Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-05-04
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES..
Saturday, .Apr3 go.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES..
Saturday, .apri3 go.
THE NAVY.
Mr.. Williams of N. Carolina, rose, and
said he should take the liberty to submit to
the house several propositions growing out
of the vote last evening, on the Iarlf Dill.
If that bill passed into law, OF which ne
thoughs there was little doubt, since the vote
had been taken, radical, total change
would be effected IN the system OF poIicy
hesstofore pursued. 1t appears to me, sir
that we have been happy. that we nave
lourished, in pre-eminent degree, under
the operations Of the system so much repro
bated by the friends of the new tariff In
lieu of tax on consumptions, we mnst' IL
seems, now resort to system OF inlerhai
taxation. The gentleman from Pennsylva-
MIA. tMr. Baldwin, under whose auspices
this bill was ushered into the house. and car
ried through with triumphant majority had
ALWAYS been favorable, ii he was not mista-
ken, TO a system of internal taxation. That
gentleman voted against the repeal OF the
internal duties, when longer continuance
of them was manifestly unnecessary. and
when the President had recommended their
abolition. But, without the former votes OF
the gentleman, the whole of his present pro-
iect is evidence uneqivocal TO my mind,
that he wishes to re establish system OF III
ternal taxation.
The gentleman had distinctly said, that
the system of revenue which was now IN
operation, had been tried that it had tailed;
and that we must change it. Mr.. w. SAID,
he was not disposed to think or to act with
the gentleman from Pennsy lvania that he
denied to the gentleman the force OF his ar
gument, founded upon the inadequacy OF our
present system. But, admitting it to be IN
adequate, Mr.. w, denied the propriety or
policy of such remedy as that gentleman
proposed. Sir, said be, what is the real
cause of the deficit in the revenue? Is the
deficiency owing to any fault in the system
itself, or does it proceed from the enormous
expenditures of money? say il boldly, and
without fear of contradiction, that the beg
cared condition Of the Treasury arises from
the improper expenditures OF money, and
notfrom any fault in the revenue system
The friends of the present revenue system
have not been disappointed. II has proou :
ced all the good they expected would result
from it at the time twas adopted. But. SIR
many heavy expenditures have since been
authorized, and which were not contempia-
ted at the period the system was adopted.
This is the real cause OF the insuthciency OF
funds in the Treasury.
No doubt portion, and perhaps serious
portion too, Of the failure arises from the pre-
sent deranged state of the circulating medi-
um but this is no fault of the system and
notwithstanding all these embarrassments
it would have answered every purpose pro-
yided the expenditures had not been unrea-
sonabie and improper The gentleman from
Pennsylvania, however, had uniformly oppo-
sed, Mr. w SAID. every effort to retrench,
10 economic and TO save the public money.
So far, then, as the gentleman from Pennsyl-
yania was concerned, the deficiency ofreve-
| nue. had been owing more TO the course Of
policy pursued by him in this house than to
any defect in the system. The system, Mr..
w. repeated, had not failed it had answer,
edevery purpose contemplated by its friends
at the period of its adoption. But the Con-
gress Of the United States had failed, ifthere
was failure any where. They had authori-
rod aycessivs oYnond;r,,ree MT con{amnla