Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-09-24
SDeeth Of Mr.. Benton,
OF MISSOURI.

OF MISSOURI. h5 H94'
IN Senate, August 20, lo4I.-On the motion
~ of Mr.. Smith of Indiana to include the Terri
tories in the list of distributes.
Mr. SMITH Of Indiana moved TO amend the
.econd section so as to place the Territories
now organized, OF to be organized hereafter, on
the same footing as the District OF Columbia
with regard to the general distribution; but
leaving out the ten per centum on the amount
of sales within their own limits. His object,
he stated, was to place both the District and
The Territories on the same footing with the
States in the general distribution, so that the
ouestion might be taken whether the District
and the Territories shall be left In or stricken
out. =,
Mr. BENTON rose the instant Mr.. Smith
concluded his remarks, and exclaimed, That is
our thunder 1t belongs to US! We made il,
and the gentleman must not attempt to take It
away! They made their bill without regard
to the Territories-put in the District Of Co
lumbia which has no public land, and pays
nothing to the Treasury left out the three
Territories, consisting Of hardly any thing but
public land land from which large amounts have
come into the Treasury, and greater are yet to
come. When the bill came before US In this
lnioutous and abominable form, we the DE-
MOCRACY, opened our bate les upon it!
We thundered at the bill. We exposed the
monstrosi,y Of it with such force and power
that Federalism was evidently alarmed; and
although they voted down our propositions 10
do Justice to the Territories, yet it was very
evident that they could not persevere in the
absurd injustice with which they sat out.
They heard our thunder; they felt it; and they
could not wait for the reverberation Of the
sound from the forests of Florida, Wisconsin,
and Iowa. The echo would be fatal to Fede-
Tallsm: so they have began to catch up our
thunder, and hurl it about for their own. They
are now going to take up our own motions
the same which they rejected-and bring for
ward propositions 10 do justice to the Terrific
nes-to include them among the distributes
aid to pu, them on an equality with the Dis
,ric Of Columbia This is what they propose.
Blu, orr motions went far beyond the District
Of Columbia, and tended to put them on an
equality with the new States, because like the
new States, they contained public land, and
were paying money for land into the public
Treasury. We made three motions, each Of
which was rejected and we gave notice each
time that we should renew them again.
made motion to grant 40 the Territories the ten
per centum on the amount Of the sales within
their own limits which is allowed to the new
States, and showed that the reason for the grant
was the same in both cases: my motion was
voted down. and the journals will show by
whom! The Senator FROM Illinois who sits
on my left Mr. McRoberts made the motion
to include these Territories in the general dis
tllbuuen (tne same motion which is now made
by the Senator from Indiana:) it was voted
down; and the journals will show by whom
made the motion to extend to these Terrific
rles the same grants Of land which were made
to Ohio for internal improvement, (about enc
million of acres } the motion was voted down;
and the journals will show by whom. We
made all these motions and lost them. The
vote was against us on every occasion but the
reason and the argument was with US; and we
gave sotce of our intention to renew all our
Propositions, and to fight it out until the Terri
tories were redeemed from the insulting injus-
lice TO which the bill had subjected them. This
is the state of the case-notice actually given
OF our intention to renew all our motions-
when the Senator from Indiana takes up one Of
them, and renews it himself This is very
kind in him, and know that at the bottom Of
his heart he is friendly to all three of them, but
Is under the cruel necessity Of conforming to
'he dctatorial tyranny which rules the destiny
OF this bill. 1t is kind in him TO take up one
Of our motions which his friends voted down
out then it is just to ourselves TO reclaim our
own property-to retain the command Of our
own work-to recover our own motion-and to
present it again at the proper time.-This is
what We ought to do, and will do. We have
aflght to our own thunder, and will keep it
and use it.
=. Mr' President, continued Mr. B. the vindica-
aon OF The Territories from the insulting and
ues'aolng Injustice which this bill inflicted
upon mem, Is one of the sacred tasks which
VIZ n'e democracy has imposed upon itself. When
VIC ieau over The bill, and saw the odious and
"i'Aeu distinction which this bill made be-
."sen Tue yeomanry Of Florida, Wisconsin;
au lo"a' on one side, and the silk stocking
seulfy OF this District on the other,-when we
1 a ''s our feelings were indignant; and we
, me,o determined to expose, if we could not
m o.ny' the scandalous injustice. We have
la uu' our voices be heard on this floor, and we
r;a, u'i'en nome arguments to our adversa-
w. "n'ch lney found 1t impossible to answer.
d;, nave asked why this invidious and odious
t, nu'suon! Why this exclusion of farmers
of 'M ne benefits Of the bill, and the inclusion
", yt..ay gentry within it! Are inhabitants of
os, territories excluded because they are far
s sa. OF, because they are democratic OF, be-
o oause 'hey have no Presidential vote or, be-
, tauSe share TO them will lessen the distribu-
,. i've sAares to others Is the District Of Co.
h lsuola included because it is here present
bs .a,se 1t can opportune and entertain men,
0es! or because it is federal because it is al
o mays receiving from the Treasury, and never
f'""s any thing ina Be these the reasons