Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-06-11

JUNE l L, lS4S.
important bills were pressing when Mr. Cass re-
fused to vote. The Senate had Just passed the
Naval appropriation bill, when Mr.. Crittendcn
moved to take up the Irish Relief Bill. Mr..
Cass refused to vote to take it up, and his polit.
cal friends passed it over to take up the Three
Million Bill. That this was not of such press
ing Importance is proved by the fact that they
afterwards passed it over also, and it was not
acted upon till two days afterwards, and till even
the Irish Relief Bill did pass--alas too late
for the action of the House, which might not
have been the case had Mr. Cass voted for it at
the time referred to. Let me give you short
history of the matter.
On the 10th of February, Mr.. Washington
Hunt introduced bill into the House of Repre-.
sentatives, granting 100000 for the relief of
Ireland. After waiting fortnight for an OPP
portunity to bring this bill up, the friends of the
measure began TO despair of its success. When
ever Mr.. Hunt tried to get il up it was greeted
with sneers from the I.ocofoco party, who laugh
ed or coughcd it down.
Mr.. Crtenden, seeing that the Loco Focos
in the House would not take it up, and that no
Loco Foco in the Senate would do any thing to
carry the measure through, introduced n slmilar
ry. Crittenden, Mr. ]. NJ. Clayton and Mr..
Cass spoke in favor oft Mr.. Niles and Mr..
Bagby opposed it. Mr.. Crittenden wished to
have it read three times OIL one day but Mr.. Bag
by objected and it was laid over till the n.xt day.
Accordingly, the next day came. which was
Saturday. the 9th of February. The rules of
both Houses forbid any bill to be sent from one
House to the other for the first time on the last
three days of the session. As Wednesday,
March Sd, was the last day of the session, the
bill must be passed in the Senate on Saturday,
or it was lost. Accordingly, the first opportu-
nifty, Mr.. Crittenden called up the bill. AS Mr.
Cass was in his seat, and as he had pledged his
hearty support to Mr.. Crittenden in carrying
through the bill, the friends of the measure
thought it was safe. Mr.. Cass had taken the
pains to report himself, and the speech which
has been copied in the papers was written out
and sent to the Reporters by his own hand
Had the bill passed when it was first taken up,
about IL o'clock on Saturday, it would have all
most certainly got through the House. Had Mr.
Cass voted for it, it would undoubtedly have
passed at that hour, and might have got through
the House the same day The friends of the
measure knew that this was the turning point
They knew that those who were not for the bill
then were against it, and that those who did not
vote to take it up the very first opportunity, were
ed, when 10! every Loco Foco present, of the
81 Loco Foco Senators. including Gen. Cas-,
refused to vote for it, with the exception of Mr..
Westcott. Every Wing present, with one ex-
ception voted tor it; but the bill was lost by a
vote of - yeas, 90 nays.
As Mr.. Cass's name comes early in the list,
when the yeas and nays are called, he intluen-
ces others. Had he boldly answered "ayc,"
when his name was called, some five or six 9TH
ers would have undoubtedly voted with him,
who either did not vote or voted "No,' suppos-
ing of course that their leader, Mr.. Cass, did
not want to take it up, or he would have voted
"aye." How could they suppose otherwise .
When the yeas and nays were called through
and before the vote was announced, Mr.. Sewer,
of Arkansas, called on Mr.. Cass to vote. He
the whole chamber. Nj. Coco luvhcd very
much agitatcd left his own seat and went over
10 MIR. Sewers seat, shaking his own head and
Mr.. Sewers arm. as if 10 say" don't call
me out; don't expose me-" IL have made a
speech which will answer for blarncy, and
have reported it at length. This will humbug
the Irish, and don't care for the bill. Ii you
can kill it without me do so and welcome but |
have spoken and can't vote against my own
words"
Now, in the name Of every thing manly and
honorable ,whyaI this humbug and hocus pocus
Mr.. Cass was in his seat. If he wanted to
take up the bill, why did he not vote "aye -
Ifhc did not want to take it up, why did he not
vote 81 no." like man! Why all this noddng
and winking and lodging A straightforward
man is never driven to such shifts. | should
have liked Mr. Cass better had he openly voted
"no," for it would have shown a straightfor-
ward course To know and to fail to do the
right is as bad as to do the wrong.
Al. tI,t A.. az ,top
able with the death of the bill for the relief Of
ireland. Had it been taken up in the morning
it would have been acted upon that day in the
House. 1t was taken up at so late an hour that
it barely reached the House about five minutes
before the adjournment 1t was not reported to
the House till Monday, and then the Loco Foo
cos had Sunday to plot against it. Yes even
Sunday was profaned by a Loco Foco Caucus
held to plot against Charity The bill was IT,
ken from the Speakers table on Monday and re-
ferred to the committee of ways and means,
where it was quietly stranged in the Pocket Of
the Loco Foco Chairman-that fatal bourne
from which no Irish bill returns.
| must not be misunderstood as casting any
censure upon the American character nor do
question any Senator right to vote as he pleas
es only mean to protest against humbug and
double dealing. 1t is a saying of INSPIRATION
Cass was not for Us when the bill might have
been carried. He was therefore Just As clearly
against us as Senators Niles, or Dix, or Dckin-
son, only they had little more manlincss to
vote one way or 'tother. Mr.. Cass saw the
Irish poor falling into the grave. Messrs.
Crittenden and Clayton and Webster came to
the rescue Gen. Cass prolessed to join them,
but the hour came and found Mr.. Cass's party
willing to let them sink, and he moved not a
hand TO help them. lie had made speech he
refused to vote He had given them biarney
lie tnougp u,vy "",ot-. - -~",anted with
that in place of bread.
But, thank God, the day is past when pro-
fession stood for principle, and humbug for sim
cerity.-Thanks to the generous peopie of Amer
lea, help is given, bounteously for Ireland, and
no thanks to politicians for 1t. The Loco Foco
members of Congress knew that the American
people were in favor Of this national bounty
| They knew their constituents would remember
them if they voted against it but having no
sympathy for the starving sons of Ireland, they
either voted to refer it TO committees where it
would be killed, or they cowardly sat in their
seats when the friends of Ireland were trying To
get it through and refused to support them, and
BY their silence gave consent to the murder.
| o., M,,srS ('rittaulan CLAYTON Wph,