The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 489

                                
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COWGRES^OM GLOBE.
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PUBLISHED BY BLAIR AND RIVES, AT ONE DOLLAR PER SESSION, INADtANCE. '
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28th Cong 1st Sess.
THUHSDAY, APRIL 4, 1844.
Volume 13....No. 30.
[Continued from JVb. 29.
and requesting the representatives from that State to
use their influence to procure the passage of a law,
at the present sesssion of Congress, prescribing a
day for the choice of the electors of President and
Vice President of the United States, which day
shall be the same throughout the United States: re-
ferred to the Judiciary Committee, and ordered to
be printed.
Also, instructing the senators and requesting the
representatives from that State to present to the con-
sideration of the national legislature facts connected
with the trade of the United States and the British
colonies under the arrangement now in force, and
to exert their influence to rescind the treaties regu-
lating the same as soon as practicable: referred to
the Committee on Commerce.
Mr. BARROW presented resolutions adopted by
the legislature of Louisiana, instructing the sena-
tors and requesting the representatives from that
State to use every effort to procure the necessary
appropriations for rendering the harbor of Pcnsa-
cola accessible to vessels of every class, and to the
placing the navy yard there, as speedily as possible,
m a condition to build, repair, and equip men-of-
war.
Mr. B. remarked that it would be Recollected, that
at the meeting of the present Congress, he intro-
duced resolutions relating to this su&ject, calling on
the Secretary of the Navy for estimates for a navy
yard, and dock, and wharf at Pensacola. For some
reason or other, or from some cause unknown to
him, the Secretary of the Navy did not send in the
report until the very day he left the office. The re-
port came in on the last day of his existence; which
report was very incomplete, and was referred to the
Committee on Naval Affairs on the 20th February
last. He referred to these facts now, merely for
the purpose of satisfying the people of his State that
he had not been remiss in duty or in attentive to
this important subject. He had looked upon it as
one of vast importance, not only to the South but to
the whole country. He dwelt some time upon the
importance of making the improvements at Pensa-
cola contemplated in the resolutions of instruction,
and concluded by expressing the hope that the
Naval Committee having charge of the subject,
would report at as early a day as possible—at such
a day as would not preclude the possibility of hav-
ing something done before the adjournment of Con-
gress. The resolutions were referred to the Com-
mittee on Naval Affairs, and ordered to be printed.
Also, presented a memorial from B. Ballard of
Louisiana, praying for the passage of an act con-
firming his title to a certain tract of land, and direct-
ing the Commissioner of the General Land Office to
issue a patent therefor: referred to the Committee on
Private Land Claims.
Mr. BUCHANAN presented a memorial from
James Sellers and Abm. L. Pennock of Philadel-
phia, representing that they made a contract for fur-
nishing the Post Office Department with mail bags;
that they furnished the bags according to contracts;
but that the department had refused to take them,
and left them on their hands; and they pray Con-
gress to indemnify them for losses, or to direct the
Postmaster General to take the bags off their hands.
Mr. B, said, from the statement of the memorial-
ists, he had very little doubt in the justness of the
claim: referred to the Committee on the Post Office
and Post Roads.
Mr. BUCHANAN presented four memorials
from different parts of Pennsylvania in favor of con-
tinuing the present tariff until, from ascertained facts,
it be demonstrated that a change in it was necessary,
and to the interest of the country: referred to the
Committee on Finance.
Mr. BATES presented a memorial from 500 cit-
izens of the town of Adams, and one from 146 citi-
zens of the town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, pro-
testing against the repeal or modification of the ex-
isting tariff law, and praying the Senate to resist the
passage of the bill of the House to reduce that tariff:
referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. HENDERSON presented resolutions of the
legislature of Mississippi instructing the senators
and requesting the representatives from that State to
projnote the passage of a law reducing the price of
the public lands there: referred to the Committee on
Public Lands, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. ARCHER presented a petition from'236 cit-
izens of Amelia coun ty, Virginia, setting forth the vital
importance of Texas to the United States, and urg-
ing Congress to provide for its annexation to the
Union, by all lawful means: referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations.
Mr. FARFIF.LD presented a petition from Wil-
liam Miller, of Maine, for a pension: referred to the
Committee on Pensions.
Mr. WOODBURY presented a petition from Har-
rison Wingate, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, ask-
ing to be paid his moiety of the value of certain
stolen property, recovered to the United States by
his act: referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. WOODBRIDGE, from the Committee on
Public Lands, to which was referred the petition of
Julius Eldred, praying compensation for the copper
rock, and for his services in removing it to Wash-
ington city, reported a bill concerning the copper rock
of Lake Superior; which was read, and ordered to a
second reading. The report accompanying was or-
dered to be printed.
Mr. FOSTER, from the Committee on Claims,
reported a bill for the relief of John C. McFarland,
physician of the naval hospital; which was read, and
ordered to a second reading.
Also, from the same committee, made an adverse
report on the petition of the heirs of Thomas Eames,
for reimbursement for a number of cattle which were
illegally confiscated and sold, and of certain judicial
expenses incurred thereby; which was ordered to
lie on the table, and be printed.
Also, from the same committee, reported back,
without ameadment, and with a recommendation that
they do| pass, House bill entitled an act for the re-
lief of the legal representatives of Captain Samuel
Shannon, deceased; Senate bill for the relief
of William R. Davis; House bill for the
relief of George W. Clarke, Harris Cook, and
John Brainara, of the State of Rhode Island;
and reported back House bill for the relief of True
Putney and Hugh Riddle.
