New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-21
Congressional.

| left, be not having yet determined whether to
/ lose foreign or Know Nothing influence in New
York. He (Sfr. Wade) thought it was required
of him to say that on that day the Senator
from New York and the Senator from North
Carolina, both having occasion to be absent,
had agreed to pair off, and had requested N
| to say so when the vote was taken, but he had
/ omitted to do so.
/ Petitions on various subjects were presented
| Mr.. Sumner presented the petition of the
| citizens of Windsor county, Vt, praying the
abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the
| Territories
| Mr. Bright introduced bill granting land
to Indiana for railroads therein.
| Mr.. Jones, of Iowa, from the Committee on
Pensions, reported bill granting pension to
| the widow of James Batchelder, lately killed
while aiding the Marshal to execute the laws of
| the United States in Boston.
| Mr.. Jones said the committee was edually
| divided on the form of the report to accompany
the bill. He presented paper agreed to by
/ himself and Messrs. Williams and Clay.
| Mr.. Sumner presented paper containing
| the views of himself and Mr.. Seward. Both
were ordered to be printed. I'd
| MIR. Rusk submitted a resolution, that from
and after Monday next the Senate meet daily
at II o'clock
Mr.. Clay objected, and the resolution was
laid over. @@52
lHe homl sleAu blll was tnen TAKEN up.
1 The question pending being on Mr. Chase's
amendment to give the benefit of the bill to all
foreigners now in, or hereafter TO come to the
| United States, Mr.. Chase addressed the Senate
| in support of the same. 54
| Mr.. Bayard said he would vote for it, because
there was as much justice in giving land to all
those foreigners hereafter to come here as to
| those now here. s5-- tH
| Mr.. Clay said he would vote for ill., to avoid
/ into %ho >or
mitting perjury, by swearing they we're here at
the passage of the bill.
! Mr.. Wade then for an hour addressed the
Senate in support of the bill, and of his col
| leagues amendment.
Mr.. Brown followed, in long written speech,
| in explanation of q substitute he intends offer
ing for the bill. His substitute is an extension
of the pre- -emption privilege, allowing settlers,
| after actual occupancy and cultivation of land
for number of years, to get patent there
for by paying q small price. The price to be
4 regulated by graduation scale.
Mr.. Jones. of Tennessee, addressed the Senate
| in support of the bill, and against Mr. Clayton's
motion to strike out the 9th section. He said
| the United States now owned seventeen millions
af acres of unoccupied land, and he held it to
be the very best policy to give fraction of it to
those in the country who had none. Itwas emf
nently calculated to promote the general well
fare of the whole country. At first sight, it did
| appear unjust that foreigners should be allowed
equality in going upon these lands with our own
citizens; but, upon reflection, the objection did
not amount to much Suppose foreigners do 60
there with our people, they are fellow settlers,
and by their labor and cultivation, they are OF
assistance and benefit to the American settler,
! and, by doubling the number Of settlers and
the quantity of land in cultivation, they ad :
vance the value of the land of the American
| pioneer. If they go first, and the American
follows, the latter will find the forests cleared
settlements made, ami many of the hardships
of early settlement obyiated. 1t was too late
now to raise the objection. In 1850, Congress
passed, without objection, bill granting to
4 every settler in Oregon, if single, 100 acres, il
married. 800 acres, upon no condition but that
he cultivate the same for four years. That
same act gave the same quantities of land IL
any alien who, at the time of the passage o.
the act, had declared his intention to become
citizen, or who would do so within two year.
thereafter. During the last winter, the Senate
had passed a bill granting land to settlers il
New Mexico, containing an exactly similar pro
vision respecting aliens to that contained in th
Oregon bill. That bill was not acted on in the
House, but that body passed similar one
which came to the Senate in june last, and was
passed by the Senate without single objection
within the last two weeks, and is now the Law
of the land. Where were these gentlemen VIII,
make war upon the homestead bill because o
this provision, when those bills passed. If they
allowed them to pass, it was too late to objec
TO the same now. ~
Mr.. Clay said those bills applied exclusively
to Territories and not to the States. While b.
could justify his vote granting away the lands il
the Territories, he could not do SO respecting
lands in the States. 5A @
Mr. Cass said that the power of Congress owe
> the public land was the same in the States as il
, the Territories.
. Mr. Jones said it was undoubtedly so. ]
striking instance of the combination of differen
sentiments against this bill was that the Sen
ator from Alabama saw great injustice in grant
a ing homesteads in the States, and could approx
\ the same thing when done in Territories, an
r the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Adams) VIII
: sat at his side, intended to offer an amendmen
E eonfning the gifts Of land to the limits of tn
States, and denying the right to take land in th
: Territories. Hereviewed the arguments agains
i the bill, and answered them.
7 Mr.. Clayton replied at length, and in supper
! of striking out the sixth section. In the cours
! Of his remarks he said he was opposed to draw
T. ing any distinction between citizens on accoun
J. of their birth or religious opinions. He was FIRE
to say he was opposed to repeal of the natural
+ ization laws, or any change of them. lie wa
perfectly satisfied with them as they were Blu
s he could not help regretting to hear remark
tall from senators, e&altlnS foreigners as some
r. thing above the native eitizeus, and DRAWN
distinctions between them, to the disparagemen
of the latter. Such remarks were calculated
: more than any thing else, to rouse the feeling
!. Of the American people, and to swell the rauE
Is of those organizations called Know Nothings,
t hundreds of thousands.
Mr. Dodge, of Iowa, asked the Senator |
ls name that Senator who had made remarl
1 drawing invidious distinctions in favor of ii
's foreigner against the native. If the Senate
meant that he had done so, directly or indirectly
tliI he denied it in toto
% Mr. Clayton said he had no reference to an
b particular person But as the Senator ha
~ noticed the matter, he would remind him that
ID few days since the Senator had styled thos
Z, whom he had called Native Americans or Know
:. Nothings as contemplate, etc The Senator we
'y knew that that organization have, within th
q last few months, carried every election whic
;, had taken place in the cities of the countr,
= Though he was not aware of what the prime
sp p pies, or the objects, aims of that organzs
%, ton were, yet he submitted to the Senate
ns as whether party who could thus triumph
every election were to be considered contemp
ible Their strength showed they were not col
bs temptible.
Nd Mr. Wade made brief reply, when the bi
was postponed. IS
:. Mr.. Badger submitted resolution, suspend
of ing for tomorrow the rule which sets apa
/ Fridays for private bills, which was agreed to