Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-08-04

Messrs- Prentiss and Word voted for
the bill, and thereby inflicted severe
censure on their fle-leader, Mr.. Clay,
who denounced the settlers and pre-
ernptioners as a band Of alawless rob-
bers, who ought tn be driven off the
public domain at the point Of the bayo-
net" Were our representatives sin
cere in their support Of this billi We
doubt it very much; we feY they voted
and spoke for mere politlkt ELECT
Their political friends ha Heretofore
opposed the whole presumption policy,
and Mr.. Prentiss particularly, has pub
licly ridiculed Senator Walker for his
support of the sqduilers, as Mr.. Prentiss
called them. Never until Mr.. Prentiss
became candidate, did he profess any
regard for our meritorious settlers.
The course of Prentiss too, while the
bill was pending, is suspicious. After
he had spoken in fovor Of the bill, Mr..
Briggs, of Massachusetts, (who has OPP
posed all pre-emption rights,) moved an
amendment, which was calculated to
embarrass and destroy the bill. Gov.
Casey, of Illinois, and Mr. Harrison, of
Missouri--two of the strongest
advocates that the new States
have in the House, declared
"that the amendment, if 9grossed up
on the bill, would encumIer the title
of every quarter section, produce
. on endless litigation, Nsx.-v to the
poor settler.' Messrs. Chapman and
Martin, Of Alabama, and Yell of Ar
kansas. reiterated the statement, and
declared it would destroy the bill.
61-Prentiss and Word voted FOR this
amendment: -EcOthe other members from
the new States, voted unanimously
AGAINST it, as did the Democratic
members gencrally.-This was certain
ly a strange position for gentlemen
protesting to be friendly to the bill to
place themselves in. The fact is, Mr..
Prentiss's speech was demonstration;
his previous opinions, his sympathies,
are political;were all adverse to the bill
and to the settlers. Mr.. Word may
be really favorable to them, but he
votes Just as Mr.. Prentiss does on all
occasions.
Again, after the bill had been en-
crossed and read third time, and the
question was about being put on its fl ,
nal passage, Mr.. Prentiss, in opposition
to the wishes and opportunities of all
its friends, moved to re-commt it. Not
a single friend Of the bill, or of the nesc J
States, Word perhaps excepted, supper l
ted him, because whether his motion had |
good or bad object in view, to make j
it at that stage was putting the bill in !
jeopardy.-lf Mr.. Briggs amendment /,
had prevailed, we have the testimony
Of Gov. Casey and others that its OBJ y
ecr and utility would have been des-
troyed, yet Mr.. Prenties and Mr.. Fl
Word voted for that amendment. And h
had Mr.. Prentiss succeeded in carry Fl
ing his motion to re-commit the bill at e
that late period, when the session was J,
within lew days OF It's close, we haz- j
ard nothing in saying it would never = =
hare been acted on again. He could ne L
yer got it into the House. Fortunately, P
Harrison, Casey, and Others were at $
heir posts, and saved the bill. Mr.. a
Prentiss is either at heart, with Mr.. d
Clay, an enemy Of the bill, or else he
IS most wretched tactician. Wecare ;;
not which.