New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-29


after tbe session opened, rose to quesaon OF PRIV
l.ee and offered resolution OF eenfure upon 'en'
Sinner of v. Y for eadeavoring yesterday 20 M
reach the character Of members Of III, House, un'
der pretense Of getting up Committee Of invest
g,,ion. The Republican members allowed hm 70
proceed without interruption, because LIS resoiu'
bon necessarily embodied Gen. Spinner resolution,
and would thus bring that before the public and
place il upon The records Of the House. f0r the
same restOn they allowed hun TO spread himself IN
characterize speech OF much bitterness, uhoer
some portions Of which his more Discreet associates
grew restive while the Republicans requested Nun
10 GO on and display himself To his fu extent, me
elst OF bis defense VI Mr.. Bright Engiish ana toe!
he said could take care of tbeuseves) was that me
Council Bluffs transaction was fair and ordinary
business oIe which the vile and malicious press was
striving 10 dstort for partisan purposes. tie was
wiling, be taid that committee should DC raIsed
TO investigate the charges against Messrs. Enslsn
and Foley and TO investigate his own charge agansI
Gen. Spinner
Mr.. English made what be termed plain and
ubvarnished statement of the facts in the case lie
and his colleagues, Foley and Bright, bad located
certain land belonging TO themselves and TO some oil
their constituents through the agency oil the zen.
eral Land Office, and In strictly legal and usual
manner. There was no iavorltlsm nor was tnere
anything Of an underhand nature in the transaction
1t was all fair and square. In conclusion, he said
that if any man ON this floor elseEhe imputed
10 him any other than worthy and patriotic mo-
tyes for bis coHrse on the Kansas bill, he would de-
nounce him "a a lar pOltroOn and coward
Gen. Spinner in reply said be was not satisfied
with the gentlemans explanation. He thought the
transaction was wrong.
Mr.. Campbell of Ohio said be should move to lay
the whole matter on the table. 1t was evident from
81 t,fE Snipn
Offering the resolutions good. he desired
simply to know whether or not Senator'S and Mem
hers of Congress were to have, through the Land
ofice, advantages in purchasing public lands which
we're denied to common people. Attic end OF MIR.
Campbel's speech the whole subject was laid upon
the table with little opposition.
Mr.. Engsh's statement does not touch the point
really involved in the question raised By The Bur
hngton Haukeye, and which Gen. Spinner wished
TO have investigated He admitted bis share in the
transaction at Council Bluffs, maintaining, by asser-
ton that it was fair and ordinary business matter,
with nothing unusual about it. The charge IN The
Burlington Hduk,ye was that the lands were To-
Gated by special favor, out OF once hours, al tunes
when ordinary purchasers had not access to the
Office. and thus to their disadvantage, by giving
Bright, English and Foley preference against
which the law and the practice of the Land Office
sedulously guards. The charge is, in other words,
that when the Land Office at Council Bluffs opened
on the 23d of February last, the quantity of land
open TO the competition of the public was o. 200
acres less than it was when the Office closed the
preceding day. In the interval out Of Office hours,
200 acres had been located in the of Messrs.
Bright, English and Foley, to the detriment of the
actual settlers, who could only locate during regular
Office hours Mr.. English did not deny the irregu-
larity of the proceeding in this point.
Your remark in THE TRIBUNE of yesterday thai
had Mr.. Howard accepted Mr.. Hills amendment,
when made. the postponement Of EnglIsh's bll
would have been decided on Saturday, may, | fear,
be construed into an imputaton on that gentleman.
He did accept Mr.. Hills amendment when first
made, but Mr.. Hill subsequently modified it, and
the Speaker decided that the modification was an
amendment TO an amendment Hills FIRST motion
was to postpone to next Thursday week, which Mr.
Howard accepted. Finally, amid much confusion
Hill changed tie time to the second Monday in May
Correspondence Of The NJ Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, April 81, 1858.
All the false pretenses which have been set up
BY English and his followers, that the LecOmpton
Constitution was in any manner, shape or form
submitted by the new "swindle" which has been
reported from the Conference were efectually ex-
ploded in the Senate to-day by the clear, frank
and emphatic exposition of Mr.. Hunter, member
of the Committee, aid one of the foremost leaders
of the Democracy. lie said distinctly and repeat
edy, in the most positive and unqualified terms,
that the bill of the Committee like that of the SEN
ate, affirmed the validity and authority of the Le-
compton Contribution; that both acknowledged its
binding obligation; and nothing else was submitted
or intended 10 be submitted but o modification of
the land ordinance Tie only difference between
tho two bills was the fundamental condition that
the Government property should not be taxed, IN
consideration of which three millions Of acres OF
land were granted, if the ordinance should be ac-
cepted. Both acts fully and entirely on principle
do not recognize the right TO submit the Constitu-
ton to the people, regarding it perfect from the
hands Of the Convention. This bill merely said 10
the people of Kansas: You must cede away the
taxing power over the property OF the United
States 6s condition of admission: if not you must
stay out for three four years, until the popua-
ton was equal TO the ratio OF Representations
Herce the ordinance and nothing else was sub
mitted. We do no such thing, said Mr.. Hunter, as
submit the Constitution, and intend no such thing.
Other motives may operate on those who accept II,
but the bill authorizes no such inference. mOdl-
fed contract, from that proposed In the ordinance
accompanying the Lecompton Constitution, was
offered and nothing else. Congress mad no power
TO change or pass on it in any other FORM And the
consistency Of himself and his friends was fully pre-
served when they rejected any submission.
Ills was the SUBSTANCE Of what Mr.. Hunter said,
and almost in his very words 1t conforms pre-
cisely with the opinions which he expressed in pri
waite before the report made, and literally with
the view taken in my Geographic dispatches. Mr..
Green and Mr. Stephens entertain similar senti-
mepts. and they ought to be able to interpret the
work Of their own hands. Mr.. Hunter is high
minded and honorable man, and does not mean that
either biz own people or the country shall be cheated
by any srtifce. He is determined, too that North