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THE CONSTITUTIONALIST.
JAMES GARDNER, JR. _
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TTYENT YNIN Til CON GUESS.
SECOND SESSION.
Washington. Jan. T, 1947.
SENATE.
A report was received from the Xavy
Department, irans.nilting copies of the
official reports in relation to the loss of
the Somers.
A report was received from the War
Department, vvith a statement of a!! ap
propriations and expenditures made for
rivers, harbois and fortifications.
Mr. Cilley presented a petition from
New Hampshire, lor the abolition of sla
very, the motion to receive which was
laid on th' table.
On motion of Mr. Miller, the commit
tee on commerce was ins’ rue ted to inqnii e
into the expediency of establishing a
Lighthouse on Tucker’s Island, m-ar the
entrance of Little Egg Harbor, X. J.
After some unim, ortarii business, the
resolution offered on Tuesday, by Mr.
Cameron, directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to report upon what articles
embraced in the Tariff act of I84f» the
duties can be increased so as to augment
the revenu atnl to what extent they can
be increased, an i what additional reve- |
nne thev will produce,
Mr. Ca me ton made some very judici- j
ous remarks in support of his resolution.
And said that bis object was to ascertain ;
the best wav of tai i. nr means for the sup ;
port of the government and prosecution of j
the war. He <>;aed «iihk tacts in rela- i
lion to coal, iron, cooper and refined su
gar, and,expressed bis belief that an in- |
crease of duty upon them would produce
•a great increase of revenue.
Mr. B reese made some remarks in re- j
ference to Mr. Cameron’s great solictla
tion about the particular interest he had
named, to which the latter retorted w ill)
tome strong sarcastic hits.
Mr. Spei ghl was for looking into the j
free articles, anc he proposed an amend
tnenl to know what articles on I lie free
lift it would he judicious to tax.
Mr. Lewis submitted an amendment to
know upon what articles a reduction of
duty would cau-e an increase of revenue.
Mr. Niles made a speech of some
length, in which he denounced the fiuon
cial measures of the government as total
ly unfit for the present situation of the
country. We should want loans to the
amount of 835,000,000 a year, and yet
no proposition was made to raise means
for meeting the interest on these loans. —
The onlv wav to get money lor peisent
emergencies would he to sanction an issue <
of paper money by the government. Every
man must see that the credit of the gov
ernment was fust sinking.
Mr;,Johnson of Md., cdlered an amend
ment to know whether taxing free arti
cles would add to their cost to the consu
mer, and how much?
AH the amendments were agreed to and
the resolutions were adopted.
Mr. B“iitnn, from the committee on
military affairs, reported a hill to encour
age enlistments in the regular army, and
asked that it he immediately considered, i
as it was important th.it something should !
be d one on the subject.
The bill provides that the term of en
listment shall be for t!le war, or for live
years, at the option of lie iccniit, and
that he shall receive a bounty of 812 —
one half on enlistment and the other half
,on being mustered into service.
Mr. Crittenden stated that he should
wole for the hill as at present advised.—
f|e would like to know, however, wheth
4PT a-nv answer had been received from
<he Mexican Government or Congress, to
our proposal for negotiations.
Mr. Benton believed no dates as late
«s the lime of meeting of the Mexican
Congress had been received.
Mr.Crittenden was fora vigorous pro.
«ecution .oflive war, and would vote lib- j
•rally for men and money for that objec'.
The bill was passed and sent to the
House, where it was also passed with a
alight amendment, in which the Senate
concurred.
The Senate then took tip the report j
of the committee on printing, that the j
memorial of the sugar planters of Lonisi- |
ana, presented some days since, asking a
restoration of the tariff ol ’42 be not prin
ted.
After a long debate upon the tariff, war,
Ac., the word ‘-not” was stricken out. and
the report, as amended, was adopted.
The Senate then adjourned until Mon- |
day.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tl.:* resolution of Mr. I iarralson, un
der consideration when the House ad- j
journed yesterday, to terminate the de
bate on the bill providing for the
of the regular army, tn day at 2£ o’clock,
taken up, and amended so as to read
Saturday, was adopted.
Mr- Seaman, of New York, gave notice 1
Afhis intention to introduce a bill, in con
forniity with resolutions of the common ;
counp.il of the cjty -«i >jew York, to pro* |
vide against the importation of foreign
paupers and cwinid«jls into the United I
States. * * ‘ .
