Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-12

where tneY were 4 restrain upon the people.
Can that argument 6nd sanction? Is it not,
on its face, contrary to republican institutions
Why, sir, one definition OF n republic is: a
government calculated 10y law TO end-it may
be-the government, not of men, but of law;
but the senator would make it a government of
men. | know no better indication ofthe progress
of civilization than the manner IN which men
gradually come within the sphere OF law. At
first, there was but little law, and the executive
power was large.
"But, as civilization increases, the executive
power is diminished and the domain of law eX-
tended. But, sir, my object in preparing this
amendment is to bring the executive power of
the republic within the domain Of constitutional
law, to the end that it shall not fall under a
temptation which all experience shows TO be
most penciouS. All parties, for several years,
seem to have been of the opinion that the great
defect in our system, at which the proposition is
aimed, should be remCdied.
such has been the condition OF parties gen.
orally in this government that it has been al
most hopeless TO cnTrait the measure upon the
constitution. But now there is an opportunity,
and believe that every man is sensible that the
correction OF this evil ought 10 be promptly APP
piled"
On motion of Mr.. Wilson, further considera-
ton of the joint resolution was postponed.
AT half past three the senate went into cXecu-
tive session, and soon after adjourned till Mon
day.
HOUSE.
The house took up the senate resolution thank
ing the state Of Rhode Island for It's Gift of the
statue Of Roger Williams, and Mr.. Eames made
a speech recouGling the services of Roger Viii
lams TO the country.
Both the senators from Rhode Island were in
the house during the delivery Of the speech
Mr. Games, of Rhode Island, pronounced
eulogy on the life and character Of Roger VIII
liams.
Mr.. Banks thought it due to himself and the
state OF Massachusetts
mentS by Mr.. EameS in reference to the banish-
ment OF Williams from the colony of MasSaChu-
sets. He denied that the question of soul lib
erty or religious liberty had entered into the
cause of that Punishment. The causes were
First, that Williams denied the title of the poo
rle to their lands as derived by grant from the
crown of England, and held that there could he
no valid or just title to lands except derived
from the Indians. OF course, the puritaus
could not permit the denial of the title to their
lands to be made in public manner, and which
unsettled the rights, not only Of the colony, hut
OF individuals. Williams had also opposed,
vigorously, the custom of COntCrCnCC between diff
lerent ministers of the colony, and had declared
| that their church was not such that a Christian
| could communicate with inaSmucl as it receiy-
| ed its authority from the church OF England,
| which he condemned After thus asSailing the
| very foundations of the state and having denied
| the Christian character OF the church, the puri-
| tanS were, OF course, compelled to resist him
| He had gone so far as to say that, in Christian
| assemblies, the women should be yeilCd Il GUS
| tom which had never been, and never would be-
| acceptable to the men OF Massachusetts. Laugh-
| ter). Roger Williams had, unqueStonabiy been
| to the pilgrims troublesome man, and he hoped
| that no exception would be taken by any of his
colleagues il be said there were still a few more
of that sort left in the stale. uLaughter)
Turning to MIR. Butler, who sat by his side,
MIR. Banks remarked; "Ihcre is no exception
TO that, is thcre?'
Mr. Butler nodded.
Not at all, continued Mr.. Banks 81 am
sure none of my colleagues will take exception
to that" He then went on to enlarge upon and
enforce his views expressed as to the real causes
| Of the Punishment Of Williams, to whom he con.
ceded all the virtues and high traits Of character
| claimed Tor him.
| Mr.. Eamcs undertook to rc-aiIlrm what he had
| already said, and which, he said, was supported
| by history; but he denied that he had made the
| slightest imputatiOn against the pilgrims.
| The discussion attracted much attention, and
| after Mr. Banks finished, members from the
| democratic side, apparently enjoying the scene
| tlocked to the noighbOrh0od of Mr., EameS, 10
hear his reply.
'If you dcuy,n he said 'fhe Yankees title to
| his land, he viii fight with you at once, whether
| You belong to the same church with him or not
| (Laughter)
Mr.. Cox addressed the speaker, and the au-
| dlence immediately moved over to the demo
cratic side Of the house, He pused fun at the
| memory of the puritans, and eulugi2ed that OF
| Roger Williams, whose statue he hailed as a
standing protest against meanncss, intolerance
| and bigOtry.
Mr.. Butler, who had been attentively listen
| ing to Mr.. Cox, and enjoying his jokes, moved
back to his own seat and next engaged the at
| tenton of the house, the audience flowing back
| ward to the republican side He proceeded to
defend and eulugize the character Of the Puri-
| tans. Abiding TO the remark by Mr.. Cox that
hal 4 ,I,.,tN
| island, but had by Il diSpensaton Of Prov.
dence, gone to Massachusetts Bay, he said he
| would stop moment to contemplate what
| would have been the change in Manhattan
island il the pilgrims had stopped there.
| (Laughter) Might he not point to Massachu-
| sets and Manhattan as specimens, on one side
| OF the puritan commonwealth and on the other,
| of commonwealth which needed words TO
characterize it. (Laughter) The puritanS
| were sincere, earnest, Jealous, devoted believers
| that they were right, and believing that others
| who differed with them were wrong, they only
| asked the Others to 30 away. Qaughter) And,
| when others did not 70 away they put them on
| one side. (Laughter.)
They had been only troublesome to those who
| ntertered with them, and who came where the
| pilgrims had right to be, and where Others had
| no right TO be. (Laughter) And the result has
| been seen The same energy, devotion to duty,
| and sei-relianCe, which brought them to the new
| world, had leyened the ideas of men over the
| whole country, until now there was, from sea to
sea, the puritan government of Massachusetts
| he claimed, besides, that the same eXclusiyeness
which characterized the Puritans was exhibited
| to-day in the great Salt Lake valley where con-
| gress and the people Of the United States were
insisting that their ideas and institutions should
be established and maintained.
| MIR. Niblack took exception to the phraseOlogy
| OF the resolution, in the sentence: "Ihat this
work of art is accepted in the name of the ma
| hon,1 and suggested that the proper phraseology
| would be: IN the name of the people of the
| United States" and he moved to SO amend it.
MIR. Beck suggested, sarcastcaily, the word
| "empire."
Mr.. Eldridge suggested that Mr.. Niblack s
| amendment correspOnded exactly with the con-
| slituton Of the people OF the United States.
Mr.. Hoar trusted that the house would pause
| before striking from the resolution the assertion
that this country is a nation
Mr.. Niblack denied that his purpose was an
| attack upon what the gentleman might please
| TO call the nationality of the United States.
| Nothing of that sort was involved. 1t was a
mere question of pbraseoogy. The word ''na-
ton" appeared to him as having a sort of
schoOlmaster or pedagogue twang about it, which
might suit some localities, but did not suit him.
| He called for the yeas and nays. The vote re-
suted-ayes rs, nays 113-the democrats all
voting aye, and the republicans all voting no.
The joint resolution was then passed.
| Mr.. Dawes asked leave to offer resolution
| for the appointment of a select committee to in
quire into the condition of the state government
| of Louisiana.
Mr.. Coughlan and Mr.. Kerr objected.
Adjourned.
New England Dispatches.