Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-01-11

the Committee of WAYS and Means should pre-.
side oyet it in the event Of its being appointed
What was the usual course in respect to matters
referred! II was customary TO refer such ques.
tion either to the standing committee, to special
committee favorable. 70 The measure proposed,
or finally, to one the members 1t which were
known to accor. in opinion with thu great major.
itv of the II m.e, up,,n the question Submitted to
il. 1t had been urged that i, ought MT to 90 to
the Committee Of Ways and Means, on account
of a former report Of that committee having been
decidedly in favor Of re chartcins The Bank but
even surprising that to be an objection ITSELF still
he must beg to state that the committee was now
differ emily constructed. lie believed that the
charter of the Bank of England would expire be-
fore that Of the Bank Of the nted States; and
he conjured the House to reflect on the effect
which its expiration mi int have upon the capital
and currency of this country. This event, in adj.
di,ion to the reasons stated in the memorial of
the Bank, was sufficient in his opinion, to render
! i, extremely desirable that the House should
come to a sseedy and decisive action on the ques.
! ton. Whr ther the Bank Of the U. States were
to be re-chartercd or not it was of the first impO-
lance that measures should be adopted to provide
against contingencies. and enable il to meet any
Of the emergencies which might possibly arise
from the event he had alluded TO-
Mr. Appleton wished the memorial to be re.
| ferred to a select committee; the Committee on
| Ways and Means might have to do with tie
question partially a. matter ct revenue, and ~
such might be qualified Tor its consideration bu.
that committee, as now organized, could have
nothiug to do with its important bearing on the
currency; it would be most Important that the
committee "a which this question was sent
should consider whether, in case their opinion
was in favor of its renewal, the Rank charter was
, not susceptible of many and important moiifica.
tons and improvements; VITA these views he
wished select committee to be appointed. who
might give the matter thorough and not a par.
| tial investigation.
| Mr. Mitchell said. he cnncurred heartily with
the gentleman from Georgia who spoke first,
Mr.. Wayne.) He did. not think the present the
proper time for asitatng this question. Bu, rher
had been told that the citizens Of the United
States were Interested in its immediate settle.
ment to the amount Of fifty millions OF dollars;
and that it would he impossible. if VIC deferred
the settlement Of this matter to the next session,
for the Bank to wind up its affairs by the time
their charter would expire There was one sim.
pie circumstance connected with the recent his.
tory Of the Bank which he should mention, as he
conceived it, in itself, sufficient ans~ er to this
argument At a meeting Of the Stockholders, held
in Philade pha last fall, they had thought it suf
cieut to leave it to the discretion Of their Pres.
dent to apply for the objects Of this memorial at
any time bfore the expiration of the Bank charter.
What then should be said Of this imperative, i'm.
mediate necessity for action on this memorial
The persons most Interested, individually inter.
ested, had not though it necessary TO act upon it.;
they had left i; TO the discretion Of their Pres.
dent to apply for the purpose of a renewal any
time before the expiration Of the charter. Ger.
tlemen lad disputed this being party question.
1t was decidedly the most so OF any asitated in
Congress. The party who were against the Bank,
were for having the matter decided on constitu.
tonal principles, and he hoped when this ques
ton should come up, they would one and all raj.
ly around those principles to oppose all power
that was derived from any other source. He did
not cons slider the Committee of Ways and Means
the proper committee, If it were determined to
refer this memorial. Were this question to be
decided, whether it was best TO sell out our own
stock, or whether it were better to sell to the
Bank, or not at all, then indeed, the reference
might have been proper.
But it was not simple question ofrevenue that
was to DO decided: it was a great constitutional
question. lie did not conceive il an evil that
party should exist on this question; it did exist
IN every speech III tiIdt tIOusc-eSeTy
per out Of it bore testimony to the faet,--buti it
was party founded on what it ought to bc-a jea.
lousy Of the infringement of constitutional rights.
At present. he thought the question should not be
before the House. We Lad another and more
important "ne to act upon--he meant the Tariff
A whole section Of the country we're calling ear.
nesty and loudly for the settlement of that ques.
ton; and it would take US the whole Of the SEES.
sion to come to an issue on it. He hoped the no.
noraole gentleman from Georgia would renew hi;
motion TO lay the memorial on the table; and if
that failed, he trusted it would be referred to
Select Committee.
Mr.. Root said, the question before the House
was not at present Of party character. unless it
might be considered as appertanlng to that party
to which the gentleman from South Carolina Mr..
Mitchell alluded, as the constitutional party
The question was, to which Of the three commit
tees The memorial should be referred--to Com.
mittee of the Whole on the state Of the Union
to the Committee on Ways and Means. or to
Select Committee. II it is to be made party
and that a rrcAf stitu tiOn al