Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-02-01
coNGREssI

CONGRESSIONAL.
In the Senate on Thursday, Mr.. W RICH pre-
scented certain proceedings OF the Legislature o.
the State of New York, in relation to the reno
val the public deposites from the Bank ofthe
United States, highly approving the conduct OF
she President of the United States and the Se-
cretary of the Treasury, in that measure, and
expressing the pleasure of the said Legislature
as to the course to be pursued by their Senators
. and Representatives in Congress on the same
subject
Mr.. WRIGHT said, that a memorial on the
same subject, but of an opposite character, had,
some days ago, been presented to the Senate by
The Senator from Massachusetts, who had taken
that occasion to offer to the Senate some re-
marks i'm explanaton Following the example
thus set him, he would beg the indulgence ofthe
Senate, while he laid before them some few re-
marks showing by whom and the circumstan-
ces under which, these proceedings were pass
ed and the claims they had to the respectful
consideration of Congress. The Legislature of
the State of New York consisted of160 mem
bers. 1873 of whom composed the popular branch,
and 80 members constituted the Senate or high
err branch. The number OF members OF the As
sembly was proportioned according to the po-
puation ofthe State; while the Senators We're
chosen four from each of the eight districts in
"
bers. then, of the two Houses thus constituted
: the vote was i'm the popular branch, 118 for and
against the resolutions; and in the upper
branch the vote was % for and against the
resolutions
But. ifthe strength with which the resolutions
were passed be enabled to any weight, it will be
enhanced by taking view of the circumstances
under which the members ofthe New York Lee
gislature were elected. The popular branch
was elected in November last full one month af~
ter the removal of the deposites, and yetso large
amajority voted in favor of the resolutions. The
union of strength was. still more shown by the
locality Of those who voted against me resolu-
tons. 1t is well known that the western portion
of the State had long been in a state of deep ex-
element in consequence of an outrage commit
ted against the liberty, fnot the life, ola citizen.
This had excited bitter animoSities and section
aldivisions which had led to the most deplor-
able results. 1t afforded him, however, as much
pleasure to state, as it would all present to hear,
that that deep state of feeling which had been
so powerfully excited was rapidly suhsiding,
and that the time was not far off when it would
wholly disappear Still, in that seclion of the
State, no complaints of pecuniary embarrass-
ments had been heard: he spoke from the best
information, when he asserted that the distress
said to exist in other portions of the country was
not there known; and yet, in the votes against
the resolutions, IL of the IA were given by mem
bers from that section ofthe State Ofthe great
i
he might call it the commercial emporium ofthe
United States, the city of New York with the
cities of Poughkeepsie, Schenectady, Kinder
hook, Albany, Rochester, &c. and the large ira
ding aud commercial towns OF the State, COM
prlsng dense population of upwards of $780,
600 souls, the members not one OF whom was
absent, all stepped forward and recorded their
votes in favor of the resolutions.
Ofthe members of the Legislature by whom
these resolutions were passed, it was not his de-
sign to speak; but as the organ~of that body, re-
presenting as it did, more than two millions of
the people ofthe United States-more CONNER
cia more enterprising-paying more into the
public Treasury-a people as deeply interested
in the wefare-of the country, and as ardently
devoted to its interest as any in the United
States; he now asked leave TO lay their resolu-
tons on the table, by the side of resolutions of
similar nature from other States.
The honorable Senator from Massachusetts,,
in his remarks the other day, awaited himself of
the opportunity to give his views in reference TO
the situations of certain sections ofthe country,
and what were the remedies he proposed. The
honorable Senator went further. He called up
on gentlemen, and especially upon all those who
sustained the Administration, on this hoor to
give their views in full on the subject under de-
bate, and to state distinctly what was proposed
to be done in the present crisis, or whether
things were TO remain in their present state. As
an individual, who felt it his duty to sustain the
diiOli llcfc, liz NdSf Itduy 10 respond
to the call; but while he was ready to do this he
must be considered vain enough to ppose that
he could speak as to the views of the Admins
traton He well knew that his name carried
with it no more weight than that any other in
dividual; yethe knew that his opinions, sustain
ed as they were, would be entitled to some re-
spect Following, then, the course pursued by
the gentleman from Massachusetts,, he would,
without going into any argument, simply give
his views on the important subject under consi-
deration.
FIRST then, as TO the pecuniary distress exist
ing in the country. The large and rapid curtail-
ments of the Bank of the y. S., had to be sure,
produced great Inconvenience in the large trad
inc towns, which, he believed, to an unmport-
ant degree had extended to other classes ofthe
community. He believed that these distresses
existed to some extent, but that they had been
greatly exaggerated, and that that exaggera-
ton had been the consequence of hope that
the Administration might be brought into dis
creditby the panic to be produced by it, and
that that panic would enure to the benefit of the
Bank in the renewal of the charter.