The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 343
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CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
543
find the sympathies of the gentleman awakened to
the claims of this description of persons, and ^oped
when they again come before this House to find
him giving them his support.
Mr. H. MOORE did not wish to consume
the time of the House in discussing the sub-
ject of retrenchment and economy, but he desired to
show the injustice and inconsistency of the report
• and resolutions under consideration.
The proposition was to add one-fourth to the
labor of these boys, and to take away one-fourth of
their compensation—being equivalent to a reduction
of one-half, while the wages of the messengers and
folders doing less duty was to be increased. The
gentleman said that $1 5(J would be a fair compen-
sation for the boys, while he proposed to give $2 50
for the same labor to the folders. ^Vh y, he would
ask, would not a fair compensation for the one be a
fair compensation for the other? He looked upon
the injustice of the proposition to be only equalled by
its inconsistency.
Mr. STEENROD opposed the reduction of the
pages' compensation, and contended that the ser-
vices they performed were as arduous as those of
the officers whose pay it was proposed to increase.
Mr. McDOWELL, in explanation, further wish-
ed to remark that, under the present arrangement,
these pages had to discharge the labor of folding
documents after the, adjournment of the House; and
that it was now proposed to relieve them for that
duty, and to diminish their compensation.
Mr. WINTHROP submitted an amendment pro-
viding that none of Ihe pages should be removed
during the present session.
Mr. TIBBATTS moved to lay the whole subject
on the table.
The resolution reported on Wednesday last from
the Committee oil the Post Office and Post Roads,
as to what steps have been taken by the Postmaster
General to prevent and punish the infractions of the
laws of the United States, prohibiting the establish-
ment of any private express or post for the trans-
portation of letters and packets, was considered
and agreed to.
Mr. PARMENTER, by leave, from the Commit-
tee on Naval Affairs, to which was referred the res-
olution of the House of 15th of January last, in re-
lation to alterations in the management of the navy
United States, made a report thereon, accompanied
by a bill to provide for the appointment of certain
officers of navy yards: referred to the Committee of
the Whole House.
Mr. ELMER, from the Committee of Elections,
offered a resolution that the committee be author-
ized to continue the employment of their present
clerk; which resolution was agreed to.
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE.
Mr. G. W. JONES, from the Committee for the
District of Columbia, reported back the Senate bill
appropriating $40,000 to repair and repave a portion
of Pennsylvania avenue, and said he was instructed
by the committee to report the same with a recom-
mendation that the bill be rejected.
The SPEAKER announced the question to be on
the third reading of the bill.
Mr. G. W. JONES moved a concurrence with
the committee's report.
Mr. CAMPBELL thought it would be proper to
refer this bill to the Committee of the Whole
House; which motion he made.
The SPEAKER put the question on the refer-
"""mV. DUNCAN inquired if the motion to refer
took precedence of the motion of the gentleman
from Tennessee [Mr. Jones] to concur with the
committee's report.
The SPEAKER decided that the motion to refer
had precedence.
Mr. G. W. JONES rose, and said he did not pro-
pose to detain the House with many remarks on
this subject. It would be sufficient for him to say,
as the representative of a portion of the people of
this Union, that, when he looked at the constitution
of the country, he saw no authority for voting to
make an appropriation for the purposes provided for
bv that bill. They had no such authority, he con-
ceived, conferred upon them by the constitution of
the United States; and, therefore this bill ought not
to pass. True, they were the local legislature of
this District; but, when acting in their capacity as
the local legislature of the District of Columbia, he
considered that they had no authority to put their
hands into the national treasury, and appropriate
the money of the whole people for the bencnt ot
those of this District; and, if it were then in order,
he would ask for the yeas and nays on the motion
to refer. He desired that the House should dispose
of this subject at once.
Mr. HAMLIN said the report of the committee
was accompanied by a recommendation that the
bill be rejected—a report which he most devoutly
hoped would receive the sanction of the House.
He had been told that, by committing this bill, they
should consign it to the tomb of the Capulets; and,
therefore, he should cheerfully give his vote for
such a motion, that it might there sleep, and sleep
forever; or lie would vote for any other motion that
would aid in killing it.