The House, then, f,3 ip GJ, decided to
into committee oj the whole on the
stale ol the Union. r I he hiV4 having been
taken up* Mr. Da rgan, of Alabama., who
Jvad. ihe floor yesterday, addressed tin*
Cadffmt litre. ‘
He proceeded to discuss the provisions
of tfie bill, and the question of slavery as
connected with the acquisition of new
territory, in particular, taking the ground
that the term*; of the M issouri compromise
should be sti icily carried out, and that
there should be no interference with the
subject of slavery, in any enactment by
Congress having a view to territories
acquired during the present war with
Mexico. He was followed by Mr. Sed lon,
of Virginia, whose views coincided en
■ tirely with those of Mr. Dargan.
j Mr. Grover, of Xew York, next obtained '
the floor, and replied to the argument ol
Messrs. Seddon and Dargan on the .sub
ject of slavery. By prohibiting the in
troduction of slavery into the new ter
ritories, he contended there would be no
infringement of the terms of the Missouri
compromise—no interference with the
rights of t lie South. He vvas in fa vor of the
bill for prnsecutinglbe war with vigor, atnl
opposed to anv course calculated to es
t range anv portion of the democratic par! v,
or lend io their union w ith the whigs. We
want California, but we want it free of
slavery.
a Jn the course of the debate in committee,
Mr. F icklin, bv consent, ollered a substi
lufe for the whole bill, which will he con.
sidered in its proper place. It differs
essentially from the frill under considera
tion from the military committee, and in i
many particulars, front the substitute |
i offered vesterdav by Mr. Ratlhhnn, confi
ning llie force to lie raised to volunteers
e.xciti'ively, and providing for the election
of officers 1)v the companies and regi
ments. but then to receive t!i*“ir cornnfis
sions from the President, and not trout
the Governors of the States in which
the volunteers are raised.
It also provides that when any State
•-hall have (ailed or delayed for the space J
of two months lo furnish the volunteers
caller! for by the President, .1 shall he |
| lawful for him to (ill up tlie regiment-; to j
j he raised with volunteers from other j
! Stales, which may have been or gaui-eti |
i and ready to he mustered into service. |
j That volunteers to he raised under this i
act, shall be received with reference to j
the promptness with which 'hey shew i
themselves ready, and their fitness for |
service, and without regard to the S ateor !
territories fiom which they may come.
That each volunteer shall receive 810
per month from 'he lime of being mustered |
into set vice, and shall he entitled to lUO j
acres of laud, and being honorab'y dis
charged, if*© next of kin to receive land
of those who are killed in battle or die in
llie service of the U. Slates.
At the conclusion ot Mr. Graves’ re
marks, the committee rose.
On motion of Mr. Boyd, the House took
tip Senate hill to encourage enlistments
in the regular army. Mr. B. offered as
an amendment to that part relating to the
time of enlistment (five years or during
the war) the words ‘-unless sooner dis
charged.” The amendment was adopted,
j and the bill read three times and passed.
! h gives a bounty of 812 to recruits.
A communication was read fVorn toe
Clerk of the House, and ano'her from the
War Department, giving the contingent
expenses of bureau, &c., far the fiscal
yea r.
Sundry bills which bad passed the
Senate, were read twice and refer re 1-
The bill from the Senate, authorising
the President to increase the naval es
tablishment of the United States, was
read twice and referred to committee of
the whole on the state of the Union.
Several bills, not of general interest, ,
j were introduced, read tw ice, arid referred i
—chiefly relating to improvements of
■ . ~
western rivers. i
Mr. W. \V. Campbell presented a
memorial asking for lire establishment ol :
an Admiralty Court at Key West.
A resolution was adopted, requesting |
the President to inform the House the j
amount of po>tages of the Execuiine De- !
part ment under llie new postage law' for I
the year 1840.
Also, a resolution calling on the
Secretary of the Treasury for a statement
of the amount ol public monies in the
several depositories, and to give the reason
whv tiie month!v statement bus not been ,
furnished. Adjourned.
