Semi-Weekly Journal, Volume 3, Number 238, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 July 1841 — Page 2
SEMI-WEEKLY JOUKIVAL.
I . I) I A N A P O L I S : SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1841. MARION COUNTY NOMINATIONS. The Whigs of this couuty held a Convention on Saturday, April 24, at which the following nominanations were made: , Representatives Israel Harding and Austin Morris. . . ' Treasurer and Collector Jacob Lakhs: Recorder James Turner. Auditor John V. Hamilton.
Assessor John M'Collum
Commissioner, 1st district Harris Tvne Election on first Monday, 2d of. August next.
Washington Correspondence. Washington, July 9, 1841. Gentlemen Since my last, the House of Representatives have passed a most important measure, the bill for the distribution of the proceeds of the public lands. It was got through thus early, by a resolution of the House, that all debate
should cease at seven o clock on Wednesday evening, and that the vote should immediately be taken on all amendments offered. After a scene of. confusion and tumult, only paralleled by the storm, which was raging without at the time, the bill was carried through about 1 1 o'clock, by a small majority. For the details of the bill, I refer you to the National Intelligencer of this morning. The House since then has been occupied in the discussion of a bill reported from the committee of Ways and means, authorizing a loan of twelve millions. According to resolution, no
member can speak more than one hour, and con
sequently we have an opportunity ot hearing a number of discourses some dull some eloquent
-some tedious, and some interesting. The bill will probably pass on Saturday. In the Senate, the discussion of the Bank Bill is still in progress. As was supposed, the amendments of Mr. Bayard and Mr. Rives have both been voted down by large majorities, and the bill now stands nearly as reported by Mr. Clay. As the Whigs have fixed it, as they want it, and are done with the discussion on their part, the opposition have now opened their batteries. As yet they have only fired small shot, which has done no damage; but intimations have been given, that the big guns, Buchanan, Wright, Calhoun, .and Benton will soon be brought into play, with great force, but, I presume, with little effect the walls are too strong, to be battered down by such artillery. It i3 doubtful however whether the bill will be passed before the last of next week. There is much speculation as to the course the President will take should be bill be presented to him in its present shape many say he will veto it others contend that he will sign itbut as no nn nretends to SDeak "bv authority," and as it
f- J " is very unlikely that Mr. Tyler has been so im
prudent as to express any opinion, the quid nuncs
and the "knowing ones" are very much at lault, The rumors about foreign missions change ev
ery daythe latest report now is that General
Barorw of Mississippi, is tc go to Portugal, and
Mr Wilde nf Georgia, to Naples. I don't vouch
. - O ' for the truth of this. M.
details
relative to the above pre-emp-
certain
tion. This is the substance of the Land Bill, which has just past the House of Representatives, and will probably pass the Senate, and become a law. We regard it as constituting an important era in the administrative system of the United States. Heretofore, the proceeds of the Public Lands have constituted a large item in "the revenue of the United States. 'That item is to be given up at a moment when the custom receipts are far below the average wants of the Treasury. The conse. quence is, that by an imperious necessity, the
Tariff of Duties must be raised. If this be done with due reference to a tax upon luxuries, and a protection of American Industry, unquestionably it will be a measure of vast benefit, These are, however, eminently practical matters, and much more depends upon the details, than upon any elementary principle.
The effect of the bill upon the states, will be unquestionably to relieve those which are in debt from much of their burdens. Deducting the expenses of the 10 percent., the average proceeds
in-favorable times will probably reach three mil
lions of dollars. This will pay interest on 5fty
millions of dollars.
they were to suffer, denying, however, that it was his wish to commit actual murder. Religious service 'o a than ror fn rmPfl bv a elerffvman Dresent. and
Mat the and Couch were hung in their irons upon
a tpp standing over the same spot where their crime
was committed. Rude coffins were constructed and there they were buried. The crowd then dispersed in
the. same rerfect order.
