The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-20

new compacts with States First assuming that com
pact proposed be made. he then denoancss il a. an
the to make such compacts and boldly challenges
the production of the power He excsims thus:
''If right in the views which have presented 10
the Senate follows that this bill ought no, and
even If IL Were TO pass should be glad to know whence
is proposed in the BILL with Of Missouri II the
money belongs to her we ough, to pay 70 her and let
poses that the leg of that State shall first pass
declaring their acceptance OF the money There 10 also
Congress- that the whole OF this fund shall be faithfully
appied under the direction OF Missouri, tho rail-
Sate,he Pacific and Missouri railroad and the railroad
nave we 10 make any such compact9 Z"
well ne wants to know what right we have to make
ms compact assuming that the bill remained as il was
posed railroads in Missouri to be unaerable without III
consent OF Congress Upon that assumption although il
has vanished will answer him, that get it from the
same place that the author OF the bill for tho distribution
Of the proceeds of the sales OF the public lands got
the power to make the new eopaefs with the States
OF Alabama and Mississippi, in paying them back their
two per centum and entering into compacts with them
to be unalteabe without the consent OF Congress, TO lay
il out in making the particular roads specified in those
compacts Here are the acts
SEC H. That the two per centum of the net proceed.
OF the lands sold by the United States the State of Ala
bama since September lsI9 reserved by compact &C.,
the hereby is reinquised said State payable
in two equal ensalmsns the first May l. is42.
second on May /, lS43 far the have
accrued and quarterly as the same may hereafter accrse
Proptdfd That The legislature OF said State shall first pass
an act declaring their acceptance oi said Tenqushment,
ana also provision to be unalteabe without
fund shall be faithfully applied under the dirsc-
ton OF the legislature OF Alabama the connexion, by
waters of the bay Of Mobile the Tennessee rver
10 The construction OF continuous line OF internal
Point, in Georgia. the Alabama in dirsc-
ton 10 Jackson Mississippi"
This is the Alabama compact taken from that bill for
which the from Kentucky once stood the exu-
ing father The Missouri two per bill was copied
from 1t and the Mississippi act, which the same
BILL contained the same provision for the payment of the
two per centum to her. and with the same compact ex-
pressed in this provso:
"Provided, That the legislature said State shall first
declaring their acceptance of said reinquish
embracing provision, be unaternble without the
sent OF Congress that the whole Of said per
fund shall be faithfully applied the construction Of rail
road leading hom Brandon, the State of Mississippi,
eastern m be boundary m Of said State the directory near
cry, in the State Of Alabama"
hope the senator is answered to his satisfaction,
as to the power to make these compacs In the first
place. the compact IS not now In the bill in the second
place. when il was, il was copied from his section
n favor Of dong the same thing for Alabama and Mis-.
Mr.. CLAY Mr. President, took no part in the pre-
mlnary proceedings this morning, either express any
sentiment or TO vote because, the hand did
desire deny the from Missouri the benefit of
his bill because il decided the other day
nor on the other hand did wish to TO be anxousto
violate an established principle Of parliamentary law and
TO give to The senator from Missouri the privilege OF an
exposition OF The motives which led him TO ask leave
any other senator the privilege of reply wish avail
myself for few moments OF the privilege which has
thus been extended 10 me-
do not purpose 10 go large into the long and elab
orae argument of the senator from Missouri but beg
leave, IN the first place, TO him matter of fact
and | think the correction will show TO the senator
the propey OF more caution his part in the assertion
OF tiacts The senator stated that the speech recently
made by me IN opposition TO his BILL and published in the
papers OF this city, revised by That is not the
fact | never it from the time it delivered until
read in the morning papers, when il first appeared.
very rarely do very rarely have in former years.
revised the speeches which made-perhaps too seldom
for the poor reputation which may have in the country
With respect TO the speech which the senator quotes
having been made by me in 1925, am unable to assert
W neither did or did not revise 1t.
In making these explanations wish il 10 be distinctly
understood that do not mean 10 shelter myself by the
fact OF not having revised my last speech, against any
supposed opposition of opinions which the senator has
10 deduce from the comparison OF the two
speeches claim such shrinking privilege. The
great dispute between the from Missouri and my
self is this A compact was formed with various States
pedging, in the instance Of Ohio the per fund
carry the road TO the State and through it, but all the
other instances pedgng the general government to apply
The two per cent fund at It's own discretion IN roads
ing 10 those States-lndiana, Illinois, and Missouri
The argument OF the senator IS, that although the Cum
berand road has been extended eight hun
ded miles il has not been carried directly up TO the line
Of Missouri. My argument, the other hand, was,
that the whole two eenlum TO be expended under
IN constructing roads leading TO those States, and that
Congress TO be The Judge OF the place where the road
should commence; and that from the terms OF the com
pact il manifest that it not intended the road
should begin at the State from the State but it
begin somewhere else and lead TO the State contended
that the general government the faithful execution of
his stipulation, had exhausted the whole two per cent
und OF all the four States, and that the exhaustion took
place before The road reached yandala the seat Of
government OF Illinois. have contended therefore,
that the general government has honestly endeavored TO
carry ou, ITS contract and that II has failed TO carry the
road TO the line of Missouri has been not because OF
indspositon to fulfil the contract but because OF the
exhaustion of the fund out OF which the object was to
be accomplished
Now il the senator from Missouri be right that there
is imperative obligation the general government 10
carry the road up the line Of Missouri, whether the
two per cent be expended not what ought TO be his
proposition Not TO ask 10 be refunded exhausted
und every of which has been spent in the prosecu
ton of the object OF the compact but il should be to in
roduce bill 10 compel the general government TO extend
The road from Yandaa the eastern bank of the Msss
spp without regard TO the two per fund But the
ito instead of asking the execution OF the compact BY
he extension OF the road TO the line OF Missouri. which,
rs showed the other day. would cost perhaps, not
$50 900, asks wbatl Why that fund which has been
more than three four times exhauseda fund that il
lot in the treasury fund which been expended in the
ulhlment OF the compact, with the knowledge of Mis-
'out, with the concurrence Of her delegation in both
houses OF Congress-sbaIl he restored to the State.
And now with respect to the terms OF the compact
The says il is not any road which, in the judg
nent of Congress, may ba fl TO make that was auinoi
zed to be made by the compact II any SENATOR VIII
AXE the trouble to read the language OF the various s
ns,ons made in the compac.s with the several States ne
will find that in every of them the language thai
the two per centum i 10 be applied 70 ne consucuon OF