3IR. OWENS’ SPEECH,
[continued. ]
This assent to the reception of an envoy
from the United States was coupled with a
single condition; and this the ininkster de
dared to be indispensable, so that the nego
tiation might proceed, without suspicion of
menace or coercion on our part. 'The condi
tion was the “recall of the whole naval force
lying in sight of the port of Vera Cruz ” It
w as immediately complied with,and the force
withdrawn. Two months later, trusting to j
llie above promise as ensuring Ins reception, }
Mr. Slidell reached Vera Cruz. Everyone <
knows the result. Mexico, false lo her word, !
refused to receive him, on grounds too frivo
lous for repetition; and which, it they meant
anything, meant that the question regard rig
'Texas must be settled separately, and vvilh
i out anv reference lo the claims of this gov
ernment against Mexico; a proposition ab
! surd and inadmissible. If there be any gen
! tieman here slid d sp< sed to veil Mexico’s
i breach of faith under the flimsy pretences
i with which she has sought to cover it, 1 beg
him to read the leiier of <uir consul, Mr.
| Biack, containing an account ol his inter
view with the Mexican minister of toreigc af
fairs, at the moment he first heard of Mr.
Slidell’s arrival. The flr.-t unguarded ex
pressions ot live man are h<mes#and truthful.
Let gentlemen compare them with the la
bored as er-lbought put forth by the mini-ter
in ihe*iubsequent despatch. Consul Black’*-
j account of the interview is Kief and instruc
| live. Mr. Pena v Pena asked him who Mr.
i Slidell was. * Mr. Black replied, that he sup
■ posed him lo be “the envoy whom the Mexi
| can government had agreed n» receive from
the government of the United States.” 1
give the minister’;, reply in llie words ol Mr. j
Black’s letter:
“He said I hat ought not to be; the govern- j
mem did not expect an envoy from the Uni-
I ted State* until January, «a they wer# not j
<l 11 MW! ■■■ —i■ ■'■'M-1* ”■ 1 1 ***>
prepared to receive him; and he desired, if
possible, that he would not come to the capi
tol, nor even disembark at lids lime; and that
I should endeavor to prevent his doing so, as
hi« appearance in the capitol at tins time
might prove destructive to, the government,
and tints defeat the whole affair. ‘You know,
(said he) the opposition are calling us trai
tors for entering inio this arrangement with
you.’**—Mr. Black to Mr. Buchanan, Dec.
18, 1845; iio. Dec. 19b, 291 h Cong., Ist
sess. p. 17.
And i( this be not plain enough, take ano
ther garapraph ;
“He said that the government itself was
I well disposed and ready to proceed in the ne
gotiation, but that if the affair was com
menced now, it would endanger its existence;
t hat the government were preparing the thing,
collecting the opinion and consent of the de
partments, which they expected to have fin
ished bv January, and then would be able to
proceed in the affair with more security; that
the government were afraid that the appear
ance of the envoy at. this time would produce
a revolution against it, which might termi
nate in its destruction.” —Ibid. p. 13.
A child mav see through this, fie who
riins may read it. No nonsense here about
powers nd hoc,or an ap[>ointment lacking con
firmation by a Senate not in session; but the
plain unvarnished truth :
“We dare not keep faith with you. Ihe
attempt would endanget our existence.”
Here, without doubt, is exposed, not only
the true reason of our failure in every at
tempt to open negotiations, hut the whole se
cret of Mexican bravado, Mexican war, Mexi-
J can obstinacy. A President is insecure in
i h s sent, unless he indulge in abuse and de
nnnciat ion of the “republic of the north, and
in boastful promises to re-conquer from her
the lost province of Texas. A single World
about pacific negotiation, an J soldo watch
ful aspirant plies the soldiery with pfotesta
; lions of his zeal for their interests, and his
j hatred of the northern rubbers; feeds their
' enpidifv vvidi hopes of booty; denounces the
i peaceful designs of the executive as fraitor
| mis; and a revolt, in his own ravor, is the re-
I suit. Such was the part played, and suc
cessfully p ayed, at this juncture, by Paredes
against Herrera. Even before Mr. Slidell
foot on shore, a large handbill made its
appearance, couched in language the most
inflammatory, and beaded in startling capi
tals “treason!” And the same post that
conveyed«. ,f » our government Mr. Black’s let
ter, arid the o. ctamen of the Mexican council
o f government the reception of an
American minister, brought also ti es of the
“Amigo del Pueblo,” the leading opposition
journal of Mexico, hreai.bing the fiercest hos
tility again.-t the United States, denouncing
the proposed negotiation as treason, and, in
its last number, calling upon the people to
put down the government by Force. i he>e
documents were received at the Department
of State, on the 12th of January last, and the
next dav orders were expedited to Gen. I av
ion, to advance from Corpus Christi, and take
up a position on the eastern bank of the Rio
Bravo. Against this move, so long delayed,
and made at last only when all reasonable
hopes of peace had passed away, the whig
party have chiefly concentrated their attack.