When we add, that one of the criminals, Maythe, has hpftn loner known by many citizens of Ohio and
Kentucky as a man of notoriously bad character havin" been confined at different times and escaped
from the Penitentiaries of both States we have -sta. ted all the facts and whatever there may be of a palli-
atwg nature, in this case. :
We have no comments to make at present upon this
most extraordinary transaction. We can only say
now, that, whilst we have no doubt of the great guilt
of the sufferers, without a single palliatory circunv
stance in their behalf, and whilst we cannot use the term mob in this case, in the ordinary sense, yet has there been inflicted upon the majesty of the law a most
deadly stab, and the mischevious consequences of which, time plone can calculate. The sacredness of
the law has suffered gross violence; and for the st
bility of our institutions, we sinceiely hope that
this case may stand isolated in the history of the coun'
try- :
"While the Postmaster General is understood to condemn the interference of Postmasters in electioneering arrangements, and to decline making removals for political reasons merely, it is equally well understood that, in making appointments, he will, other things being equal, give a preference to the friends of the Administration. If the 'complinentarv notices'
of the Virginian are to be secured only by the cor
rupt practices of preferring foes to f-iends, Mr. Kendall will very certainly be compelled to forego them altoeeiher." : The above is copied from the Globe of July 24, 1835. We commend it to tie friends of the late administration. They surelj will not blame Mr. Granger lor appointing poltical friends to office, when that principle was a;ted on so faithfully and strictly by Mr. KendalL They cannot now ask Mr. Granger to give tie preference to political foes, after having denomced it as a corrupt practice. A great hue and cry has been raised in this state about the removal of Postmasters; which has lead some to believe that aot a Van Buren Postmaster has been left in office. This is a mistake. Two-thirds, or more, of the Principal Postmasters in Indiana are opponents of the Administration.
From the Carroll Express.
THE INDIAN AGENCY.
We take pleasure in giving publicity to the following communication from Gen. Milrov. We adnwre
the temper, tone, and sentiment of the letter it is
not the language of crouching sycophancy, prefering
place to principle, and power to the expression of o-
pinions honestly embraced; it is the spirit of a fear
less independence, such as never had an abiding place
in the breasts of half the members of the late admin
istration. So far as we have learned. Gen. Milroy
has discharged the duties of his office honestly and
satisfactorily, and we have no doubt that Mr. Hamil
ton, his successor, will prove himself worthy of the
trust.' :'.
South Carolina S. . Butler, Wm. Butler, P. C. Caldwell, John Camphell, Holmes, Pickens, Rhett, Rogers, Sumter 9. Georgia Alford, T. F. Foster, Gamble, Habersham, Nesbit, Merriweathef. Warren 7. Alabama Chapman, Houston, Lewis, Fayne, Shields 5. Louisiana J. B. Dawson 1. Ohio Bean, Dnan, John Hastings,; Mathews, Medill, Sweney, Wetter 7 T. ... . A J ir 3.. 1
Kentucky Boyd, Wm. O. Butler 2 Tennessee A V. Brown,'Mr Brown, :WB.. Campbell, Cave Johnson, A. McClellan, Turney, Waterson 7. " Missouri J. C. Edwards, Miller 2. Michigan None. Total Nays 103. Illinois and Mississippi not represented. ABSENT. New-York Childs, C. A. Floyd 2. Pennsylvania C. Brown, Gerry', Ingersoll, Ramsey 4. Kentucky G. Davis 1. (Speaker White not votinsO
: Virginia Barton 1. Georfia Dawson 1. , Tennessee C. II. William" 1. Michigan Howard 1. A t? v a 'a a a 7rnec 1 .
Total Absent 12: 7 Whigs, 5 Loco-Fecos. Mr. Childs of N. Y. was sick; Messrs. G. Dawson and.G. Davis were outside the bar when their numes were called, and objection being made, could not vote.
So that, in fact, only four Whigs were playing truant, when, at the close of a thirteen hours' Session, this important vote was taken.
Our readers will perceive with gladness tnat not a
single Loco Foco voted in favor of this bill, while eisht Whiffs beside the Virginia coquets were con
strained by local influences and the dread of a Protective Tariff to oppose it. Happily, the Whig Phalanx, was strong enough without them, and we trust it will be so on all important questions. But this, at
any rate, is safe; and it is worth hve times tne cost of the Extra Session.
The Land Bill.
This important measure passed the House of
Representatives on the 6th inst. It is published
at length in the Intelligencer of the 9th. As many
of our readers may wish to know something of
its provisions, we give the following synopsis of
it as it passed the House:
The 1st section of the bill provides that after
the 31st of December next, the nine new Western States, exclusive of Kentucky and Tennessee,
shall be paid 10 per cent., of the sales of the Pub
lie Land within their respective limits: this to be
exclusive of appropriations to the Cumberland
V Road.
