The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-07-03
CONGRESSIONAL.

l <"fs IUF tOnRftks
in the Bird District addressed the people at
this place on Saturday, the 9th inst. Col.
Smith led off In his usual felicitous and in
genious style. He thought the great ques-
lions that agitnted the country had been set
tied by the people in the last Presidential
election, and that there was now no measure
upon which the people were divided. lie
opposed the Distribution policy upon the
grounds of ineypediency; but admitted its
cons,itntionnlity, md said he would have
voted for the Arkansas Swamp Land Bill.
which coded to Arkansas - of ncres nj
the public domain, had he been in Congress
at the time Of its passage. lie was in favor
of Congress giving the public lands TO all
persons who would go and settle them, at n
price just covering the expenses for surveying.
granting titles, &C., which he argued would
not amount to IS cents per acre. Here IL
seems he joined issue with Gen. Harris, his
candidate for Governor, who mbors most
asslduously TO prove that if the State had
those lands it would cost considerably more
than the lands were worth to dispose of
them! Col Smith defended his vote upop
the compensation Bill. which increased the
salary of members to Congress, from SO per
day 70 So 900 per year, or $4,000 for the
Congressional term of two years. He said
he was instrumental in getting up and passing
that B;ll through Congress, and that if re-
elected he Iouh rote against lis repeaL. He
said, that OF all the nets of his life in the
Congress of the United States, there was M
tico in phich he gloriea more than his vote
upon the Compensation Bill and upon the
Plurality Rule, BY which Banks the Blnck
Republican was elected Speaker of the United
States House of Representatives.
Col. Heiskell followed in plain nrrumen-
tntive, convincing style, peculiarly his own
He said he was plain man. but that he hon.
ed to be able to convince his worthy compet.
tor although he might claim that IN. creni
questions which ngiated the country had
been settled, that now the day of retrbu,ion
Is at hand; and that there is n deep, living,
breathing sentiment arising in the breasts of
the people of Tennessee to annul that deri.
sion. Upon the Distribution policy Colonel
tieIskeIl was triumphant, in argument Col
Smiths policy would be unequal and unius,
in its tendency. While thousands of the
foreigners who land upon our shores would
proceed at once to our public domain and
take advantage of the provisions of his sys-
TEN, scarce dozen Tennesseans would Ienye
the endearmrnts of home and the society in
which they were raised to avail themselves
OF lis benefits. But, suppose for argument
sake, that every citizen of Tennessee should
go and receive this rich vote-catching boon,
we could behold the sublime spectacle of Il
State without inhabitants!
The public domain which Colonel Smith
would thus lavish upon foreigners, Colonel
Heskell proposes to have distributed equally
and eqnitably among the States, of which it
Is estimated, Tennessee would receive more
than 100000 of acres. From this take tn.
amount which Col. Smith argues it would
cost to survey and grant titles, and Won would
have enough left to redeem all the Bonds of
the State, issued for Internal Improvement,
and other purposes-pay off our State debit
the balance at interest would complete our
system of Free Schools, and support n COM
pptent Teacher in every School district in the
State from years end to years end, forever.
Other States are receiving their portion, will
not Tennessee ask for hers? Col. HeiskeIl
opposed the Compensation Dill and pledged
himself, if elected, to vote for its repeal. He
showed that Col. Smith had voted himself
and received 1921 for every day in the year
including Sunday, whether in or out of Con-
gress, and $500 for every 20 miles travelling
to and from Washington City. Or, ms the
two Sessions oicongress only embrace twelve
months of the two years for which member
is elected, he showed tina, Col. Smith rereiy i.
cd $i6,42 for every day he actually served
the people in Congress.
Respectfully, RoANE.