The Feliciana Democrat., 1859-03-12
THE IIOUMAE SMUGGLING" AFFAIR.

The Washington correspondent Of the New Orlcan,
True Delta under date Of Feb. 2i thus writes:
WE have delegation here from Louisiana III bn.
half Of the settlers the lIoun,- claim Who havp
rather shown the knowing ones that Philadelphia
lawyers were 40 wlar''-tlat il took Louisiana Scn.
alor- 70 " fix things up"
lhls last y the tnlk among members Of Congress.
c''izrns and strangers and the wnrmn sympathy Il
manifested for the settlers ally represented hare
I hy Mrssrs Romanlcr. Tilloison. and Fred " Hart
he m mortal Of The settler. was presented Oh Mon
day by the Vice President, aud was referred to the
Committee on Private Land Claims and came lp be-
fore that committee on Tuesday. Four or five mem
bers which Constitute the committee were present
W. Mrssr. benjamin. Polk, Shields and Dnrkec.
me claimants were represented before the committee
ny their delegates, Tillot.pn. and Hart and the Hon
Miles Taylor. Nj. Taylor addressed the committee
IN speech of about half an hour with most telling
effect. and Mr.. Benjamin will never forget it, lie
stated that he owed IL to himself and tha committee
to place himself right upon bill which had passed
AT the last session of Congress purpnrting to locate
certain confirmed private land claims in Uxsourj
Having no interest in locating confirmed land claims
in that State, and not having the least sllSppcion that
an attempt would be made. in such l 10 lrrisnt,.
on large claims in the STATE of Louisiana affecting
seriously his constituents his attention was not call.
ed to II at the time of it passage. Although the bill
passed over year ago. il was not until within few
months since that his attention was called to it. and
then by settler upon III" lloumas grant He knew
that the patent under which parties claimed the Hon.
mas tract had been ,'rcidaa by Judge Camnbcll in
1886, to have been lrandulcny otnined, and an or
der issued to annnl the patent aud also that suit
was pending TO try the validity oftc and of course
could not suspect that an attempt would be made in
Congress to pass law setting aside Judgment of
the Court and decding question then pending before
the Courf,-snlts ordered by Congress in 1856 He
stated that bill similar in its provisions had been
presented tWo years ago. and that Mr. Sudidgn call
ed on him to consult in regard to the object of the
hlIi-fiat after having carefully examined It, they
determined hS neither understood it. not to let II
pass, and II never called up. and they supposed
that 1t had been defeated But now that his atten-
ton had been called to the bill he had examined the
second section carefully and was satisfied that its on
y o'Ject was to confirm the :" Houmas Grant that
there were not more than three four claims in the
2i3 pages of the I'd volume American State Papers
relating To public lands and which embraced in
the "a section of the act of June I'd. 1858 on which
tn" act could. by any possibility. operate Why then
was the act put in the shape il is, instead Of ecIar-
ing It's true object, mhich was 10 confirm the H1anms
claim ~ IL showed that it was trck-that no one
in the Louisiana delegation in the IIonsc was aware
of The nature and objects of Mr. Beninmins substitute
at the time of its passage. lie asked who made
the application for the p,ssag' Of such an act and
demanded to see the petition or memorial on whic h
it was based. There had been nOnc. H. was deter
mined to protect the interest of his constituents and
should never rest until justice was done them. They
asked no favor from Congress their cause bad been
submitted to the courts. and they wore willing to
abide their decision and all he now asked for them
thai suits now pending in the Circuit Court of
Louisiana should be permitted TO proceed. These
suits were to Try the validity OF title.
Dr. Hart followed Mr. Taylor aud gave fnll state.
ment of all the racs. He charged that Mr., Beuja-
min was Interested in the passage OF the bill of which
they complained that he was the attorney for claim
ants under the patent which had been ordered by
Judgment rendered by Judge Campbell in 1856 to be
annnllcd. and defended them in that suit
The committee adjourned without coming to any
conclusion, 1t Is "A matter of asonishment to every
one here that the memorial should have been refer
red to the same committee. had reported the bill
and matter of equal surprise among honorable men,
that Mr.. Bena should act as chairman during the
examination, and take part in the proceedings of the
committee Such indelicacy. or hrazen-acedness, is
nnparaloleda Senator sitting as julge in The trial
against himself. His course has dsgnsted his best
friends.