The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 334
xxiv, 696 p. ; 25 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
334
CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
tee on Commerce; which was ordered.
Mr. B. also presented the letter of the Secretary
, of State of Illinois, covering several memorials of the
same general assembly, viz:*
Amemorial praying for a sufficient appropriation
to remove the snags and other'obstructions to the
navigation of the Mississippi river, and setting forth
the losses to which the trade and commerce of the
West was subjected, from the want of adequate ap-
propriations.
Also, their memorial, praying for the improve-
ment of the rapids of-the Des Moines, and at Rock
island, in the Mississippi river; which, on his mo-
tion, were referred to the Committee on Commerce,
and.ordered to be printed.
Mr. B. also presented the memorial of the same
general assembly, praying for a modification and
change in the present pre-emption laws.
Mr. B. remarked, on presenting this memorial,
that it contained some very important suggestions,
to which he would bee to call the special attention of
the Committee on Public Lands.
On his motion, it was referred to that committee,
and ordered to be printed.
Mr. BAYARD presented a petition from "William
P. McConnell, representing that he had constructed
a model of a steam-ship, at the request of the Com-
mittee on Naval Affairs, and by order of the Sec-
retary of the Navy, and prays Congress to adopt
the principle of his plan in the construction of
steam-ships of war: referred to the Committee on
Naval Affairs.
Mr.PEARCE presented a petition from a number
of merchants in the city of Baltimore, praying that
the consular system of the "United States may be
remodelled: referred to the Committee on Com-
merce.
Mr. SEVIER, from the Committee on Indian Af-
fair, reported a bill for the relief of the legal repre-
sentatives of George Duval, a Cherokee, and others,
Cherokees; which was read, and ordered to a second
reading.
Mr. HAYWOOD, from the Committee on Naval
Affairs, made an adverse report on the petition of
Alonzo B. Davis, of the United States navy, pray-
ing the allowance of pay of a grade higher than
that to which he is entitled, for certain extra ser-
vices: ordered to lie on the table, and be printed.
Also, reported from the same committee a joint re-
solution, authorizing the admission, in the settle-
ment of the accounts of D. M. F. Thornton, a pur-
ser in the United States navy, for losses of property
on board ship, the sum of $G58; which was read, and
ordered to a second reading.
On motion by Mr. BARROW, it was
Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed
to transmit to the Senate a copy of the report made
by B. F. Butler, United States agent for the Chero-
kee tribe of Indians, dated 30th September, 1843,
addressed to the Hon. T. Hartley Crawford, Com-
missioner of Indian Affairs.
Mr. ARCHER presented a memorial from the
the heirs of (name not heard) of Vir-
ginia, praying some compensation for services du-
ring the war of the revolution: referred to the Com-
mittee on Revolutionary Claims.
Mr. KING presented resolutions of the legisla-
ture of Alabama, instructing the senators and re-
questing the representatives from that State to use their
influence to procure (lie passage of a law establish-
ing a mail line from Tuscaloosa to Tuseumbia, in
that Statr. Also, for the establishment of a daily
mail route from Montgomery, in Alabama, to West
Point, in Georgia, and thence to Madison, in Geor-
gia : and to make Tuscaloosa a distributing office:
referred to the Committee on the Post Office and
Post Roads.
SLAVE REPRESENTATION.
Mr. BAGBY presented to the Senate the fallow-
ing resolutions of the legislature of Alabama, re-
sponsive to resolutions ndoptcdjhy the State of Mas-
sachusetts, proposing so to amend the constitution
of the United States, as to strike from the basis of
federal representation the three-fifths of slave pop-
ulation. The resolutions were read as follows:
"The General Assembly of the State, of Alabama
will, in no event, give countenance to this proposi-
tion of Massachusetts. The provision proposed to
be stricken from the constitution contains within
it the terms upon which the Union was formed;
wid my attempt now to change it, and thereby dis-
turb* the "confederacy, ought, not to be made.- Ala-
bama views all such attempts as evidences of bad
faith on the part of a sister State, having a direct
tendency to weaken the bonds of mutual interest
and good feelings which have bound us together;
therefore,
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the State of Alabama in General Assembly convened,
That the proposition of Massachusetts so to change
the constitution of the United States, is considered
wholly inadmissable by the people of Alabama.
Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be in-
structed, and our representatives requested, to use
their utmost exertions against the proposed amend-
ment of the constitution of the United States, to
exclude the representation of three-fifths of other
persons.
Mr. BAGBY said he took great pleasure in pre-
senting these resolutions to the Senate, not only be-
cause they accorded with his own opinion, but
because they afforded another of the many mani-
festations which that State had already given of her
attachment to the constitution. He was called upon
to present these resolutions for another reason. It
would be recollected that when the resolutions
from the general assembly of Massachusetts
were presented, he had opposed the print-
ing of them. So far as the senator from Mas-
sachusetts [Mr. Bates] was concerned, he (Mr.
B.) took great pleasure in recalling any asser-
tion of his which could impute to that gen-
tleman a participation in treason against the rights
of the South. Whatever might be his own opinion
in regard to'the tenor and doctrines of these reso-
lntions from Mssachusetts, he repeated again that
he took great pleasure in exempting the senator in-
troducing the resolutions from any imputation con-
tained in that, portion of his remarks. From the
short acquaintance which he had had with that sen-
ator, he was pleased to bear testimony to his
honor and patriotism. So far, therefore, as the re-
marks could be construed to imply the least cen-
sure up oft the senator from Massachusetts, [Mr.
Bates,] they were entirely withdrawn. He moved
that the resolutions which he had just presented
lie on the table, and be printed; and, to atone
as far as he could for any injury he might
have done to the senator from Massachusetts, he
was willing, in that conciliatory spirit which should
prevail in all legislative bodies, to move to take up
from the table the resolutions from Massachusetts.