]t is set down as unprovoked, unwarranted;
the sole and sufficient cause of the war that
en.-ued. I have heard the two-penny tax on
tea that war imposed by Great Britain in
1775. spoken of as having brought about the
American revolution. They who so reason
mistake a trivial incident lor a great ratt-e.
That obnoxious tax but precipitated a mighty
event, that had been slowly, gradually, but
inevitably approaching. If may have deter
mine.'! the year and the day when America
assumed tier equal station among the nations
of the earth. It may have decided, that in
the month of April, and in the year 1775, the
first blood shed in the revolutionary struggle
should flow, dyeing the grass plat of Lexing
ton. But the true cause of a political con
vulsion that gave freedom to a hemisphere lay
deeper and spread wider Car, than any iso
lated act of oppression. A nation had out
grown her dependence, and was ripe for (lie
experiment of self-government. Therefore
came the American revolution.
And thus, though it be in a smaller matter,
do they err, who -es down the atlvanee from
the Nueces to the Rio Grande, rightful as it
was. as having brought about war with Mexi
co. If immediately preceded, but it did not
produce it. It but accelerated, by a few
days or weeks it may be, a crisis, which the
state of public leeling in Mexico, gathering
for years, had rendered inevitable at last.
That which sufficed to cause, and did cause,
tii s war, was flic facility with which the
Mexican presidency can be reached by an
appeal Jo the prejudices, and to the national
animosities of the Mexican army and the
Mexican people. Herrera talked of negotiat
ing with us, and his administration went
down. Paredes came in on the question of
hostility to the United State.-; and to main
tain his ill-go'len power, he found himself
compelled to redeem the braggart pledges by
which he acquired it. He bad called Her
rera a traitor, Irocause he spoke of peace; he
could evince his own patriotism only by urg
ing on war. This view of the subject is am
ply confirmed by an official communication
drawn from Mexico in March last; the letter
of Castillo y Lanzas, from which I have al
ready quoted. In terms plain as language
can make them,and in language intemperate
as passion can suggest, this letter main'ains
the same ground originally assumed by Al
monte, when he demanded his passports. —
'The seizure of Texas is its theme; annexa
tion the burden of its complaint. iSays the
Mexican minister;
“This incorporation of a territory which
had const it tiled an integral part of that of
Mexico during the long period of the Spanish
dominion, and after emancipation tor so long
a term, wiihaul any interruption whatever, an* l
which, moreover, had been recognised and
sanctioned by the treaty of limits between
rite Mexican republic and the United Slates
of America—’lns annexation —was effected
by the reprobated means of violence and
fraud.”
And then, after repeating the argument
about “unin’errupted possession,” he pro
ceeds to say:
■•Here, then, is the true position of the
Mexican republic, despoi ed, outraged, con
temned. it is now attempted to subject her to
a humiliating degradation i’oe sentiment
of her own dignity vviil not aiiow her to con
sent to her own ignmny.”
But even this is not aM. If Senor Castillo
v Lanzas be not very courteous, lie is at least
very frank. 11 is government, so in another
part of the despatch he tebs us, bad he fore
ha ml declared, in view of the annexation of
Texas that it would regard “so notable an
act of usurpation” as a cause of war: when
consummated, therefore, he adds, “negotia
tion was, by its very nature, at an end, and
war was the only resource of the Mexican
government,” And to this man, and in the
face of such declarations, we were to talk of
the niceties of a boundary line,or the equita
ble partition of a petty strip of land between
the Nueces and the Rio Grande! Texas is
his demand! A retrocession of Texas, his
claim of satisfaction! To those who charge
that our government wilfully began, and wil
fully continues, the war, I desire here to put
a plain question. You ha e heard the claim
of Mexico; are you ready to grant it? Do
you advise to cede the State of Texas as the
price of peace? If so, well; avow, frankly,
that such is your counsel. But if not; if
you think the price Mexico has set upon
i peace is too high, then do not, after the man
ner of children, complain that you have not
obtained what you are unwilling to pur
; chase. One of mv colleagues [Caleb Smith)
, in noticing, at (lie last session, the short
comings of our executive, charged, as a cul
pable omission, the non-conclusion of a trea
» ty of boundaries. “It was agreed by Con
gress.” said he “that I he boundary should be
settled by treaty.” It can, undoubtedly, be
; so i-ett led; Mexico has told us on what terms.
