit again.

On motion of Mr. Polk, the House then, at half past 10 o'clock, P. M. adjourned.

Wednesday, February 25.

IN SENATE.

The Chair laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, concerning the amount of commutation paid to officers of the Revolutionary army; which was ordered to be printed.

Also, official returns of the emoluments of the officers of the customs, and the fees received for certificates to accompany distilled spirits, wines, and teas, and commissions on disbursements as superintendents of light-houses, and as agents for marine hospitals.

On motion of Mr. Benton, the Senate took up the bill providing for the increase of the Corps of Engineers; which was considered and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-day.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Evening, being upon the unfinished business corporations of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria.

(The bill as reported granted $70,000 a year, for five years, to the Corporation of Washington; and $17,500 each to the Corporations of Alexandria and Georgetown, for the same period.)

Mr. Benton then addressed the Senate, expressing his willingness to grant the $70,000 for one year, but his unwillingness to bind Congress for five sessions to come. He thought that the best course would be, to make all the public lots a sinking fund, to be sold for the extinguishment of the city debt.

He then moved to amend the bill so as to grant $70,000 for this year only to the corporation of Washington, and $17,500 each to the corporations of Alexandria and Georgetown, leaving it to Congress to act hereafter, according to its own discretion.

The question was taken and the amendment was agreed to. The bill was further amended, to correspond with the other portions of the bill.

The question being on engrossment, Mr. Clay said he should vote for the bill in its present form; but he hoped that the Committee would next session report a bill to assume the whole debt and take a transfer of the stock.

Mr. Preston said he also felt himself compelled by dire necessity to vote for the bill. He could not see the City of Washington sold to the Dutch.

Mr. Calhoun, while he expressed the deepest interest in the prosperity of the city, regretted that he did not feel himself constitutionally at liberty to vote for the bill.

Mr. Buchanan declared that he now should vote for the bill under any consideration, but he did not think he should vote for any further relief.

Mr. Tyler replied, that if the gentleman from Pennsylvania would not vote any further aid hereafter, the city might just as well be sold next June as at any other time.

Mr. King of Georgia, said he should vote also for the bill, but with great reluctance. Although he had no constitutional scruples on the subject of the legislative powers of Congress over the District of Columbia, he thought the District had no more claim than any other part of the Union.

Mr. Bibb would vote for the bill, because he held the public faith to be beyond all price.

Mr. King of Alabama, entered his protest against the doctrine that the public faith was pledged to the payment of the Dutch loan, or the interest. He would vote for the bill, as he would have done, if not amended.

Mr. Leigh vindicated the construction he had been, last night, induced to put on the bill, and repeated what he then said, that not one foot of the City could be sold, because no one would buy. The loss, if loss there was, would fall on the Dutch lenders, and the disgrace on the City.

Mr. Waggaman said he should vote for the bill, because he thought there was a moral obligation on the Government to pay this debt; and he would be willing to vote for the payment of the entire debt.

The question was then taken on the engrossment of the bill, and was decided as follows:

Yeas—Messrs. Benton, Bibb, Buchanan, Clay, Cuthbert, Ewing, Frelinghuysen, Goldsborough, Kane, King of Alabama, King of Georgia, Knight, Leigh, Linn, McKean, Naudain, Porter, Preston, Robbins, Silsbee, Southard, Swift, Tomlinson, Tyler, Waggaman, Webster—27.

Nays—Messrs. Black, Brown, Calhoun, Grundy, Hendricks, Hill, Mangum, Morris, Prentiss, Robinson, Ruggles, Shepley, Tipton, Wright—14.

Mr. Benton moved to rescind the order for a recess from 3 till 5 o'clock—Yeas 15, Nays 13.

The Senate then, it being three o'clock, took a recess until five.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr. McKinley rose, he said, to ask the House to take up for consideration, the resolution which he some time ago offered in relation to the election of a Public Printer.

Objections being made, Mr. McKinley moved the suspension of the rule; but, changing his mind, he moved the postponement of all the business before the House, in order to take up that resolution.

The Speaker stated that a resolution, reported from the Committee on Military Affairs, setting apart one hour after the reception of reports from committees, this day, for the consideration of certain bills reported from the Committee on Military Affairs, was adopted by the House yesterday, and that the order must be executed.

According to the order above referred to, on motion of Mr. Connor, Resolved, That the Clerk of the House continue the services of the individual employed by him under a resolution of last session, to make certain maps for the use of the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

The bill respecting the Topographical engineers being then taken up for consideration, Mr. R. M. Johnson moved an amendment adding twelve second Lieutenants to the corps.

Mr. Speight said, he would not detain the Committee by continuing the debate, but in the House he should move, in order to test the principle of the bill, to strike out the first section.

The Committee rose and reported the bills three mentioned, without amendment.

The question being on the engrossment of the bill for the appointment of three additional Paymasters of the Army.

Mr. R. M. Johnson explained that great delay and inconvenience were now experienced in the payment of the Army, from the want of a sufficient number of Paymasters, and he referred to the statements of the Paymaster-General to show the necessity of adopting the measure proposed in this bill.