Mr. HOGE moved to lay the bill on the table.
Mr. CAMPBELL said this bill involved a ques-
tion of an appropriation of money; and he inquired
if it was not necessary that it should go to the
Committee of the Whole House. If so, could the
motion to lay on the table be in order'
The SPEAKER replied that, before any appro-
priation bill could pass, it must receive the sanction
of a Committee of the Whole; but he did not un-
derstand that su"5h a bill must go there on a motion
to lay it on the table.
Mr. BARNARD called for the reading of the
bill.
The Clerk read it accordingly.
The yeas and nays were then ordered and taken
on the motion to lay the bill on the table, and re-
sulted thus—yeas 113, nays 64, as follows:
YEAS—Messrs. Abbot, Anderson, Ashe, Barringer, Bel-
ser Benton, Blackwell, Bossier. Bower, Bowlin, Boyd,
Jacob Brmkerhofi; Aaron V. Brown. William J. Brown,
Buffington, Burke, Burt, Caldwell, f'ary, Catlin, Reuben
Chapman, Chappell, Cobb, Collamer, Cullom, Dana,
Daniel, John W. Davis, Dean, Diokcy, Dillmgham, Dun-
can, Dunlap, Ellis, Farlee, Ficklin, Foster, French, Bid-
dings Byram Green, Hale, Hamlin, Haralson, Hardin,
Henley, Hcrrick, Hoge, Hopkins, Houston, Hubard, Hub-
bell, Hughes, Hungerlord, James B. Hunt. Jameson. Cave
Johnson Perley B. .Johnson, A. Johnson, ( . \V. Jones, A.
Kennedy, Preston King, Daniel P. King, Labranclie, Leon-
ard, Lewis, Lucas, Lumpkin, Lyon, McCanskn, Mc-
Cle'lland McClornand, McDowell. McKay, Moore, Joseph
Morris Norris. Owen, Parmenter, Pettit, Emery D, Potter,
Purdv, Rathlmn, David S. Reid, Reding, Relfe, Rittcr,
Roberts, Robinson, Russell, St. John, Saunders, Senter,
Thomas H. Seymour, David L. Seymour, Simons, Simpson,
John T. Smith, Thomas Smith, Robert Smith, Steenrod,
Stetson, John Stewart. Stiles, Stone, Taj lor, Thompson,
Tucker,Weller, Wentworth, Wheaton, Williams, Joseph
A. Wright, and Yost—IK!.
NAYS—Messrs. Baker, Barnard, F.dward J. Black, Milton
Brown, Jeremiah Brown,, Campbell, Carroll, Causin,
Clulton, Clmgman,Cranston, Cross, Garrett Davis, Richard
D Davis, Deberry, Dellet, Dromgoole, Elmer, Fish, Foot,
Willis Green, Grinnell, Gnder," Haiper, Hudson, Wash-
ington Hunt, Charles J. Ingersoll. Joseph R Ingersoll,
Jenks John P. Kennedy, Maclay, Mcllvaine, Marsh, Ld-
ward J. Morris, Morse, Moseley, Murphy, Nes, Newton,
Patterson, Payne, Elisha R. Potter, Pratt, C. M. Reed,
Rockwell, Rodney, Rogers, Sample, Schenck, Severance,
Albert Smith, Caleb B. Smith, Andrew Stewart, Summers,
Svkes, Tliomasson, Tibbatts, Tilden, Tyler, Vance, Vin-
ton, White, and Winthrop— 64.
So the bill was laid on the table.
The SPEAKER announced that the morning
hour had now expired.
Mr. McKAY moved that the House resolve itself
into a Committee of the Whole House on the state
of the Union, with the view of acting on the bill
making appropriations for the Military Academy.
The SPEAKER requested the gentleman from
North Carolina to waive that motion, to enable him
to lay before the. House certain executive and other
communications.
CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL.
The SPEAKER laid before the House a commu-
nication from the Mayor of Washmgton, in relation
to the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, which was refer-
red to the Committee on Roads and Canals, and
ordered to be printed.