We have but to agree, as the western limit of
her territory, to the line of the Sabu.e.
How the hundred thousand free citizens of
Texas will receive an act of retrocession;
what the world will think of it; and whether
1 before we give the dastard vote that shall
abandon an integral portion of our territory,
1 a second time, to the tender mercies of Mex
ican tyrants, the last spark of self-respect
must not have died out in our hearts; these
are matters which I leave the clamorers fur
peace at anv cost to settle for themselves. —
With these facts before ns, what becomes of
i all die idle declamation about a war unpro
j yoked and boundary unsettled ? I demand
! specifications. I a.-k again, what measure
• of peace have we omitted ? Congress lelt
the boundary question open for adjustment
by treaty. Our Executive, sec'ruling the
design of Congress, and overlooking alike
the abrupt departure and war-like threats of
Almonte, the breach of faith of one Mexican
I «dfnini«’ration, and the insulting rharges
I preferred against ns by aim ier, has sought,
; again and again, to open a fr-’tid'y negofia
; tion with Mexico, Disappointed in our over
tures to Herrera, we still proffered peace to
! Paredes. Repulsed by Paredes, wo tendered
i the olive brunch to Santa Anna. Gould we
! force negotiations'? GouM wo compel pea fee?
■ 1 Are the hearts of faithless rulers in our
{ hand*, that we should chang* them ? Is the
, will of n mercenary soldiery ours to control?
! It is rnv deliberate judgment that we have
I pushed to the verge of importunity our slriv
{ ings after peace. In the ca>e of a powerful
i j nation one-half the advances we have made
I would have exposed us to the charge of pu
; j silanimitv. As it is, we have lavished gen
i erosity on a government that seems not to
• j know the meaning of the word. I have
hastily reviewed the past. Let ns I urii, for
■ brief space, to the doing- of (fie present, and
i the prospects of the future. It needs not lo
waste words in proof, that a nation at war
i 1 has an absolute right to her conquests, until
i i retaken, or reded by a treaty of peace; and
, ! a further right to provide laws for conquered
■ j territory. If in support of one of ihe clear
est principles of international law, as laid
j down bv Grotiuf*. Pnffendotl” and every oth
' er publicist of standard reputation, it were
: necessary to adduce the highest legal Amer
ican authority, it i- at hand. We find among
j the rases in the Supreme Court reported for
' the year 1810, one exactly in point. The
fact< and the opinion, in thi- rase, are briefly
as follows; On the Ist of September, 1814,
the British forces captured the town and har-
I bor of Casline. in the collection district of
i Maine. It remained in possession of the
British from that time until lhe 27th of April,
1 815, when, in pursuance of Ihe treaty of
peace, then just concluded, it was restored
to dhe United States. During the time of
Its occupation by the British forces, certain
good- were imported in o the said port, and
! the legal question presented was, whether
; these goods were imported into what was
| then a part of the United Stales, and were
i subject to American duties, or whether they
1 were importer/ info what, for the time, wa
i one of the Britis h possesions in North Amer
ica, and therefor.© subject to British law.—
The opinion of the- court, delivered by Mr.
Justice Story, was a unanimous one. It de
clared that goods imported into Ga-tinc dur
ing its occupation by the British troops “w r >
in no correct sense impor ed into tnt United
i S ates.” And it thus lays down the law on
1 the subject of conquest and the rights it
: gives.
j “By Ihe conquest and military occupation
1 of Castine, the enemy acquired that firm
possession which enabled h.ni to exercise the
1 fullest rights of sovereignty over that place
| The sovereignty of the I nited States was.
j of course, suspended; and the laws of the
1 Ut i'ed States cou d no longer be rightfully
I enforced there, or he obligatory on the inhab
itants who remained and submitted to the
conquerors. By the surrender the inhabi
tants passed under a temporary allegiance
to the British government, and were bound
by such laws, and such only, as it chose to
recognise and impose.”— Whelan's Reports,
veil. 4, p. 254.
