Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-02-23
OF PUTEAA-FRIDAY DEBATE, H
or REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. STANTON, said :

! Mr.. STANTON, said:
Mr.. Speaker:-There is certainly no one who re-
spscs the interests Of the citizens of Putnam county
more than l do myself, but sir looking back to the
fact, that Putnam county has been lsBed down once
FOR the want of sufficient to constitute her o
county, without infringing upon her sister counties
| and having even been contested by suis second
time, and almost quashed for want Of sufficient ter
riOry cannot cast vote to trim that county down
any smaller, when is dangerous her existence
as s county. Nov sir, know nothing Of the ncon-
veuience that those few citizens labor under up there
ia that corner, but sir, can form some opinion Of
/ the Inconvenience aRd great damage that might re-
suit to the whole Of the people of Punsm county in
! consequence Of her reduction below the oonstitu-
/ tionsl requisite Of area You begin to trim that
county down. and perhaps in less than twelve months
suits may be instituted against her, involving her
very existence and thus if not break down and de-
stroy the enterprise aud improvements ofths county,
would at least retard and impede her progress to an
| extent incurable by many years.
Sir, while | decidedly in favor Of the right Of
petition upon the liberal construction while
believe that each and every constituent Of any mem
Der on this door have perfect right TO be heard
through petitions, memorials and Inconsistencies
still do not believe that the right Of petition can be
so eXtrsvagantly construed grant them every
tAing that they ask, through such petitions, for pc
ujOner5 ask for some very unreasonable fsVors.
And am very far from the opinion thst few oti-
zsns have right 50 ask that, the interests whole
county should be endangered OF na38rded merely
for slight convenience that might be established to
a few or to a minority SO small Nov sir, these oit-
liens ought to put their Inconvenience in one eud OF
the scale and the probable consequences of damage
70 tho whole Of the county in the other end, and
weigh them, and decide according to the prepon-
dersnce Of importance. This house should st least
thus consider Of the proposition. Again, sir, have
conscientious scruples involved in this matter for
an sworn TO support the constitution OF this State
sad that constitution requires certain number Of
square miles to constitute county, and when
vote 10 change lines between counties, when know
that 10 might reduce county below its constitutional
limits, disregarding the said constitution to an
extent somewhat inconsistent with the oath have
taken. l hope, therefore, that if those gentlemen
(the petOuersl will not excuse me for other reasons
they certainly will not hold me reprehensible for
taking such a course, as BY my conscientious con.
7ictiOns I an forced to take. Sir, l represent a
large portion Of the county of PuAam and although
DO not lire in that county, sl its people have my
strongest and Warmsst sympathies, and feel as
much bound to defend aud protect her rights and
interests, as l do that OF Jackson county have
seen and witnessed the strength Of that county, to
sustain and defend her own rights And 1 know
the infeTibility Of her determnations-the energy
Of her PopulsuOn-the prospects Of her enterprises
and the identity Of the interests Of her constituents
with her existence So q county; sUd 1 cannot be
blamed fOrusiDg every possible effort to prevent any
thing, calculated to weaken her permauence. Ac-
eOrdlng all kind Of justice TO the motives Of the Pc
titioners must in view Of the obligations resting
upon me- be permitted to record my vote against the
amendment.