Chapter 107: Congress

Calhoun, the descendant of Irish and Scottish people, was already very popular in Congress at this time.

He had served as Secretary of War for President Monroe, Secretary of State for President Taylor, and Vice President. If there was any regret in Calhoun's career, it was that he was not elected President of the United States.

Lying in a wheelchair, Calhoun hummed a few times and looked at the thick speech and bill in his hands. His colleagues quickly understood what Calhoun meant.

In view of the fact that Mr. Calhoun could no longer make passionate speeches, Calhoun's speech was read by William William Seward, a 49-year-old young politician from New York State.

The speech was long and boring, and all the 61 senators present, except Calhoun himself, were drowsy.

After reading the speech, Seward took out the bill tucked under his armpit.

"Gentlemen, Mr. Calhoun and I believe that since California is now a territory of the United States, the land donated by the Mexican government in California is naturally illegal. Only land approved by the parliament and government at all levels of the country is legal.

I suggest that the land donated by the Mexican government in California be taken back, and the gold mining area and all the land in California will be owned by the highest bidding company!"

Hearing this, the senators in the audience regained their spirits and agreed to this motion.

Although the voting has not yet begun, from the attitudes of these senators, Fremont can already glimpse the results of this vote.

"Mr. Colhoun, as far as I know, after you married Mrs. Bruno, you shamelessly occupied the property of your wife and father-in-law. May I ask if these properties are also illegal?"

Although Calhoun is very glorious now, he was also a gigolo when he was young.

The senators in Texas felt betrayed. Although the United States has annexed a large area of ​​Mexico, most of these former Mexican territories are still sparsely populated territories so far. The only areas that have established states are Texas and California.

They had already discussed this with Governor Bell and thought that they would stand on the side of California in this matter.

The early immigrants in Texas had more land granted by the Mexican government than California.

If gold or other resources were discovered under the land of Texas in the future, it is hard to guarantee that Congress would not recognize the legitimacy of these lands. Unreasonable demands to reclaim land like today.

Facing the questioning of the Texas senator, Calhoun's face was ugly and he was very angry.

But Calhoun, who was seriously ill, could not refute.

"It is well known that Mr. Calhoun is keen on charity. You have a good public image. I wonder if you use your own money for charity or your wife and father-in-law's money for charity?"

The Texas senator continued to attack Calhoun.

Calhoun trembled all over, and his cloudy eyes stared at the two Texas senators.

President Fillmore stopped the two Texas senators who were unreasonable, fearing that the seriously ill Calhoun would die in Congress.

Although Fillmore also hated these old antiques who were in high positions but did not do anything, he could not watch these old guys die in Congress.

"Mr. Fremont, do you have anything to say?"

President Fillmore asked Fremont.

Gervin had returned to California, and Fremont was the only one left in Congress who could represent California.

Fillmore wanted to hear Fremont's speech, although he knew that Fremont's speech was useless.

Fillmore was a veteran in the political arena, and he knew the relationship between these senators and the various financial aristocrats.

At present, the American economy was depressed and the unemployment rate was high. Fillmore hoped to transfer part of the population in the eastern region to the west through the westward movement. And California was the most important part of the westward movement.

Fillmore, who came from the bottom of society, knew that in order to maintain the stability of American society, the American government had to appease the emotions of the upper class elites and the voices of the lower class people could not be completely ignored.

He knew very well what the lower class people needed, which was hope and room for advancement.

Now the gold in California is the hope of these unemployed people at the bottom.

The gold in California is the hope of these lower-middle-class people, because once they go to California and make a fortune by panning for gold, they can quickly complete class transition.

The gold in California is gold in the eyes of these consortium representatives, but in the eyes of Fillmore, it is a painkiller to ease the dissatisfaction of the lower-middle-class people.

"Gentlemen, do you know what you are doing now?"

Fremont stood up angrily, holding a land contract in his hand, which was also his last trump card.

"You are illegally depriving private property! Trampling on the Constitution of the United States! Have you ever considered the consequences of taking back these lands?"

"Mr. Fremont, I think you are exaggerating. What are the consequences of taking back these lands?" Seward disagreed, "These territories were exchanged for the blood of American soldiers. It is not only reasonable and legal for us to take back these lands, but also to distribute these lands more reasonably, so as to better develop California and comfort the souls of those sacrificed soldiers in heaven."

"Well said! Mr. Seward, then may I ask if you participated in the war against Mexico?" Fremont asked Seward.

"No." Seward wanted to answer yes, but unfortunately, he did not participate in the Mexican-American War.

Before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, Seward even voted against the vote on whether to declare war on Mexico.

"I participated! American immigrants in California also participated! The land you want to recover also has a part of them!" Fremont said, "Even if you do not recognize the land donation by the Mexican government, the law stipulates that the unowned land in the West belongs to whoever develops it first. It is illegal for you to take back these lands! Unconstitutional!"

"We can amend the Constitution!"

Calhoun, paralyzed in a wheelchair, used all his strength to spit out this sentence to stand up for Seward.

"Congress certainly has the power to amend the Constitution." Fremont also admitted this, "But I wonder if you have ever thought about it, after the amendment, who would be willing to go to the wild land of the West for development? Will the gold diggers and miners in California easily hand over their land? What consequences will it bring about if their land is taken back?"

"Fremont, what do you mean by this? Are you threatening Congress?" Seward tried to push Fremont to the opposite side of all senators.

"I am also a member of Congress, how can I threaten Congress?"

Fremont slapped the land contract with the seal of Congress on the podium.

"This is a land contract in California. Some of the land in California was originally approved by Congress, and there is also the seal of Congress on it.

If Congress now rashly takes back these owned lands for bidding and auction, I think this will damage the reputation of Congress. Please think carefully before voting. That's all I want to say."

After that, Fremont sat down and took out two land contracts with the seal of Congress and circulated them among the senators.

The senators didn't expect that Fremont still had land contracts authorized by Congress.

Seward's first reaction was that these land deeds were forged, but then he thought it was impossible. No matter how brave Fremont was, he would not dare to forge the seal of Congress.

Seward handed the land deed in his hand to Secretary of State Webster, pointed to the seal of Congress on the land deed and asked: "Mr. Webster, is this seal real?"

Webster carefully checked the seal of Congress on it and gave an affirmative answer: "It is real."

"Okay, everyone, let's start voting now."

Fillmore announced that the vote on whether to reclaim the land in California would begin now.

This kind of thing was originally done by the vice president, but he took office in a hurry and had not had time to elect a vice president. Fortunately, Fillmore was originally the vice president and was already familiar with the process of such things.

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