Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-03-20
MIR. WEBSTER rose, and address
uad The Sennte as fellows:

rise, SIR, 10 perform pleasing duty
IL IL 10 Law before the Senate the pro
cccdngs of meeting OF the Building
Mechanics of the City and County G
Philadelphia, convened for the purpos
of expressing their opinion on the pre-
sent state Of the country, on the 24th q
February. This meeting consisted o
THREE THOUSAND PERSONS, and was com
posed of carpenters, masons, brlckma
kers, bricklayers, painters and GLACIERS
limeburners, ,plasterers, lumber merchant
and others, whose occupations are con
necied with the building OF houses.
am proud, sir, that 80 respectable, so i'm
Pvrta,n, .nd 10 snhst stant;al q class OF me-
chanics, have entrusted me with the pre-.
sentiment OF their opinions and feelings,
respecting the present distress Of the
country, to the Senate. | am happy, il
they have seen, in the course pursued
by me here, policy favorable to the
protection Of their interests, and the pros
perity of their families These intelli-
gent and sensible men-these highly
useful citizens, have Witnessed the effect
of the late measures OF the Government
upon their own concerns; and the resolu-
tions which | have now to present, fully
express their convictions on the subject.
They propose not to reason, but to testi-
ly; they speak what they do know.
Mr.. President, the members of this
meeting have not transmitted their pro-
ceedings by mail, nor have they rested
satisfied with merely causing them, in
any way, to reach the two Houses of
Congress, and to be read and disposed
of in the ordinary manner. They have
forwarded them by committee of thirty
persons of their own body, and those
thirty persons are now within the walls
of the Senate. | wish, sir, that honora-
bic Senators would converse with these
gentlemen; | wish they would use the
opportunity of satisfying themselves of
their intelligence, their fairness, their
freedom from the influence fall oblique
or improper motives, and the unquestion-
able truth Of the existence OF that dis
tress, which they come here to repre-
sent. Such a commune alton would con-
vince honorable members, that there is
no pretence, no fiction, no exaggeration,
IN the whole matter; but that all their
words are the words of truth and sober
ness.
Mr.. President--Congress has now
been a good while in session. When we
left our respective homes, tho pressure
had not cu'ne on, aud wo loft our friends
and neighbors prosperous and happy
We have been here three months, with
out intercourse with our constituents and
our neighbors; in the mean time, the
whole condition Of things is changed
fearrully changed. and verify believe,
we do not fully know or feel the full ex-
tent Of this change, and all the difficulty
and distress which now pervade the peo-
pie. If we were at home-if we were
each in our own respective circles, a
midst the men Of business, and mingling
with all classes, and If we were hearing,
as in that case we should hear, every
hour, Of more and more trouble, of new
individual disasters, and Of still Increas-
ing fear and alarm; and if we could wit
ness, as we then should witness, the des-
pondency of those heads of families,
whose occupations ard means of living
have been thus suddenly cut off, we
should be convinced that it is the imper-
alive and solemn duty of Congress, to
relieve the country without moments
delay. Sir, if half the time and the study
which are now devoted to the finding
out cf plausible arguments to Justify the
Secretary, were given to an honest and u
borough inquiry into the real state OF
he country, | fully believe all would
zee the absolute necessity Of immediate 7
.edress. Sir, while we sit here, in long l
lebates, the country is plunging deeper
md deeper in distress. We must not
urn away from this. Let US keep our u
yes earnestly on the country; for, be
assured, the eyes Of the country, are
Kept earnestly on us. And let us, sir, a
AXE this occasion to look into facts, and
,xamine particulars. Let US see wheth- d
n there be any thing, and if SO, what it c
), Of which these, our fellow citizens, q
Do they only join a general Il
ny raised by others : Do they deal in
generaities, and set uo an
ndefned and invisible cause Of distress? II
,ir, listen to the statement; hear the u
acts. The Committee state, sir, that r.
ight thousand persons are ordinarily en-
loyed in building houses in the city and j.
ounty of Philadelphia; a number which, W
With their families, would make quite p
considerable town. They further state, ie
hat the average number Of houses, W
which this body of mechanics have built b
Or the last five years, is tDelre hundred r.
ouses a year. The average cost Of D
hese houses is computed at tco thousand IL
ollars each. Here is business, then, b
ir, of iwo millions four hundred thousand a.
ollars a year. Such HAS BEEN the av- i