The 2d section provides that after deducting
this sum, and likewise all the expenses of officers, surveys and other matters pertaining to the
public land, the nett proceeds are to be distribu ted among the States according to their Repre sentative population.
Section 3d provides that these sums be paid
to such persons as the States may appoint.
Section 4th relates to the Distribt of Colum
bia.
Section 5th, that this act is to be suspended
in case of war. Sections 6 and 7 are unimportant.
Section 8th rjrovides that to the nine new
States, enumerated in the 1st Section, shall be given a quantity of land equivalent (with what
they have heretofore had) to five hundred thou
sand acres of land for internal improvement. Section 9th provides that said land shall notbe sold at less than the United States price; and that the proceeds shall be faithfully applied to roads, bridges, canals and water courses. Section 10th gives a pre-emption right, at government price, for a quarter section of land to any one who is over 21 years of age, a head of a family, a widow, or a single man, or who has legally declared his "intention," and who also shall have built on and actually inhabited said quarter section. Sections 11, 13, 13, 14, and 15, determine
MONSTROUS MURDER. We copy from the Cincinnati Republican of the 12th inst., the following account of a revolting and horrible case of the infliction of Lynch's law. It is more disgraceful and criminal than
the famous Vicksburgh affair. Then the 'mob had murder to avenge, but in the present instance, they cannot even put in that plea as an excuse for their lawless and unjustifiable proceedings: MAYTHE AND COUCH. MOST EXTRAORDINARY TRANSACTION. Our information yesterday in regard to the summa
ry execution of these men turns out to be correct: and as this case presents the most extraordinary features, more so probably than have ever before been witnessed in this, or any other civilized country, we propose to give the details as we have received them from a highly intelligent citizen of Kentucky, who has conversed with several that were present at the execu-
The statement, we believe, may be relied upon,
To the Editor of the Carroll Express:
Sir: I desire, through the medium of the Express, to inform the public, that on the 3d inst., I received through the War Department, a letter, from which
the following is an extract:
"Sir: By direction of the Secretary of War, I have
the honour to inform you, that .illen Hamilton, hsq
of Fort Wayne, Ind. was on the 21st inst., (June,)
appointed to succeed you in the Miami sub-Agency.
He has been notified of his appointment and request
ed to call on you for the public property, books and
Daners in vour possession." (Sitrned) T. Hartley
Crawford."
From the above the public will be apprised that I am no longer Indian Agent; those having business
with the agency, will apply to Mr. Hamilton, Fort
Wavne. As to the appointment, I would remark it
is a judicious one, and will be satisfactory to the In
dians. As to being superseded, allow me to remark
that I neither desired nor expected to be continued in the agency, nor do I consider it injustice to have to
eive place to the friends of the administration. It is
but reasonable to expect they would call on their
friends to aid in carrying on the public service. I
was not one of those friends, and had no claims to favour. Being superseded, I deem it rather a compli
ment than an injury, as it presupposes that I was one
who would not change political opinions tor the sake
of being continued in office; those who would, are un worthy of favour from any administration. SAML. MILROY. Delphi, July 5, 1841.
CONGRESS, Extra Session.
tion.
being as nearly correct as will be published.
