Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIII.—April, 1852.—Vol. IV.: NoneVarious
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIII.—April, 1852.—Vol. IV.: None
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
In Congress, during the past month, there has been copious discussion of
a great variety of subjects, but no important action upon any. The
influence of the approaching Presidential election makes itself felt
upon the debates of Congress, coloring every speech and often
superseding every other subject. Memorials have been presented in favor
of authorizing another Arctic expedition in search of Sir John Franklin,
for which Mr. Henry Grinnell again tenders the use of his ships--asking
only that the government will send a small steamer with them and men for
officers and sailors. Commander Wilkes has also addressed Congress on
the subject; proposing a very large Expedition--sufficient indeed to
establish a permanent settlement in the Arctic regions, from which the
search may be prosecuted. Nothing has been done with regard to
either.----Governor Kossuth has addressed to Congress a letter of thanks
for the reception given him, which was presented in the Senate on the
17th of February, and gave rise to a long debate on the proposition to
print it: it was ordered to be printed by 21 votes to 20 against
it.----In the Senate a bill has been reported by Commitee to establish a
branch mint in the city of New York, on condition that the city donate
land for a site and the State exempt it from taxation.----A good deal of
the attention of the Senate has been devoted to a debate upon the Public
Land policy of the country, the question coming up on a bill granting
large tracts of land to Iowa to aid in the construction of certain
railroads. Mr. Sumner, of Massachusetts, spoke in favor of ceding all
the public lands to the States in which they lie, mainly on the ground
that the exemption of those lands from State taxation had created in
those States an equitable title to them. On the 24th of February Mr.
Geyer, of Missouri, spoke in favor of the same policy, basing his
argument in its support upon the same facts. Mr. Underwood offered an
amendment to the effect of distributing among the seventeen States in
which there are no public lands, fifteen millions of acres. He
spoke in defense of it at length. No vote has been taken upon the
subject.----Further debate has been had upon the resolutions on the
subject of non-intervention. On the 26th of February, Mr. Miller, of New
Jersey, spoke against the policy of intermeddling at all in the affairs
of foreign nations. He represented intervention in foreigns affairs as
the habitual policy of European monarchies, which Washington had
resisted; and he urged the duty and necessity of adhering strictly to
the ground of neutrality which was adopted during the early history of
this country. The subject was then postponed until the 9th of March,
when Mr. Seward of New York, spoke upon it. He urged the absolute
independence of every State, and the duty of all States to recognize and
respect it. He entered upon a historical review of the connection of
Hungary and Austria to show that Hungary was fully entitled to this
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