The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-25

| me TO allow them to reclaim those lands that
are now valueless, and are rendering good lands
valueless, | say will not do it myself but
| give my assent that they may do it and am
not ashamed of that IcheerfulIy said to them
You may ditch those lands, drain them, dyke
them or do anything else you choose with them
l think, in doing that, was acting the part of a
faithful fiduciary, looking to the right and inter-
est Of the United States, in the public domain.
If was not, however, it does not affect the ar
gunent at all do not believe in that sort of
political morality which will make right out of
wrong and make you less and less sinner,
in proportion to the number of sins you CON-
nit That is the fashionable political morality
of the day Drive schemer TO the wall pin
him down to the Constitution, and convict him
of usurpation, and no seeks dissolution in some
imputed act or opinion of General Washington,
or Mr. Adams, Mr.. Monroe, or somebody else
That is not my political creed. Convict me of
usurpation, and will ask pardon Of my God
and of my country, and will do so no more
But because have given vote which the gen.
tIeman from Tennessee llr. JoHNsoN] doubts
"a vote allowing Missouri and Arkansas and
Louisiana to take and reclaim swamp lands
which nobody can live upon
Mr. JOHNSON, Gnterrupting) made remark
inaudible to the reporter.
Mr.. AVERETT If you will bring in all the
benefciaries Of your homestead bill, and give
them fee simple in these swamp lands pre-
sumo my friend from Missouri, and the State
which he, in part, represents, would cheerfuly
acquiesce.
Mr.. HALL. Certainly would.
Mr.. AVEREiY. He answers that he would
And Arkansas and Louisiana would doubtless do
the same.
Mr.. JOHNSON, (interrupting.) Altogether,
think $4,000, 900 is worth getting.
Mr.. AVERETT. The public lands belong to
the United States. The Constitution gives
Congress power to "dispose of, and make all
needful rules and regulations respecting the
territory or other property of the United States"
But they do not stop now at needful; who ever
dreams now Of needfuI? remember Quaker
ess--a benevolent Quakeress--who came here
with petition, before Congress, to make do
nation Of public lands to the States. For what
Why, to cure insanity. Well, if donation of
the public domain has been ascertained to be
specific for mental alienation, | think the first
dose ought to be administered to Congress-
But, seriously, where is the power given, in
the Constitution, to take jurisdiction over the
insane? Where do you find the power in the
Constitution to cure insanity?
To Show how this latitudinous doctrine is ex
tended | will alIude TO the arguments used in
support of Miss Dix's bill to cure insanity with
land. When my friend Mr.. BIssELL] came to
make his argument at the nstgation of the be-
nevolent Quakeress, what was it! Why he
defied US to show that there was any thing in the
Constitution to forbid the passage Of her bill !!
Yes, with all air of triumph, he said, defy any
man to show in the Constitution of the United
States any power that forbids us to do thus and
so with the public domain. Well we might
have met the gentleman upon his own doctrine
But really had thought as Democrat, that
before the constitutOnalty of measure could
be established, that it was incumbent upon the
friends of that measure to show the grant of, the
power in the Constitution Now, ask, is the
contrary the doctrine of the Democracy in this
tho day of "progress IF so, Mr. Chairman,
am no Democrat. You of the Granite State,
and of Old Virginia, never learned any such
Democracy as that No, it is incumbent upon
the friends of a measure to show that the power
to carry out that measure is given in the Consti-
tuition.
But, as | said before, might have met the
gentleman Mr.. BlssELL upon his own ground
The Constitution forblds the exercise of any
power that ia not granted, and that is not neces-
sary to the carrying out of a granted power
And repeat, that the power to cure insanity is
not expressed in the Constitution. No man can
say that such power is necessary in the per-
Torrance of anylegtimate function of this gov
eminent. 1t is, therefore, not only unauthor-
lied, but prohibited. Sir, you might as well
give the public lands to the overseers of the
poor of Halifax, in my district, as to Miss Dix
The power is not vested in You to do either. 1t
is an outrage upon the genius of our institutions,
to make this government board Of overseers
of the poor. Think of it. Do we sit here to
dispense charities? If so, you pamper govern
ment pets who haunt your halls, and, either in
] person or by proxy, seek special favors at your
I hands. Sir, | represent rural district tax.
| paying, not a tax-consuming constituency, who
have never been beggars at the footstool of this
government. In pamperng your pets, you rob the
people whom serve; and as their representative,
| solemnly protest against your homestead bill,
and every other measure of like character. The
pets of the government, and those in their SER
vice. who lounge about the capital, and metro
politan hotels, are exertirg an efficient and dele
FERROUS influence, through the public press and
otherwise, upon the legislation of the country
State and national. These are the men who will
be benefited by your sitting here to perform
the functions of overseers of the poor. In the
name of God, where do you get the constitu
| tonal power or the means to administer chart
( ty! This government "neither tolls nor spins :"
it earns nothing, but squanders millions
| Whence come those millions? That ques.
ton if my humble voice shall be heard, shall
go forth to the tax paying, toiling multitude
! They shall see to whom, how, and at whose ex.
pense, your charities are administered. When
you go to one of the pretended benefcaries of
your homestead bill--a homeless widow-no
sir, no such word-no honest person in this
wide country is homeless When you 90 to
the sons of a poor widow, living in the old piny
lands of Virginia or Maryland, or any other
part of the United States, and ask them to vote
upon measure administering charity by this
government, ] hope they will learn enough
about the matter to tell You indignantly that
you are "robbing Peter" under the pretense of
giving to Paul, when in truth you are robbing
both. To enable you to riot in governmental
extravaganza, and dispense your charities, you
tax the poor widow and laborer at the rate of
thirty cents in every dollar of their dealings in
sugar, salt, working toolg, cooking utensils, and
almost everything else for fosd, raiment, or lux
ury, that comes from abroad. Yes, sir, thirty
cents in the dollar of our denlinps in goods