[It was a letter from the Mayor of the City ot
Washington, transmitting resolutions of the corpo-
ration of said city, authorizing remonstrance
against the transfer to the State of Maryland of the
stock subscribed by the said corporation m the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal- company, except on
certain conditions.]
THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON SURREN-
DER OF FUGITIVE SLAVES.
The SPEAKER laid before the House a commu-
nication from the President of the United States,
transmitting to the House of Representatives, in an-
swer to their resolution of the 10th instant, a report
from the Secretary of State, with the correspondence
therein referred to, relating to certain fugitive crimi-
nals from Florida. .
| Mr. LEVY moved its reference to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, with instructions; and on this
motion he derired to make some remarks; but as the
chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means de-
sired that the .House should go into Cdmmittc-e of
the Whole on the appropriation bills, he was wal-
ing to defer his remarks to the morning hour to-
Some conversation ensued, in which Mr. LEV^t,
Mr. ELMER, Mr. BARNARD, and others took
part, in relation to the special orders, which wouid
occupy the time of the House for the next fev
^r. BARNARD desired to know what the com-
munication was.
The Clerk read it again.
Mr. BARNARD said this executive communica-
tion ought first to go to the Committee on foreign
Affairs, to be examined by them; and when that
committee should make its report, the House might
act upon it; and the gentleman from Florida would
then have the opportunity to present his views in
relation to it. .
Mr. LEVY said he had moved to refer with in-
structions; and ho wished to discuss the question
on those instructions, which he had the right to do.
Perhaps he ought to have the instructions read; hut
he would dispense with that, as he now moved to
postpone the consideration of this question to Thurs-
day next. . , .
Mr. ROGERS called for the. reading of the in-
structions.
The Clerk read them as follows:
"That the said message be referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, with instructions to make
inquiry into the facts of any cases of demand for
the surrender of fugitive criminals under the tenth
article of the treaty of Washington, which may have
arisen upon requisition of either of the respective
parties to said treaty, and to recommend such course
as may be proper for the adoption of this House m
respect thereto; and especially whether it be advisa-
ble for this House to recommend to the President u
notify the British Government that it is the wish of
this Government to terminate the said tenth article
of the treaty."
Mr. BARNARD inquired whether the instruc-
tions were m order at that stage ot the business.
The SPEAKER said the motion now was to
postpone the further consideration of this subject.
Mr. LEVY moved (inasmuch as the chairman of
the committee was at present indisposed, and could
not be present, as he desired, at the discussion) that
the subject be postponed, and made the special ol-
der for Thursday next.
Mr. C. JOHNSON called for the previous ques-
tion, in older, he said, to get lid of the motion to
postpone. . .
Mr. LEVY claimed to be still m possession of
the floor. He desired to go on with the discussion
now, unless, by general consent, the subject should
be postponed, and made the special order for Thurs-
day.
Mr. C. JOHNSON withdrew his call for the pre-
vious'question, to allow the gentleman to proceed
with the discussion.
Mr. LEVY then proceeded. He had arrangnd,
he said, in his mind, some three weeks ago, the course
of argument which he intended to submit to the
House; but the question having now unexpectedly
arisen, he did not know that he could at once recall
his ideas upon the subject so distinctly and clearly
as he could wish. He would endeavor, however, to
retrace the grounds which he proposed to take, and,
if possible, sustain those grounds by argument.
He regarded this as a grave subject, in every pomr
of view. As respected the Territory which he rep-
resented, it was one of the most important questions
which had arisen, or could arise; and, in a national
point of view, it was one of the most important
which were likely to occur during the present ses-
sion of Congress. It was a question which aftected
the foreign relations of this country, and therefore
of national importance. It affect°d our intercourse
with our great enemy—the great enemy of our safe-
ty and security, and prosperity as a nation. It was
a question which would bring to a test the feeling of
nationality which binds the different sections of the
country together. The occasion which now pre-
sented itself would give them an opportunity to test
the sincerity of the professions of gentlemen m dif-
ferent sections of this country.
It wss, perhaps, improper that this question should
be brought forward by one so incompetent as himself",
but as the representative of aTemtory materially in-
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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/m1/367/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.