Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-04-18


as pluoderers and land pirates. Gentlemen them
selves 60 back and rake up the past, and the De-
mocTstic party is compelled in self defence to 20
| back Also ard admonish the party now IN power
by reminding them Of the past too.
Tie was aware that elimination and recr'minnucn
were misplaced in the Senate OF the United States
| lie te't that the time was when all should
forget what he was perfectly willing 20 forget.
| MIR CRGrrENDEN explained. that what he had
said with regard To responsibility, was that he would
do for the present Administration all that was pro
per and necessary for him to DO. but further than
that. he renowned all responsibility tor the acts OF
this Administration.
MIR KING observed that the time was come when
It was desirable that ALL without distinction OF par
", should make such arrnngem nts would ena-
bic the Government TO perform its duties, aud sus'
tam the honor and credit Of the country. lie,
therefore, could not say with the Senator from n.
Carolina Mr. Mansuml from Georgia. Mr Bern
| enl and from Kentucky, Mr. Crlttendenl that he
would vote for this bill with regret, tor his regret
was that he could not vote for the hill He regret
ted that such mod hcations were not made IN II as
would have enabled him TO vote for the loan.
lie dccried the argument that no alteration ought
to be made to the bill which would not be aceepta.
/ be to the Other House. The Senate was bound 10
do its duty without regard to the effect which the
exercise OF that duty would have elsewhere.
! lie then explained The various amendments which
should have been made to the btl.
| In alusion To the arguments thst had been urged
ag,ns; him. grounded mssppcat'on Of iSolo-
| ted passages IN his report when chairman OF the
| Committee ON Public Lands, he complained that
th. mode Of garblns the report and selecting ,soa-
ted passages TO give them n contrary meaning 10
that really intended, was uotar and unjust. The
whole OF that report was argument against distr,-
hutton, and IN opposition n very abe report made
/ Ivy the then Senator from Kentucky lMr Ciayl IN
/ favor al distribution He read passages from his
own report, show ,hat TIVE soc obisct was To- AVOID
the distribution oi the lands. ami he proved that ITS
tenor went To show that after the land fund had &C
comphshed objects therein stated, It would sun be
A. the disposal OF Government for revenue, when
ever the necessities Of the - .verumen: required l.
He therefore though, It was quite unfair 10 charge
upon hin; any inconsistency.
He was surprised to frd the Senator from North
Carolina saying lie viii cling ~ the land hill
under all Circumstances; art he would SIMPLY ask
how did such ~ ayOwa accord with has declaration
an the oN,cujmert - tho and bill Tse,i, when he
stated that he never would vote iNr the tistoutirn
unit, that clause was deserted 10 ~ Tie $50
though, It strange iha; ;hc Senaior from Georgia
vas now nrep1rci 20 adhere N tie land dl>tTi bu-
/ ton n scftree of h,s declarsuon that he would
never eonsen, 10 tex hrs constituents beyond the 90
! per cent Of The compromise rct. He had been
much commended in the South for las course On the
amendment 20 the Distribution aej. ard II he now
chooses 10 return - h., constituents his present
grounds. he vii hod that their minds are not chang
! 81. hOsevNr h's may be.
Ms BERRlE,N explained that the opinion which
Z he entertained at toe time Of tic adoption OF the
amply sufficient for the protection oil Southern in
/ tercS's.
Nth regard to the clause IN the distribution scf
he would ask what were the words nj the clause ?
Were they not the'c: amy thing inconSisten; with
the provisions cf the cnmpromS So act and the duty
! Of - rer cent? These words, "inccns stert with
the provisions nj the compromise act" were not IN
serted ucsd.essy-they E1eant something; and they
were surely entitled 10 their lu import. IL was the
/ assumption Of III, fscj hist the provisions Of the
. ID. II. l..
| 20. as an argument for restoring the land fund.
| Nr WALK Err differed widely from the Senator
| from Georgia m the construction which he gave to
! the clause Of the distribution act. lie read from
the journal the propositions which he had offered to
amend the land bill. the very day after that bill had
! been laid on the table.
