Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-02-24

%'~~NS'y W pssthS pirIfdItu 20 tEtO some
Y other system III measures 10 cOunteract those
effects. should the hill pass. Whether the
irs"iuiion he had offered might he consider ed
strictly parliamentary he was not sure, but feli
persnadrd II was proper measure, since the
information contemplated by il WAS very
desirable, and the Standing Committees
OF the House were the proper channel
thro'igh which il should be communities
| ied."He did no, propose 10 suspend
the discussion of the bill till the repor,
nf'hr Committee could br obtained. but Ia
let u proceed az VI ue such resolution had
passed. All seemed to agree the reyenu,
would he diminished. He wished TO knew
with some certa MY, how much and he
Thought the enquiry properly belonged to the
COMMITTEE OF Ways and Means. Sumo gem
tIemen, he believed, considered public dsbt
public blrssiog-and others had said thew
were prepared To lay direc, tax.s-he could
neither agree With one nor the other
MI. TOP opposed the resolution. conceiy-
Ing u tontil get rightb an explanation from
Mr. Owen TO b. IA measure intended for de-
iayiaG the discussion of the bill. Procrasti
| nation had last session been successfullv re
sorted to defeat the bill and the manufac.
tuners, IN consequence Of the unsuccessful aei
tation THE tariff question in this House. had
sustained a loss of two millions Of dollars ;
because the foreign merchants and mauufac-
turers eoncesing il as thing of course that
such bill, once proposed, could not he re,
Jected, had poured in their goods in great
quantities, in anticipation Of its passage. He
trusted gentlemen would not attempt the same
policy again. The bill would have to pass.
sooner or later. If put of now, il would GER
tainiy come up next year; and If put off then,
IT would recur the year following and would
gentlemen thus waste the time and money
of their constituents Could not the gentle
man from Alabama vote till he had learned
| the opinion ofthe Committee Of WAYS and
Means The bill, at all events, could do no
fatal injury 10 the revenue in one or two wears :
that previous plan was indispensable to meet
its effects.
Mr.. McLAsE, of Del. chairman of the
Committee of Ways and Means) had no OBJ
lection to the genteman's obtaining the infor-
| nation sought by his resolution hut object
| ed to the mode proposed. The Chairman of
| the Committee OF Manufactures was the pro-
per organ through whom to obtain il. That
committee were in possession of all the facts
on the subject the operation Of the bill must,
OF course, have long been before them and
If the committee of Ways and Means were
applied to, they would only have to 20 10 the
Committee Of Manufactures To get ~ hat they
might report 10 the House. The bill was not
tor revenue, but for protection it therefore
apPertaned wholly TO the other committee
But, if the gentleman wished counteractinr
| system prepared, to meet the operation Of
the tariff bill, he was pre- mature. If the Com
nittes of Ways and Means should now pro-
pose plan, il must be founded on the bill AS
It at present stands but, by the time that re-
port should be prepared, the bill might DO en-
tlrcly changed, and new report must be
prepared. When the bill had undergone all
It's notifications. and had passed the House.
ii its operation was 10 he injurious To the re-
venue, the Committee of Ways and Means
would, Of course, find il their duty to provide
plan of remedy. But, having, last session,
given the subject careful and deliberate ex-
animation, he was decidedly of opinion that a
tariff might be adopted, which, while it gave
every proper protection ts manufactures, in
stead OF diminishing, would augment the re-
venue. he would not go SO far as TO saw
that the present bill needed no alteration in
any of its details; but he was satisfied the
t4ro objects We're perfectly compatible. He
referred, in support of this position to the
Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, last
year laid before Congress, ia part of which he
read,) and observed, in conclusion, that the
Committee of Ways and Means were prepar-
ed TO perform their dsty, when the proper &C.
casion required IT,.
Mr.. LIVINGSTON considered the 'informa.
tion sought for in the resolution indispensable
to an intelligent vote on the bill before the
House. Some gentlemen believed the reye-
nue. would be seriously affected, if not destroy
ed by its operation--he wished some certain
information whether this was likely to be the
fact--and If it was about to take away one
half, or one third, or any other large portion
of the revenue. he wished to see beforehand
| how this was to be made up. He did expect
that the Honorable Chairman Of the Commit
faa of Manuf,cfnrao h-,.. L.
detailed and authentic statement on this SUBJ
ject' before the House-he had waited for il,
but in vain. He did not care from what Com
mitiee it was obtained--but thought that, as
ii was question which touched the revenue.
the Committee Of Ways and Means would
he the proper committee 10 present ii to the
House -and he quoted the standing rules Of
the House to shew the duties Of that com
miitee. He wished TO SEQ u formal report
that he might have something to shew TO his
constituents, and quiet their apprehensons,
and il il could not be prepared in week, he
would wait ten days or even a fortnight, to OBJ
tain il. He hoped the HousH would not, by
the force Of majority, pass any law in such
manner as would put it in the power of
minority to say they forced this measure up
on US without giving US the requisite nforma-
ton respecting It.
MIR. BUCHANAN thought this n most extra
ordinary resolution. After the bill had been
almost month under discussion, when the
measure bad been examined by every news.
paper in the,couDtry for years past, and the
whole nation had taken sides On the question,
that Congress should formally ask for infor-
nation as to what would be the operation Of
the BILL He thought gentlemen were COM
peient to obtain this information for them
selves, or why were 5they sents;; here The
gentleman from Louisiana had now come
fairly out, and ayOwed his Willingness for de-