hould
be secured by such an amendment as this. It will be noticed that Mr.
FRANKLIN'S substitute precludes us from any appeal to Congress or the
Territorial Legislatures for affirmative protection. The powers of
those bodies will be negative only. We have nothing left, then, but
the Federal Courts. We ask now that we may not be subjected to the
government and power of Federal officers, whose opinions are against
us--who will exercise those powers for our oppression. Congress or the
President may send into a Territory in the southern section, a set of
officers who are anti-slavery propagandists, who will exercise all
their official powers to our injury. I hold this amendment to be
eminently just and fair. We have no protection from Congress; none
from the Legislature. Is there a chance, even, unless such a provision
is adopted, that the South will ever be placed in the favorable
possession or enjoyment of the rights you are willing to concede to
us?

The latter portion of the amendment is equally just. The Government
holds the public lands in trust. It is better to divide their proceeds
at short intervals, and thus remove the subject from all danger of
corrupting influences. But I shall leave this to be discussed by the
mover.

Mr. PALMER:--I move to rescind the ten-minute rule adopted by the
Conference, so far as the President is concerned.

The motion of Mr. PALMER was agreed to without a division.

President TYLER:--I am very grateful for the compliment which the
Conference extends to me in the vote which has just passed. I will not
abuse its kindness.

The amendment which is offered may, at first sight, appear to be
extraordinary; but I wish to say, in all seriousness, that all my
experience in public life leads me to favor its adoption. I wish to
have the Conference understand fully its import and meaning.

That policy is the best, which reduces within the narrowest limits the
patronage to be exercised by the Executive authority. Every party out
of power has discovered that in the patronage of the President there
is a voice of greater potency than is heard elsewhere in the
Government. This amendment places a limitation upon the power of the
President. It confers upon a majority of the Senators from each
section the power to recommend appointments to office, and this will
be found in practice equivalent to the power of appointment. It is the
only practicable limitation of Executive patronage. The power of the