The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-10

If you are going to redeem these land bonds
the question is, ut what price ought you to re-
deem them! l stated the fact in order to sscer.
tain whether, if we paid them at all, we ought
not to specify some rate at which they should
be paid. AS am sgaiikt the bill, of course
shall not suggest any price; but we ought 10
say whether it shall be at the rate Of 90 cents OF
80 to the acre, or some other rate. If Texas
by depreciation, raised the rate to ~, ought we
not to adopt that, or ought we to adopt 30 cents
the acre, the original rate!
Mr. PEARCE. do not propose to redeem
land bonds at all, but money bonds for which the
duties on imports are pledged. 1t matters not
therefore, what the legislation of Texas has
been on the subject. If her Legislature had
passed thousand acts directing the receipt Of
these bonds at $2per acre, it would not in the
slightest degree affect this amendment. My
provision does not look to the redemption Of
land bonds, but of money bonds, in which char
acter alone it regards them.
Mr. ATCIiISON. ] have never yet been
satisfied that this Government was under the
slightest obligation to redeem or pay any part
Of the debt of Texas. II was my understanding,
when Texas was annexed, that this matter was
one entirely of her own, and that the Govern
ment of the United States had expressly relin-
ouished TO her all claim to the public lands
within her limits, and expressly declined any
proposition to pay any part Of her debt. Am
not right! Then l should like the senator
from MARYLAND, or some other senator, to show
to me. and the Senate, and the American people,
| in what the obligation on the part OF this Gov
eminent to pay any part of her debt consists
| Now, if there be none, ask the senator from
MARYLAND whether he does not complicate this
question by prescribing terms to Texas! i
we are 10 buy out a claim or title, such as SHE
has to this territory, let us do it in the ordinary
way of bargain and sale. If Texas will release
to us all her right and title to the territory spec
| fed in the senator's bill, then let the United
States pay her ten millions or some other sum
| which may be designated, and leave it to Texas
| to dispose of the purchase money in the pay
ment of her debts or in works OF internal im-
proyement or otherwise, just as she pleases. IL
seems to me to be entirely unnecessary, and to
be complicating the matter without effecting
any object whatever. | presume Texas Will
pay all her just debts, and needs no restriction
to be placed upon her by the United States in
this or any other bill. For my own part, am
opposed to purchasing one acre OF Texan terri
tory. 1t is true that did vote for and sustain
a proposition in the bill, commonly called the
the purpose Of buying Texas lands, or OF de-
priying Texas of an mere of the broad extent of
her claim; but it was for,the purpose Of buying
peace, and of settling this whole question. /
was willing to give ten millions; cared not
what was the price, so far as dollars and cents
were concerned, if peace to the country could
thereby be effected Now, if Texas has good
title to the extent of her claim, the United
States will never have any use, nor the least
shadow of necessity for her public domain,
much less for jurisdiction over it. Ii Texas
has no good claim to this territory, them sir, the
people Of the United States should not be taxed,
and money should not be drawn from the
Treasury to buy lands that do not belong to us,
or at least which do belong to Texas This is
the view of the subject which take. | was
willing, for the purpose of buying peace and
settling the whole of this question, not only to
90 for giving Texas ten but twenty millions of
dollars but l would not vote dollar for the
purchase of one acre Of land from the State Of
Texas. / am willing now, and have been
always willing, to surrender to her every inch,
to the full extent of her claim.
Mr.. PEARCE. The remarks of the senator
fN1h Missouri were not applicable to the propo-
sition which submitted. There is in the bill a
| provision for issuing stock, and there is pro-
viso in the bill for limiting the issue of that
stock under the circumstances mentioned in the
proviso. The object of the amendment is to
| perfect that proviso. II the motion had beer
to strike out all that part of the bill which re.
| lates to the issuing of stock, his remarks would
have been pertinent. hope his opposition will
be Withdrawn, and that the bill may be per-
fected.
Mr.. ATCIISON. will not throw any OPP
position in the way of perfecting the bill, but |
desire that my remarks may apply when the
proposition is made to strike out. Laughter.
MIR. PEARCE. will endeavor to remember
them when that time comes, but will not an
swer them now. On this question, which is the
form Of this proviso, if we are to adopt 1t, II
should be perfected and such guards should be
thrown around it as are necessary for the pro-
lection Of the United States, and such authority
should be given to the Secretary of the Treas
ury as will enable him to carry out the proyiso.
That is all that is now asked. If this is accom-
piished, when the proposition is made to strike
out the provision relating to the stock to be is
sued to Texas, shall reply to it.
The question was then t..ken, and the amend
ment was agreed to.
Mr.. EWING. l desire that the amendments
offered by myself should be received and printed.
The PRESIDENT. Does the senator lay
them on the table to be offered hereafter!
MIR. EWING. wish that to be done if it is
necessary.
The PRESIDENT They cannot be printed
unless the bill is postponed.
Mr.. FOOTE. Hope the senator will allow
the question onthis bill to b, taken to-day. We
are very anxious to have the California bill
taken up and disposed of.
Mr.. EWING. / move to lay the bill now be-
fore the Senate upon the table, for the purpose
of taking up the California bill.
Mr.. FOOTE. | will not occupy the time of
the Senate but moment. Iwish to say word
on this subject, though may be suspected Of
advocating the Wing policy here. may be
somewhat liable to that suspicion from the fact
that have taken my seat on this side of the
chamber, although it is really because there are
SO many Democrats that the other side is fully
occupied with them. But am not afraid to say
that, it is the duty Of the Democratic party to
give their support to the policy of the present
Wing administration on this question We have
had message from the President, asking that
immediate action may be had on this subject, in
preference to every thing else. We know this
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