The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-04-05
CONGRESSIONAL.
In the House, March 10th.
PETITIONS, ETC.


in the construction Of the Fort Madison, West
Point, Keosauqua and Bloomfield railroad.
Also, the petition Of A. Hall and 81 others,
on the same subject.
Also, the petition of E. Wayne and 81 others
on the same subject.
Also, the petition of H. E. Bradford and %
others, on the same subject.
Also, the petition OF Joseph Barker and 80
others, on the same subject.
Also, the petition of James J. Knnersly and
80 others, N the same subject.
Also. the petition of Charles Leib and 80
others, on the same subject.
Also, the petion of 5 + Julien and a. 9TH
ers, on the same subject
In the Senate, March 7th.
Pending TIE passage OF the Bill granting pub
lie Lands for the benefit of the Insane. MIR
Dodge, OF Iowa made the following remarks:
Mr. President. do not rise 10 delay a vote
upon this bill, or to interpose any obstacle to
lis passage 1t is due to its digniied and cour-
teous author Mr.. FooT,] that at least should
afford him every opportunity to bring the Sem
ate to a decision upon measure In which he
feels so much interest He is member nf the
Committee on Public Lands, aud has extended
to the business of my Stale every consideration
and favor which have asked for it. | was in
minority in the committee which reported this
bill, the only member of that committee who
was not in favor Of it The details of the bill
have been well Considered, and think are III
quite as good a shape those OF any similar
measure which has been pr, sented to the Senate.
MY obe ctons go to the principles upon which
it res s. dissent from all the reasons which
have been urged by the senators who have spok
en- in advocacy Of this measure. | regard IL as
g distribution in a worse shape than any that
was ever devised or presented to the nation. |
would greatly prefer the proposition OF the sem
ator from Tennessee, Mr.. JONES, WHICH looks
directly to the distribution OF the proceeds OF
the public lanes among the States OF the I'm
ion, and directly from its national treasury.
That has--what is very great recommendation
to me--the merit at least of holiness. ltneithsr
DISCUSSES nor covers up anything, nor does it
attempt to dictate to sovereign States what they
shall do with the means which ore placed at
their disposal,
Being unwilling TO take up the time of the
Senate, and as know my friead from Vermont
is exceedingly ANXIOUS to obtain vote upon his
bill, | will con,ert myself with saying that
sympathise most cordially with the views ex-
pressed by the two senators from Virginia, in
opposition to this measure, and those so ably
enforced against it by the senator from Mlssis-
sippi, Mr.. ABAMs,l who sits on this side of
the chamber. With these senators | concur in
thinking tina, it is highly inexpedient to distri-
butte the lands or their proceeds among the
States. When once begun cannot see where
it is TO end. Objects calculat, d to excite our
sympathy will be constantly presented, and
will be enforced, as this has been, by strong
appeals to all the more humane and generous
feelings of our nature. When once the States,
and societies and communities within their
borders, begin to taste Of this treasury pap, /
fear that their appetites will be whetteG and in.
creased by that upon which they will have fed .
The great evil in all our legislation, and it is
the evil of the times, is excess. This national
government of ours was made to conduct the
foreign affairs Of the confederate States, and
to perform certain other general functions look.
ing to peace and war, commerce, and other
great matters which could not be managed by
the States in their separalH capacity. Let it
not, then, depart from the purposes for which
it was formed aud commence the WORK
Of establishing eleemosy nary institutions with
in the borders OF sovereign States, if it even be
for the praiseworthy object Of benefting the
indigo mt insane.
1t is not within the legitimate sphere for
which this government was formed and, hav.
ing no power TO enforce or carry out the objects
which it is indirectly undertaking by this bill,
its purposes and wishes " i'll be dsreg arded and
set at nought. Funds going as these will, to be
scrambled for III the State legislatures, rarely
accomplish much good. They ere dealt with
very differently from those which are raised by
a direct tag upon the people, for whose benefit
the expenditure is to be made. Sir, the times
are most inausfcious to wise, proper, and
economical administration of our public affairs;
md one of the unfavorable symptoms which
meet US on every side. in my humble Judgment,
5 the large majority by which | know this
peesase i 3. sllned 70 pass. To get rid os sue
nsups rable objection 10 one sovereign State, 10
UGH, holding large bodies Of land within an
ther, the bill PROVIDES that the distributive
hare of each shall be received in land scrip, so
allied; which she is allowed to peddie in the
market, but not locate in her own name, and,
n my opinion, is giant stride toward what is
erncd land monopoly, than which nothing
ould entail upon the people among whom 1t
x,sts greater curse. Ten millions of scrip,
r bank paper in another form, is to be thrown
nto tine market soon as it can be issued under
he provisions of this bull This scrip will be
ought up by spectators, who will go with it
y the cord or bale to the new States and Terri
Dries, and enter the lands along the lines OF our
railroads, and in all desirable To-
alities. Its practical operation will be serious
y to diminish to the struggling poor the hene
its of homestead, which, l trust in God,
Congress will grant them at its present
ession. There is no aspect In which ! caa
rev its operation which does not appear to me
most prejudicial to the best interests of the gov
,rnment and people.
differ entirely from those who think that
his measure rests upon the principles which
,overn Congress in making certain grants Of
and to the new States, or that members from
hose States are called upon, in the exercise of
fair Iiberality towards the old States, to vote
or this measure. Thessixieen,h section, and
,ther grants made to the new States, were off
,red a. Inducements to your citizens TO en-
counter hardshps, privations, & dangers incident
o the settlement OF your distant, valueless, and
,avage territory. Some of the grants TO the new
States squint slightly towards compensating
hem for forced surrender, at the time of their
of the almost unalienabie right to
AK he property of the great landlord, who has
lhus far done little more than to recelye and
carry off the last dollar Of our citizens for land
priced at 81 Is per atre, which, cut for the la
Dor and toll OF those citizens who settled upon
and improvedi it, would never have been sold
for six aud quarter cents the acre.
But, sir, | know that majority Of the Sen.
ate are favorable to the blll and will not delay
lis passage. know what | have said is unwel
senator OF Vernon. whose patience and urban
ity all have witnessed during the somewhat pro.
tracted discussion upon this bill.
The question being taken upon the passage of
the bill BY yeas and nays, they stood-yeas %.
nays l2-as follows:
YEAS Messrs. Badger, Bell, Brown, Chase,
Clayton, Dawson, Dodge of Wisconsin, Ey.
erett, Fessenden, Fish, Foot, Geyer, Gwin,
Hamln, Houston, Jones of Tennessee, Morton,
Rusk, Seward, Shields, Stuart, Sumner, Thomp.
son of Kentucky, Wade, and Walker-25.
NAYS-Messrs. Adams, Atchison, Butler
Cass, Clay, Dodge OF Iowa, Douglas, Fits
patrick, Mason, Petit, Weller, and Williams
lie.
On motion by Mr.. FOOT, the title Of the
bill was amended by striking out the words
sand Territories" SO that it will read, +" A bill
making grant of public land to the several
States Of the Union for the benefit Of the iadi.
gent insane.
TRUE WHO AND STAUacH DEMOCRAT -
1t is ridiculously amusing to witness the sham
fight oil the Telegraph and its correspondent,
imisnamed true wing alias an aboli'i"nist in dis
guise,) "s,ealIng the livery of heaven to serve
The devil in. Huntington Ha'ckeye.
nyr,y Which 10 he ,post IN he n;4iod ~p