The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-14

The Republican vote, with a solitary excep.
ton, was given solid for the bill.
| OF the Northern members, connected with the
Democratic party, twenty-nine voted for the bill
and six voted against it.
Thus, of the entire Democratic vote in the
House, large majority was against the bill, but
even this is less important than the other fact
that the Southern wing of the party was almost
unanimously against, it being this Southern
wing which controls in the party councils and
which, when out-voted in the House, has other
departments of the Government, the Senate and
the President, with which it is more powerful and
by means of which it has so far rarely failed to
defeat measures, however popular and beneficial
which it dislikes.
The homestead bill had now passed the House
by decisive majority, but it had yet to encoun-
ter the more dangerous ordeal of the Senate, in
which the Democratic majority was larger, and
in which the representation of the slaveholding
States is proportionately greater
No direct vote upon the bill was, in fact,
reached in the Senate. The Southern managers
would not permit direct vote, and it is pro-
posed to show by what methods they evaded it.
At that stage of the session, the Senate is the
theatre of almost daily contests for the priority
of business, it being in the power of the majority
at any time to lay aside all pending or assigned
business, and take up any bill which they desire
to act upon.
There are thus two ways of killing off obnOx-
ious measures. One is, to act upon them and
vote them down. Another is, 20 overslaugh
them whenever they are proposed, by proceeding
to consider some other business This latter
method is invariably resorted to where a meas
ure, obnoxious to majority of the Senate, is
supposed to be acceptable to the people And
it was precisely by this method, and for that rea-
son, that the homestead bill was run over, showed
aside, evaded, and lett Enacted upon, by the Sen
ate during its late session.
For proper understanding of the proceedings
by which this overslaughing of the homestead
bill was accomplished, it is necessary to observe
that two other subjects-viz the regular appro-
priation bills and the bill for the purchase of
Cuba-were being pressed upon the time of the
Senate during the last days of the session, and
both Of them commanding the support of the MAJ
purity of that body.
On the nth day of February, Mr.. Wade, Of
Ohio, page 1914, moved to postpone all prior
orders and take up the homestead bill, which
had passed the House. The following extracts
from the debate upon this motion will exhibit
the points made:
Mr.. WADE The homestead bill, to which
am Il good deal attached, has, believe, twice
passed the House and come to this body, but
somehow it has had the go-by, and we have
never had direct vote upon it here that |
know Of | do not propose to discuss it for a
single moment, and hope none of its friends
will debate it, because it has been pending be-
fore Congress for several years, and | presume
every Senator is perfectly well acquainted with
all its provisions and has made up his mind as
to the course he will pursue in regard to it.
have no hope that anything could say would
win any opponent of the bill to its support ;
and | hope every friend of the measure will
take no time in debate, but will try to get a
vote upon it, for think it is the great measure
of the session. All | want, all ask, is to have
a vote upon IL.
Mr.. REID, of North Carolina. | think it is
too late in the session now to take up this bill
to be acted upon here, at least until we act
upon other great measures upon which there is
more unanimity of sentiment in the country,
and higher sense of duty upon US to pass them
during the few days of the session that remain
Mr.. HUNTER of Virginia believe that
fortnight from to-day will take us to the Sd of
March. Now, it is known that we have nearly
all the important appropriation bills, and one
that is unfinished, To take up. hope there will
be no effort to press this homestead BILL so as
to displace the appropriation bills. must appeal
to the Senate to consider how little of the session
is now left to US, and whether we ought not to
take up the appropriation bill and dispose of it.
Mr.. SHIELDS, of Minnesota. The friends of
this bill desire nothing but vote upon it, not
to waste time in debate. Let US take it up,
and have fair vote upon it.
Z" Mr.. HUNTER. / do not conceal the fact that
am very much opposed to it, but | suppose,
whenever this bill comes up it must be the
subject of debate.
Mr.. WILSON, of Massachusetts,. | appreciate
the anxiety d the Senator from Virginia to take
up the appropriation bill +; but | would suggest
to that Senator that he allow us to take up this
bill, and have vote upon it. ] do not sup
{ IN hn ia in of tba
measure, desires TO consume the time of the
Senate, at this stage of the session, by discuss
ing it. 1t has been discussed before the nation.
1t is we'll understood. | believe it is sustained
by an overwhelming majority of the people of
the country.
"Mr. WADE. | have no doubt, from the bust
ness before us, that this is the last opportunity
we shall have to act upon this great measure.
hope, as | said before, every friend of it will
stand by it until it is either triumphant, or de-
feated, and that, too, in preference to any other
business that may be urged upon us. AS to
the appropriation bills, have not the least fear
but that they Will go through. Their gravita-
ton carries them through"
The question was then taken, and Mr. Wade's
motion was carried by the following vote, the
Republicans being indicated by italics:
YEAs- Messrs: Bright, Frederick Chandler CoHdD,er,
Diroa, Dolihe FSseudeH F;ot Foster, Gwn IEae HamIin
Harlan, johnson Of Tennessee King Pugh Rice S,tI,i
Shields, Simmons, smith, Stuart, TumbuIi, Wade and
NAYY-Mcssrs. Allen Biyard Benjamin Bgler Brown
Chestnut Clay Cngman, Davis, Fitch, Fitzpatrick Green
Hammond Hunter lverson, Lane Mallory, Mason, Pearce
Reid, Shdel Toombs, and Wards
Upon an examination of this vote it will be
seen that the Republicans voted unanimously in
the affirmative, and that the Southern Senators
were all in the negative, with the solitary excep-
ton of Mr.. Johnson of Tennessee, who is a self
made man, sprung from the people, and with
no personal connections with the slaveholdipg
aristocracy of his section of the country OF the
Northern Democrats, Gwin, Bright, Pugh, Rice
Shields, Smith, and Stuart, all being from the
new States voted for Mr.. Wade's motion.
The homestead bill was now up and so far as
its friends concerned, nothing was asked
but vote, which would not have consumed ten
minutes. Bnt a vote was precisely what the
Southern managers were determined to avoid
Instantly, therefore, upon the announcement of
the success of Mr. Wades motion, which brought
the bill before the Senate, Mr.. Hunter took the
floor and moved that il be set aside, so as to take
up another bill, viz: the diplomatic and consul
lar appropriation bill.
No question of order was raised upon this mo-
ton of Mr.. Hunter, but it was well characterized
as " chitdS play" to move to get aside bill, in
stantly after vote to take it up.
Pending some conversational debate upon Mr.
Hunters motion, the hour of twelve o'clock ar
rived, and the Vice President decided that the
Cuba bill, having been assigned for that hour,
was the subject pending before the Senate.
HereupOn, Mr. Wade moved to postpone the
twelve o'clock order and continue the consider
alton of the homestead bill, and this motion pre-
vailed by the following vote:
YEAs-Aessrs. Bell, Bright BrodeTck Chandler CLARK
COl!amer, Dron, DoOaie, Douglas Durkee EiSeRder F
F'er Ifae Hamlin Harlan, Johnson of Tennessee King
Pugh, Rice, Sel0dTd Simmons smith, Stuart TTun,bu Wdde
and HISon-27.
NAYsMessrs. Allen, Bates Benjamin Bieler Brown CLAW
Cngman, Davis, Fitch, Fitzpatrick Green CiWn Hammond
Hunter Iverson johnson Of Arkansas Lane Mallory Mason