Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-04-20
CONGRESSIONAL.
BANK OF TIE UNITED STATES,
 MIR. BENTON'S SPEECH.

SEN4TE-WEDNEsDAY, Feb. 2.
 In pursuance to the notice which he had given, MT Benton to ask leave to lntrodice Jonit Re- solution. declaring il to be the of Congress that the charter Of the Bank of the United States ought not to be renewed, He commencenced his speech in support of the application for the leave he was about to ask with justification of hlmsellfor bring mg forward the question of renewal at this tlmej when the charter had still five years run; and bot toned his vindlcation chiefly the right he possess d, and the necessity he was under, to answer cer- tain Reports ofone of the Committees of the Senate, made in opposition to certain resolutions relative to the Bank, which he had submitted to the Senate at former sessions and which reports he had not had m opportunity of answering He said, 1t had been his fortune chance, some three years ago, to sub mta resolution in relation to the undrawn balances of public money in the hands of the Bank and to &C., company it with some poor remarks of unlavorable implication the future existence fthat institution My resolution, said Mr B. was referred to the Com mlttee on Finance who made report decidedly ad- verse to all my views, and eminently favorable to the Bank, both as present and future institution. Thisreport came in on the 18th of May-ius fourteen days before the conclusion of six months session, when all was hurry and precipitation to terminate the business on hand, and when there was not the least chance to engage the attention of the Senate in the consideration of any now subject The report was therefore, laid upon the table unanswered; but printed by order of the Senate, and that in ex-
 
 by means of the newspaper press. At the com nencement of the next session, 1t being irregular to call for the consideration of the past report, was dnder the necessity to begin anew and, accordingly submittedm resolution second time and that quite early ln tie session say, on the first day of January 1t my wish and request that this resolution should be discussed in the Senate but the sentiment ofthe majority different and second reference of 1t was male to the Finance Committee. A second report of the purport with the first was mat ter of course but what did not seem to me to be natter of course, was this: that this second report s.iuuld not come in until the 2)lh day of February
 just IA days again before tho end the session, for
 was then the short session, and the Senate much pnched as before for time to finish the business nand. No answer could be made to it, but the report was printed, with the former report appended to it and, thus, united like the Siamese twins, and with the apparent but nut real sanction of the Senate, they went forth together to make the tour of the Un- ion in the columns of the newspaper press. Thus, was Il cecond time out of court; second time non- suited for want of replication, when there no time to file one. had intended to begin de moro, and ior the third ne at the opening of the ensuing session but happily, was anticipated and prevented by the annual message of the new President, (Gcn. l Jacison) which brought the question of renewing the Bank charter directly before Congress- re- ference of this part of the message was made, of course, to the Finance Committee: the committee, of course, again reported, and with increased ardor,
 
 which was aInplificati0n and reiteration of the | two former did not come in until the session was four months adyanced and when the time of the &c., nate had became engrossed and it's attention absov | ed by the numerous and important subjects which had accumulated upon the calender. Printing in ex- tra numbers, general circulation through the news. paper press, and answer, was the catastrophe of | thIs third reereuce to the Finance Commttee.- l Thus was non-suited for the third time. The 4th session has now come round; the same subject Is again before the committee on the reference of l the part of the Presidents second annual message which relates to the Bank, and, doubtless fonth report of the import with the three proceeding ones, may be expected. But when, is the question And, as cannot answer that question: and the ses- sion is now two thirds advanced, and as have no disposition to be cut off for the fourth time have thought proper to create an occaslon Tor myself to deliver my sentiments by asking leave to intro- duce joint resolution adverse to the tenor of all the reports and to give my reasons against them, while supporting my application for the leave demanded 1: n course of proceeding which is just to myself and unjust to no one since all are at liberty to answer me- These my personal reasons for ths step, and part ol my to the objection that have began too soon. The conduct of the Bank, and it's friends constitutes the second branch of my justif- cation It is certainly not "too soon for them, udg- ing by their conduct to engage in the question of newing the Bank charter. In, and out, of Congress they all seem to be ofone accord on this point Three reports of committees ln the Senate, and one from committee of the House of Representatives, have been made in favor of the renewals; and, all these reports instead of being laid away for future use-n- stead of being stuck in pigeon holes and labelled ol future attention, things coming forth prematurey and not wanted for present service,-haye, on the contrary been universally received by the Bank and it's friends, in great tempest of applause, greet ed with every species of acclamations ;reprined in most of the papers, and every effort made to give The widest diffusion and the highest effect to the ar guments they contain. In addition to this and al the present session within few days past, 5000 CO pes of the exposition ofthe affairs of the Bank have 1 been printed by order of the two Houses; thing never before done, and now intended to blazon the | merits of the Bank. (Mr Smith, of Md here ex' pressed some dissent to this statement, but MT B. affirmed its correctness substance, ifnot to the let ter, and continued.) This does not look as if the Bank advocates thought n too to discuss the question of renewing the charter; and upon the ex' hbon of their sentiments shall rest the assertion and tho proof that they do not think Tbe third branch of my justification rests upon sense of pub lie duty--upon sense of what is just and advanta. geous ot he people in general and the debtors and lst,clxholders ofthe Bank in particular. The renew al of the charter is question which concerns tne people at large; and if they are to have any hand in the decision of this question, if they are even to know what is done before it is done' IL IS nign t'e that they and their Representatives Tn Conetess, s ' should understand each other's mind upon n tne charter has but five years to run; and renewed as