Pdr Webster, for the defence, adduced nn
merous authorities, which may he consulted
by the skeptical, and of which Mr. Story
said ;
“The audrorities cited at the bar would, if
fliero were any doubts, he decisive of the
question. But we think it too clear to re
quire any aid from authority.— Rage 255.
[ To be concluded in our next, j
[From the A T . O Evening Mercury, Jan. 4.]
I.alc from the Ctnlf Squadron.
The U. 8. frigate Potomac, Capl. Aulick,
arrived at Pensacola on Wednesday l ist horn
Anton L zardo. The Pensacola Gazette says:
“She comes in lo replenish her supplies of
water and provisions, having distributed
among the other vessels of the squadron off
Vera Cruz and Tampico those articles with
which she sailed from this port but little
more than two mouths ago. She comes in
now with barely one week’s water on board,
and but little more of provisions. #
“The Potomac sailed from Anton L’zardo
on the 23d nit. Left there flag ship Raritan,
sloop-ot-war John Adams, store-ship Relief,
steamer Petnta and several prizes taken at
Tohasco and Tampico; also the American
bark Joan Barnes from New Odeans, with
slo k and small stores for sa '• to the squad
ron. 'The Prince ion was block off Vera
Cruz The British Steamer had arrived on
the Is‘h nil. from Havana, having on board
Gen. Vega and suite.
“A Court of Inquiry was convened on
board the Potomac on the 18th,to hives'igate
the cause of the io-s of Ihe brig Somers, re
cently capsized in a squall off Green Island.
The result of the investigation, it was gener
ally understood in the squadron, is an acquit
tal of the commander, Lieut. Seinmes, of all
blame for the loss of that vessel. Six
or eight of the crew of that unfortunate ves
sel, were still held as prisoners by the Mexi
cans.
“On the 17th, Commodore Perry left In the
Mississippi with the steamer Vixen and the
two gun boats, Bonita and Petrel, for the
purpose of taking possession of Laguna and
more effectually blockading the coasts of Yu- |
catan and Tobasco.
“On the night of the IGth, one of the small
schooners raptured at Tampico, being on her
way to Antonio L zardo from that place, un
der command of Lieut. Winslow, was wreck
ed on Green Island shoal during a norther —
crew saved.
“No news of importance had recently been
received from Mexico, and bur iitile authen
tic information could he obtained from the
Mexican shore—and it tins become an ex
i ceedingy difficult matter for the officers of
the squadron togeg sight of a Mexican news
paper, sii celhe French midshipman was im
prisoned for being found with a newspaper
in his posseg-ion from Commodore Connor
to some gentleman in Vera Cruz.”
[From the N. O. Eveuig Mercury, Ja7i. sih ]
From .tlcxito.
The Picavtine has papers from Vera
Cruz lo the 17ih ultimo. It would ap
( pear from the accounts that the reports
heretofore received byway of Tampico,
of the adverse action of the Mexican Con
gress on the pacific proposition of the Uni
j led States, were at least premature. We
make the following extracts from our con
temporary, which comprise all that we
find of interest, beside the items which we
gave vesteiday via Pensacola.
“7’he afternoon of the 13th nit. on« of
our frigates en'ered the harbor of Vera
Cruz under a flag of truce. The purpose
{ of the visit washo supply some of our
j shipwreck sailors, who are now prisoners,
J with money and clothing. Tiie case of
! Passed Midshipman Rogers, too. was
probably the subject of discu-sion, for we
learn that he is low treated as a prisoner
of war instead of a spy. In making ihe
reconnaissance in which he was captured
it was proved that lie was in ihe undress
unifmin of his rank.
“In regard to the action of the Mexican
Congress, the accounts which the papers
give us are not complete, hut they do not
j confirm w hat has been generail v said and
i h- lieved of the rejection of our overtures
| for peace. They do not, however, con -
I t adict our former reports. Tin belief in
die squadron appears lo have been that
Congress had not acted upon the subject
at all. Preparatory sessions of the mem
bers elected were held as far hack as the
20ih of Novcornher, hut we have a dis
i patch of Senor Lefragn'a, the Secretary
j of Slate, stating that Congress was duly
Installed at half past 1 I o’clock, P. M.,
of the sth of November. The procemi.
ing of the J Ith ult. are the latest we find
in the pepers,
“We have before us, copied from the 1
Monitor RepUhlicano of the H h Decern
her. the constitution of the Commi’tees of
the Chamber of Deputies. These appoint
ments are important to tho-e who tire fa-
I miliar with die politics of the leading
mien of Mexico. The Committee on Pun
-1 los Consiitucionales. or the formation of i
•j a new constitution for the country, are ,
Senores lU joti, Gomez I'arias and Otero.
