Year: 1860

f ,e general government, when that sum has heen naid out for the common defense!

 The new States are as much responsible :. tbe old States to refund this money back am sorry to see so many new States vo- ting against this proposition. Sir, the new States ought to remember how liberal thls government has been to them. Where are vour millions of public lands that have been voted to you? Millions upon millions of acres by grants to railroads have been oiven to your people. Besides that, yon have received five per cent upon the pro ceeds of the sales of the public lands, and . creat many other things. will not stop to enumerate them. Sir, the old States Laro .been liberal to the new States. They not only have done them justice. but they have been generous--generous even to t, fanlt. and vet now the new States come hsre and say. although they admit that this ;s inst debt due to the old States, that 1t is hard for the new States to appropriate money to pay for a just debt which IS due to tbese old States. think that Is not altogether generous on their part, and do not think it is an argument which ought to be made am sorry 10 see It come from the new States, because these thihSs will bring retaliation. If the new States do not do justice to the old States, It IS Tn the power of the old States to retallate at some time, and they may be induced to do it. I do not say they will. For my own part, trust l shall always be not only Just to all the States but generous to them, as long as 1 have the honor of seat on thls floor.

 This is no new question. It is one which has been before us for the last two years, and every gentleman understands 1t per- fectlv and fully. I.think there is no req son why the question should be postponed, because the Senate is quite as full to-day as it probably will be tomorrow. The vote was nearly as full to-day as that ob- tained the day before yesterday. Gentle men may have, upon reflection, thought proper to change their votes, and others came in We cannot be responsible for the voluntary absence of Senators, and the public business ought not to be suspended and clogged on that account. This ques- tion has been presented from time to time; and it should not be postponed because Se- nators are not in their seats

 Mir. HUNTER. Mir. President, regret very much to have to say word m regard to this matter This Is an amendment Tn which my State, as has been said, IS very largely interested. She believes the money is due to her. and she has appointed agents to attend to her interests, and to see that 1t was collected, if the general government could take the same view of the question that she has done She has been induced to believe so because, in the case Of Mary land and Alabama, this general govern ment has settled precisely upon the prlncl- ples on which 1t is sought to settle with the States in this amendment She makes no claim on account of the John Brown raid, or any money expended by her inthat affair. That, sir, IS her matter. She makes no claim on that account on the general go- vernment of the United States. This IS a simple act of justice, for the claim IS either just or unjust. If it be just, the sense of justice which governs in each man. bosom here will prompt him to do what he believes it to be unjust, 1 am sure that State would not have one Senator here to vote for a claim on her account which he believes was not fairly and justly due her

 After some further debate the Senate then adjourned.