The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-23

\ known 10 tnc 6Cnaxe t5t1t Os00OrtVW 10 U&V&
to take up the civil and dipIonfstic appropriate
/ H. and proceed with it until 1t is dispose W
tits known IN us al that we have executive
business enough to occupy the Senate one week
applying to it all Of the ordinary sitting hours
we give to public business. Unless We can dis
pose of some essential and important public
business to-day in executive session, il seems 10
ME that the consequence viii be- already sug-
gested that there will be necessarily an extra
session between the close of this and the com
mencenlent Of the next session Of Congress-
| Now, sir hive stated ihis and ii the Senate
intends to proceed with this bill, and occupy the
whole day with it, well and good. | shall be
content, and cheerfuy take my full share in
throwing away SO much of the day may be-
convenient. But if the Senate chooses to go
into executive business and dispose Of il, shlll
prefer To do so. With the view Of asrertaining
the sense of the Senate upon this subject, move
to lay this bill upon the table.
Mr. BRIGHT. ! hope the senator will with
draw that motion.
Mr.. BADGER. merely wish the sense of
the Senate.
Mr.. DOUGLAS demanded the yeas and nays
Mr. BERRIEN. hope this viii not be con-
sidered test question.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. shall give up all hope OF
the BILL if it is defeated now.
The yeas and nays not being ordered, the
question was taken upon the motion 10 lay npon
the table; and resulted upon division, ayes, 10,
noes %.
So the motion was rejected.
The question recurring upon the amendment
submitted by Mr.. WALKER, the yeas and nays
were ordered.
Mr.. BENTON suggested that The amendment
made nc exception in favor of pre-existing con
tracts. which lie deemed to be proper 10 be ex-
cepted.
MIR. CASS. | want 10 say few words upon
the passage Of this measure. As TO the granting
OF grautIes TO actual settlers in Oregon, pre-
pared to go as far as any man for believe we
are called upon TO do it by every just considera-
ton. II adds 10 the power, to the stability, and
10 the wealth of the country. | am likewise pre-
pared, as have before said, upon a suitable occa
sion, to grant to actual settlers tract of land un-
der proper restrictions. believe there is more
important consideration in this country. be-
lieve men are worth more than and and land is
only valuable when possessed by men for pur-
poses Of improvement and cultivation,
With respect To the proposition of the senator
from Wisconsin, cannot vote for it, II is TO me
a Wilmot Proviso. think it is one of those ques-
lions which should be left to the internal legisla-
ture-which people should determine for them
seves. believe we have no right To inter-
fere with that than with any other question Of in
terna legislation. 1t is application to to put
such aprovslon upon our own grants TO the States.
We could not do it. We could not control the
lands. The question must be left to the people OF
the States and territories to determine for them
selves. For myself, as member of State, am
in favor of the homestead exemption. | am in
favor Of that kind Of provso. ! believe that the
widows, families, wives, and children, should be
protected by the Sate-should he protected
much as possible against the inpr0vdence or mis-
Of he. nd and G,fh er hal hey
among the most valuable creditors Of the
State, In this point of view, my own State. in
the recent constitution proposed-and | trust II
viii be adopted--have established that provision,
as a wise, judicious, and humane one. do not
commit myself as to detai.s-as to this or that
amount-but the general principle am in favor
Of ; and as have said upon another occasion,
am utterly against this Congress putting its finger
into the great business of the Internal legislation
of any people, Stale territory; and find no
authority for it liz the constitution.
Mr.. HAMLIN. feel under the obligation to
renew the motion which has just been made by
the senator from North Carolina. | move to post
pone the further consideration of this bill until to-
for the purpose Of going into executive
session. There is proverb that says, " Save me
from my friends" and think this bill might well
exclain in that language, ''Save me from my
friends. ("
Mr.. DOUGLAS. ] hope that motion will not
prevail, This bill has been up several times, and
would have been disposed of IN moment or ia o,
had not motion been made, just were COM
ing to vote, to postpone it. lit is now post
poned, all this debate is lost, and you have to-mor
row occupied Will, il. We can now finish the bill
in few momenis and think the best way to
husband our time is to stick to one BILL and pass
it or defeat it before we leave it. | hope the mo-
ton will not prevail,
MIR. BUTLER. lfthere is to be no further de-
bate, | am ready for vote; but believe we have
nominations before us, the discussion Of which
sill take up nearly all the time of this Congress,
The question being taken upon the m,ion to
postpone, i was rejected upon divison-ayes
Mr.. WALKER. To obviae the objection of
the senator from Maine, | wish to say that there
is a bill now before the Senate, which believe he
has been advocating in which he takes the very
reverse ground to that which he has just aken.-
IL is the bill which the senator from Illinois has in
charge. There the exemption is express, that the
land should not be charged with the payment of
any debt incurred by such officer soldier prior
to issuing the patent.
In answer to the senator from Michigan, have
only to say that if he is an advocate of donations
to actual settlers, with proper checks, he says,
perhaps the time will come when he will see the
favorable moment to establish those checks.
deem this as a proper time, and therefore have
offered this, and shall vote for It,
Mr.. BADGER. Lest my vote upon this
amendment should be misunderstood, the yeas
and nays have been called, wish to say n word
two. do not entirely concur with the views
expressed by the senator from Michigan with re-
gard to the right or power to interfere with the
internal regulations of this territory IL is well
known that entertain the opinion that have
the largest power 10 interfere with the government
of our territories. We have IA right to do us we
please with the.n,
But | cannot concur in or vote for the amend
ment proposed by the senator from Wisconsin,
for u REASON to which wish TO call his alten-
ton In the early lime of our English fore
fathers, lands were protected from alienation.
They seem TO have been entirely protected, and
various conlrivances were resorted to by legisa
ton to keep lands in the families in which they
were once found. The free spirit of that country,
through the ,judges-and when it could reach and
influence the leg slative body, through the legisa
ture-has been engaged in an effort to disentangle
the land from these incumbrnces, to make it Il
subject of free disposition, and so far IS the ars
tocratic notions of that county will rmit, To
make it amenabe to the payment of just debts.
| think that progress in the right drection
and ] not for taking step backwards to-
wards those mes when the interests of a mans