'I he first is the lately dismissed Secreta- ;
rv of State, who has quarreled with Sa
las and Santa Anna. The second is die
leaderol the pure republicans, and the
friend of Rejon. Senor Otero, if we re
collect aright, was a former proprietor of
HI Siglo XiX, since 1* come, HI Monitor
Republic on, a liberal Journal, conduct
ed with ability. O'ero was the gentleman
grossly a ffi on ted try the Baron Alleye
de Cvprey, in the theatre.
“The Committee on Gohernacion. or
Government,consists of ex-President Her
rera. Golov and Riva Palacio—all well 1
known names. That on Foreign Rola- !
Lons consists of Rejon, Ccballos and ;
O e-o.
“Gomes Farias is Chairman of the I
Commillee on Finance, and Herrera of
that on War and die Navy. We have :
given mongo oft he names to indicate i
dial the liberal statesmen appear to he in
the ascendent in the new Congress.”
The ship New York, II nil master, left New
York on Wednesday, 23d nil—went ashore
on the* banks between Hatteras and Cape
Look Out on the following Sunday about bait
past 5 o’clock in tbe morning, in a calm, ■
weather foggy. Shortly after the vessel
grounded, the female passengers were landed
on the main land, at a place called Hunting ;
Quarters, and taken to tbe house ofa Cap
tain Smith, at that place, where they remain
ed until Wednesday, the 39th ultimo, when
ihey were joined l»y the remainder of the
passengers, a ; l of whom left in a sciir. (fur- j
nished them by the master of die light iiou-e
in the neighborhood.) for Beaufort, N. C.,
which they reached same day, and left shortly
as; e r in the same vessel lor Ihe purpose of
reaching Swansbury, but got aground be
tween that (1 ce and Beaufort. They how,
ever procured lighters and reached Swans
bury the next day, from whence they at
tempted lo reach SmithviUe, .N. C., but
were prevented from so doing in consequence
of head winds, and stopped (or several days ;
lat a place on the coast cal ! ed Bear Banks with
1 die only family living «n die [ lace. The
| wind becoming favorable, lelt that place lor
1 Swansbury, and shortly alter left for Smith
j vide, which they reached on Saturday Ja-t,
j about 11 o’clock, and mi die afternoon of the
j same day were received on board of die |
Wilmington boa,;, and arrived here yesterday.
A letter to the Consignee in this city, states
that die .-h p went ashore on the morning of
tlie27th nil., at 5 o’clock, 25 miles soudi of
| Ocracock. The passengers and baggage all
i safely landed and cargo, a valuable one, with
tiie exception ofa few packages, landed on
tne beach in good order under charge of the
wreck master. The ship lies head on about
80 feet from the beach— leaks, as \ef, but
little, and there is some hope of getting her
off. The wreck master advertises to com
mence selling 12 h inst.
The New York Commercial Advertiser
states that the New York had a full cargo,
but not considered a valuable one at this sea
son of the year —was a fine ship of t!SO lons
burthen, built in that city in 1844. Vessel
and cargo insured in Wall-st,— Charleston
Conner, \\th inst .
__ AUCUSTA.fiEU., '
TUESDAY (MORNING, JAN. 12, 1847^
O* No mail received last evening from c?f
ficea north of Charleston.
Another Good Dividend.
The Board of Directors of the Augusta In
surance and Banking Company, declared &
dividend, on Monday, of four per cent on thd
business of the past six months, which is
payable on demand.
The Weal her— Rail Rondo.
We learn from the Atlanta Luminary of
the 9th iust. that the recent cold weather ex
j perienced there has had some effect on th«
; Hail Roads in that section, delaying the usual
time of arrival of the cars.
The freight train which should have ar
rived at Atlanta on Thursday evening, per
Georgia Rail Road, did not reach there until
half past one on Friday morning, being de
layed by the freezing ol the water, and the
consequent impossibility of supplying the
engines.