According to the dictates of his own conscience, he
believed it was right of the general assembly of
Massachusetts to adopt the resolutions, and of the
senator over the way [Mr. Bates] to present them.
He asked the printing of the resolutions from the
legislature of Alabama; and he made a motion to
that effect.
Mr. BATES said, when he brought to the atten-
tion of the Senate, some days since, the discrimina-
tion which had been made, and the injustice which
had been done to Massachusetts, by refusing to
print the resolves of the legislature of that State, he
then thought, as he still thought, it did not become
him to move a second time for what had been once
formally denied him. He did not wish, upon that
occasion, to get up a debate upon the exciting sub-
ject of slavery. A measure of great national im-
portance was then in progress, with which he did not
think it proper to interfere. The course of the sen-
ator from Alabama [Mr. Bagby] this morning, so
honorable to himself, indicated pretty clearly (as he
thought) that he did not misjudge as to what it be-
came him to do in behalf of his State, upon the oc-
casion referred to. He did rely with some confi-
dence upon the justice of the Senate to right the
matter. A State had an undoubted right to pro-
pose any amendment to the constitution such legis-
lature niiy'it please; and if the legislatures of two-
tlurds of the States proposed the same amendment,
it would become the duty of Congress to act. But
whether it would be expedient in him to propose
such an amendment, was a question not to be set-
tled there. The State legislatures would decide the
question for themselves.
Mr. BAGBY then moved to -take up from the
table the resolutions from the legislature of Massa-
chusetts.
Mr. HAYWOOD hoped that the senators from
Alabama and Massachusetts would let the motion
lie over till to-morrow.
Mr. BAGBY wished to know if the senator from
North Carolina desired to debate the question. If
so, he would withdraw tRe motion, promising to
I renew it to-morrow,
Mr. EVANS inquired if the motion had been
withdrawn?
The CHAIR made some reply, which was not
heard. .
Mr. BAGBY said he would move, then, that the
resolutions be taken upj though he could not vote
for the printing.
Mr. HAYWOOD rose to a question of order.
When the Senate had once decided that the resolu-
tions could not be printed, was it in order to renew
the motion to print?
The CHAIR decided that if the motion to take
up the resolutions was agreed to, the question would
recur upon the motion to print them.
Mr. KING said he would much rather this mat-
ter should lie over till tomorrow. The Senate was
very thin; and he had another reason why he would
prefer not opening a debate on the subject at that
time. If he had known that such a proposition was
to be before the Senate this morning, he would have
come prepared to meet it. As it was, he was not
prepared to act as he wished to act. Besides, his
colleague, having explained that he [Mr. Bagby]
meant no personal reference to the senator from
Massachusetts, [Mr. Bates,] by the course
which he had adopted when the resolutions
from that State were before the Senate, he
[Mr. K.] presumed that explanation would be
satisfactory; and that the matter could properly re-
main, for the present, as it was. It was a question
of grave import; not a question of justice or injus-
tice, but one which involved much more serious
consequences. He asked, therefore, that no action
be taken at that time, in order that he might have an
opportunity of pursuing the course which he intend-
ed to pursue with reference to this question. He
proposed, with a view to effect this object, that the
motion to print he on the table.
Mr. BAGBY said that no one could be more sen-
sible than he was of the importance of the resolu-
tions from Massachusetts, and those from the legis-
lature of Alabama. It was of no importance to
him, what disposition might be made of the resolu-
tions from the general assembly of Massachusetts.
He was perfectly indifferent as to what shape the
question might assume. He had made up his mind,
upon reflection, in regard to the character and tend-
ency of such resolutions. In submitting his mo-
tion to the consideration of the Senate, his only ob-
ject was to do justice to the senator from Massa-
chusets; and in the desire to accomplish an object
of that kind, he would rather go too far, than stop
short of the mark. As he felt incapable of doing
intentional injustice to that senator, or the State of
Massachusetts, he deemed himself called upon to
make the motion. The Senate would decide upon it.
Mr. BERRIEN begged leave to suggest to the
gentleman [Mr. Bagby] that he would see, from the
course which the Senate had heretofore pursued in
relation to resolutions of this kind, the propriety of
yielding to the suggestion of the senator from Ala-
bama, [Mr. King,] and not press any action up-
on the subject to-day. The journal of the Senate
would show that, when the resolutions from Mas-
sachusetts were formerly acted upon, it was before
a comparatively full Senate. If the decision was to
be reversed, little, he apprehended, would be gained
by pressing the matter now. Without, therefore,
expressing any opinion as to the decision that it
might be proper for the Senate to make, he sug-
gested the propriety of adopting the course pointed
out by the senator from Alabama, [Mr. Kino.]
Mr. ARCHER remarked that, as it seemed to be
the inclination of several gentlemen that this matter
should be postponed, and not receive definite action
now, he rose merely to suggest that he had received
from the governor of Virginia certain resolutions
passed by the legislature of that Bute, similar in
their import to those, presented by the honorable,
senator from Alabama, ['Mr. Bacjby.] He should
have presented them to-dav, but he. did not think it
proper to do so in the absence of his honorable
colleague, who was not then ill his seat. He would
take occasion, however, to present them to-morrow;
and that, he conceived, would be the proper time to
resume the discussion which had taken place this
morning in relation to the change, in the disposal of
the resolutions from Massachusetts. He moved,
therefore, that the pending motion lie on the. table
till to-morrow.
Mr. BARROW remarked that the senator from
New Jersey, [Mr. Miller,] having conditionally
waived his right to address the Senate to-day on the
Oregon question, to enable him to procure action on
a bill, which he had the honor of introducing for th§
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session, book, 1844; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2367/m1/358/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.