Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-12-21
& y \ u K T. SIS.
III the Senate on Monday,

merchants OF New York. Philadelpha. Rain, H% The
and Pittsburg, on the SUBJECT oi A reJuc,;"Oe
the duties upon teas, made relar, unf,yaO,G,
to the prayers Of the m"moriaIi,t, vh;.h 'aO'e
read. and with the accnmpan, i'm l.,,o. :, Wy
Secretary u the easnry ord red to be Dr;D we
for the u.s. IL the senate. r''"'eo
Mr.. Clay rose and observed. that ,,ro..,
Just been made by b, i5c Committee on En. "m
relative to reduction Of the du,ic. on ta,s "
wished to learn from the chairman of Tho iN
mittee whether he intended to make any fn s%a
disposition OF that report He, Mr. & a"
tanned views very different frum those eynrs'.aI
in the paper presented BY the committee: and
the subject was one exceedingly INTERESTING fox
country at this time, he wa, desirious thai INV.
should be an earl and positive decision, by m~, ,'
of which some general expression Of the onn;a"
of the Senate III relation TO il should be- m,S
known.
Mr.. Smith. chairman Of the committee >.
Piled that the usual course vas not To &C, on -
ports on the day The, were presented to the SEM,
they laid on the table one day of course. and NOV,
taken up and disposed of on the day fooyir.'
The following resolution, submitted on Ihn,
day By MIR. Hama, was considered:
Resoiged, That the Committee on the Min.
be instructed to inquire into the cxpediencv Il
an organization of the militia, such AZ will on
brace those only betwixt the ages Of ,wen,y.on,
and thirty live. aud also of incrtasin, the ANN
appropriation for arming the militia of the In,
ed States.
Mr.. Foot said he would suggest an a,nendms,
to the resolution SO as to take Of all RESTRICT,
| f,nn, ri and lo, =, A.,
ton to report at large as to the Reorganization
of the militia.
Mr. Hanna said he did not know bu, he woulI
accept the modification Of the gentleman from
Connecticut. The object he had in view va, ia
reduce the organization OF the militia and r,.s
the appropriation for their equipment soas To max,
the latter equal to the former. He had Iong IN.
tertaned an opinion, derived from his experience,
both as private aud an officer that the prescr;
organization of the militia was too large. and M,
required by the wants of tho Country. llwa,
defective, too, inasmuch as IT wa: impossible 10
make such appropriations as would render soarge
a body vt militia effective.
Mr.. Pondexter would ak of lle sentcmsl
whether we now had ans law IF Congress org.
nizing the whole body Of the militia Of the Unt
ed States; and il We have not, whether the PIN T
seology of the amendment ito reorsanze III
militia" would not BE- incorrect. BY the 60,
stitutiUn. Congress was authorized 10 provided
the organization of the militia of the L. s.. b
though the subject had frequently occupied
attention Of both Houses Of Congress, nOthl
effective had as yet been done, except by
States who had passed their own militia laws
lie thought the phraseology would be better
inquire into the expediency Of organising
militia of the L. States"
Mr. HannTreplicd, that there was ali Organil
ton of the militia of The L. 8. by law Of ca
gress. II the gentleman would turn to the az
of 1906 and 1903, he would there lind shat
organization was, and how impossible it was
that organization even to BE- Of any effect. 7
objections that he, (Mr. II y entertained to tboI
laws, were. that they required Of the militia VII
was impossible to be performed, e. the armii
and eqnipplng of themselves. II his recoe
ton served, by the last returns, $780, the NH
tia amounted to one million six hundred thousand
and bv the returns OF the Adjutant General lhat1
of some of the States exceeded 900. 600 Tie found
no intention manifested in any State OF the Ih-
OIL of carrying the Laws Of Congress into effect
and he was perfectly satisfied that. under the p'
sent system. the militia would continue very y
efficient Mr. Hanna made some further reiNafI
with regard to the length OF time It would requ
to furnish arms to SO large body oi militia q
that now liable 10 be called into service out
the small suns now annually appropriated
that purpose.
Mr.. Poiudcyter said he was still OF opinion
there was at present no systematic organize
of the militia by law Of Congress. The law
" designating who were liable TO be CALEB
service. and leaving the differing and dTi
of the militia to the States. He was willing
ever to vote for the resolution Ia the shape
agreeable to the gentleman from Indiana
The resolution was then adopted.
The President stated that this was The oa'
pointed for the election of officers OF the sen.
and requested the Senators to prepare thef
lots for Secretary. =
Mr.. Chambers then rose aud SAID, 'na'
order, he asked for information, II II was VI
the power Of any gentleman present TO Eve"
relation to charges which had been made d.I
the late Secretary. Every gentleman "Olu
once see, considering the deIicacy and l"p".'
of the trust reposed in that olhce, 50 ID.
duties as an executive officer OF the sepa'f
concerned, how necessary 1t was that c'a',
as had been made should be satisfactorily ar'
ed He held the copy Of a letter IN "I' "I u,
which the Secretary was charged WI" -,
communicated to The President facts ID 70.
TO a nomination while that nomination Wa
;,u haf,,ra ,l,o S.p.te Hinder these CnIu"