Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-07

S. Fridag, .lusust 30, ISL.
Mr. BENTON rose after MIR Rives, and inquired Of
MIR. r. and MIR. Archer whether he hud uhuers.'oo
them artcht in understanding them 10 say '"at '"r,
voted for this Till, among other reasons, because !. pun
AN end to the scheme for graduating the price OF lhf
nubl,c lands-put an end to the scheme for ctdng the
lands 10 the new Staies-put an end to the ianu qu's-
tion-and So ved the lands from being se'Zed upon mere
after by the new States Ia the exclusion oi Inc na
ones? [Thc two gentlemen from virginia h"un'o
assen, Then, exclaimed Mr.. Benton, l have you
You commit a fraud in giving That vote,) add IL IS my
duty to dc iect and expose II. Your vote Is a fraud
cloud calls tn order interrupted Mr.. Benton, and me
President of the Senate declared it 10 bc n breach
Of order In impu,e fraud 10 Senators) kno" II Is,
.aid MIR. Benton, and that the breach OF order Is ihr
orrater on this occasion because imputc no inten-
ional fraud to the gentlemen. T:cir v",es operate a
fraud, and il is iay duty TO show Il; but l know them
To Lc incapable of Intentionally committing fraud. -
is the fleet Of their votes, coupled with Inc reasons
which they have gwen; and, Wilde ! proceed 10 sh""
.lIs, disclaim III! intention u lnpugning their mo
tiyes, and make this disclaimer, not as matter o! form
under Il parliamentary rule, but, III substance ana III
fact, as an act Of Justice aud Of duty, and under 4 sense
of whut is due to men of honor. But Their vote opc.-
rates a fraud-a serious one upon the new Sta'es-ai-
fcctino their rights and interests and "Ntch IL 10 my
duty 10 detect aud expose. Understood as they under
stand the bill, and to be acted upon according 10 tlat
understanding, and it is u flat contradiction OF what me
bill protesses-a qualification of the clauses inserted
for the benefit Of the new States and u mockery OF the
conditions upon which the passage of the bill is obtain.
ed. This is i harsh language, but not more harsh than
true, and more easily proved than uttered.
Remember the history of this blil-the manner III
which il was brought forward in 1882, and the alarm
which il spread through allthe new States. Iiicy saw
in its passage 4 total change OF their own relations u
the Federal Governmental change from a parent 10
masters-.om the Federal Government TO the State
Governments; which, becoming The owners OF lie
new States, would look solely TO their own interest,
and 10 the collection oil the creates, possible amount
If money from them. No logger any regard Tor The
interest Of the new States no chance for gradua-
tion-for cessions-for pre- .cmptons-iar donations
- for Confirmation OF delayed claims: no Jns.!ee o.
mercy, in any thing. Nothing but money, money, mo-
new, would be their cry. To sell would be their object.
To sell NIL, get all they could for il, carry il of and
keep I'D the price OF land forever, wcnld be their poll
cv. This is what the new States saw in the passage
of this bill npon lis first introduction and the alarm
broke out universally, and spread far and wide. Hes
,ility to the b!! took deep root in the mind Of every pat
riot. Tie whole West was reused. Tie body OF the
people were Ill arms against Il and the politicians
quickly saw tia. no such bill could ever pass, unless
guarantees were given against the dangers which were
dreaGcd. The necessity of guarantees became apPa-
rent, and accordingly they were inserted-lnserled N
this very biil-and by the gentlemen from %ViTginla,
according tn their own declarations, intended 10 be
treated as mough,-intended to be nulliied-to be dis
regarded-at the very moment of soemnly voting fnI
them The guarantees are to be violated and thus
the insertion Of them becomes 4 fraud, by which The
bill is fastened upon us, and every evil inflicted which
the guarantees were intended to prevent. Hear this,
and listen now 10 what | will rend TO you. | read from
the second proviso 10 the second SECTION
".7sd proUaded also, That nothing herein contained rlall be
construed 10 the prejudice Of future applications for a reduction
Of thr lTict OF The puhlic lands or 10 lie prcJud,r. Of arp.ica-
tions for 4 transfer Of The public lands, on reasonable terms, 10
Of tho public lands, or any part thereof. as Congress may deem
Tins is what tho hill says, and VIVA, the gentlemen
,.,bn ycta rnntc nII hu Their SplpplpS deny -
Both deny these guarantees, the gentleman especially
who spoke last, Mr.. Rives,1 and who was so emphatic
in denuncia,ion of every thing which the guarantees
contain. lie vuies for the clause which have read,
votes for i in the voting for the bill; md now let US
confront his vote and his speech, and see how they
stand together. lie votes 10. tins bill because il lot
ever puts an end 10 graduated prices OF the public
lands, and refers to my graduation bill by name as be-
,os annib,iatrd by II, yet the bill for which ne votes
declares that nothing which It contains shalt h. con.
