Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-05-12
SPEECH or COL. BENTON ON THE NEBRAS.
IA urIY.
Delivered I'm the House OF Repre-.
sentatives, Tuesday, the s5th day
ofAprii, 1854.

Delivered In the House or Repre-.
sentatives, Tuesday, the 25th day
cfAprii, 1854.
THIS BILL COMES FROM FREE STATE.
Mr.. Benton spoke rs follows: II any
bill 10 impair the Missouri Compromise
line of 1890. had been brought into
this House by member Of slave
State. or under the administration Of a
President elected from slave State, l
should have deemed il my duty to
have met IL at the threshold, and IN
have made the motion which the par
liamentary law prescribed for the
repulse OF subjects which are not 6t 10
be considered. / should have moved
its rejection at the first reading. But
the bill before US. for the two may be
considered as one. does not come from
that quarter. IL comes from free
State. and under the administration Of
a President elected from a free State.
and under the aspect OF iis origin. |
deemed il right to hear what the men,
bers of the free States had to say to it.
II was proposition from their own
ranks. to give up half the Slavery
Compromise Of 1890, and If they
chose To dos so. did not see how south
ern members could refuse TO accept it.
Il was free State question, and the
members from the free States were the
majority and could do as they pleased.
So stood aloof. waiting to see their
lead. but without the slightest inten-
ton of being governed by it. had
my own convictions ofright and duty.
and meant to act upon them. had
COME into political life upon that COM
promise. l had stood upon it above
thirty years. and intended to stand
upon Il to the end. solitary and alone.
ifneeds be--[applause and laughter]-
but preferring company to solitude, and
not doubling for an instant what the
result WIS TO be.
Ihave said that this bill comes into
Congress under the administration of a
free State President. but l do not
mean to say or insinute by that remark
that the President favors the BILL
know nothing Of his disposition to-
wards it. and if did, l should not
disclose il here. 1t would be unpar-
liamentary and breach of the priyi.
leges of this House to do so. The
II n.
Presidents opinions can only be made
known to US by himself in message in
writing. In that way it is his Eight
and often his duty to communicate
with US. And in that way, there is no
room for mistake in citing his opinions,
no room for the imputation of contra
dictory opinions to him, and in that
way he becomes responsible 10 the
American people for the opinions he
may deliver. All other modes OF
communication are forbid to him as
tending to an undue and unconstitu-
tonal interference with the Freedom
of Legislation. 1t is not bribery alone
attempted upon member which con-
stltutes breach Of the privileges oI
this House. Its any attempt to ope-
rate on a members vote by any con-
slderatlon OF hope or fear, favor O,
affection, prospect of reward or dread
oil punishment. This is parliamentary
law, as old as English Parliament.
constantly maintained by the British
House of Commons, and lately declar
cd In most signal manner. 1t wa.
during the reign Of our old master
George Ill, and the famous case o
Mr.. Foxs East India bill. A repor
} as presented to Parliament by one O
Lords OF the Bed Chamber, stating
! that the King was opposed to the bill
that he wished il defeated, ant
! had said that he would consider an
!. member his enemy who should vot
forit. The House Of Commons too
hire at this report. and immediatel,
resolved:
That TO report any opinion or pre-
: tended opinions of his Majesty, upo
any bill depending in either Hous
OF Parliament. is high crime an
a misdemeanor, derogatory to the hone
O ot the crown, breach of the funds
|. mental privileges of Parliament. an
subversive of the Constitution of IL
q country"
le This resolve was adopted in a fu
House by majority OF seventy -thr,
votes. and was only declaratory
n seventy-three votes, and was on
D declaratory Of existing parliamental
10 law such as it had existed from Il
time that English counties and bol
oughs first sent knights of the shi
- and burgesses to represent them in Il
Oh Parliament House. Ii is old Englii
~ parliamentary law, and is SO record,
BY Hatsell, and all the writers on th