Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-05-29
I'd Indispensable expenditures Of

ing voice. But in dctcrIninm. what are, and espc-
o'iI!y what should be- the necessary charges and
expenses of Government, there is much disscnson.
| ITO revenues Hic al tho present tune adjusted To
the OBJECT of PROV ding for all the wants OF Govern
meat, and of applying the sum of ten millions OF
"EItr$ year IL reimburse the interest and princ-
pal "t the public debt. With reference to the rcvc-
nues and expenditures of the Government, 1t would
Sccm tina, the obvious principle Ia I've assumed should
hc on the extinction Of the deb, To reduce tho
venue precisely to the amount ot the sum which has
| h*cn, and Ia annually, applied by law to that en-
tmcton--uamcly, ten millions OF dollars year.
! Hero, however. commences diversity of opinion,
| shared 10y the uc,uhcrs OF ;hc Cn.nntcc with the
member; of this and the other House nj Congress,
aad with the People throughout the Union.
| The payment ot largo nLt:uua! debt Is Il novelty
| in the history ofmatiomS. The remission of large
amour, oftaSaton for that cause is equally unpre-
! ccdentod. \ portion o: the community, represent
ed with great ability III both Houses OF Congress,
seem to have assumed for principle that because
no further will be required for the payment
Of debt, therefore the cannot be reduced
much. The ingenuity of the human mind has been
strained to It's highest pitch to shcw that the aban-
donrrcHt of revenue for the payment OF debt ought
to bc the signal of its abandonment for all other
| purposes except those necessary Tor The mere
| agcmcnt OF the Government itself in time of pro-
| found peace. That al Internal lmprovemcut-all
| charge, prospective for the common dcicnce-nay,
the worry walls Of inriiieatIvn upon shotes-tho
very huwark of our safety upon the scas-arc to be
abandoned once and forever. We have heard it
StrGnuouS!y urged that the revenue should be rCuu-
ccd To ninc ten, mt most, eleven millions of dol
| lars--That shores must he let To take care of
thcmSC!vcs-our navy to perish with the dry rot up
on the stocks-our manufactures to withcr under
the blast ofturcign competition, that all the
ncys of taxation should be left i'll the pockets of the
| People.
| However becoming these opinions may bc in the
minds or tho lips of other class0s ( citizens.
the House and the Country will feel that they arc
| not appropriate TO Standing Committee OF the
House ot Representatives. expressly raised 10 pro.
| tcct aud promote to the extent allowable by the
constituton and the general policy of the nation,
the interest 81 tho manufacturers. To them, those
| interests are specially committed. Even pariici-
patton IN the opinion that they arc not entitled TO
! the protection of tho national arm, and to support
| from the national purse, might seem in them to he
trcachcry to their trust. Yet the cunmtcco feel
ihcmsciNr' under no obligation tn cspouSr those 10
tor'Sis To the injury of those of any other por-
/ ton ot the community. They ask protection to
thcmsclvo" for the common defence against foreign
| competition. They ask that i portion of the com
mon treasures .hould continue to ho applied 10
great works OF Internal National Improvement
! This portion thoy think Shouli not only he unim-
paired, but increased in consequence Of the reno
val of the burden Of the public debt. Internal
| Improvement Is itself among the most effective
means of providing for tho common drcncc--thc
| dctrnct cannon, not only 20 the whole People, our
contemporaries of the present age, hut common, to
our P"St"rliy "t numberlcss after generations.
The Committee of Manufactures are aware that
the remission of taxes must, in It's nature, he a
measure always acceptable to the pcoplc-nor are
they, as servants of the people, insensblc To the
qualification with which every member of the pre-
sent Congress may share in such IL measure at this
time. They feel the delight with which any ono
| permitted 10 enjoy the luxury OF asscnting To such
y remission, may indulge the bcnevo!cncc of his
disposition, and they understand the power Of all
eloquent and animated appeal TO the Legislative au-
| thorltics to leave all monies absolutely indispen.
sable for public expenditure, in ne pockets IF he
! people,
The committee perceive, also, that upon so sim
| guiar an occurrence that which admits of the
remission OF taxes TO considerable amount when,
as in the present case, the question arises to what
extent the reduction shall he sanctioned the desire
| OF increasing that amount may be more intense in
the mind of one member than in that of another
W mere ali 10 share In the credit OF rcmission
the distinctive merit 10 the aspirant for popular ia
vor viii belong TO him who urges for remission to
the largest amount The committee are of opn-
ION that there may he danger of being led aStray
by THIS conCcptlIn--tcn millions OF money annu-
aly, h>rotofore appropriated for the discharge of
The public debt, Will no longer be needed. The
most natural conclusion To be drawn from this
would seem to he, that ten millions is the amount
which may, and ought to receive remission. If
the remission of larger be urged as
cNpcd.cnt IL must arise not from that, but from H.
other
The co'umittcc believe that there is another view
of this subject TO be taken; the result of which
must produce the conviction, that there is danger
even i'll carrying the remission of nation to excess
Ihcy believe that portion Of the monies levied
by taxation may nc more proftably returned to the
pockets of the people, than left them
In that portion of the Message of the President
| of the United States which REFERRED at the
commencement of the session of Congress, to the
Committee Manufactures, it is stated 10 be de-
sirabIc that arrangements should be adopted the
present session, to relieve the People from unno-
cessary taxatio,, after the cxtHgushmcnt of the
public debt and, is added that in the exercise Of
that spirit of concession and reconciliation which
has distinguished the friends of the Union in all
great emergencies, it is believed that this object
may he effected without injury TO any national in
tcrGst."
To pay the debts Of the United States was the
first of the objects for which, by the Constitution
oil tho United States, the power lay and collect
taxes, duties, imposts, and cxciscS was con-
trrrcd upon CougrcsS-to provide for the common
defence and general welfare was the second object;
and these expressions, brOal and comprehensive il,
their import, fur from being without meaning in
the intention Otthc founders of the Constitution
embraced the great purposes for which the Constr
tuition itself was formed. They are introduced i'm
that solemn preamble, by which the whole People
OF the United Stai7s, speaking in the first person.
1--WE, the People of the United States" announce
the great purposes for which they DO ordain and cs
tabIish this Constitution; tloy arc emphaticay
rcpcdiCd IN the eighth section Of the first Article
containing the grants to Congress Of power; and
they are not only grants Of power bat trusts to be
cNccutcd--dulcs to he discharged for the common
defence and general welfare Of the Union. TO
prOr'dc for that common defence and general wei.
fare. were obligations imposed upon the Organized
body on whom the power conferred OF law
ing and collecting taxes, duties, inposts,
and cXcisos, for Ctfcctug the purposcs-ob
legations not less inpcrIous than that oC paving
the dojis Of The Union Io yr0rjdc for the com
mon defence and general wrlfsrc il the duty the
lrrnissihle duty, Of the Congress; the power TO
levy duties, taxes, inpusts, and cxciscs, il the
a. ..1.t .