Maythe and Couch had been confined in the jail at Williamstown in Grant County, Ky., for the last three or four weeks; charged with, and no douht guilty of, the attempt to murder Mr. Utterback the Drover, an account of which we published at the time. Mr. Utterback, it seems, has been lingering in a miserable state, his throat having been horribly mangled, at a tavern some three or four miles beyond Williamstown on a much traveled road, and an object of commiseration with every passer by. He is a citizen of Bourbon, the adjoining county to Grant, and where the excitempnt has been increasing ever since the attempt to murder him. It being now problematical, however, whether Mr. Utterback might not survive, although in such restored situation as to be neither useful to himself nor fellow men, the uncertainty increased whether the utmost penalty of the Law would be visited upon the prisoners, nothingZess than which, it seemed, would pacify the people of Bourbon. Many of the citizens of that county, there
fore, deliberately resolved upon the summary execU'
tion. They first deputed ten citizens of the county
to visit Williamstown. and inform the citizens of the
place, and the prisoners particularly, that at such a
time the prisoners were to be executed. This notice was thirty-six hours previous to the actual execution and a clergyman was also sent, and actually went to the prison for religious converse with the prisoners. On Saturday last in pursuance of the notice, about five hundred citizens of Bourbon to which were added
some from bcott and Harrison counties, came into
Williamstown in solemn procession and most perfect
order. They had chosen their Sheriffs to act for the
occasion, and proceeded to the jail, and demanded the prisoners, Maythe and Couch. The Sheriff of Grant refused to give them up, or the keys of the prison: he
offered however no other resistance, and the people at
once broke open the doors. They then took the pris
oners, placed them in an open wagon, their irons on them, took up the line of march without the least noise or confusion, to the spot of ground where the murder was attempted, about four miles distant. By
this time the number assembled was believed to have been at least two thousbnd. After arriving on the
ground, Mr. O'Hara, a member of the bar, addressed the people for some time upon the propriety of permitting the law to take its course. He was listened to
with the utmost silence and respect, but without ap
parently altering the determination of a single person present. The preliminaries were then adjusted and the prisoners asked if they had any thing to say previous to the closing of their earthly accounts. One
of them, Maythe, addressed a few remarks to the
people, admitted the commission of the act for which i
Passage of the Land Bill. The following is
an analysis of the Yeas and Nays on the Passage of
the Land Distribution Bill: YEAS.
Maine Messrs. Allen, Bronson, Fessenden, B.
Randall 4 New-Hampshire None.
Massachusetts Adams, Baker, Borden, Briggs,
Burnell, Calhoun, Cushing, W. S. Hastings, Hudson Saltonstall, Winthrop 11.
CoNNECTicuT-Boardman, Brockway, Osborn, Smith,
Trumbull, Thos. W. Williams-b. Rhode Island Cranston, Tillinghast 2. Vermont Everet, Hall, Mattocks, Slade, A. Young 5. New York Babcock, Barnard, Birdseyp, Blair, Chittenden, John C. Clark, S. N. Clarke, Fillmore, A. L. Foster, Gates, Greig, Hunt, Linn, Maynard, Morgan, Tomlinson, Van Rensalaer, John Young 18. New-Jersey Aycrigg, Halstead, Maxwell, Randolph, Stratton, Yorke 6. Pennsylvania Black, Jere. Brown, Cooper, John Edwards, Henry, Irvin, Irwin, James, Lawrence, Sergeant, Simonton Toland 12. Delaware Rodney 1. Maryland W. Cost Johnson, I. D. Jones, J. P. Kennedy, Pearce, A. Randall, Sollers 6. Virginia Botts, Goggin, Powell, Stuart, Summers, Taliaferro 7. North Carolina Deberry, Rayner, Stanly. Washington, Lewis, Williams 5. Georgia None. Alabama None. Louisiana Moore, E. D. White 2. Ohio S. J. Andrews, Cowan, Giddings, P. G.
Goode, S. Mason, Mathiot, Morris, Morrow, Pendle
ton, Ridgeway, Russell, Stokeley 12.
Irdiana Cravens, Lane, Proffit, R. W.Thomp
son, Wallace, Joseph L. White b.
Kentucky L. W. Andrews, Green, T. F. Mar
shall, Owsley, Pope, Sprigg, J. B. Thompson, Trip-
lett, Underwood 9.
Tennessee Arnold, T. J. Campbell, Caruthers,
Gentrv, J. L. Williams 5. Michigan, Missouri None. Total Yeas, 116, NAYS.
Maine CTfori, Liltlefield, Lowell, A. Marshall
4 New-Hampshire Alherton, Burke, Eastman, Reding, Shaw 5. Massachusetts Parmenler 1. Connecticut, Rhode-Island, Vermont None. New-York Browne, Brewster, Clinton, R. D. Davis, Doig, Egbert, Ferris, J. G. Floyd, Gordon, Houck, R McClellon, McKeon, Oliver, Partridge,
Riggs, Rossevelt, Sanford, Van Buren, Ward, Wood
20. New-Jersey None. Pennsylvania Beeson, Bidlack, Dimock, Fornance, Gusline, Jack, Keim, Marchand, Newhard, Plumer, Snyder, Westbrook 12. Delaware None. Maryland J. T. Mason, Jas. W. Williams, 2. Virginia Banks, Cary, Coles, Gilmer, W. O. Goode Harris, Hays, Hopkins, Hubard, Hunter, J. W. Jones, Mallory, Sleenrod, Wise 14. North Carolina Arrington, G. W. Caldwell,
Daniel, Graham, McKay, Saunders, Rencher, Shep-
perd 8.
