Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-04-03
CONGRESS-.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
DEBATE ON THE DIRECT Tx
SPEECH OF MIR. CLAY.
Concluded. }

nue. beyond expenditure, or by retrenchneut DID
gentlemen contend that the results of the report
were inaecurate--thai tue proceeds of tie reveuue
would be S. eater, or the public expeuccs less thas
The estimate on these subjects, Mr.. c. said, he
ncheved II woaidhe presumption in him, When the
fence oil the report was N such able hands. (Mr.
L0wndes) TO attemptils ynsicatiun. Leaving the
task to that gentleman, he should assume Tor the
present its accuracy He would lay down general
rule, from which there ought never to be depar-
t1re, without absolute necessity, that ti,e expenses
OIL the year ought TO be met by the revenue ofthe
year. III IN time OF war it were impossible to oh
serve this rule ought, in time OF peace to pro-
vie Tor as speedy discharge Of the debt contracted
10 the preceding war as possible. This can only
he done by an elfs ctive snking fund ased upon AN
excess OF revenue beyond expenditure and a pro-
uaeton o. the period oil peace. Hin England the
SINKING tuni maj not fulfilled what was promised, i;
was because OF Failure to provide suclI revenue,
and because the interests peace in that country
sud been too lew AM tuo short From the rev oU-
ton to 1919, period hi years, there had been
65 years of war; and only 81 of peace; and there
had been contracted 65S 1919 .577l OF debit and dis
charged only 50, 305i The nstio al debt at tie
p acc OF Ctrccht Amounted to 1861 O-6l. and dur
ing The peace which followed, being - years, from
tII4 To lI4p, there was discharged only 1881 sO3I
When the operations OF our sinking fund are con-
tasted with those eiG. Britain they would be found
10 present the most gratifying results. Our public
debt existing or the LIST january 1902 Amounted to
SIS,75456S 20 cents, and on the LIST January
nus IN thirteen years, one half the period of peace
That followed the treaty of Utrecht we hsl dscharp-
Ell more public debt thsn Great Britain did during
That period. In twcnty-siX years she did not paw
much more than seventh OF her debt. In thirteen
years we paid more than a third of ours. Ii thena
puollc debt, contracted in a manner, he trusted.
SATISFACTORY TO The country, imposed upon a duty
10 provide tor It's payment; it we were encouraged
oy PSsi eAperie"ce to perseyere in the application
OF an effective sinking fund, he would again repeat
ndf1 ,.tin, ,c,
system oil taxation producing the revenue estimated
by tie committee 81 Ways and Means, or By great
retrenchment of the public expences.
in what respect can reduction OF the public ex-
Ptnces be elected Gentlemen who ASA led the
report on this ground have, by the indefinite nature
% te attack, great advantage their SHE. Instead
Ut cQntentng themselves with crying out r-tr..ncb
ment retrenchmeut a theme always plausible
an ubJect always proper, when the public Interest
VIII admit OF ii, let them point the t1nton of the
house to some specified subject. lfthey really think
reduction oil the army and navy, or ctherof them
be proper, let them lay resolution upon the table
to that eitect They had generally, it was true
singled out, in discussing his report land he had no
Objection to meet ihem IN this way though he
thought the other the iairest course) the military
establishment. MIR. T.. SAID he was glad that the
navy had ioughtitseif into favour aud that no one
appeared disposed TO move its reduction or 10 OPP
pose ITS gradual augmentation But the 'FstaIding
army" IS the great Object OF gentlenens' apprehen-
sloas. And those who can brsyey set at defiance
hobgobblIns, the creatures of their own fertile ina
gnations, trembling for the liberties OF the peo
pie endangered by standing army of 10000 men
Those who can c0utagcously vote against taxes arc
alarmed for toe fate Of the constitution aud thecoun
try, at such force scattered over our extensive
territory This could not have been expected at
least in TIE honorable gentleman Mr.. Ro.s) VINO
II he had been stormins fort, could have dis
p aged more cO9l collected courage than lac did
when ne declared that he would shew to Pennsyl-
wanna, that she had faithful representative bold
aud independent enough to vote against tax.
Mr. Z. SAID he had happened, very incidentally
the other day, ard in a manner which he had suppo-
sed could not attract particular attention. TO state
that the general condition OF the world admonished
usto shape cur measures with view to the possible
conflicts into which might be drawn and he
said Inc did not know when he should cease to wit
ness the attacks made upon him in Consequence at
that general remark, when he should cease to hear
the cry OF standing army "national glory &c
&c. From the tenor Of gentlemei,'s observations
It would seem as II, for the first time in the history
oil this government, it was proposed that a Ger
tam regular force should constitute portion OF the
public defence But from the administl alton Of
General Washington, down to this time, "A regular
force, standing army Gf gentlemen please)
had existed, and the only question about
1t, at any time, had been what should be the
amount. Gentlemen themselves, who most loudly
decry this establishment, did not propose an entire
disbandment oft and the question: ever with them
IS not whether regular force be necessary but
whether irregular force of this or that amount be
called for by the actuel state ofeur affairs.
The questions not, any side of the house, as To
the nature but the quantuu Of the force. AR e..
said he maintained the position, that, Il there was
the most profound peace that ever existed if we
had no fears from any quarter whatever; lfall the
world was 10 state Ofthe most profounda absolute
repose, regular force oil ten thoussnh mes was not
too great for the purposes of this government We
knew too much, he said, Of the ycisstudes of human
affairs, and the uncertainty ofall cslcul, tions
not 10 know that even in the most profound ranuui
lily, some tempest may suddenly arise, and bring
us into a state requiring the exertiou Of military
force, which cannot be created ia 2 moment, bat
requires time for its collection, organization and
discipline. When gentlemen talked Of the force
which was deemed sufficient some twenty years A.
60, what did they mean That this force was
not 10 be progressive That the full grown mon
was % wearthe clothes and habits OF his infancy
That the establishments naptsined by this 60
ycFnment, when is population amounted to four or
five millions only, should be the standard by which
orr measures should De- Requested IN al. subsequent
states Of The country Il gentlemen meant ibis AZ
it seemed 20 him they di', Mr.. G.. said he and they
should MT agree. lie contende1 that establish
ments ought to b. commemorate with the actual
t g. OF the country, should grow With IT'S growth.
and keep pace with is progress. Look at that
Map (said BE, pointing tn the large Map Of the u.
niteh States which hangs ~ the Hall OF Representa-
uves lat the vast extent nj that country which
retches from the Lake oi the Woods m the north
west, to the bay Of Fundy in the east Look at the
vast extent Of our maritime cOas recoliect We
have Indians and powerful nations oonterrninous on
The whole frontier and that know not at what
moment the savage enemy or Great Bgitaa herself
may seek 70 make war with Us. Ought the force Of
the country 10 be graduated by the scale OF our ex