Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-02-09

uiOtiOHS W SOutthlL VI pOStpuuC was PoS-
sed, yeas 81, nays Is. Senate adjourned to
Monday.
In the House of Representatives the re-
trenchment committee reported bill to
abolish the Office of Major General. A
large number of unimportant resolutions
we're agreed to. The report of the commit
tee on the Oxford election was again taken
up in the House. Mr.. Smyth made speech
in support of the report, and Mr.. Bowden
spoke in favour of the claim of the petition
err. Before the discussion was finished the
House adjourned to Monday.
Nix. JEFFERSON AND Ma. BAyARD. The
Senate OF the United States resumed the
consideration of the resolution moved by
Mr.. Foot respecting surveys of the Publick
Lands.
Mr.. Benton being entitled to the floor
Mr.. Clayton said, that he desired thr per-
mission of the Senator from Missouri, (Mr.
Benton) who was entitled to the floor, to
call the attention of two Of the honorable
members of this body, Mr.. Smith of Mary
land and Mr.. Livingston of Louisiana, to
passage in a book which had been cited in
this debate by the Senator from South Car
DINA Mr.. Hayne) as authority on snOther
subject. He drd not rise for the purpose Of
discussing the resolution ITSELF In the
wide range of the debate here. the north
eastern and southern sections of the country
had been arrayed against each other. He
listened to the discussion without any inten-
ton of participating in it. while the State
which he had the honour in part to repre-
sent mad escaped unscatched by the con-
troversy. Though favourable to the reso-
luton, as mere proposition to inquire, he
felt but little interest in such contentious
between the North and South; and his only
desire in relation to that subject was, that
the warmth of the discussion might have no
tendency to ALLEVIATE one portion of our
country from the other. But his attention
had been called by number of members of
this house, to passage in the same book !;
another part of which had been referred to
by the Senator from South Carolina. That
passage charged an illustrious statesman,
who formerly occupied the seat of Sena-
tor here, and whose memory and fame were
dear to himself and to the people he repre-
sented, with atrocious corruption, of which
he was convinced that great and good man
could never have been guilty and as the
witnesses referred to in the book itself were
present, and ready to give testimony to set
the charge at rest, he hoped he should be
pardoned for referring to the objectional
passage in their presence.
He then read. from the fourth volume of
Jefferson's Memoirs, page SIS, THE same
volume which had been brought into the
Senate by Gen. Haynel the following pas
sage:
"FEBRUARY THE 18th, 1901. Edward
Livingston tells me that Bayard applied to-
day, or last night, to Gen. Samuel Smith,
and represented to him the expediency of
his coming over to the States who vote for
Burr; that there was nothing in the way of
appointment which he might not command,
and particularly mentioned the Secretary
ship of the Navy. Smith asked him if he
was authorized to make the offer. He said
he was authorized. Smith told this to Liv-
ingston, and to w. c. Nicholas, who con-
| firms it to me-" &c.
| He then called upon the Senators from
Maryland and Louisiana, referred to in this
passage, to disprove the statement here
made.
| Mr.. Smith OF Maryland rose and said,
that he had read the paragraph before he
came here today, and was, therefore, aware
of its import. He had not the most distant
recollection that Mr.. Bayard had ever made
such proposition to him. Mr.. Bayard,
said he, and myself, though politically op-
posed, were intimate personal friends, and
he was an honorable man. Ofal men Mr..
Bayard would have been the last to make
such proposition to any man, and | am
confident that he had too much respect for
me, to have made it under any circumstan-
ces. never received from any man, any
such proposition.
| Mr.. Livingston Of Louisiana said, that, as
TO the precise question which had been put
to him by the Senator from Delaware, he
must say, that having taxed his recollection
as far as it could go, on so remote trans
action, he had no remembrance fit.
] Mr.. Clayton said his purpose had been
achieved. He thought it his duty to vim
dictate the honour and fame Of his prede-
cessors against unjusti6able imputations, no
matter to what party they may have be-
longed. The character of the llustrious
Bayard would, he trusted stand forever un-
furnished by the charge of corruption. He
should have thought himselfrecreant in du-
ty to the people of the State he in part rep
resented, and 10 the memory of one who
once filled the same place which he now &C.
T.
cupied, if he had not seized the first OPP
portunity in his power, after the publick ap-
pearance Of this volume on the floor of the
Scuate, to disprove the charges to which
he had this day called their attention. He
thought there were other charges in that
volume against other distinguished men of
the country, equally unfonnded, subsequent
ly, upon some remarks by Mr. Benton, he
said, he wished it to be distinctly under
stood, that it was no part of his purpose to
tarnish the fame of Mr.. Jefferson. His OBJ
ject was not accusatiye, but entirely excul-
patory.]
In the Senate, Mr.. Benton continued
the debate on Mr.Foot's resolution, for
suspending the surveys Of the publick
lands.
In the House several bills were report
ed and forwarded through the preliminary