Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-04
CONGRESS.
IFron the National LafeiliScncer.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr.. Herriek, of Ohio, appeared on
Thursday and took his seat.
MIR. Smith, OF Maryland, from the COM
miiiee ofWays and Means, reported a bill
in addition 10 the act OF 1890, TO regulate
the collection OF the revenue iexiendinq
the time OF making the oath (to twenty
days. III cases expectation OF merchan-
die entitled 10 the benefit of drawback
ard bill Tor The reIiefof Den,os, Little
q Co. and of Hartman Hendricks, OF New
York which bills we're sevetaly twice
read and committed
Mr.. Smith. from The same committee,
made an uniavorabie report on The pci-
ton ofcertain coppcrsmithS and others OF
Boston, which MAS read and concurred
in.
On motion of Mr.. Herbert, il was
Rssoirej, That the clerk o. This house be an.
ihorised and directed 10 contract with any
person or persons for printing ct two hundred
ana hity copies OF tic code Of Jurisprudence
tor the district of Columbia, prepared and re.
ported 10 Congress at the present session by
the Chief justice of the said district
Mr.. Butler, lrom the seiec! committee,
appointed on that subject, reported a bill
for the relief of major general john Stark.
providing for placing him OH The pension
isl, WIN pension OF dollars per
month.
On motion of Mr.. Butler, the blank
was filed with the word sir,y, and thus a.
mended, the bill was ordered TO be en-
crossed for a third reading, mem. con.
The Speaker laid before the House a re-
port from the Secretary of War, on sun
dry petitions iorpensions and the increase
OF pensions, made in compliance with tho
3d and 9Th sections of the act of 10Th A.
prii, 1906, which report was referred to
the committee or pensions.
MIR. Whitman offered for consideration
the following motion:
Resotred, That the committee on RevoIu-
tionary Pensions he instructed TO enanire into
Tue propriety OF granting pensions tn such of
me soldiers oil the revolution as served or con-
unentai estaDiishment at least one year i'm the
whole, though at different periods of the war.
and as would have been entitled 10 Tie same
by virtue of the act of last session, had thew
continued in service uninterruptedly for the
term OF nine months.
On the gu 'stion of agreeing 10 the re
solution, II was decided III The negative
ayes ID, noes 60.
BANK OF THE UNITED STATES.
lie House having agreed to proceed 10
| The consideration of The resolution NOV
| ed by Mr.. Spencer of New York, few
days ago, in the words following - For
thlS resolution see the last Enquirer
Mr.. M'LANE of Delaware, said he had
| no objection 10 the object of the proposed
| enquiry, though he had some objection TO
the form given 10 it. He thought it con
iempiated wider scope of enquiry than
was within the power Of Congress. He
referred to the act incorporating the
bank, and quoted so much of il as rrsery-
| ed 10 Congress the power 10 appoint a
committee TO examine lis books, &c. TOR
the purpose of ascerlainiug whether or
not The bank has violated its charter. lie
drew distinction between this power.
ana That OF appointing Il committee TO in
spect the books and proceedings of the
bank, tor the purpose of reporting TO this
House, and publishing 10 all the world,
| all ITS transactions, of whatever nature
| The specification Of The objects of en-
| qnlry was so little necessary to the main
| object of the resolution, that it would
lose none OF lis effect by striking them
all out. The enquiry into the amoual OF
discounts to a particular class of indiyi-
duais, for example, he considered as ex-
cepilonable. The right of lending mo-
ney is vested i'll the bank, at its discre-
ton, TO whomsoever il shall cluse. If il
have even exercised that power indis-
creeily, II IS immaterial TO this House,
with reference to d violation of It's char
ter, (the object OF enquiry 10 whom dis
counts have been made. Ii the House
went as far as was proposed in this re-
speci, 1t should go further. Ii should au-
thorISe a report 10 be made of the names
OF all those who have applied for dis
counts al the bank, and been refused :
and also an enquiry intO The character
aud SoiVency of all those persons, in or
der to make that branch of lhe enquiry
efiec'ual. Tie necessary powers in this
respect, Mr.. M'Lane said, fhe commit
tee OF Tins House would have, under the
Charter, without a specification Of The OBJ
Iects OF enquiry if the committee had
not, under The charter, the powers pro-
posed to be given To IL, The specification
would not confer them. Since, then, the
SPECIFICATION was unnecessary, and the
resolution, di"ested Of il, would answer
every object the gentleman had in view,
MIR. M'LaDe moved 10 amend the resoIu-
ton by striking out ell thGt part Of it after
the words : viotated or not, near The begin-
mug, TO the 'cord 'oyganiz0tion, aeGr tie
end ot II nctaSice. This would leave the
enquiry as broad and comprehensive as
the nature OF The subject wonld permit,
and would divest the resolve Of its obicc-
tlonable features.
Ms. SPENCER opposed the amendment
moved by MIR. M'Lane. As TO the now
ers OF The House, the language of The re-
solution was that of The CHARTER respect
ing the power OF inquiry reserved TO Con-
sress. The gentleman seemed 10 sup
pose that committee of Congress, ap-
pointed for the purpose. might report
whether the charter was violated or NOT
but were not al liberty TO report the facts
on which that opinion was founded. But.
Mr.. ). said, when d power is gwen, the
means of carrying that power into exscu-
tiOn are also given. If the power were
given TO enquire whether the charter of
the Bank had been violated or not.
it irresisiibly followed that The power
was also given TO eport the facts which