1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 137 California's Compensation and Territorial Claims
"Everyone, start voting."

Fillmore announced blankly.

This time, there were no impassioned and incendiary speeches. The protests of the people outside Capitol Hill, the newspapers in the hands of congressmen, and the Texas armed forces occupying the New Mexico area were the best speeches.

President Fillmore seemed confident about the outcome of the vote.

When the results of the vote were announced, President Fillmore was calm.

More than half of the senators in the Senate voted against the bill on whether to withdraw the California-Mexico government's land grant, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

Even the House of Representatives, which is dominated by the old eastern states, has more than one-third of the votes against it.

After the dust settled, Fillmore left Congress with a long-lost smile after announcing the results.

"Representative of Texas, representative of California, please come with me, Mr. President still has some things to discuss with you."

Presidential Secretary Wyatt walked up to the high-fiving Senators from Texas and California and spoke to them.

Fillmore first negotiated with two senators from Texas.

"All Texas armed forces on the territory of New Mexico must withdraw to the territory of the state." This is Fillmore's bottom line on the issue of the territory of Texas and New Mexico.

"As long as the federal government can pay Texas $1000 million in compensation at one time."

Ron said with confidence that according to what he knew, the federal government is currently unable to pay a one-time compensation of 1000 million US dollars.

What's more, now that California is also demanding compensation, the federal government's finances should be struggling.

"Texas will soon receive $1000 million in compensation, and I hope that by that time Texas armed forces will no longer appear in New Mexico." Fillmore said coldly, with a hint of threat in his tone.

The president's attitude caught the two representatives from Texas by surprise, and they left the president's office with astonished expressions.

After the two Texas representatives left, Secretary of the Treasury Corwin asked Fillmore with some unease: "Mr. President, the Treasury Department can't afford so much money now."

Fillmore is still well aware of the current predicament of the Treasury Department. The governor and lieutenant governor of California have sent him letters many times, asking the federal government to compensate Los Angeles and the California soldiers who died in the conflict.

Lieutenant Governor Liang Yao also stated that if the federal government is unwilling to make compensation for this, they will refuse to hand over 287 American Army prisoners including Colonel Mason.

And the compensation requested by California is not low, as high as 500 million US dollars!
In this regard, Fillmore wrote back to refute it, bluntly saying that the loss of a small town in Los Angeles with a population of only one or two thousand people is far from being so great.

Liang Yao responded to President Fillmore on the grounds that life was priceless, and the federal government sent troops into California brazenly, which delayed the normal production and life of the people of California and caused losses of more than tens of millions of dollars.

Liang Yao also said intimately that the state of California also understands the difficulties faced by the federal government. If the federal government is unable to pay the compensation, Nevada can be included in California.

California's bargaining made Fillmore very angry, but after weighing the pros and cons and comparing the relative importance of California and Texas, Fillmore still made a choice that was more beneficial to the federal government.

Of course, it was impossible for Fillmore to assign the entire Nevada area to California.

He didn't agree to it himself, and neither would Congress.

"Didn't Wall Street sell the land in California for $876 million? I remember that the money is still in the Treasury Department." Fillmore looked at Corwin.

If you want the armed forces in Texas to withdraw from the New Mexico area, the compensation from Texas must be given immediately.

"You want to use this money? I have to remind you that according to the law, this money does not belong to the Treasury Department." Corwin reminded Fillmore.

"According to the law, they should not buy and sell California land on Wall Street." President Fillmore's attitude was extremely tough.

"The Ministry of Finance keeps half and returns half to them. This incident was caused by them. They must be responsible for it. We can't let the federal government wipe their ass. They must also pay a certain amount of responsibility."

While talking, Fillmore unfolded a map of the United States on his desk, and used a ruler to draw a straight line of meridian at 117° west longitude on the map.

Nevada is a territory of a quasi-state, and California is a free state. If the Nevada area west of 117° west longitude is assigned to California, the resistance will not be so great, at least not as great as the territorial conflicts in Texas and New Mexico.

The premise is that California is willing to pay a certain price for this, such as willing to pay Texas $1000 million in compensation for the federal government.

"Invite your favorite student to come in, and then I should talk to him about the California issue." Fillmore put down the pen in his hand and said.

After the congressional session, Calhoun was helped into the carriage and drove home.

His mood was very low, and not just because the last bill of his political career was defeated, and his political career ended on an unhappy note.

More importantly, he was ruined by this bill, and his once tall image among the people also collapsed.

Calhoun's carriage had just driven out of Capitol Hill, and he was greeted by an angry crowd that had not yet dispersed.

People threw all kinds of things in their hands at his carriage, stones, sticks, shoes, and even excrement.

Unpleasant obscenities penetrated through the carriage and spread into the spacious carriage, stimulating every nerve in Calhoun's body.

"Sir, bear with it a little longer, and we will soon be able to leave here and return to your clean residence."

In the carriage, Seward, who was also very depressed, said to Calhoun.

Then, Seward cautiously poked his head out of the car and roared to the angry crowd: "You ignorant fools! You are all being used! Used as tools by those savage Californians!"

Seward's roar had no effect, and the abuse became more intense.

Calhoun's stiff body trembled, and his breathing became very rapid. He raised his hand with great difficulty, pointed at the window of the carriage, and spit out a few indistinct words: "Window. Window close it .”

It flashed in its mind the images of its own speeches during the period of President Madison and President Monroe, and flashed images of when it participated in its presidential election. The self on the podium was so young and full of vigor.

Under the podium, there are supporters who can't see the end, waving the flag and shouting for him.

That was his highlight moment, the era of his generation.

This era is gone forever.

I don't know if it's a hallucination or reality, but Calhoun's ears could hear the whistle of the train and the roar of big machines.

The once peaceful and comfortable pastoral life in the United States was torn apart by the roar of the noisy and fucked machines.

Calhoun's eyes went dark, his hands dropped limply, and he stopped breathing.
(End of this chapter)