The Congressional Globe, Volume 14: Twenty-Eighth Congress, Second Session Page: 224
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324
CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
Mr. E. having concluded,
No gentleman rising-to address the Chair,
The question was token on the pending amendment, to
strikeout, in the first section, the words "forty-nine," and
insert "forty," (making fifty-four degrees forty minutes the
northern boundary of the Territory.)
Some conversation arose on a point of order, in which
' Several gentlemen participated.
Mr.'WfNTHROP moved to strike out the first section, in
order to form a pending question for debate.
Mr. W. HUNT obtained the floor; and yielded to
Mr. P. KING, who offered an amendment to the first scc-
- tion, authorizing and requiring the President of the United
States, on this bill becoming a law, to give the notice, and
take the measures, required by any subsisting treaty, to
terminate, in one year, all the rights, on the part of Great
Britain, to the joint occupancy claimed by Great Britain in
virtue of any such treaty.
Mr. ADAMS said if this amendment was received, he
should wish to move an amendment to it.
The CHAIRMAN ruled the amendment out of older.
Mr HUNT resumed the floor, and again yielded to
Mr. E. J. MORRIS; who moved that the "committee risp
The question was twice taken, and no quorum voted.
Thereupon
The committee rose, and reported that fact to the House.
$|Mr. TIBBATTS asked leave to introduce a bill, notice of
which he had previously given; but
The CHAIR informed him that there not being a quorum
present, it could not be received.
The House then adjourned.
The following notices of petitions, presented to-day, were
were handed to the reporters bj the members presenting
them:
By Mr. HOLMES: The petition of John B. Rodgers, of'
South Carolina, for^the redemption of twenty pieces of
stamp paper, purchased by him duiing the late war with
Great Britain, and never used by him, nor heretofore re-
turned to the Secretary of the Treasury: referred to the
Committee of Ways and Means.
By Mr. GlilNNELL: The petition of Isaac Paine and oth
ers, of "Wellfleet. for placing baoys in that,harbor.
By Mr. HARPER: The petition of Hemy Mathews and 45
other citizens of Muskingum county, Ohio, jnayin^ foid le-
duction of po&tage and the abolition of the franking privi-
lege.
By Mr. A. P. STONE: The petition of 198 citizens; of the
State of Ohio, piaying Congress to furnish James Russell
with the means to erect a national planetarium at Wash-
ington: referred to the Joint Committee on the Library.
By Mr. WIIEATON: lhe petition of Charles Paidee, F.
G.Jewett, George F Leitch,J.C Luller, and 20S other citi-
zens of Skaneateles, New \ork, asking a reduction in the
rates of postage: referred to the Committee on the Post Of-
fice and Fost Roads
By Mr. ROBINSON* Several petitions from Daniel Rich-
ards and other citizens of New Vork and Brooklyn, pray-
it g for the establishment oi a w aiohuuse s\stem: leferied
to the Committee oi Commeic*:.
Bv Mr. HENRY DODGE: Two petitions, signed by 173
cituens of Racine comity. Territory ol Wisconsin, asking
Congress for an appropriation for the completion of the har-
bor at the mouth of Root river, town of Racine, m said Ter-
ritory referred to the Committee on Commerce. Also a
memorial signed by 40 citizens ol Brown county, Territory
of Wisconsin, diking Congress for an appiopriation for the
improvement of the navigation of the tox and Wisconsin
rivers: referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Aho
the petition ot 018 citizens of the viliige of New Diggings,
in Iowa county, Territory of Wisconsin, asking Congress to
grant the citizens of saicfvillage pre-emption rights to their
lots and improvements oil the northeast quarter of section
No 'Jr>, m township No 1, north of range No I, of the fomth
principal meridian, figreenbly to an act of Congiess oi lhe
5th ofFehrucrv, lSilK with respect to Galena, entitled An
act au'lion/.ing the laying oft a town on Beau river, 111 the
State of Illinois, and for other purposes. The petition lefei*
to an <ict of Congress of the-2d July, 1836, making provision
for the settlers al the towns ofDubuqe, Mineral Point, &.c,,
&.C : relerred to t omnuttee on Puldic Lauds.
HOUSE OF" REPRESENTATIVES.
Friday, January 31, 1845.
The journal of yesterday was read and approved.
COLT'S WATER PROOF CARTRIDGES.
Mr. TIBBATTS introduced a joint resolution
makino* appropriations for the purchase of watei
proof cuitridges. It was read twice and committed.
