Washington sentinel., 1854-04-28
House Of Representatives.
PUBLIC LANDS.

The House resumed the consideration of the
bill heretofore introduced by Mr.. Bennett, grant
ing lands 10 the several States of the Union, to
aid in the construction Of railroads and for educa-
tional purposes.
Mr. DISNEY. in the course of his remarks said
that our public domain is vast in amount; and he
doubted exceedingly whether any man now living
can appreciate its value in the future, considering
the teemng millions who are to nhabit it, and
that it is the most solid basis of credit in time OF
peace, and one of the most effective sinews in
time of war. For the last sixty years the public
domain has been preserved intact, but now new
era was proposed TO be lnaugurated, by which this
invaluable treasure of the federal government is
TO be taken away, and the principles which have
hitherto governed the public lands destroyed. BY
the graduation bill, should it become law, the
value Of the lands now in market will be reduced
in value to the extent Of fifty millions of dollars.
AS to the bill which has passed both Houses,
voting lands for the benefit of the INDECENT insane,
he stood upon the report which he had made in
opposition TO it, considering that it was not only
impoitc, but unconstitutional, thus TO appropriate
the public domain.
He then proceeded to speak Of the bill before
the House and to reply to Mr. Bennett, saying
that he intended to gibbet that gentleman's report,
not one fact in which had been proven, and that,
after he had done so, he doubted whether the gen
tie would attempt to put his hand on the carcass
10 take il down. He criticised the report until
the expiration of the hour; saying in the course
of his remarks, that the general government has
never yet except in the cases of grants of lands
TO the deaf and dumb asylums Of Connecticut and
Kentucky, made naked gift 10 the States, until
the House of Representatives set the example
the other day.
Mr.. PERKINS, of Louisiana, moved that the
flrthhr consideration of the subject be postponed
until Tuesday next.
Pending this question, on motion the House re-
solved itself into Committee Of the Whole on
the state Of the Union, Mr.. CHANDLER in the chair,
and took up the bill making appropriations to sup
ply deficiencies for the fiscal year terminating
June 30, 1854.
NEBRASKA.
Mr.. SMITH, Of Virginia, proceeded to speak
on the subject of the Nebraska bill. He asked
how il was that gentlemen from the same section
as himself were found in opposition to this mea-
sure, and how it was that gentlemen had hurried
into the debate before the bill was taken up, TO
manifest their opposition2 Nothing was better
calculated to excite his surprise and provoke his
astonishment He was particularly astonished at
The remarks of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
HuNT,) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
CuLLoM)
Afterarguing the unconsttutionaty of the Mis-
souri, act of 1920, he said up 10 the revolution
there was no agitation of the subject of slavery,
which prevailed throughout the provinces From
the close Of the revolution until 1918, all was
peace, and kindness, and brotherly love. Here
and there fanatic and petition, but these
did not even disturb the general surface Of society;
the element of discord was introduced in the year
1919 on the application ofthc State Of Missouri for
admission into the Union. And what was the
consequence The gentleman from Missouri Mr.
BENToNl said, the other day. that since there
has been peace, peace; but he Mr.. SMITH said
there has been peace from that period. Did
they not all know that distinguished man Mr.
j. Q. ADAMsl stepped down from the chief magis
tracy and agitated this question, saying. soonei
than stop agitation he would see FIVE millions o
southern hearths drenched in blood And did not
the gentleman from Ohio Mr. GIDDINGsl say tn
II was lawful in effect, for the slaves of the sou
TO say the children and wives of their masters
Mr.. GIDDINGS, rising, said the gentleman mis-
presented him. He had never alluded TO the wive:
and children of the slave owner.
Mr.. SMITH replied that would have been in
suiierable and that for the resolution the gentle
man introduced on that occasion, he was made 4
retire from his seat and received the rebuke of th
people
Mr. GIDD1NGs remarked that the rebuke sen
him back
Mr. SMITH. Sent you back with dminisbe
majority oftwo thousand, and ever since Won hav
been afraid to repeat the experiment
Mr. GIDDlNGS further said, his majority wa
increased.
Mr.. SMITH responded that the gentleman,
majority was four thousand but he came bacl
after having been expelled, with only two thou,
and The gentleman, too, had the grace to as
him but, instead Of doing this, there was ger
erallaugh
Mr.. GIDDINGS. The proposition was nc
MT. SMITH. But by your colleagues, pr,