Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-26
IN the House adjourned.
CONGRESSIONAL ANALYSIS.

The attack OF the Senators opposed u the Pre-emp
ton Bill, sou s its further qualification At the coming
mp Of the Bill to-day for its final passage
Mr. Crittend-n moved lts pnstponement until Monday
next, aud followed up his motion by urging that
raj Of the States had but Just supplied III" vacancies
here, III, members from which, had moi YET arrived in
the city He wanted fair and honorable trial Of
strength upon the amendment he had proposed, and
which he again submitted, with propoSitton 10
nit the in to the Committee on the Public Lands
Mr.. Clay Of Alabama submitted a few remarks in re-
ply 10 the broad ground taken By Mr.. C.ittenden
conclusive objection in his mind to the pos;ponenent
DESIRED was, probable fact that such result
would tend to defeat the measure at The present
sion-as 1t would not be likely 10 reach that body in
time for its acton
Mr.. Benton viewed this movement the part Of the
enemies Of this most strange and nstonlsh
ing. lis fate attempted 10 be joined with the Dis
trlbuon bill The effort had been fruitiess!y made 10
load j, down, IN encumher II with amendment upon
ndment the better 10 promote lis utter prostration
Mr.. Benton was opposed to delay He entered at con-
siderable length the history of the former course
Of legislation which had been pursued upon the sub
ect of the public lands. This pre- -cmption bill had
counercd cloud of obstacles II had been for one
month before the Senate and mot nos TO postpone
It involved the highest degree OF absurdy The vote
taken had shown two 10 in lis favor, and yet
in the face Of this prominent fac, it still urged
upon the Senate for the coming in Of those who
were known II be hostile 10 the measure, in order, i!
possible to put il down. lie concurred fully with the
remark Of his friend, Mr. Clay Of Aabama,) made yes
terday, that if the bill to be passed. would have
10 be done by candle light, and he would say to the
boys That they had better be trimming their lamps.
| Mr. Crtcnd.n renewed the Oft repeated attack
upon the Administration with, II possible, additional
rancor and yiiupera;lon Not content with bold de-
nunciaon IN general terms. he undertook to specify
| The particular items Of mismanagemeni and extrava
gance, tie reckless sGuandering of the public moneys
which had been most wantnnv INDUCED by the Adn
nistration. until an empty Treasury, and an impover
ished people, had been made to wfthe under the nfc
ton Exhausted with the frutess results and
ces which his own Imagination had enabled hun to con-
jure up for the occasion, he drew largely upon the
ligny the gens and skill Of others to bear him out
! in his bold crusade upon the Administration
/ The stale story which Mr.. Evans repeated in the
House in relation 10 the Florida wr the other day,
and his very rHy reference 10 certain prirac letters
aud spondenca there exhibited, served up
day in the Senate with all the little trimmings, and
with all the small, trDg interspersng of anecdo,e,
which the inflated staggering o. the speaker could
bring to his aid 10 excite laugh, and 10 stare of that
great national intended 10 carry relief to the
wants and suferings Of the needy THOUSANDS of the
poor emgrants Of the West made dependent upon the
munhcence Of the Government II will be useless
task TO attempt To sketch the wandering wild, and diff
fuse remarks Of alr Crttenden, TO paint in suii-
cienty glowing colors, the extreme recklessness and
wautonness OF his unqualified and unsparing dennn
citation o the President and his supporters and friends
Such would bc quite useless and proft!ess attempt
even under more favored circumstances
1t is not pretended in this analyst to present the Ian
guage used by the speakers, but merely TO trace the
outline, and to give the general run of the arguments
employed IN the discussion.
| Mr. Wright, in rising 10 reply TO the various points
which seemed to have been made by Mr.. Crltteudcn,
! felt that he could scarcely be expected TO be found
equal TO that lively of remark, that keen and
cutting and rcbuke, which had been SO fully
displayed by the gentleman who had Just preceded him.
The position he assumed Of graver cast lie was
that he, and the party 10 which he belonged, now
stood III a minority in the nation; but he felt called
upon nevertheless 10 make proper defence and
explanation TO the broad allegations made against the
Administration here Mr.. Wright referred TO that part
OF the speech of Mr. Crittenden which seemed TO APP
pear in rather boastiul strain, of the great Of
his party at the recent elections, with the whitening
smile OF ho felt little of It's intended effect and
less Of the prop7ety Of It's application. He justly OBJ
served response 10 the in.imation OF Mr. Crttenden
that the party in power had been accustomed 10 sheer
the late popular EXPRESSION that while it mi ght not
become the minority to sneer, it i'll became the ma
joriy to s,cagssr. This was home thrust and Mr.
| Crttenden mus, have seusbly felt it.
Mr. Wright then, with his usual clearness and force,
proceeded 10 the graver points involved in the debate,
also TO rene the groundess arguments of the ene
mics of the bill under consideration; and upon this
branch of the debate, MIR. Wright at home. His
thorough knowledge of the public finances of the coun-
try, and his intimate acquaintance with every great
resource of the nation whence flows the current re-
venue of the Government enabled him 10 disspate all
The SANDERS and calumnes which the ingenuity and
magnity of the accusers of the Administration had
dragged into this discussion and when he had finished
this nnanswerablc reply, Mr.. Webster, for the first
time during the pending discussion of this great na-
tonal subject, came forward 10 give his views. His
principal aim seemed to be to prove that there no
need ofany haste the passage ofthe bill; but before
resumng his seat he carried by the strong current
of his feelings into the wide of inyesgation-to
an indication of his opinions, and TO general adms
sion of the unconstitutional doctrines he had before 50
often promulgated to the American people. He was
for distribution of the proceeds of the public lands,
and for an increase of duties on mporiatons; and
here started that wres,le of mind and intellectual
contact ofopnon and principle in which several OF
our leading American statesmen were engaged
The ground taken by Mr.. Webster called out Mr.
Benton in ofhe most clear, convincing, overpow-
erug, and unanswerable arguments ever listened to in
The American Congress. Il will not be found prohta.