Mr. Speight was, he said, opposed to the passage of the bill. It went to increase the patronage of the Government, which, by many, was said to be already too great, and he did not think there was any necessity for it.

Mr. Grennell asked whether the appointments were to be made from the line of the Army.

Mr. R. M. Johnson said the appointments were not confined, by the bill, to the Army, but could be made from citizens.

Mr. Burges moved to amend the bill by changing its phraseology, so as to provide that the President should nominate, and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint, &c.; which was agreed to.

Mr. Mann opposed the bill.

Mr. Chilton opposed the bill, on the ground that it was unnecessary, and increased the patronage of the Government.

Mr. Wise said, he would vote against the bill in its present form, because it proposed a direct violation of the Constitution, in authorizing the paymasters to appoint clerks with a salary of $500. He moved to strike out that provision.

Mr. R. M. Johnson said, he would agree to the proposition.

And the question being taken, the section was stricken out.

After some remarks from Mr. Lytle, in support of the bill, on motion of Mr. Hubbard, the House proceeded to the orders of the day.

Mr. McKinley moved that all the orders of the day be postponed, in order to take up the resolution for the election of a Printer to the House. He said it was his object to have the question decided, whether the House would go into the election of a Printer at this session or not.

After some remarks from Messrs. Foster, McKinley, Mercer and Briggs, on the question whether the motion was in order, the Speaker decided that the motion was not in order without a suspension of the rule.

Mr. McKinley appealed from the decision of the Chair.

The question being 'Shall the decision of the Chair stand?'

It was discussed by Messrs. Mercer, Burges, Patton, Evans, and McKinley; when Mr. McKinley withdrew his appeal.

The Speaker, by consent of the House, went into an explanation of the grounds of the decision from which the appeal had been taken.

Mr. McKinley then moved to suspend the Rules of the House, and take up the resolution respecting the election of a Printer.

Mr. Connor moved to include the bill to re-organize the Post Office Department; but withdrew the motion.

Mr. McKinley asked for the yeas and nays; which were ordered, and being taken, resulted as follows:—

Yeas 103. Nays 110.

So the motion of Mr. McKinley was negatived.

Mr. Wilde moved to postpone the orders of the day with a view to take up the resolution for the amendment of the Constitution, in relation to the election of President and Vice President, heretofore proposed by Mr. Gilmer.

The House, by consent, admitted the reference of Senate Bills on the Speaker's table. Among them was the bill to re-arrange the Circuit Courts of the United States.

Mr. Foster wished this bill to be referred to the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union.

Mr. Beardsley insisted on its being referred, in course, to the Judiciary Committee.

And on this question of reference, an animated debate arose, in which the merits of the bill were frequently, though incidentally, touched upon; and in which Messrs. Foster, Thomas, Clay, Coulter, Carmichael, Garland, Cage, Barringer, Robertson, and Mercer, took part. Several attempts were made to arrest the debate by the previous question; but they failed.

And the question on committing the bill to a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, was carried, yeas 11, nays 6. So the bill was referred, together with the other Senate bills on the Speaker's table.

The resolution on the amendment of the Constitution then coming up in order, Mr. Gilmer said he had no desire to discuss the resolutions, but only to get a vote on them. Several had been incorporated into one; but he now wished to divide the question, and take a vote on each branch separately—and he demanded the yeas and nays, which were ordered.

Mr. Speight opposed the principle of the amendment but he wished to amend by extending the term for the Presidential service to six, instead of four years.

Mr. Pinckney called for the reading of the resolutions, and they were read accordingly.

Mr. Speight moved an amendment, increasing the term of President and Vice President to 6 years.

Messrs. Barringer and Patton took part in the debate, when the amendment was rejected—41 to 102.

Yeas and nays,

The question on the resolutions having been a debate, which detained the House till sundown took place, and was conducted by Messrs. Polk, Peyton, Pearce, Burges, and Gholson.

Mr. Polk proposed to amend the resolution in a feature omitted on the drafting of it, by pointing out the number of votes each State should be entitled to.

This was accepted by Mr. Gilmer, and agreed to without debate.

Mr. Gholson moved an amendment, which went, in case of the death of one of the Presidential candidates to allow the people an unrestricted choice at a second election.

The House adjourned, on motion of Mr. Hubbard.

Washington, Feb. 26.

An important bill, to amend the Judicial System, has passed the Senate by a large majority, and is now before the House of Representatives. The bill dismembers the fourth circuit, which now consists of the districts of Maryland and Delaware. It attaches Delaware to the third circuit, (Judge Baldwin's,) and Maryland to the fifth circuit, (Judge Marshall's,) which, by the bill, with this addition, is to constitute the fourth circuit. In other words, Judge Baldwin's circuit, under the new bill, should it become a law, would consist of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and Chief Justice Marshall's circuit would consist of Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. South Carolina and Georgia would constitute one circuit as heretofore, (to be the fifth.) Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi would constitute the sixth; Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky, the seventh; and Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, the eighth circuit. The bill passed by a vote of 31 yeas to 5 nays.—Nat. Int.