The weekly independent. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss) 1848-1853, 1848-03-18

grains OF allowance, but when its
GoRGoN form is attempted to be cloak.
ed under the garb of honesty and
fair dealing, | regard it with no 9th.
er than the profound est feelings OIL
loathing and contempt. The open
repudiator is at least entitled tc
credit for his manly disregard of the
opinions of the world. but this clan.
destine system strips its author Of
even that seeming virtue. and leaves
him barren of redeeming quality
Sir, the history of this bill has placed
a blot on Mississippi Legislation that
will "never OUT" and ! now warn
gentlemen that the day is near. when
the spectre Of the murdered amend
ment Of the gentleman from Mar
shall, twill rise to scar their eyeballs
nor will it down at their bidding"
But Mr.. Speaker there is yet an
other reason to me. paramount to al
others, why this bill should not pass
The 9th section of 7th article OF the
constitution says mo Law shall ever
be passed, to raise a loan of money
by the State, or to pledge the faith
of the State for the payment or re-
demption ofany loan or debt, without
first passing it by majority of the
members of both Houses. taking the
yeas and noes thereon, then publish
ing it for three months next proceed
ing the next regular election, in
three newspapers in the State, and
then referring it to the next sue.
ceeding Legislature" Now, I ask
gentlemen, if the Legislature appro>
PIRATES these lands to the payment
of the Planters Bank bonds, if the
State will not be indebted to the in
ternal improvement fund in the
amount of the bonds taken in, accor>
ding to the provisions of this bill .
If so. | will ask what pledge is CIV
en- for the payment of that indebted
nessl Is it not the faith of the
State? II not, this Legislature is
guilty Of rihing that fund, for the
faith of State is the only pledge in
the power ofthe Legislature 10 give
for its payment. So that taking
either horn OF the dilemma, the Lee
gislature is travelling beyond its
prescribed bounds. BY avoiding the
wreck of ScylIa, gentlemen will be
swallowed up in Charybdes. But
we are not left in the dark as to
which dilemma gentlemen are placed
in who vote for this bill, for by its
provisions there is an Indebtedness
by the State acknowledged to the in
tcrnal Improvement fund. for the
payment of which the faith of the
State is pledged. Then it is clearly
an nfraction of the constitution. for
all will agree with me, that its re-
QUESTIONS for pledging the faith of the
State to pay debts. have not been
complied with Nor can any gems
tlemen avoid this constitutional re-
lection by the assumption, that this
bill only shifts the Indebtedness of
the State. For if | owe A. one
thousand dollars. and borrow the
money from B. topay it, do not ere
ate an indebtedness TO B. for that
amount. as much as if | borrow it for
banking or any other purpose?-
Then it is clear that if the State
takes the internal improvement fund,
with which to pay these Planters
Bank bonds. she thereby becomes in
de3ted to that fnnd, as much as
though she took it for bankingor any
other purpose ofspeculation; nor can
the reiped distractions of the gen.
tlemen show otherwise. than that
this bill, both creates an indebted
ness, and pledges the faith. of the
State for its redemption.
We are asked by the gentleman
from Carroll, Gen. Whitmore,) in a
very triumphant air, as though he
thought his question unanswerable,
why this Legislature, if it does not
intend repudiating the Planters
Bank bonds, will not take them for
the internal improvement lands =
! will answer that gentleman by
propounding a few simple interrog-
atories to him. And first. does not
that gentleman know that these
lands are trust property, the State
being trustee! And does he not
understand the rule Of law, familiar
to the merest tyro in the profession,
that trustee is not permitted to pur.
chase at his own sale, or take his
own paper for trust property! Then
| would ask that gentleman If the
principles in this bill are not viola
tive of all the rules governing trus-
tees. But | will answer the gentle
mans interrogatory in another way.
He told us but few days since. that
in reference to the interests of the
State, he as Legisl ator, would OBJ.
serve the same rule of action as he
would il, his private affairs. Now,
Task hat gentleman ifhe would con-
slider Planters Bank bonds a good
and sa fe investment tor his indivdu-
al furdsl If he is willing TO sell his
estate, taking in payment therefor
those bonds at part If not, his inter-