The passenger train on the Georgia road
was also detained on Friday morning, some
two hours and a half beyond the usual time;
the delay being attributable to the stale of
the weather and the condition of the road.
>e downward truth from Atlanta to Ma
: con. on the Western road, runoff the track
about two miles from Griffin, in consequence
I of the ice on the rails, but no material da
| mage was done by the accident, further than
the delay of the passengrrs. They suffered
| considerable from the cold.
Sin’ll (toveruora’ IVfrsnugca.
The message of Gov. Young, of New York*
covers but two columns and a third of the
| New York Tribune. It was transmitted by
telegraph to that city iu less than liiree hours,
Iwo wires having been occupied in transmit
ing different portions of it at the same time.
\ Governor Shunk, of Fenusylv.wiL, ho.# also
* been quite merciful on his constituents aa
well as the printers; his message occupying
; but three columns and a half of the Philadel
phia Ledger. The message of Governor
Temple, of the little State of Delaware, on
the other hand, covers nearly seven columns
ol the Wilmington Journal.
IT The person who has in his possession
‘•The Mier Expedition, h, Gen, Green,” be
j longing to the editor of this paper, will oblige
| him by returning it to this office.
On. I.umnr.
A floating rumor of the death of Gen. M.
I B. Lamar, in a Northern paper, which we did
not publish—having no confidence in its cor
rectness— is fully contradicted by the receipt
, of a letter from him by his brother—Dr. T;
R. Lamar—eight days la'er in dale than thd
rumored letter, which stales the Ger- .a! to
be in his usual health. This we learn from
the Macon Telegraph,
I,tu:i. J. q. Atlanta.
A correspondent of a New England paper,
announces that Mr. J. Q Adams is recover
ing his health and strength so fast that he
and his friends hope confidently that he will
toon be able to resume his seat iu Congress.
{FTA Naval Court to inquire into the loss
of the U. H, sloop-of-war Boston, was
ed on the 7lh inst. on board the U. H. ship
Pennsylvania at Norfolk. The Court is
j composed of the following officers:—Presi
dent, Commodore Jesse Wi!];i:i>on; Members,
Com. Cims. \V. Skinner and Capt. W. I>.
Halter; Judge Advocate, Lieut. George P*
I Upshur.
The Virginia Ilrgliucnt.
The Virginia regiment of volunteers nas
j been reported full, and the Governor lias ten
dered the services of an additional battalion
to the Secretary of War.
The Palmetto Ilrgimeut.
We are glad to »ee (*ays Hie Montgome
ry, Ala. Journal,) that some of our citizen#
are taking measures to give the South Coro
liua Regiment, on rts arrival here, a hospita
ble welcome, and the honor# appropriate to
gallant men embarked in tbeir country’# ser
vice, and on tiieir route to the field of their
country’s enemies,
ttJTVVe see by the Charleston papers that
j that city will, no doubt, be shortly lit up by
Gaw The surveys have been mid-*, and rt
is thought the stock, after the first year, will
yield at least ten per cent.
President l*oik'a do.ton.
Pickett, Perkin# & Co., at the corner of
j Magazine and Canal streets, says the N. O.
Picayune, have received ihe cotton crop, or
I a portion of it, from the plantation of Pre#i
-1 dent Polk, at Natchez. From the specimen
I we saw at the office of Messrs. P. P. & Cn.,
we should imagine that the President ofthe.e
: United Stales can raise as fine cotton a# any
body else, and we imagine that it will go off
as rapidly as if it were prepared gun cotton.
lowa V. S. Senator.
An Dtempt was made iu the lowa Legis
lature to elect aU. S. Senator. The vote
; stood, 29 for Wilson, Democrat; 29 for Mc-
Carty, Independent; and 1 for Mitchell, Whig.
The Senate, a majority of which are Demo
crats, then refused to enter into a second bal
lot. It is thought that no election will take
I place during the session.
The Supplies.
On Tuesday night, according to the Daily
Fountain,it was rumored in Washington, that
if Congress persists in its refusal to grant the
supplies to carry on the war, the President
will appeal from that body to the people upon
this great question.
It is also rumored that Mr. Secretary Wal
ker has determined to resign hi# office at an
early day if the House doe# not speedily re
verse its decision and impose a war doty o«
tea and coffee.