Mr. HUNTINGTON presented a report from the
Secretary of the Treasury, directed to the Commit-
tee on Commerce, on the subject of an application
of Fern, Creshaw & Co., of New Orleans, for re-
mission of duty on six bales of cotton destroyed by
fire, which were imported from Texas for re-expor-
tation: referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. WRIGHT, from the Committee on Claims,
made an adverse report on the petition of Joseph
Rundlet, praying to be paid interest and discount on
certain treasury notes paid to him by the govern-
ment during the late war; also, a report on the peti-
tion of the trustees of Richard Lintliicum, for com-
pensation for material delivered for the repair of cer-
tain light-houses of the United States, accompanied
by a resolution referring the petition and papers to
the department for information. The reports were
ordered to be printed.
Mr. TAPPAN withdrew his motion to recon-
sider the vote ordering the printing of the report of
the topographical engineers who examined the falls
of the Ohio with a view to the improvement of the
river there.
Mr. SEVIER, from the Committee on Pensions,
made adverse reports in the following cases, viz:
Hezekiah Hamlet, a soldier of the revolution, for a
pension; Rufus K. Lane for arrears of pension;
Lydia Baker for the continuation of her pension;
Jacob M. Folansbee for arrears of pension; William
Harper for an increase of pension; and the widow of
Jonas Sawtell, a soldier of the revolution, praying to
be allowed the amount of pension due him at the
time of his death. These reports were severally
ordered to lie on the table, and be printed.
Also, from the same committee, reported back
without amendment, and with a recommendation
that it do not pass, the bill from the House for the
relief of Gideon Foster; and with an amendment,
and with a recommendation that it do pass, the
House bill for the relief of James C. Hallock.
Also, on his motion, the Committee on Pensions
was discharged from the further consideration of the
petition of Jesse Biddle, a soldier in the army of the
late war, for a pension; the petition of George S.
Gaines, praying compensation as ptwsion agentj
and the. memorial of citizens of Pennsylvania, pray*'
in^ that pensions may be granted to the surviving
officers and solders of the last war with 'Great Brit-,
ain, and the Indian wars prior to the treaty of
Granville, in 1795.
Mr. JARNAGIPf, from the Committee, on Pen-,
sions, reported a bill for the relief of Frederick Sei-
gle, a surgeon in the Virginia line; which was read-,
and ordered to a second reading. „ . ;
Also, from the same committee, reported back,
without amendment, and with a recommenda-
tion that they do not pass, House bill entitled "An
act for the relief of the heirs of William Augosrtua
Atlee, deceased, deputy commissary of purchase!! in
the revolutionary war; House bill for the relief of
Josdph Watson; the House bill for the relief of
Elizabeth Jones and others; and House bill for the
relief of Joseph Bonnell. Also, an adverse report
on the petition of Elizabeth Cornell. These seve-
ral adverse reports were ordered to lie on the table,
and be printed.
Also, the Commitee on Pensions -was discharged
from the further consideration of the petition of Mary
Reynolds for the continuation of her pension during
life.
The following bills were read the third time ami
passed, viz:
The bill confirming and giving the assent of Conr
gress to an act of the legislature of Virginia, entitled
"An act further to amend the act incorporating the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal company.
The joint resolution directing the purchase of-
certain marble busts of the Presidents of the United
States. '
The House bill entitled "An act to change the
time of holding the spring term of the district court
of the United States for the eastern district of Vir-
ginia, and the circuit court of the United States for
the 5th judicial circuit of the State of Alabama.
The bill to confirm the survey and location of the
claims for lands in the State of Mississippi, east of
Pearl river, and south of the 31st degree of north
latitude.
reduction of postage and abatement
of the franking privilege.
On motion by Mr. MERRICK, the special or-
ders were taken up, and the Senate, as in commits
tee of the whole, proceeded to the consideration of
Senate bill No. 51, being
' 'A hill to reduce the rates of postage, to limit the use and
to correct the abuse of the franking privilege, and for the
prevention of frauds on the revenues of the Post Office D&
partment."
The bill, as reported by the Committee on the
Post Office and Post Roads, and printed, contained
the amendments proposed by that committee, which
amendments had been adopted in committee of the
whole on Friday, the 22d inst., when the bill was
under consideration.
The CHAIR stated that the question now pend-
ing was the motion of the senator from Rhode Island
[Mr. Simmons] to strike out the words one hundred,
and insert two hundred and fifty, (being the number
of miles designated for the lowest rate of postage,
five cents.)
Mr. PHELPS rose, and stated that he wished to
express his views in relation to the whole measure.
In his opinion, the committee had mistaken the
source of evil complained of, and the remedy to be
applied. The evil lay in the expenditures, of the
department, and in the system of contracts by which
the mail is conveyed. In most instances, although
vast improvements have taken place in the means of
intercommunication and consequently cheaper facil-
ities are afforded for transportation, the same prices
are paid for carrying the mails that prevailed thirty
years ago, the contractors all growing rich, and the
department growing poor, and becoming crippled in
means. He considered it idle to talk of the paltry
clippings to be gained by cutting off the franking
privilege, and by making other alterations, so long
as the vast monopolies of mail contractors were.al-
lowed to exist. He would venture to say that
if one-third of the price were cut off from the ag-
gregate of contracts, the same parties would accept
the carrying of the mail at the reduced rates and