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Congressional

Congressional image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
January
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Orogonquestion continúes to be tbc Lreat absorbing onc at Washington. In ihe Üouse, J;m. 5, a joint resohition was reported by Mr. Ingersoll requesüng the President to give to thé British govornment tho tvvelve tnontha' nolice of the lerinination of the convention between that governnient and the U. States, in relation to the teritory of Oregon. A motion eubmiUed by Mr. Ingersoll to muke this reaolutton the t-pecia) order for tlie firsi Monday in February and to commit it to the coïnmittee of the whole on the state of the Union, led to a renewal of Uie debate which, luring two dnys of the last reek, had engrossed the ath ntion of the Hoose oud which was yet pundmg at the udjournment on Saturlay. A couníor report in bchalf of ihe miiiorit) of the committee on foreign affiira wad made by Mr. G. Dn via. It proposes to leove to the President the direction and the respon cibility of giving the nohcp nnd conclude.by a resoimion that the qnestion as to thu nolice is not n matter for the decisión of Congrrs?, nnd that tlie House refrnin at pres ent froni the cXreEicn oíany c pinion on the Bubject. Mr. Douglass, of Illinoisj ndvocated the rnotion and was replied to by Mr. Holmes, ofS. C. The lutter raid that one yen i's nc üce vrould be équivalent to war, and if adopted, he should vote for tuenty Inillions at onct for the defence of the country. The floor whs next given lo Mr. Adam, of Masachusetts. Tlie members floched around him, and the most prolbund silenco prevailed ivhile he Epoke Mr. Adams said he ought to commence tvith an apology to tiie House, as he was physically nnable to lake part in thd debate, 6l)d could only eay a few words. At tliis time he did not regard the' dis-cussion of this Hiibject as neecssary, or the tirrfe of it peculiar. Two, three and four years ago Conrress had rcduced the military establishment ne.irly one third, nnd according to his appreliension tlicre waa precisely as much Jonger of war ihen as now. I do not believe at all, said Mr Adam?, that there is any danger of war at this time. I atn for givng the notice to Grent Briluin that We mean to terminnte the treaty between us. While tljis treaty lustR, theie cannot poseibly be nny danger of war, and he wan ted to seo thefirst evidences or testimoniáis of eviderce that war was near at hand. In regard to the Orcjjon measures before Congress, he thought thal not one of theni ouglK to be passed until the notice was given. Mr. A. said that at the last eession of Con groBB he declared his readiness to give the no tice, and moved its inserlion in the bill which pasded the Honss. I declated myself ready to give the notice then. nnd I amas ready to Cfive it now, and after it shall be given, to follow it up by an occupaiion of the whoU territory. (Applause among some of the members and, in the galleries. ) Mr. A. nlsu eaid that he should, upon the firal day of tho session havo introduce a bilí giving the notice, but for the nianner in which resolulions emaaating from him luid usuully been t reato ó. . Mr. Adams went on to ssy that until the notice wae given he bhould vote for no increaee of the Army, none for the Navy, and not eten for the cowpany of Sappsrs and Minera which had been asked. Het (Mr. A .) dd not think that war would come from giving thia ootice. God furbic!,so id he, t fíat it should come; but if it did jome, and üio people met it wiih one heart, and a unitcd liand, it would not last long, hik] we should soon bc íbtir.d in possession of the whole of Oregon. Mr. Adams said a great deal moro than Ihis, but nll in ihe gamo spirit. He will do nothing fordefonces untfl the notice is given and is then ready lo go os far as he who roes fartherest in defence of the whole of Oregon. The House nrijourned without áeciding the quG-Jtinn. Mr. Adams' speech has creaied n most profound impressionin the House. Mr Winthrop followed, ngninst Mr. Adams course. He spoke for nn hour, and was at times very eloquent. He doprecatcd war in the matipr, preferred prepnration to urovocation, thouglit that war wou d lose us ihe wiiole of Oregon, while prudent mrawires wou'd save us nearly the whole - and conten ded '.lint our clnim lo the whole, if a ncw one, would be vnlid. Mr. 1C'LELD, from'the Committee on Commerce, rpported without ntnendmeut the tenate bilí for ihe construction of n canal around the fulla of St. Rïary at the outlel of Wnke Superior: referred lo ihe Cotnmitte of the Whole on :hc state of tlie Union, and ordertd to be printcd. The Conimit:oe on the Judicinry hnve reported a bilí in the House of ReprèsentRttye, by wliich nll ihe officers of ihe government will hereafter be oppoinlpd for foor yean, subject toa new appointment of four more - the officers tn be celècted from Ihe Congresfional districls of the severa I statep, ond the District of Columbia to be regardfd as one Congressionnl d'strict. The oflicers alrendy in (.fiice are togo out in four yearp. This bil! was reportcd under int'uctiuna from the House or Represen! ulives, ond is very likely lo pass the House.