This resolution propose toappropnate one-fourth
of the fund now annually appropriated ^ for the ar-
mament and equipment of the militia tor the pur-
chase of ColtVt water proof cartridges.
Mr. DUNCAN offered a lesolution instructing
the Committee on the Public Buildings to confer with
Professor Morse and inquire if a more expeditious
plan for the taking of the yeas and nays in this
House could be devised, and what would be the
orobable expense thereof. .
Objections were made, and tne resolution was not
received. , , , 1Mi
Mr HOUSTON pi.-scded umo-u, hi up-
port of the case of Robed Ski. |-c, «"*"
red to i' c Ovinia, eon Revolution..i > htii„.o,i„
Mr. THOMASSON desired to present resolu-
tions of the legislature of Kentucky on the subject
of oostagc and marme hospitals.
Objections were made, and they wore not rec
ed.
NATURALIZATION.
Mr. SAUNDERS presented a report and bill on
the subject of naturalization; read twice and refer-
red to the Committee of the Whole on the state of
tli 3 Union.
IOWA MILITIA.
Mr. DEAN, from the Committee on the Militia,
introduced a bill to provide for the payment of the
Iowa militia, called into service in December,
1839.
It was read twice, and committed to the Commit-
tee of the "Whole.
On the motion of Mr. LEVY, it was
Resolved, That the President of the United States hi* re-
quested to furnish to this House, if not incompatible with
the public interest, any further communications which may
have passed between the government of Great Biitainimd
our own, respecting the surrender of fugitive criminals
from Florida, under the treaty of Washington, not hereto-
fore furnished.to this House
Mr. SUMMERS, from the Committee on the
Judiciary, to which was referred the bill from the
Senate, entitled an act for the relief of the legal rep-
resentatives of Fierre Menard, Josiali T. Betts, Ja-
cob Flaman, and Edmund Roberts, of the State of
Illinois, sureties of Felix St. Vrain, late Indian
agent, deceased, reported the same without amend-
ment, and it was committed to the Committee of the
Whole House.
OREGON BILL.
Mr. WELLF.R offered a resolution in the usual
form to terminate, debate in Committee of the Whole
on the state of the Union 011 the bill to establish a
territorial government in Oregon at 9 o'clock on
Saturday; and on this he moved the previous ques-
tion.
Messrs. Duncan and Wethered were tho tellers
appointed to take the vote on seconding tho demand
for the previous question; and tliey reported 74 in
the affirmative and <1:2 in the negative; and so there
was a second.
The main question was ordered to be now put,
and the resolution was adopted by a majority of 94
to 65.
Mr. WETllERED asked leave to report a bill
fiovn the Committee on Roads and Canals.
Mi. HOPKINS objected, on account of the .short-
ness of the time remaining for the discussion ol the
Oregon question; and, oil his motion,
•TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT FOR OREGON.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of
the Whole on the state of the Union, (Mr. Wei-
i.er in the chair,) and resumed the consideration of
the bill ,to establish a territorial government ovei
Oregon, and for other purposes.
Mr. W. HUNT was entitled to the floor, lie
yielded to
Mr. A. V. BROWN, who rent up to thecleiks
table certain amendments which he intended lo offer
when in order, where they ueic read for the inhu-
mation of the committee.
Mr. HUNT i.-narked that it appeared to be con-
ceded on all sides that we had a perfect and un-
doubted right to Oregon ten itory as embraced m
this bill. It was unnecessary, theieloie, to enter in-
to a discussion of the, question of title, or ol the
importance of the territory, but it wa a question
which transcended in importance any acquisition ot
territory: it was a question ol national faith and ria-
ttonal honor, whethei wc would obseive and regard
the obligations of tieaty stipulations, and pieservc
the honor and integrity of this sever,mient, or pro-
ceed, in a rafli and impetuous spn it—a spnil of con-
quest and acquisition,' leaping over every barrier ol
r>h,rhted faith—to obtain tbat to which we conceived
wejiad a perfect title. We could well repose a short,
time on a good title; it could suffer no harm from
these delays, due to our faith with other govern-
ments and to ourselves. _
It has been remarked that this bill was not incon-
sistent with the article of the treaty, which rendered
it necessary for either party to give to the other a
notice of twelve months prior to the termination of
the ioint occupancy of the territory. What did the
bill pronosi > The excri ise of the lushest attributes
of sovereignty; It ctenltd and cMabushu! a govuiu-
ment of lull .inn complete jun, diction mir '.hi wm-n.
of Oregon, a pol lion of which c.as 111 dilute be-
tween this country and Great Britain, which juris-
diction was extended over all classes ot citizens,
whether of Great Britain or of the United States,
it has been conceded here by the advocates ot this
bill, that if Great Britain had taken jurisdiction ot
American citizens, and tried, and executed them
under her laws it would be a just cause of war on
our part; for the same reason the creation and estab-
lishment on our part of a government over this terri-
tory was, beyond all question, equivalent to an act
of war, on the principles of international law.
