The Placer herald., 1859-02-12
Speech of Mr.. Anderson,

Broderick revised and corrected from report of
the Union by himself
Mr.. A Anderson.--Mr. President: had nothing to
do with the framing or introduc ton of these re-
| solutions; and therefore l shall not be entitled
| to any of the credit that belongs to them. Nor
shall hold myself resposbe for the critical and
technical criticisms connected with them. | did
not sir, conceive them, to be very important one
way or the other, when the resolutions were in
| troduced. The records of the House should bear
me out in saying that it was not my desire to
make speech upon them. When the move for
the previous question was made, on their intro
duction, | was one of the secOnders to that mo-
ton | also voted that the Secretary of the
Senate be directed to carry the resolutions into
the other House on their adoption here. The
Senator who has just taken his seat desires to be
absolved from the responsibility Of the delay of
business consequent upon the introduction and
| the argument on these resoutiOns he desires to
throw the responsibility the parties that should
properly bear it,. Well, sir if he will do So he
may tastcn it upon gentleman who belongs to
his side of the question. My friend. the eloquent
and talented Senator from Yolo (Mr. Grifith.)
gave notice on the day that these resolutions
were passed that he would move reconsideration
of them on the following day. He did so, and
made very lengthy and very good speech on
that occasion considering the side he occupies
So, sir. if there is any time of the Legislature
consumed in these discussons-if there is any
money on the part OF the people improperly ap-
piled in paying legislators for the discussion of
this question, the responsibility belongs to the
gentleman (Mr Ballou) and his friends, All will
remember that the whole question: when it came
up last wlnter-Or, rather. the question to which
this is a sequel-that the first steps in it were
taken by the friends of the Senators from oo
aud from Butte. The history Of that matter is
still fresh in the minds Of Senators present. The
first resolution of this kind was introduced by IL
Senator from Sacramento. now no more. So that
any expense incurred and the delay 0ccasloned
to Legislation by this question belongs not to the
party in power in this house. Sir, | should not
have conceived it to be my duty, nor should
have spoken on the question at all, had it not
been for some matters dropped in the course of
this debate The first suggestion to my mind to
speak upon the question at ALL arose out of a
charge by the Senator from Iolo (Mr. Grif1ith)
| in relation to the contest carried on last Summer
| in the canvass before the people. He charged
that Senators holding seats in this chamber and
in the other house, as the delegates of the people
here, held them by dodging OF the main issue.
Now, sir, do not know OF any Senator upon this
floor who has been returned to this Senate. that
was here last winter, save Eyself and the Senator
from Mari pOSa, your Honor. now in the Chair.
can speak only for myself. The question in
volved in the resolutions of last Winter formed IL
paramount topic in the canvass of the Seven
teenth District last summer. Opposition papers
forced the issue upon us, as well rs the Senator's
IlltnuS III tUclf tOHN clltOn DN the auOptIOu OF
| resolutions These (holding up IL newspaper in
his HANDY are the authoritative documents. But
| warn Senators in advance that do not expect
to bury them under quotations. | will read first
the resolutions passed at the Democratic COnven-
tiOn of the Seventeenth Senatorial Distrct-the
county Of Placer the District that | have the
honor in plrt to represent upon this floor, Re
s0ired. That in the Administration Of james Bu-
| chanan we recognize an able. faithful and patr-
otto Chief Magistrate and do hereby approve Of
all his official acts That was done by the De-
| mocracy there. I'VE approve say they, "of all
! his official acts Now Of his official acts was
proposing to admit the Territory of Kansas as q
! State into this Union under the Lccompton Con-
stitution. And that, sir. the instructions
sent on to Washington by direction Of the Ninth
session of the California Legislature to vote for
that measure-to our Senators. Now, sir will
read the platform that was adopted by the Repub-
licans-the friends of the Senators from Butte
(Ballou) and Yolo (Grfith.) If they made an
issue upon this, apprehend that these parties
and the intelligent people OF that district (for
claim they are so) understood fairly the issues
that were before them. | will read sir, from the
resolutions of the so-caled Douglas Convention.
Mr. Anderson here read the resolutions. which
said that they could not find language sufficiently
strong to condemn the action of their delegation
in the Legislature of California that voted for the
Stratton resolutions last Winter. and that they
had full confidence in the diligence of the De-
mocracy Of Placer that they would give such
Representatives. e-lcase to remain at home.
, + He also read from the Republican resolutions
condemnng the action of the supporters Of Le-
comptonism, both at the Federal Capital and the
Capital of the State of California; He then
continued: Aye, sir this made the war-cry
throughout the State Of California. Here was
where the Conventions and Sachems of the differ
ent parties took their positions. For his part he
could say that he no where tlinched from the re-
sponsbity of his acts last Winter: Mr.. STRAIT
,,rlg h,, ,-,1t - l.
of the other branch of the Legislature travelled
through that district during the campaign with
him (Mr Az He (1r. 81 certainly received no
thing but the party vote there He certainly was
sent forth as the most obnoxious to the Opposition
because he had introduced those resolutions into
the Legislature. | know (said Mr.. Az that he
never hinched from the position. and now find
myself here elected to this place. by plurality
majority OF some six hundred votes. That sir
was the general majority of the ticket to whici
| was attached throughout that district. This is
. enough, | believe, to dwell upon of a personal
e nature | have no desire to bring this matter
|, further before the Senate than to place mysc
correctly upon the record here since persons
S have talked about this matter. wish. sir, to -ex
t anime some Of the positions taken by gentlemen
in debate upon this floor in relation to those reso
lutiOns Now here is point which the Senator
;, from Iuba (Mr. Wheeler) discusses at grea
S length; and believe most of the gentlemen upor
that side of the question are as doubtful of the
: right of instruction he is How, | ask, Mr.
President. does this form a question in this de
bate at all? or why should it be questioned? Mr.
y Broderck himself never questioned the right o
J. instruction. When he received the resolutions G
the Ninth Session of the Legislature, at Washing
ton, he did not question the right to instruct him
When he spurned and spit upon these resolution
Z the act of the California Legislature-he sim
IS ply said they were not representing the voice O
the people of California. He did not question
/ the right Of instruction, whether those resolu
l. tons were correct or not. He only said in prin
, ciple they were not the voice of the people,
q Upon that very issue he came home from Wash