The Arkansas advocate., 1830-05-05

SIOaLlAitlSC Otl Sieliiio, iCpoi tSu st Diii for the relief of Thomas W. Newton, assignee of Robert Crittenden, which was twice read, committed, and made the order of the day for tomorrow.
 The bill making appropriations for expendituresinthe engineers ordinance, and quarter masters departments, being under discussion, in committee of the whole, Mir. SEWER moved to amend the bill, by adding an appropriation for military road from Arkansas to Mis- souri; which motion was negatiped.
 In the recent debate in Congress on the pay of Members, Mir. Whittlesey said
 "We have been in session l09 days, during which time the House has met only 79 days. We have enacted 34 laws, where the bills originated in the House, and 5 5 where they originated ori in the Senate; Gl bills are before the Se- nate that have passed the House, and 54 are before the House that have passed the Senate. The whole number of bills reported to the House is 379, and the number of resolutions adopted is 4s0; and this. mass of business is to be left un- acted on, or So hastened through, that very few. members will know what pro visions the bills contain. < < If the people were apprized of our ne glect of duty, they would correct the evil. The object of having the House composed of2l3 members Is to unite the intelligence of that number on every proposition that is acted on; but whoever will take the pains to examine the list of yeas and nays will find that in most cases, unless 1t be on a political or on some great national question, we rarely have more than bare majority fer doing business.
 Mir. Alexandersaid-. Whathas been the fact of late years in regard to the history of our proceedings, and of which there seems to be TO prospect of dis continuance? Why, the first three or four months of the first session of Con- gress, sufficient for all the necessary rur- poses of legislation, have heen usually consumedinidie and unprohtable debate, connected with ones own personal az grandizement, or in projecting schemes for party or political purposes, little cal eulated to promote the public interest. We find, during the late war, when the interest of the country was concerned in conducting 1t toa successful conclusion, amidst the most violent opposition, Con- gress rarely ever sat the first session be- yond what is now the usual period of | the termination of our labors.o
 MT. MADISON, who was one ofthe del- egates from Virginia that framed tie Constitution, thus expressed himself, as to the mixed nature ofthe Federal Gov ernment:--
 "The principal question is, whether 1t be a federal or consolidated govern ment. In order to judge properly of the question before US, we must consid- CT it minuteiy in it's principal parts. conceive myselftha it is Of a mixed na- ture-it is in manner unprecedented !; we cannot find one express example in the experience of the world; ,; 1t stands by itself. In some repects 1t is a govern ment of a federal nature; in others it is ofa consolidated nature; even if we at tend to the manner in which the Con- stitution is investigated, ratified and made the act t,of the people of America. i can say, notwithstanding what the hon orable gentleman has alleged, that this government Is not completely consolida- tcd-nor is it entirely federal. Who are parties to it2 The people--but not the people as composing one great body but the people as composing thirteen sovereignties: were 1t, as the gentleman asserts, consolidated government, the assent of majority of the people would be sufficient for its. establishment, and as a majority have adopted it already, the remaining states would be hound by the act of the majority, even if they unanimously reprobated it: was it such a governmentas is suggested, it would be now binding on the people of the State, without their having had the privilege of deliheratihg on it; but, sir, no state IS bound by it, as il is, without it's own con sent. Should all the States adopt 1t, it will be then government established by the thirteen States ot America, not through the intervention of the le- gislatures, but by the people at large. In this particular respect the distinction