Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-01-01
Fwenty-second Congrcss.--scss. =.
IN SENATE.
.1fOuffaU DpreyDb., o.

the following resolution, which he had offered on the l7
Instant
ca 10 report to the Senate with little delay practical
Die, detailed statement of the articles of foreign growth
OF manuacure' on which, in his opinion, the present
oil uues ought to be reduced, specifying particularly the
amount OF reduction on each article separately as TO
produce the result OF an aggregate reduction Of the
nue. oil six millions Of dollars such are
cassed under the general denomination of protected ar
ces and that he also append such report an enuera
ton OF articles deemed TO be essential TO our national in
Dependence in time of war;; aud which therefore ought
III MS opinion, TO be exempted from the operation of the
proposed reduction of duties.
Mr. Smith said that the Senate was now thin lac hon
ca The Senator from Mississippi oud suffer his resolution
to continue on the table, until after the holidays Two OF
me committees oil the other House. he Informed
had been Tor some time past engaged in the preparation Of
bill on this subject and had received the aid of the Sc
cr"'ary OF the Treasury in their work having had repea
ed conferences with that officer TO ascertain his views lie
hoped therefore, that the resolution would he permitted TO
lie on the table few days until the Senate should be fuller
than nj present.
pursuant to no ice which lac had given, up this re-
solution for consideration Thursday last; but il would
De recoeced that on that day. the Senate very
y into the consider alton OF Executive business and that
III this way, his intentions had been frustrated
Ii TINS resolution involved any important principle he
should have objection acquesce in the suggestion of
the Senator from Mary land suffer TO lie over for
the present But il nothing more than call for i'm
formation constructed in the ordinary manner nvolyno
no pnnciple and asking for information, the importance OF
which, at the present moment obvious TO every mem
Der oiIhe Senate Ii the Senate to have any of the
calieu IOf by MS resolution ought
their possession Immediately after the holidays possible
in order that they might action upon it without
delay as THIS was The short session He did apprehen
hS' mere could ba any opposition TO the resolution itself
IL would be out oil place, while considering TO go into
discussion OF the great principles involved in the Tariff
question; and the only views which could prcsent
selves would be- whetherit would be expedien or not TO
call Tor the information, whether such course would be at
all dlsrespectu to any branch of the Governmen and
whether the information required would he useful i'm aid
ing The senate to form just conclusions the great ques
tons. All other debate would be entirely premature
lie hoped the Senate would now agree consider the
resoiuton and if there should be found any thing ohec
onabe, either in the language of the resolution or i'm
the details OF Information for which asked the Senate
coud dispose oil 1t In such way their wisdom should di
At all events he trusted that his motion to take up the
resolution would prevail.
Mr.. King said that he did not ordinarily object t tho
consideration oil resolutions calling for information but he
could not avoid expressing his hope that this resolution
would not now be considered The subject itself proper
~ belonged TO the House of Representatives, and Com
mitee OF that branch now ready with report on
the subject which would have been probably made to-day
had the House been in session. and would not he pre-
sumed be postponed beyond Wednesday A resolution
very similar TO the present had laid on the table bv
The Senate, hut few days since and the understanding
was that the subject should not be again taken up until
the other House had acted upon it, This resolution an
peared 10 him TO differ from that in essential point and
ought also TO lie over and then the two resolutions cou
be considered together.
To the latter part of this resolution however he would
now state that he had particular objection. Ii for
IAN enumeration oil articles deemed TO be essential our
national independence in war aud which fore
ought IN his opinion to be exempted rom the operation OF
the proposed reduction Of duties" He conterded u,a,
this part OF the reqson ought go the Treasury
Department, but to be addressed the Secretary of War
within whose province would naturally come to answer
such hterroeaory. He wished that this resolution mich
lie until the House had come to action oil the subject
and then both the resolutions before the Senate could be
taken up and disposed of together.
Mr. Freinghuysen asked for the reading of the resou-
ton.
The resolution was accordingly read
Mr. PolndeXier again TO reply. He had hoped that
no senator would, the tn
touched the body of the resolutions but as the Senator
from Alabama had done So in order to prevent the.Senae
from agreeing TO the consideration he felt himself bound
To say word or two. The Senator from Alabama was of
opinion that the latter part of the resolution ought 10 be
addressed to the Secretary OF War II might he So but
was 'he course was new TO him. lie would briefly give
the which had induced him 10 give TO tc inir
the direction which he had chosen He then referred 10
the Message OF the President in which was supoesed
that would be found eXpedtnt to reduce the duties to
the necessary wants OF the government The Secretary
oil the treasury, following up this principle, after varie
~ of views, had echoed this sentiment of the Execu-
tive As to the technical objection, therefore, which
had been taken TO the reference to the Treasury De.
partnent, he thought II disposed of by the sug-
gestion made by the Secretary. How was the Senate
to decide what articles essential TO our national in
dependence in time OF war" deemed by the Sc
cretary as entitled TO exemption? Ii the views of the
members of the Senate be substituted for those Of
The Secretary, one gentleman might tell you that he CON
dcred wooens as one of these cssential articles " bc
cause they enter into the necessary clothing of the sol
der in time OF war. Another gentleman would with
equal truth, and on equally good reasoning, tell you that
Independence in time OF war" Now, he wished to know
what the Message and the Report the Secretary mean
lie wished to see the scheme of the Secretary nd the
information could be furnished under the eve of the tx
ecutiye, and by any officer lac might select
And why was all this difficulty thrown in he way of his
resolution! One gentleman had said that the other House
ought TO act ia The rst instance. Another stated bs the
Senate ought TO let the Secretary the Treasury comm
nicae his views Sub Now, he wanted TO see hat
the Secretary meant by his generaes. He wanted the
secretary TO show his hand lie desired TO know what he
meant hen lac talked Of reduction OF millions OF du
hes The situation OF the country at this was We
ry Imposing, ami demands the early action of Congress-
IL was necessary that il should be known whether the X
istng law Is to be Abandoned whether TO be adj
hered TO- the decision shall be 10 adhere the present
farm law, let II be quickly de, that the public aten
non may On hNed But now since the issuing Of GER
tain paper, The Proclamation Of the President all was
confusion and uncertainty. The Secretary Of the ireasu
ry, he presumed, would give the information which was
required, without hesitation and The Senate would then
sell II was matter OF some surprise, that when hOnofa-
bic Senator wanted informant, particular subject dno-
Tier honorable Senator who may have had greater aci
lies o obtaining the know ledge and who, the eOre did
not require the lights asked or should his place to
start objections to the inquiry Discussion Of The subject
was now out OF place IN order Test the Of the
Senate on lis motion, and how gentlemen vo,ed he
would ask for the yeas aud nays.
sufficient number rising TO sustain the CALI the Yeas
and Nays then ordered.
Mr. Smith said that it devolvcd on him to state some Of
the which had induced him against the con
siderauon OF ibis resolution at the present time The Scnl
tor from Mississippi had said that he wished draw tom
the Secretary his scheme to the reduction Of he duties
Now the Committee Finance had presented resolu-
lion expressly calling for this scheme in the most plain and
practical form, That OF bill The honorable Senator had
objected to that resolution, because 1t called for bill