The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-13 00:00:00

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

RELIEF OF THE SUFFERERS BY THE FIRE IN NEW YORK.
Mr. Cambreleng rose, he said, to throw himself on the
indulgence of the house, for the purpose of asking what he
was sure would be granted—the unanimous consent of the
house to report a Bill from the Committee of Ways and
Means for the relief of the sufferers by the late fire in the
city of New York.
Mr. Jarvis moved a suspension of the rule, so as to per-
mit any of the committee to make reports, and it was
agreed to.
Mr. Cambreleng, from the Committee of Ways and
Means, then presented the following report and bill :
" The Secretary of the Treasury having transmitted to
the Committee of Ways and Means a letter from the col-
lector of the port of New York, giving an account of the
late disastrous conflagration at that place, and representing
the entire suspension of .credit, and prostration of trade,
the committee .respectfully submit the following report :
" Deeply sympathizing with the immediate and severe
sufferers by a great national calamity, the Committee of
Ways and Means lost no time in, considering the commu-
nication of the Secretary of the Treasury. The disaster
is of an unparallelled character, and its consequences must
be felt by every interest and every quarter of the Union.
An exercise of, all the constitutional power of the Federal
Government is in this instance demanded, not only by the
highest considerations of national policy and justice, but
prompt measures are essentially necessary to the collection
of the revenue in every part of the Union, to the public
interest in every branch of the national expenditure, and to
arrest, or at least to diminish, the calamitous effects of the
late conflagration on all interests and in every section of the
country.
" In considering what measures were best calculated to
moderate the shock upon the trade, revenue, and industry
of the country, three propositions were suggested—namely,
the extension of the credit on bonds die from those who
have suffered by the late fire, three, four, and five years—
placing the vast surplus revenues of the country where they
may be more actively employed in our cities, in extending
relief to the embarrassed and impoverished debtors of Go-
vernment, and remitting the duty on all merchandise de.-
stroyed in original packages. The Committee submitted a
Bill embracing the two first propositions. The first provi-
sion is in accordance with the practice of Government
heretofore ; the second, while it will most extensively relieve
the immediate wants of trade, and in reviving the energies
of the commercial capital of the Union, cannot diminish in
any manner the security of Government, or embarrass the
operations of the Treasury. The question of remitting
duties on property destroyed was also considered by the
Committee, but appearing to require previous examination
and more deliberation, and not wishing to delay the pro-
posed measures of relief, it was not finally acted on."
The Bill for the Relief of the Sufferers by Fire in the
City of New York was then read :
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled, that the Collector of the` port of New York be,
and he is hereby authorised, as he may deem best calculated
to secure the interest of the United States, to cause to be
extended (with the assent of the sureties thereon) the time
of payment of all bonds heretofore given for duties as
aforesaid, to periods not exceeding an average of three,
four, and five years, or to allow the bonds to be cancelled
upon giving to the said Collector new bonds, with one or
more sureties, to the satisfaction of the said Collector, for
the sum of the former bonds, respectively payable, in
average periods of three, four, and five years, from and
after the day of payment specified in the bonds to be
taken up or cancelled as aforesaid. And the said Collec-
tor is hereby' authorised and directed to give up or can-
cel all. such bonds upon the receipt of others described in
this Act ; which last-mentioned bonds shall be proceeded
with in all respects like other bonds which are taken by
Collectors for duties due to th 4 United States ; provided,
however, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend to
bonds which had fallen due before the 17th day of the
present month.
" Sec. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority
aforesaid, that the Secretary of the Treasury be, and is
hereby authorized and directed to transfer to such Banks
as he may select, any surplus moneys of the Government,
or any part thereof, which may not be required for the
public service, and to permit the same to remain in such
Banks for 12 months from the passage of this Act."
After the reading of the Bill, Mr. Cambreleng said, there
was another subject before the Committee which was not de-
finitely acted upon, viz., the remission of duties on goods de-
troyed, which required more examination and deliberation.
The subject was brought before the Committee by the letter
from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting letters
from the collector of the port of New York. He would
not detain the House by any remarks on the subject now,
and merely remarking that it was with infinite regret for
the cause of it that he found himself called upon, as the
first act in his new situation, to bring in a Bill of this de-
scription, he would ask the indulgence of the House to take
up the subject to-morrow.
The Bill was read twice and committedto the Committee
of the whole on the state of the Union. •

Mr. M'Kean hoped, he said, that the Bill would be acted
on speedily, and the Committee would soon report on the
proposition to remit the duties.
Mr. Cambreleng stated, as the Bill was in the Committee
on the whole on the state of the Union, it could be taken up
at any time after the papers were printed.