Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-01-28
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. FRIDAY, JANUARY %. 1875


regard the expense of projecting particular
frontier of the country as exclusively incurred
Tor the benefit of that frontier, ali the middle
ana anterior part OF the Union, the heart Of the
hepuouc, has no interest in our defensive esta-
Dnshnents, and all the appropriations for the
defence OF the frontier, East or West are on
their part gratnitous. Gould /, residing far in
the interior, remote from danger of foreign in
JCurs'oh' use TINS argument against measures me-
cesea'y Tor defence' No sir. In fact, Mr.. MD.
sand, VI any comparison were to be instituted he
tween Inc expenditures for the West, and those
Tor the protection of the Atlantic frontier. II.
would be found that the former involved mo; @ of
nationai and patriotic feeling, than the latter
For, ne asked what do we of the Atlantic states
get, III return Tor the expenditures for the PRO
I lection OF the frontier of the Wesa Nothing
w nat Tor the protection of the Eastern frontier,
commerce. interest, therefore, invited rnea-
tsurcs Tor the protection of the maritime frontier.
whilst nothing but the most high and elevated
considerations operated 10 iniiuencethe measures
I for the security of the Western frontier.
| here was one topic alluded to in the coursa
OF the discussion, which, Mr. NrDulie said. was
ehti'ied 10 Tue most profound considerations He
referred 10 tue distress upon the currency of the
country, produced by the expenditure of the o,-
vernme'-t, in any part Of the country, being less
than the revenue raised in it. He acknowleJo,ed
the truth OF tins observation, and exercised a
| douot whether, five hada system of direct taxa
t'on operating equallyon every part of the Union,
the Government ould. in the presen; state of
things, exist underit Take the state of Ken,uc-
Ky for example. How was her portion of The
revenue oftlIe general Government now maid, In
the price 1.-THE articles offoreIgD growth orrna-1
iiactire they consume. That, he said tley
| conld well bear, because they paid it in the Cur.
'ency ot the state. But suppose the same amount
nfmnncy was TO be raised by direct taxation, and
II was to be received this y ear there, To be ex-
pended next year elsewhere. What would be
the result nj such a state of things, Fortnnatelr
the actual operation is, under present circum
stances, the reverse of this. VIC raise our reye-
nue. by imposts OF importation from foreign
countries, winch are paid in the Atlantic cities
All tie money raised there, or nearly ALL is ex-
| pended elsewhere, and much of il in the inter-
! or 80 that, II any account be made Of the drain
I o money it is rather agains; the Atlantic states
than in their favor Ii any state in the Union.
! has right to complain, said Mr. McDuiiie. il is
That winch lreprcsent. A considerable amount
ofthe revenue the United States is raist, FROM
| the goods imported into Charleston and not one
tenth part CT the revenue raised there is exoend
/ Cd there, 50 dat there is a constant drain npon
tllat city. which produces t!ie most ininrous Of
iects TO Its interests The whole revenue of the
country. he said, was derived from commerce.
except the little derived from sales of the pnbl,.
lands, the fall amount OF which last however and
ipr''b 10y more. was expended on the army. and
other national establishments in the yiclnities m,
which II was collected.
With respect TO he capacity oftIie couatsy. as
regarded the time waen this general system ofiu-
ternai Improvement should 3c commenced Nh
McDuflie thought i; his duty to say a few words,
| because he had been mistaken before when re
SAID that the principal object of the next admins
tration would be to paw or the public debt He
meant NOT to be understood literally, that tJ,e
whole care ofthe GnverIInent was 10 be limited
Ia the payment oil the public debt. Ii the Score
try of the Treasury Correct 10 lis cofnpata
ton, MIR. N'Duhie rejoiced to believe that with
all due attention to the redemption OF the public
debt, tiB government might be able 10 commence
| system of Internal lmproy ement within two or
three ears-and, he said, the sooner il can be
I commenced, the weaker is The Argument IN favor
of the appropriation ut this moment. What said
he, is the state of our finances now For, the
question is not, what NAV be able 10 do here
after, but, what may with propTietv do now
! File Committee of ways and means, aware of the
necessity OF such measure, has reported bill
authorizing loan to the extent oftwclve millions
= for the service of the current year. An amount
of public debt falls due in the year. exceeding, BIZ
twelve millions the ability of the government TO
redeem It, For the year after, another loan of six
| millions will be necessary to complete the pay
mcnt of the debt which will become PAYABLE in
that year. The result ofall the estimates and cal
cuaton on the subject is. that our revenue will.
in two or three years from this time, be abundant
"a strange argument in favor of an appropria-
ton for the road now, when the revenue is obyi-
ously defective.
j On this subject, said Mr.. McDuffie, sufFicien,
! for the day are the evils thereof. This Govern
ment has been heretofore led into most disas
trous difficulties, by financial mistakes No man
can predict what may be the course of future
events. Ifwego to act upon the ground that
we shall have a redundant revenue, and the
course of events shall not realize the predictions
what will be the consequence
| reaction oil public opinion such as was Sc
riously felt by its operation in this House, when.
| in 1821-'22, all the institutions in the country,
were put injeoPardy, by previous mistaken cal.
citations Of the revenue. When the internal
taxes we're repealed no one anticipated a def
cheney in the revenue as the consequence. But
not more than two years elapsed, before all the
calculations Of the revenue were disapponted
and we bad to borrow money, to fulfil the public
engagement. Borrowing money, in time of
peace, was an alarming symptom, and it produc-
ed in the nation, and this House, such an effect,
flat 1t was with difficulty our institutions were
kept together. This, Mr.. Med. said in refer
ence 70 the defensive system, suspended under
this state of things which he regarded as of vital
! Importance &c. With this warning before us.
said Mr.. Med. let us not commence the work of
internal Improvement, in such a manner as NAV
defeat its final success.-As soon as we shall
have a clear surplus revenue, I will go heart and
hand with gentlemen in making the most liberal
appropriation for the purpose Of internal improve
ment; and shall not be 5CTupulous whether II he