The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-02-18
ENTEACTS FROM THE
Speech Of Mr.. McClernaEd,
OF OIS.

Delivered in the House of Representatives
Jan. 10, 1918, in defence of the admins.
tra,ion of President Polk.
But, sir, time presses, and ] must pass OH
more rapidly Early during Mr.. Folks ad
ADMINISTRATION, the question of the repeal Of
the law distributing the proceeds of the sales
of the public lands among the States. came
up for consideration. This measure origi-
mated with the great man Of Ashland, mir,
Claw who continued to urge it with his tai
ents and influence. until il obtained the sane
ton Of Congress. General Jackson, with
different view of public policy, regarded the
measure as Of dangerous tendency. and
therefore, arrested lis contamination by the
Executive veto. We all rec ollect the fierce
partisan war that was waged against the
''Od Hero" for this act, and how he bore
himself triumphantly in the contest. Thus
defeated, the measure remained imperative
until 1871; when "Fcderal Congress" ex-
humed il from the grave, and galvanized il
into n sort of quOHdGm rickety existence.
Tradition tells us that distribution. and that
other shori.lived and execrable shape, the
bankrupt .mir, came forth as twin and de-
pendant offspring of the same adulterous pa
rentagc. They came forth as the formidp-
BILE shapes that sprang from the brain of Lp-
ciier to guard the gates of He'll:
"The one sccm'd woman to the waist, and
fair;
But ended foul in many n scaly fold,
Noluminous and vast "a serpent arm'd
With mortal sting: about her middle round =,
\ cry of cll-hounds never ceasing bark'd
With wide CCrberean mouths full loud, and
rung crcep,
A hideous peal; yet, when they list. would
1t aught disturbed their noise, into her womb,
And kennel there"
Such was the image of that frigh,ful NOR
nj prodigy, the bankrupt law, with its foul
aud double features OF voluntary and invol-
untary bankruptcy; which Knocked at the
faith of contracts, and afforded n sanctuary
for near fifty thousand debtors against the
demands oitheir honest creditors; the enor-
nifty of which soon brought upon its authors
the necessity of repeating it-of committing
sort of political iniantcide.'
"'rhe other shape, Tuonc,
If shape il might be called that shape had
DistinenishOblc in member, joint, or limb;
Or substance might be called, that shadow
seemed,
. What seemed his head
The likeness of kingy crown had on"
This, sir, was the likeness Of distribution,
with its shadowy and conditional operation
to dispcrse the proceeds Of the sales of the
public lands among the States, when the rev.
enuc from imports. taxed certain maximum
rate of duties, should prove sufficient to sup
port the Government. This measure was
Objectionable on many accounts. II was
Objectionable, because its tendency was to
perpetuate n land system which has already
drawn more than SlOOOOO.OO0 from the in.
FAINT communities OF the west and southwest.
rs the price Of the homes they have found
in the wilderness, and dignity by their cour.
age and patriotism; which has drawn from
Illinois alone more than SlO,OO0,0OO, and
which, aggravated by distribution, would
tend to degrade the States TO the character
of mendicants at the throne OF Federal pow.
s1he aggregate amount Of debts given IN.
under the bankrupt law, was S)36,570,aoj.
66; the aggregate amount Of property sur
rendered by the debtors was SS5,3l5. 1850 IL;
aud the aggregate number Of creditors given
was ,21G,GS9.