s,rued 10 The prejudice OF future applications for 4 re-
duc,,on OF The price Of the public lands! Tnls clause
refers 70 my graduation bill ns distinctly az II II was
named, and The gentleman votes Tor II, ard thereby
gives n pledge tina, graduation IS moi 10 he p'rjid'crd
by his vote; vet declares in his r!acr, that the bill ki!!s
graduation and that he votes 70. i! on TIN; account!
Is not this contradiction, full and Il IL contradiction, be
tween this speech aud his vote? and does II MT operate
a fraud upon the new States, g fraud b. which they
are to be cheated ont Of future reductions nj line price
Of the public lands by the very las which contains 4
solemn guarantee To the contrary.
Again: The gentleman votes tor this bill because, as
he saws, il puts an end to al propositions for cedlng,l The
lands to the States in which they lie; and hr refers, by
name, to the plan of the Senator from South Carolina
mir. Calhoun as being thus annilila,cd by this tdl.
We, this bill contains a clause declaring that nothing con
tanned in il shall be construed TO the prejudice Of future
applications for a transfer Of The lands, on reasonable
terms, To the States in which they lie! and this clause
was intended to cover and does cover, NJ absolutely as
If il had named ii, that precise cession b!!! oil The So
~ - = I ,--b ,I.,t tt, SHnas.- T-u.
virginia considers rs now killed Of forever! \ not
This Fat contradiction between the Senator'S speech
md vote and is not Tie effect q fraud upon the new
States: a most unrIgh.eons and fatal irand, by winch
ihpy are cheated out oi the future cessi"n OF any part
of these lands, upon any terms, while holding IN their
hands a law Of Congress as a pledge IN favor u such
cession?
Aua,n-,he gentleman votes for this bill because i.
settles The whole land question-;akes il cut Of Con.
grcss-r,lieves Us from future legislation aaont lands
and gives 10 he national domain lie destination which
it is forever 10 follow. lie votes for it for this reason
and ret here is q pledge that this bill shall not b. con.
s;rued to the prejudice Of any future disposition Of tie
lands, o.. any part Of them That Congress shall think
proper 10 make! This is a third pledge in the bill
one vital 10 the new S.ates-and the gentleman votes
ru, il. Yet he considers the pledge noihing-that the
bill is final and conciusire-lha il precludes future IL.
risiation gives to the lands their final desinaiion-and
totally prevents any future disposition Of them by Con-
press. Is not this q contradiction between the vote and
the speech and is not the effect a fruud-a crael a nd
vast lraud--hy which the new States are scduccd into
the passage of a bill which is intended to prevent what
it solemnly pledges itself TO grnnt?
Yes, Sir; this is what the bill says: these the pledges
which il contains; and without WHICH no Western MEM
ber-no member from the new Statcs-could venture,
or dare, to vote for it. The votes of Western members
are obtained by these pledges; the bill is passed by votes
obtained upon these pledges; the pledges are vital to
the new States-indispensable to their welfare, pros
perity, and Observation-Disclosures to their saliva
lion from the tyranny and Iapaci'y Of the old States,
now become their c:iel masters. Yet, IN the very act
of giving these pledges, BY which the gentleman pass.
es he bill, and clutches the money of the new States,
he tells you that these pledges are nothing! that they
are Far worse than nothing! that they a'c, in fact, the
contrary, in ajtct, of what they are in pords! aud that,
notwithstanding This legal bond given by Congress in
favor of future graduation, future cession, and future
discretionary disposition of these public lands, the game
is up-tie thing is al an end-and is done with! they
have got our money! aad they laugh at the pledges
upon which they obtain ii! This is the plain meaning
and effect of the g%enileman's spcech-not his words
49,. r..x 60" k,I /, - 10 in propfe-,I - tbrf