The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-06


tutons of the South as a war against the Lord
of Creation: the colored man being inferior To
the white intellectually and mentally, and
who he said is an entirely different being. He
was proceeding to show the decrease in the
number of free blacks, compared with slaves
when his time elapsed.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL %
The House then resolved itself into a Com
mite on the state Of the Union, and took I'M
the Homestead bill
Mr.. Brown, of Mississippi, who had the floor.
spoke in favor of the principle of the bill The
Government of the United States, he said. was
the largest land owner in the world. and Con-
gress had from time to time disposed of the
public lands in various ways and with general
approval. This being the case, and there be-
ing no question as to the power of Congress, he
maintained that there is nothing unconstitu-
tional in the bill before the Committee. The
bill he considered as not only expedient, hut as
calculated in various ways, to which he allu-
ded, to promote the general welfare
He expressed himself in favor of that policy
which would people the public domain and
give homes to the homeless; and instanced him
self rs proof of what may be done by perse-
verance and industry, being the son of a squat
ter, and having risen through successive Offices
to be Governor of Mississippi, and stood there
the defender of the bill.
Mr.. Parker, of Indiana, went at some length |
into a definition of his position with reference |
to the recent Wing caucus, which he said was |
called merely to determine upon the time and
place of the meeting Of the said convention. He
disagreed from Mr. Stephens 40 70 the want of
determination at the North to maintain the
Constitution, but conceded with him in his OBJ
iecti0ns to the action of conventions, and. for
his own part, said he would vote for no man
as President who was not true 10 the Compro-
mise
Mr.. Mllson, of Virginia, said he should not
make any allusion to the Presidential election. |
but should confne himself exclusively to the |
bill before the Committee, and the usages of |
constitutional law.
The Committee then rose, and the House add
journed.
THURSDAY APRIL 80
The rules having been suspended the House
resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole,
and took up the Homestead bill
Mr. Walsh, of Maryland, who had the floor
from Yesterday, addressed the Committee He
said he endorsed the action of the seceders
from the caucus recently held in the Capitol to
the fullest extent He traced the history of the
establishment of new States and the acquisi-
ton of additional territory, to show that a sys-
tenn had invariably been pursued by which
the South was degraded from the time of the
passing of the Ordinance of 1887 down to the
passage of the Compromise act; whose insti-
buttons were thus kept within prescribed limits
beyond which they must not travel.
The doctrine of State Rights, he said, amount
AL,k- -, L.
where it exists. He said he would support no
man as candidate for the Presidency, who
did not own himself to be in favor of the Com
promise measures.
MIR. johnson, of Tennessee, advocated the
constitutionality of the bill before the Commit
tee, and commended that those who maintained
its unconstitutionality had voted for appropra-
tons of land which were liable to the same OBJ
jectons. He commended that Congress possess
ed the same power to grant lands that it has
to appropriate money, and considered the OBJ
ject in increasing territories is the settlement
and cultivation of lands; having acquired
these, it became the duty of the General Gov
eminent to settle them, and thus render them
productive He insisted that there is nothing
agrarian in the measure under consideration,
the effect of which, he said, would be to in
SiN"'V viz iONNhuci w Vii"phhS PVtooho ~
their industry to pay those taxes which at
present it is out of their power to do.
The Chairman here stated that the hour
having elapsed to which debate was limited
Mr. McMullen, who reported the bill, would
have an hour during which to close the debate.
Mr.. McMullen took the floor, aud said the
bill had been so fully, fairly, and ably debated,
that little remained for him to say in conclu-
sion He then contrOverted tho arguments
that had been adduced as to the unconsttu-
tionality of the measure
He concluded by referring to the political
aspect of the country and considered the time
which had been spent in political dispositions
rs detracting from the character of the coun-
try; at the same time expressing his cen ve-
ton that the Democrats had the power of
electing for President one of their party, and
said he would vote for no man who would not
pledge himself to maintain the Constitution
The Committee then rose, the Chairman re-
ported, and the House adjourned.
FRIDAY, APRIL 80.
Mr. German, from the Committee on Print.
ing reported resolution authorizing the print
ing of $4,000 copies of the mechanical part of
the Patent Office Report, for the use of the
House, and 1000 additional copies for the use
Oh tuc tOilllIllhSlOHtT vi IuttUtS.
Mr. Clngman said that before he voted on
this resolution he desired to be informed who
was to do this printing, and on what terms
He was very much surprised that 30 much time
had elapsed without the House being apprized
what arrangement the Committee on Printing
had made for the execution of the printing of
the House. There were rumors--he could not
say they were true-that the Committee had
o,iva tho pr,ptpu NJ m, I'D ,c d
cent upon the terms for which responsible men
had offered TO do the work
Mr. German said that this was the usual
resolution and he would call the previous ques-
ton.
Mr.. Clingman moved 10 lay the resolution on
the table At the suggestion of Mr.. Houston.
however, he withdrew the motion until after
the House should determine the question on
the demand for the previous question.
The House then refused to second the de- |
mand for the previous question--ayes i6, noes
The resolution was postponed until Tuesday |
next
The House then went into Committee of the |
Whole, (Mr. Stuart of Michigan in the chair,)
and proceeded TO consider the private calendar
The Committee, after being in session two
hours and half, rose and reported to the
House the following bils, with the recommend
alton that they do pass
A bill for tho relief of Osborn Cross, of the
United States army.
Senate bill granting relief to John A. Me-
Cav, of New York.
A bill for the relief of Patrick Cas-
A bill for the relief of William II Wells, and
others
The question being on the cngrossment Of
these bills,
Messrs, Moore Of Pennsylvania, and Flor.
ence stated, as they had not been able TO OBJ
tain the floor TO give their views on the Home
stead BILL and as they would both have to