Ia SBSATE-7 7'hesaast, Aareh 3.

 4IOu SIisD Nj X AaII'sYz isz BILL B lhE..
Mi. 1eftt0a moved ttieid oil liic Ullla preceding bill No. li9, should be post poncd for the purpose of taking u, and considering that bill. The 0ice Presi- dent strrttod1 the question, and the Senate ! agreed to the motion. The bill Ne. II9, was then taken up and read by the Secretary. 1t consisted of Q single sec ton, and proposed to vest the President with authority to mount and eqnipsten companies of the army of the United States, to be employed as the pcblic ser vice might require, and appropriated the sum of dollars fer the purchase and equipment of the horses. After 1t was read, Mf. 5. proposed to add sec ton to appropriate the sum of - dol lars for purchasing forage for the horses for the remainder of the present year; stating that his object was to keep the appropriations for the different branches , of the service distinct and separate.-- The motion to add the second section was agreed to; and, after stating that he should move, at the proper time, to it; the blank iT the fist section with S33, ,750, and that in the second one with SIs,75e, he {Mr. B. entered into a par 1icular examinations the nature of the bill, and advocated its policy and utility.

 He first remarked upon the terms, or phraseology of the bill, which were to as8hortze-not to require-the Presi- dent to cause the ten companies to be mounted; and which gave him discre- tions oyer the number of companies to be mounted not exceeding the iimita- tion expressed in the bill. Such a dis cretion was properly vested in the Pre- sident, who being charged with the de- fence Of the country, and responsible for the safety of the frontiers, should have some authority to use tho species of force which ezoceasion required, and, that the President preferred mounted

 mon for the kind of seryiee-defence. against Endians-whichthis bill eontem- plated, was fact as well known by the events of bis military career as by tine communication of his sentiments on the particular subject of this biii. The Missouri Legislature, the officers of the ArnYson the Western Frontier, and all the citizens of the West, interested in the question; the President, the Secre- tary at War, and the Quarter Master General, Jesnp, have united their voices in favor of the species Of force which this bill contemplates; and the granting of 1t may justly ztbe considered as one of the highestobieets of Western hope and desire. One object of the measure is, to give defence and protection to the trading caravans between Missouri and Mexico-cafavans which annually bring home large sums Of gold and silver, and 1 now experience continued losses, in lives and property, for want of the species of protection which this bill proposes to give. Another object, and more ex- tensive one, is to provide an adequate, and appropriate, defence for the West ern Frontier, and that in its whole ex- tent, from the Sabine to the Falls of St. Anthony, and thence to Green Bay, at the upper end of Lake Michigan. This line of defence is largely upwards of

 

 thousand miles in length, covering the frontiers of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mis- souri, illinois, and the new Territory upon the upper Mississippi. To those two objects third one, also of great inn portance--thesecurty ofthe hurI Trade, l tlesv q dangerous pursuit to our own ci- tizens on our own soiEmust be added. | For all those objects---for the just and necessary defence Of the Frontiers, the Fur trade, and the Mexican trade-a mounted force is indispensable. The Indians wilo infest the Frontiers, and [ attack the caravans, and traders. are all mounted, and mounted on fleet and | t durable horses, which live on grass. and are trained to waraad hunting. They come, and %, like Arabs, the attack and the flight being instantaneous. Our soldiers are all on foot, and can oppose no appropriate movements to these sud- den and flying assaults. They may re- pulse an attack; but they cannot pursue, cannot chastises scannotreconnoitre can not venture to quit the column when marching, the camp, or the garrison, when stationary, without danger of be- ing cut of, and that in sight of their companions, who, for want of horses, are .uaal e to get to their relief. The re- ports of all the officers from the West, and o the caravans, attest the truth ruth of this distressing fact. The country where these troops arc to act is open and champagne. t is a coanexion of