Year: 1859

PIOteCI uo ITom Tue uanRer oil attack by any
foreign power. should have been gratified
If the site could have been purchased for S.
600, and more so If it could have been pur-
chased for $500 or If it could have been OBJ
tained for nothing. Mr.. Broderick, in COM
mcnting on the purposed purchase of the site,
denounced it as IAN enormous fraud" and al
the next session made the same charge The
charge Of fraud involved the purchaser as
well as the owner Of the property, and on this
rcteration of the charge, offered resolution
instrncting the Committee on Military Affairs,
OF which Mr.. BrOdcrick was member, to in
Vestigatc the subject. The result Of that in
vcstigation proved that, SO far as the officers
OF the Government were concerned, the charge
was absolutely false, and had not the shadow
of truth to rest upon. They commenced the
negotiation for the site in October, in 1855.
when the owner demanded $500, 900 for the
tract he proposed to sell or any less quantity
that the government might require, and he has
persiStently adhered to this sum nOtwithstand.
ing the utmost exertions on the part of the
War Department and its subordinates to make
the purchase for less amount


The insane policy Of the Mexican Govern
mcnt inlnot reserving from the grants of land
made to individuals, such points as might be
required for the purposes Of defence or com.
mcrcc, has involved us in constant difficulties
nrrgard to our f0rIifications, light houses and
navy yard. Appropriations for seven light
houses on our coast have or are likely to lapse''
back into the Treasury, and in almost every
instance resulting from the difficulty about
the title to the Sites For one OF these at Point
Delos Reyes, mere tongue of land running
into the ocean, and presume utterly useless
except for light house, the owner charged
81, 900, (the entire appropriations for three
and wOthirdS OF an acre, or eighty-threc
acres, asking no more for the larger than the
small quantity. One Of the owners is I am
told, the Republican nominee for Judge OF the
Supreme Court yet We see no charge of fraud
hcraldcd against him for this attempt to alb
sorb the entire appropriation for the purchase
of the site and construction of the light house.
AS this part Of Mr.. BrOdcrick's speech will
10 doubt be fully noticed by others, | will
| proceed to the last subject of difference he
states to have existed between US, and that il
the overland mails, and here again he makes
two grave mistakes inthe outset Of his remarks
lie says: Previous to my election to the
Senate, fellow-citizens, bill had been passed
by Congress making an appropriation for an
overland mail to California" This bill not
only did not pass before his election to ths
Senate but the signature Of the President Ia
the law was scarcely dry before Mr.. Brodcr.
ick took his seat in the Senate. He saws
PREVIOUS to this, however, the Postmaster
General made contract for mail from San
ANTONIO, Iexas, to San Diego, California
MS contract was made after and not JcJorC
the passage ofthe law. In making statements
upon which allegations of nlalfeasance in Office
are based against high officers of the Govern.
ment, the accuser should know that his state
ments are true.


We did differ radically on the question Of
the Overland Mail. care not whether tho
III Paso route is ono mile or thousand miles
longer than that by Salt Lake, it is ono of the
great enterprises Of the age, and will confer
incalculabc benefits upon the State. ! in.
tend to stand by it, and all the overland routes,
to the bitter end. Here is the great issue be-
tween Mr.. BrOdcrick aud myself lie is for
one only, that by Salt Lake, Us he stated in
debate in the Senate. lie said during the
first session Of the last Congress that it was
an impOssibility for the mail to be carried
over the I'll Paso route within twenty five
days. The result proves that he was utterly
mistaken. AS have said | am for all the
routes, not alone as mail routes but to open
up each for settlement SO as to give us many
avenues Of connection with our brethren on
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. | would multi.
ply thcm if could instead Of opposing any
one Of them.


AS to the Placcrvie route, Mr.. Broderick's
great affection for it never Sprang into exist
ence until after it was established, and he then
only took it under his protection to find full
with the Postmaster General for putting it in
operation. The very joint resolution that he
boasts OF getting the Senate to take I'D after
had failed, did not increase the speed over the
time the Postmaster General had bv contract
the power tO enforce its conveyance, it only
gave the contractors $40, 900 per annum more
than they could get under their contract. II
was the knowledge Of this fact that induced
the President to withhold bis signature; why
did not Mr. BrOderick state this in his speech
lie should also have stated that after he had
succeeded by his popularity with the Senate
in getting up the bill that he was SO utterly
ignorant on the subject that he had to call on
Senator from Missouri and myself to explain
its provisions and pass it through the Senate


Again he says he passed an amendment
through the Senate at the last Session rcdu.
cling the time on this route to twenty-five DAYS,
but he fails to state was in favor of tmeaty
instead of twenty-five days. Let his zeal be
what it may in favor Of this route it cannot
outstrip mine, and yet unlike him mine is not
diminished for any Of the other routes. will
also add that the late Postmaster General be.
fore his death signed an order diminishing tho
time on, this route to thirty days from and
after the 1st Of April last, which would have
been executed if the Post Office appropriation
bill had passed. will return to this subject
again before close.





l await the further reference which Mr..
Broderick indicates he will make to the Sena.
torial election Of 1857, to make statement
that should have published long since but
for reasons which will state when l again re.
fer to the subject; and will now dismiss him
and his speech.


l am pleased to have an opportunity to ad.
vert to some of the leading measures Of tho
last Congress, in which have taken an hum.
bic part. This is no less due to the Dcmocra.
cy of California than to myself; for Ihold the
doctrine that every American Senator Is as
much bound 10 render an account of his stew.
ardship to the people Of the State which he
represents, as is the representative elected by
their direct votes.


Ineed not remind you Of the fact that the
position of our public affairs have been for sew.
eTal years in the most critical and perilous
condition. A powerful and fanatcal party
preferring " 70 reign in hell rather than serve
in heaven" has wagcd q relentless warfare
against the Democratic party. Their strug.
gle was solely for power, and marked by an
utter indifference to law aud order; to the con.
stitution, to just principles and to truth. IL
their guilty desire to attain their object, they
even Sfrova IN airrav oro eock;o, or Tho ITn;oS