probably nobody did at that period — that, fifty-five years after he spoke thus, the protected industries, having for twenty-five consecutive years enjoyed an “American system” far more protective than his, would still be demanding more, and bidding fair to continue doing so for an indefinite time; while, on the other hand, the public lands still under the control of the government would have shrunk to a comparatively poor remnant in quantity and quality, likely to be in private hands in another generation, except perhaps some deserts, and some forest reserves in mountainous regions.
His bill passed the Senate, but failed to be acted upon in the House of Representatives. It did, however, not fail, as some of those who forced the subject upon him had foreseen, seriously to injure the candidate for the presidency in the Western States, as being an opponent of “cheap lands.”
But the principal, and the most ominous, struggle of the session was still to come — the struggle concerning the Bank of the United States. As we have seen, the memorial of the bank praying for a renewal of its charter was presented to Congress in January. The committees in the two houses, to which the memorial was referred, reported favorably, recommending the renewal of the charter with some modifications. It was well known that good majorities in both houses were ready to vote for the renewal.
The enemies of the bank, or rather President Jackson's nearest friends, under Benton's leader-
