Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-12-28

: passage of laws and the adoption of all
measures, within the scope of ordinary leg
islation, beneficial TO the interests of his
constituents, come from what quarter they
Imightj and he now put the question to those
Democratic members who sat near him.
whether this is the spirit in which they
came here to act?
Mr.. d. said bis colleague and the gentle,
man from Marion, both seem to point to
the gentleman from st. Louis in terms Of
defiance forhaving said in his remarks yes
tcrday, that they dare not instruct MI
Benton out Of his seat, and they tauntng-
" declare they are the men who dare do
what their judgment decide to be right
But he would remind the gentlemen that
they were comparatively young yet and
only servants of the people; that there
were many hoary headed gentlemen then
in the House who could tell them that for
twenty-four years Mr.. Benton had instruct
ed the General Assembly Of Missouri. He
would mention there was an Ex-Governor
in the other end of the House who was
turned out of the party for choosing to
write his messages in his own way. And
he could tell the gentleman that whether
they feared Mr.. Benton or their constitU-
ents, was of very little consequence; the
instructions were any thing else than what
they were called. (Nr. Richmond rose
and asked why the gentleman pointed at
himO Mr.. d. assured the gentleman that
he was pointing far beyond him; that he
should not have observed him. if he had
not risen to interrupt him.
Mr.. d. remarked that the resolutions Of
the gentleman from Platte were any thing
else than instructions; they were temporiz.
ing, trimming, equivocal GO betweens; to
be known as instructions, they ought to be
labelled. Perhaps the novelty Of a Missouri
Legislature instructing U. S. Senators, is
one of the reasons why they are lcarcned
with a lump of such peculiar qualities, Just
worded 50 as to miss Mr.. Benton and not
hit Mr.. Atchison, leaving each one of the
Senators to act as he may please on the
subject Of the annexation of Texas. He
would remind gentlemen that this pretcnRcd
attempt to instruct Mr.. Benton, was the
introduction of counter current into the
political affairs of Missouri. Instructions
had usually, heretofore. been sent from
Washington City to this General Assembly.
The bills of pains and penalties" commonly
known as the currency bills, he would give
gentlemen then in the house who had re-
ceived publicly the thanks of Mr.. Benton
for their efforts in attempting to carry out
his wishes upon that subject. The utmost
extent to which the General Assembly had
heretofore gone was, humbly to thank their
master, for his great public services in the
United States Senate.
Mr.. d. said he felt happy to have it in
his power to announce to the house. that
his colleague. Mr.. Speaker, was, upon this
occasion. standing firm by the issues upon
this subject, made before the people of
Howard prior to the August election-that
he was still for immediate annexation" -
that he would have Texas no1c, as we learn
from the reading of the preamble and reso-
Iutons, adopted by the meeting in Howard
last summer, and read by the gentleman
from St. Louis, in his remarks on ycstcr-
day.
Mr.. D. said that inasmuch as he then
had the Hon. Senator from Howard in his
eye, he would state that that gentleman, in
his public addresses, went a step further
than the terms used in the resolutions from
Iloward-that he was in favor of the ia'-
mediate annexation of Texas, crcH if this
Government had 10 take little fght 0rcr Il.
Mr.. d. said he did not wish TO misstatc
what was the true import of the resolutions
offered by the gentleman from Platte; he.
therefore, would request that they be read.
CFhe resolutions being then read by the
Clerk)--Mr. ID. said that he had not msrcp-
resented Their true import; that although one
of the resolutions did retain the W ordS IA
the earliest practicable period" yet others
following that, still more indefinite, so i'm
paired the sense of the whole. so confused
the mind as to what we do really want our
Senators 10 do, that it forcibly reminded
him of the story of Moses-the son of DR..
Primrose, mentioned in the Vicar Of Wake
field-who, upon going to market with the
colt, found he could not get his price for
him; afterwards that he could not get mo-
ney for him at any price. and finally bar
tered him away for a case of gilt specta-
Giles. By the reading of these resolutions
it appears that our Senators are left per-
fectly free to make any sort of compro-
mise, any kind of barter, in the acquisition
of Texas; Notwithstanding gentlemen have,
throughout the whole Of the recent can
vass, written it in prcambes and rcsolu-
tons, and proclaimed it in their speeches,
that Mexico has no rights involved in the
question of annexation. The reading Of
the resolutions forcibly brought to his mind
the truth of remark, said to have been
made by Democratic member of this
House on last evening after the adjourn
mcnt "that the object of the DHTty was To