Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-05-20
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

May 4.--The House went into Committee On
Territorial business.
The bill to establish the Office Of Suryeyor-Gcn-
eral' and granting donations to actual settlers in
[ tab was taken up.
When, on motion of Mr. DISNEY, the first Sec
ton was amended to read, to every white male
citizen OF the United States, or every white male
citizen above twenty-one years Of age who declared
his intention to become citizen, and who is now
resident of the said Territory, or who, prior u
January |, 1858, shall remove to and settle in the
said Territory, and continue to reside therein shall
be donated one hundred and sixty acres of land, on
condition Of actual settlement and cultivation for
not less than four years.
Mr.. BERNIIISEL (Utah) moved to strike out
the following proviso That the benefits of this act
shall not be extended to any person who shall now
or at any time hereafter be the husband Of more
than one wife.
Mr., HAVEN IN. ~ hoped the amendment
would prevail He did not desire by any legisla.
ton to recognize any such imputations as that.
Mr.. LETCllER (Na) thought it would be well
to let the proyiso alone, The only objection was
the Committee did not apply the restriction to the
three thousand year, lilo could not see why that
officer was to be allowed half dozen wives while
the restriction is to be applied to actual settlers
Why should they be punished? Laughter.
Mr.. DAVIS Or. l.. saw no morality in making
the distinction in the provso rs the word white had
the colored man. lie would as soon that Utah
with its polygamy, should come into the Union as
that slave State should be admitted. The former
was not great concentration of evil as the lat
ter, which allows promiscuous concubnage.
| Mr.. SMITH (Va.) said it surprised him to hear
q gentleman who was never in slave State dis
coursing en- cathedra on the character of the inst
tuition Of slavery. The gentleman spoke as though
n common and indiscriminato sexual intercourse
exists. He would have the member know the tic
of marriage is in many respects, and to q greater
extent, rs sacredly observed among the negroes Of
the South as among the people from whom the
member comes. lilo did not hesitate to say the
crime Of incontinenco is as rare in any southern
State as in tho great State of Rhode Island. II
the member was prepared to justify q man having
as many wives as he can maintain, let him go home
and Justify himself before his constituents
Mr.. COBB (Ala.) desired to PROFOUND question
TO the delegate from Utah. Does tho gentleman
think that this proviso would impose hardship on
any considerable number Of people residing in the
Territory? lie believed it was a wholesome pro-
vision that no man should have more than one wife
at one time.
Mr.. BERNHISEL replied it would operate on a
considerable number Of the people Of Utah. The
more wives man has the more lands he needs
TO support them Laughter.
Mr.. GIDDINGS (0ho) said they should deal out
the same measure of justice to all. For weeks and
months from tho commencement Of the discussion
on the Nebraska question till now, not southern
man had spoken but who had censured, condemned
and repudiated all attempts 10 interfere with the
domestic institutions of any Territory. He did moi
understand this changing Of position first TO tht
right then 70 the left at the command Of some drill