SENATE. THURSDA Y, July 8, 1841. THE UNITED STATES BANK. Mr. Walker moved to amend the 17th fundamental
rule by requiring periodical reports of the notes dis
counted, with thenames of parties, and other matters connected with the financial affairs of the Bank. He stated that his proposition was intended to em
brace the substantial portions of an amendment offer
ed some days ago by his colleague (Mr. Henderson)
and omitting what had been regarded by Senators
as objectionable. The Government had to furnish great portion of the capital, and it was proper that Congress should have before them the most minute information from the best source. Expecting no such call as is required by this amendment, the officers of
the Bank would not be sufficiently careful against
those practices which had caused so much default and
distress in the country. He asked tor the ayes and
noes which were ordered.
Mr. King suggested a change so as to require the
publication of the information in some public newspaper as the most convenient and effective course.
He did not believe that any solvent man would ob
ject to a disclosure of his name in connection witn
any transaction to which he was a party.
Mr. Clay was very sorry to be obliged to vote a-
gainst this proposition. He wished to know when this bill would be disposed of, if amendments were
thus to be pressed over and over again. He was a friend of publicity, and believed that too much mystery had marked the course of the late Bank of the United States. The principle of publicity was pro
gressing, but he suggested to gentlemen the proprie ty of going on gradually, and not rushing at once from one extreme to the other. The reports required
by the amendment will fill twenty volumes, and what a printing job would here be got up. He thought the bill contained all provision on this subject which was necessary.
Mr. Benton said that he had marked the progress or
publicity in this Chamber. It was at first the practice to sit in legislative sessions, to sit with closed doors. Now the people were allowed to come into the gal
leries to witness the legislative proceedings, and
were only excluded when executive busines was go
ing on. inree years nence ne oeiievea tne practice of bank directors sitting in a parlor, transacting business, would be considered as singular spectacle as we now regard the obsolete practice of sitting here
on legislative business with closed doors. It is not the mere trader who is injured by the secrecy, but it
s the whole country. Ihere is no tyranny so atro
cious as that of the bank parlor.
Mr. B. said he wished to see every thing brought
before the public, and he was astonished that an ob
jection should be made, borne objection was made
to the expense of printing.
Mr. Walker had calculated it. It could not exceed
one hundred dollars.
Mr. Benton. The easiest way will be to lay the
book on the counter every morning, and he moved to
amend the proposition by adding this provision to the close of the amendment.
Mr. Walker, without accepting this as a modifica
tion, expressed his intention to vote in lavor oi tne
motion.
Mr. Clay of Alabama, regarded this as the most
important part of the bill. He referred to the secre
cy with which the loans were made to Webb and Noah; and asked if any one believed thpt Mr. Biddle
would have made these loans had the affairs of the Bank been at that time open to the public. He contended that the history of every bunk in the country would show the necessity of publicity, if we expected to preserve the integrity of these institutions. He went over the facts connected with the appointment of the bank committee, and the course taken by the Bank in reference to that committee. He then adverted to the recent transactions in the United States Bank, over which such a veil of mystery had been flung that even the stockholders could not find out what had been done with the eight hundred thousand dollars for which no vouchers could be found. Mr, Calhoun would vote for this amendment, and every other, the object of which was light, He desired to see all the operations of the directors exposed to the public eye. It was known that they might issue orders to expand in one section and to contract in another. He wished these orders to be made public Information full and speedy ought to be communicated to the people. Mr. Allen considered this a measure which would
place the firms and property of all the agricultural interests, not at the disposal of the Government, but
of a Corporation, bimplicity and publicity were requisite in all matters which regulfite the currency and the price of labor. Your Courts are compelled to sit with open doors, and domestic circumstances are de
bated in open Court, and before the world. In his
State, money loaned out by individuals had been sub
jected to taxation. Vote down these amendments,
