Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-09-02

Mr.. BENTON sprung for the floor with great
earnestness, and under much excitement common
ced his speech with the remark that ''the Sena-
tors from Virginia had been guilty OF fraud by
their votes" The remark was repeated twice,
when MIR. Rives rose, but the Senator from Mis-
souri, declined to yield, saying that the day was
his.
Mr.. CLAY, said, call the Senator from Mis-
souri, TO order. No Senator here shall pronounce
the action of Il Senator fraud.
Mr.. ARCHER-''I beg my friend from Ken
lucky to let the Senator from Missouri go on -
Let him 90 on.'
Mr.. CLAY-''I demand that the rules of the
Senate be enforced and call the Senator to order,
and demand the decision of the Chair"
Mr.. BENTON-''Let us have the decision of
the Chair
The President Of the Senate said the decision
OF the Chair is that the Senator from Missouri is
out of order. lti not in order to pronounce ii
Senator guilty offraud.
MIR. BENFON-rhen, sir, pronounce that
the votes OF the Senators OPERATE as a fraud
That is In order; and the Senators from Virginia
have been guilty of this, in voting for the bill be-
fore the Senate. Ii they say that the bill is int
tended to prevent Cession and Graduation, the
vote operates fraud upon the new States.
MIR. RlNES, Notwithstanding the refusal of the
| Senator to give way, insisted upon correcting the
| Senator. lie insisted that he said nothing to
cause his remarks. What he had said expressly
was that there was nothing in the act which pre-
vented Congress from hereafter making an act of
Cession and Graduation.
Then, said Mr.. BENTON, the Senators from
Virginia surrender the whole ground; and having
made this remark, Mr.. B. proceeded to denounce
the Bill in unmeasured terms. 1t was, he said
mere stock jobber's Bill, and one of the most
dangerous tendency. 1t brought the stock job
bers of New York and London to operate upon
the Halls of Legislation.
Mr.. BENTON i'm the course of his remarks al
so threw out some threats as to the the new
States would pursue in reference to this measure.
Inc new States, it was iutinated would not sub
mit particularly this Bill violated the compact
between them. They would wait and see if ''the
Democracy" could not wipe out the law from
the Statute Book; but ifthis could not be done,
1t was intmated that worse consequences might
follow by the action CT the new States. The feel
ing OF the people would recol at this Bill
There would be a revulsion and disappointment.
Either the law would be repealed by the Democ-
racy, or the proposition would be overridden by
other propositions.
In one o! his reviews ofthe action of Congress,
| MIR. Benton alluded to the President. From his
course OF conduct in 1882 in the Senate he iudg-
ed that he was against Distribution, and he hop
ed even If the Bill passed the two Houses of
Congress it would be arrested by the President.
Ii he would resist this Bill, he would endear him
sell to thousands who would fly to his rescue and
| who would sustain his Administration. They
would bear him trlumphanty through his Adj
| mlnistratlon In spite of the denuDciation of the
| party and its politicians The Democracy would
rally around him to the end of his four years
and then,-''l will not, said Mr.. Benton, say,
what they will do them" Qaughter.)
The distribution bill then passed the Senate
| by vote of IS to 22-Messrs. Archer and
Rives voting for it. Having been amended in
the Senate, the bill has been returned TO the
! House for concurrence.