XXXVth CONGRESS......First Session.
SENATE……WASHINGTON, Thursday, April 1.
The morning business was unimportant. Vari-ous ineffectual attempts were made to vote down Mr. IVERSON'S motion to take up the Army bill, and to con-sider, instead, the Minnesota bill.
The Army bill was considered, and various verbal amendments made without altering its principle.
Mr. HUNTER, of Virginia, was aware that the Presi-dent would not expend a dollar or raise a man more than was required. He moved to strike out the words "four regiments," and substitute "two regi-ments exclusive of the Texas regiment."
Mr. IVERSON, of Georgia, explained that he, individ-ually, was not in favor of the employment as volun-teers of raw militia picked up in grog shops, and inefficient, against the Mormons ; but they might de-fend the trains and posts, and be used for frontier service, and thus liberate the regulars from Texas and elsewhere. He added that the Government will be satisfied with two regiments if it cannot get four.
Mr. PUGH regarded volunteers preferable to regu-lars, and would move the amendment of that clause requiring a "regiment from a State" to read "com-pany."
Mr. CAMERON said that Mr. IVERSON was wrong in characterizing volunteers as picked up in grog shops. Himself the other day presented the offer of a uni-formed company of most respectable young men from Fayette County, Penn., to go to Utah. It seems to be a part of the American nature to be a soldier and go out and fight. If there was any trouble about raising the number of volunteers, Pennsylvania could do it herself.
Mr. HOUSTON was in favor of regiments. In 25 days, he said, men of aptitude would learn the manual, and in six months be as efficient as if they had served five years. It was a most important duty to guard the trains, for the tactics of the Mormons would be to cut off the supplies and have the army at their mercy.
Mr. DOUGLAS asked Sir. HUNTER and Mr. IVERSON if they were authorized by the Administration to say that two regiments were enough.
MR. HUNTER replied that he made the motion on his own responsibility.
Mr. HUNTER'S motion for two regiments instead of four, was then put and carried by yeas 28 ; nays 14.
Previous to putting Mr. PUGH's amendment, that "the States supply companies instead of regiments," Mr. IVERSON spoke against it on the ground that it would embarrass the election of field officers.
Mr. PUGH replied that there was no need of field officers. The regiments would not act in a body but in detachments of one or two companies, under command of the senior Captain. Call for twenty companies, and take them from all the States.
Conversation then ensued between Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, Mr. PUGH, and others, in the course of which Mr. CRITTENDEN showed the difficulty of col-lecting and disciplining companies from a distance Kentucky, he said, has a regiment to march at 24 hours' notice.
Mr. HOUSTON thought it important that regiments and not companies should be taken from each State. Mr. H. also made lengthened remarks on the require-ments of Indian warfare.
The bill was then reported to the Senate when the several immaterial verbal amendments were concur-red in by a vote of 25 against 16.
Previous to the final vote on the bill, Mr. HALE re-awoke discussion by remarking that he looked on it as an insidious step towards a permanent increase of the army. He called on every man to oppose this first step towards converting this Government from a Republic to a military despotism.
Mr. Wilson was in favor of granting to the Execu-tive the means required for the public service. This bill comes in the best possible shape that such a kind of bill can come, for its action is confined to Utah, or the frontier. While he was in favor of maintaining the laws, he was also in favor of sending a suitable Commissioner to Utah, with powers to avert an appeal to arms if possible. He would treat the Mormons as he would a tribe of Indians—that is, purchase their country at a reasonable compensation, if they would remove to some other part of the American Continent beyond our limits. But they are in rebellion on the highway to our Pacific Coast, and the Administration wants a force to maintain our laws in their midst, and we give two regiments for that especial service. He (WILSON) could not see how his friend from New-Hampshire (HALE) could construe this as hostile to the liberties of the country.
Mr. HALE said that he equally was in favor of the laws, but did not want to increase the brute force of a Government in which he had no confidence.
Mr. CAMERON did not see how the bill could be in-terpreted into a permanent increase of the army. He (CAMERON) was opposed to large standing armies as at variance with the spirit of our institutions. He believed that it was a mistake to have brought about this war, but would vote for the bill.
Here the Kansas Bill was brought from the House.
Mr. BROWN.—Monsieur Tonson has come back upon us—Kansas is here again, and we can do noth-ing until we get him out. He (BROWN) never believed there was any danger to the liberties of the country in the increase of the Army. Referring to Mr. HALE, he said that he and his Republican friends say "let Kansas bleed—let Utah bleed." What matters it to them that the torch be lighted up along the frontier line? For himself he wanted to see jus-tice done. When women and children are butchered by savages he would have them punished, and he would see it done by the regular army. What danger is there to us from our whole army. Why, Virginia, old and decripit as she is, could, with the aid of Mary-land, take them up one by one and drown them in the Potomac. It was nonsense to talk of danger to liberty from fifteen or sixteen thousand soldiers when there were twenty-five millions of freemen to fight for it. The army is a peace institution, but as it seems the Senate will not vote for an increase of the regulars, he would retract his vote and support this bill.
The bill as amended then passed by a vote of 41 to 13, as follows:
YEAS—Messrs. Allen, Bayard, Bell, Benjamin, Biggs, Bigler, Bright, Broderick, Brown, Cameron, Crittenden, Douglas Evans, Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Green, Gwin, Ham-mond, Henderson, Harlan, Houston, Hunter, Iverson, Johnson of Ark., Johnson of Tenn., Jones, Kennedy, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Polk, Pugh, Sebastian, Seward, Sndell, Stuart, Thompson of Ky., Thomson of N. J., Wil-son, Wright, Ymee.
NAYS—Messrs Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doo-little, Durkee, Fessenden, Foster, Hale, Hamlin, King, Trumbull, Wade.
ABSENT—Messrs. Bates, Clay, Davis, Foot, Reid, Sim-mons. Sumner, Toombs.
The Kansas bill, with the House amendment, next came up, when Mr. GREEN, of Missouri, moved that the amendment be disagreed to.
The Senate having previously resolved to adjourn until Monday, rescinded the resolution, and will de-vote to-morrow to a discussion of the subject.
Adjourned.