He referred to the two statutes of Great Britain
bearing on the Oregon territory, to show that Great
Britain had not assumed to take jurisdiction of any
territory or citizen pf the United States; but on the
contrary, had made an express reservation in these
acts that they should not operate over either—the
contrary of which had been alleged here, and been
relied on as a justification for the course of pro-
ceeding proposed by us.
He adverted to the circumstances out of which
had resulted the treaty of 1818, renewed in 1827,
which left this country free and open to the citizens
of both governments; to the reluctance with which
that government had acceded to the proposals of our
ministers in the ratification of that treaty; and he
urged that after thus obtaining |these stipulations,
after thus going on under it for more than one-fourth
of a century, we should bo the last people in the
world to move counter to the provisions and guaran-
ties of the treaty without giving the required year's
notice to the British government.
Mr. 1-1. next came to notice Mr. Owen's remarks
of yesterday. That gentleman had said that this bill
was a violation, if not of the letter, at least of the
spirit, of this convention. He much regretted that
the argumentof the gentleman, which had been felt
to be of so much weight with others, had not been
convincing to the gentleman himself, and that his
conclusions had not bpen in conformity with his
reasoning.
He thought that notice should first be given to
the British government that tho joint occupancy
should cease, and then it would be time enough to
pass this bill. For one, that Ills views might not
be misapprehended, he would say that he was wil-
ling to go as far as any body to assert our rights
to the country, provided it was done ill such a way
as not to impair the good faith of the nation. It
the negotiation which was in progress should not
terminate favorably within n icasonable time, he
Was for giving to the British government the twelve
months'"notice requiicd by tho convention of 1818,
and he would then be willing to take any proper
measures for securing possess.on of the. country.
He was aware that it was considered a very high
degree of patriotism to indulge in reflections
against England. He was not the apologist of that
nation. There was much of her proceedings m
regarn to the acquisition of foreign territory that
he disapproved of; but it was not for us to con-
sider whether Great Britain has oppressed her
subjects in India oi m Canada. We are to deter-
mine how we arc to act towards a friendly power
with whom we are at peace and in amity, and pre-
serve out treaty siipiilations and friendly relations
with her. lie must say that the conduct of the
British (lovernmcnt in eveiy thing relating to this
territory had been such, as far as he was informed,
as to i'ive us no just cause of complaint. Have
they proposed to terminate the joint occupancy"
Have they done any thing to ltilinige our rights'
Far from it. They had manifested every disposi-
tion in deal with this government justly and fairly
in relation to this matter.
A fiw months ago, Great Britain sent a special
embassy to this government., for the purpose of ne-
gotiating on this subject. Ought we to complain of
this? That ceitauily indicated a friendly policy on
their part, und a desire to conciliate. I hat minister
was now here, doing all ill his power to bring the
negotiation to a close; and, while that negotiation
was in progress, without theie being any reason on
the part ot this House to believe, that it would fail,
this proceeding was instituted, which brought all
negotiations to a close, "violated our treaty stipula-
tions with Great Britain, and furnished just cause
for war. Suppose the position of tho two countries
was reversed, and that the Parliament of Great
Britain, without giving us the notice required by ihe
treaty, should pass a law extending the jurisdiction
of ihat touiuiy ovei ihe whoh umtoiy. why, the
loi ■ oi ot* \.,n- would he souilih d Ihioo.'Jiout the
i, !,;■ ih ii'i<I .111. of ihe laud, it ICnglaild
should alumj't to t .-.Labii .h a territoiial government
in Oregon- The act would be. denounced within
ihrse walls, on<1 before the people; and, in every
quarter of the country, we should hear the voice f
1 patriotic indignation against British usurpation and
• British aggression on the rights of this country.
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 14: Twenty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, legislative document, 1845; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2366/m1/240/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.