New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-03
xxxI-t CONGRESS-. second Session.
sENATE.... MAsuNcroN, Thursday, JAN ?.

SENATE. WASHINGTON, Thursday, jan p
Mr. WALKER presented the petition OF ~ ctl,
zens of Pennsylvania praying for the repeal OF
the Fugitive Slave Law-reterred to the Judi
ciary Committee.
Mr.. GwIN introduced bill providing for sur
vey of the Public Lands in California
The Senate took up the General Calendar. Inc
first business in order was the bill TO provide for
fertilization of Ship Island, oil the coast OF Mis-
sissipp
JET. DAVIS explained the bill and it was or
dered TO be engrossed
The Bill for the relief of Ira Day OF Vermont
and the Bill granting pension TO Herbert II. Booley
were severally considered and engrossment or
-deEed.
ton about removals from office was taken up and
Mr. Bright then addressed the Senate In defence
of the inquiry made by the resolution and partl-
cuarly examined the causes stated tor the re-
moval of Gen. Lane from the post OF Governor OF
Oregon
Mr.. BRIGHT said no charge mad been made
against Gen. Lane, except by certain tempe.
rance lecturer whose letters were embelllshed
by the comments of one Horace Greeley, whose
name and whose paper were equivalent 70 terms
of reproach wherever the principles advanced by
that paper were known. He examined Gen. Tay-
lors report of the battle of Buena Vista, in which
the conduct of the Indiana Regiment was GEN.
sured and defended Gen. Lanes condemnation
of that censure. He did not believe Gen. Taylor
removed him for any such conduct. There could
be no cause for his removal except his democracy.
Mr.. EWING desired to reply, but not having Ger.
tain documents with him. was not prepared; and
on his motion, the subject was postponed to Mon
day next.
The bill to ascertain and settle private land
claims in California was taken up.
Mr. BENTON opposed the whole system pro-
posed to ascertain titles to private land claims In
California; he gave the history of the settlement
of California and of the nature of the grants made
by Spain In order to induce the settlement OF tnat
land he pictured the aversion OF the Spanish peo-
pie to lawsuits, and their preference 10 giving ap
their land sooner than go to law. This bill re-
quired that every man holding land should make
bis claim good against the L nited States in their
Courts, and these Courts were tribunals of the
United States. This was unjust. California was
settled about the same time that Kentucky was.
Suppose Kentucky had been an independent ma
ton, and had been conquered by us instead of
California, would Kentuckians submit to have
their property declared pT1ma fac,s void against
the United States and would they submit to
have themselves obliged TO prove their titles to
be valid against the United States in three seve-
raj Courts, and this too at great expense and
trouble2 He had prepared q substitute tor the
whole bill. His substitute proposed that these
land titles should be first collected and for that
purpose provided for a Recorder OF land titles
whose duty it would be to collect and record all
the private land titles This could be done in one
year. An abstract OF the titles should be sent on
tow ashngton by this Recorder and the District
Attorney should examine these; and if any should
be deemed invalid, the claimant should by sclre
facidS be called on to clear up his titles. His
substitute further proposed that the judgment Of
the Courts below should be conclusive against
the United States, in all cases, with one excep-
ton. He was disinterested in this matter, and
so was Col. Fremont. His substitute was re-
ceived and ordered to be printed
Mr. GwIs said that all persons in California
were in favor Of the mode proposed by his bill
The bill, as it now stood, was prepared by him
self and his colleagues of the House Of Repre-
sentstives. He read a letter written by Col.
Fremont, to show that he too was in favor of the
principle of the bill. The Senator from Missouri,
on former occasion, bad declared that the bill
would despoi the inhabitants Of California Of all
their property. This was q serious charge for It
was that the delegation from that State were here
deyisipg the means OF robbing their own constitu
ents. He thought the Senator made the same ar
guments three years ago and at the last Session,
and he believed the Senator, more than any other
person, had delayed action in the settlement Of
these claims.
rBEEToN said that now and henceforth he in
tended to let no incorrect statement of what he
said to go without imm ediately correcting 1t. He
knew enough of his duty and the rules Of decorum
to know,that he could not charge the Senator and
his colleagues OF the other House with robbing
their constituents. He had never said so. He
had spoken OF the effects of the Bill, but had said
nothing about any individual He could conduct
a debate without going into personalities He
explained Col Fremonts letter as applying
wholly to a claim Of his own.
Mr. GwIN replied, discaiming all intention TO
impeach the motives Of Mr.. Benton or Col Ere
mont, and the subject was postponed till to-
morrow. After this the Senate adjourned.