| He also read a renewal of the proposition on the
2Oth Of August in favor Of which the Senator from
Georgia mad voted. On the 5Ist Of August the
Senator from Georgia himself proposed o n amend
msni which he read, [page 205 207, Senate Journal
The opponents OF the distribution then went on
the grounds that no other construction should DC
liked upon the act than 20 suspend Il. II twenty per
cent DUTY on any article should Oc exceeded. What
Is i' that the Senator from GeorEin row contends
tori That by adopting the home valuation, twen
ty-hVe per cent may be imposed, and then the COM
promise act vii not be violated. lie read from the
comprom'sf act the sections which showed that the
revenue for Government VS. 10 hX the rate OF duty
under twenty per cent. hut making that the max
imun. The act shows on It's face that u was never
intended 20 raise a duty past twenty per cent. A-
cord ~ 20 the provisions o. the act the duty should
be brought up 20 twenty per cent. every article
imported. sooner than exceed IL on any article.
II the Senator from Georgia had avowed his pre-
sent construction stthe time the clause inserted
In the DISTRIBUTION bin. tha; measure never could
have been passed. He would venture 20 say that
f there was individual who gave thlt clause any
such construction, Il must have been The Senttor>
r m Georg himself. II he Is right, he MIR. W.
intended 20 bring him 20 the test on that s1biec,
and tba, test would he the test OF the Slnreme
Court Of the United 5 'aies. l., he new tarfF law
m con'em1at alton be passed; and II L is a law au-
thorzns higher mites than the limit OF the compro-
misc 1c', this distribution cannot he made. II i is
the uptemc Colu Of the United States wouii have
To decide IS authority. He DOUBTED II the Senator
would, in tina; case venture 10 appear IN court 70
make an Argument m favor OF his own construction
lie Mr. W. was quite certain the Senator from
Rhode Island, m framing MS report for a tariff bill
vi.. not rcpose on the construction given 10y the
Senator from Georgia 10 the clause IN the dis,ribu-
,io7 NV. lie wi demand .egi, alive enactment
spec fc on that point.
lie would lei the people OF Mississippi, who are
more deeply interested than any other State know
that u this du'y be raised 20 twenty-five per cent
their taxes will be raised FIVE per cent. beyond the
NIT q the compromise act, and ]: would bs seen
that no such construction as that put upon the clause
10 the distribution act ~ the Senator from Georgia
would be submitted 10 wihou, contesung the point
before the Supreme Cour, on every possible occl.
sion.
MIR BERRIEN again reiterated and enfor ed the
grounds assumed IN his former remarks.
MrLINN remarked that unless the Senate pro
eeedei to take the question on the b.l', he would
move on adjournment.
Here the debate "a mere outline OF which IS given
above, bu, which wl lie published al length as soon
as % oln ie written OUT osej.
MIR WALKER SAID that after hearing the de- 1
c.lratOu Ot Senators on the otter side that they
would adhere 70 the and bill az Oh hazards; and /
after their voting down the proposition 10 carry out
that provision Of the distribution act which sus /
pended that oct f The consequence would be nm N
creaseoi the tariff beyond 20 per cent the max I
mum OF the comp'omsc ACHE considered that n /
vote IN favor of this bill would he a vote 10 vol,te /
tie compromise act, and should therefore vote /
againstU.
The question now being. Shall no, Lill rosi7 the
vote was taken by yeas and nays, and resulted
Yeas %, nave T., as follows
TEAS-Messrs Archer, Barrow Bates Berr.eu |
Choac, Ciuendsn Evans. Gfihirn, Henderson.
Huntington, Kerr, Mnngum, Nelnck Miller.
Norehent, Phelps, Porter, Preston, Rlves, Sim.
mons, Smith Of Indiana, Southland, Spmgue, Tall.
mai-o, White, aud WooCbrdee-2G
NAGS-Messrs. Allen, Bleby, Benton. b.
clnnin, Calhoun, Clayton, Fulton King. Linn.
McBobefts Sewer. Smith Of Connecticut. Tsppan.
is. "7
So the bi'i was passed.
/ On motion, the Senate, a, halr-pas. o'clock.
Adjourned
| no >. w DIBHELL respectfully inf,rna ban. .if
hi'n1f AMI r1F'merH That boz has returned from lIs,ans