Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-02
CONGRESS-.
UNITED STaTES B.lN'E.
IN SENATE.
(l,r. C>az;fora's: Steeeh eOnauued.)

(1hr. C>axJord's Steech continued
Can it then be SERIOUSLY contendcd, tia, be-
cause the constitution has in sore cases
made the government of tho Z. States depa:-
dant upon the state governments, IN eli which
cases it has imposed the most solemn ob!H~-
tons upon them to act, that it will be necessa-
ny and proper for Congress 10 nuke itself Dc
pendent upon them, III cases where no such o..
ligatiolf is imposed The constitution his
defined all the cases where this gorernmt,t
ought to be dependent upon that OF the stats,
and it would be unwisc and lnipsovldept torus
to ,l,ultiply these casesby legislative acts, ts-
pccialy where we have 10 power TO compel
them 10 perform the act, for which we RAY"
made ourselves their dependents In forming
a permanent system OF revenue, 1t would bc
unwise in Congress to rely, Tor Its COLLECTION
and transmission from one extreme OF this, cX-
.tcnsive empire to the Other, upon. any acct
dental circumstance, wholly bcyoad their pow
er or control. There are state banks lii a..
most every state III the Chio;4, but their eais-
,cncc is wholly independent of this govern
mcnt, and their. dissolution is equally so.
The Secretary of the Treasury iss iniofnled
YOU thu he concei,cs q bank is necessary -
bv thu constitution irlt,,c government; know
sir that the testimony of this officer Will &c:
bs very hi hly estimated by several honorable
:nsmbcrs of this body. ain aware that>>tEi'
opinion ly. subjected him, and the commit
tee also, to the most invidious aspcrs;onsi out
sir, the situation OF that officer, independent ct
his immense talents, enables him to iorni
more correct opinion than any other man IN
the nation of the degree Of necessity which
exists at the present time fora national bank
to enable the government to manage Its i:scai
operations. He has been ID years & the head
OF your treasury--hc is thoroughly acquaa-
ted with the influence Of the bank upon your
revenue system and he has, whcE called up.
on, declared that bank is necessary to Tie
proper exercise OF the Legitimate powers o.
The government. His testimony is entitled
to great weight in the decision Of this question
at least with those gentlemen who have 70
knowledge Of the practical effects of the ope-
ratiors OF The bark in the collection, safe keep
ing and transmission Of your revenue In the
selection Of means to carry any Of Jour cor
stitutional powers into effect, YOU mast cSer'
ci:e sound discretion acting upder its 'iiIiu-
ence, you will discover that what is proper .:
one time may be extremely unfit and nnpI".
per at another. The origina! powers granted
to the government by the constitution can never
change with the varying circumstances VI
the country, but the means by which thoss
powers are to be carried into effect must
necessarily vary with the varying state and CIR
cum Stances of the nation. We ale when ac'
ting to-day, not to enqniIe what means were
necessary and proper twenty years ago'-'no:'
what was necessary and proper at the organ
cation OF the government, but our enqu"'
must be, what means are necessary aud p'o'
per this day The constitution, in rclatlua''
the means by which its powers are to l'e exc:
cuted, is one eternal now. The state u
things now, the precise point Of time "nea
we are called upon TO act, must teterH'n''
our choice in the selection of means to eSs'
cute the delegated powers. -,
1t is said that the states have rcserVcc"
the exclusive right @! creolnb
banks. That the state, have exercised u.
right of establishing banks is a fact pot to ..
denied, but that they have this right UNI
the constitution is extremely qIcstioaao's
Had these great states who have UNDERGO:
by their instructions toinfluencc the dec'>'s.
OF this question by Congress, coIhented t"."
selves with the exercise Of this right to es..,
lish banks, should not upon this oc''I aa.
enter into an investigation of that right ...,.
these great suites, not content with tie .s;oa
else Of an tlsurpcd authority, are 10y usu'p
attempting to lcgislate for Congress r,
And, SIR, what is the mducement "!o'