Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-02-15
Congre.x-,., &C..
REMOVAL OF THE DEposITEs.
SPEECH OF MIR. WISE or v,.o,.


REMOVAL OF THE DEposiTEs.
SPEECH OF MIR. WISE. or v,no,
In The House of Representatives, February s. 1854 On
e motion TO refer the Report Of the Secretary Of the
treasury on the Deposites to the Committee of Ways
anu means, and the several ame ndme nts thereto
MIR. Wise rose and said J.
WI mr.. speaker: am, intus ct in cute" vrginian-
neneVer see The white plume" of the Old Dominion
podding in the thick array OF tho hroneed bauIe for
vne, WIN always rally around il. am sorry sir that
uo NOT see my honorable colleague (Nfr Archer who
raised the ralying word, in his seat intended ~ con-
ga'ua.e nn Mr. Speaker, upon last passing bevond
m e o.ue lame circle OF the magician Sir never was
e speh Oh me enchanter, and int nded 70 bring
to his recollection, what he must have torgoIten-no,
.ans oew'ehed never remember to-day what happened
70 .nem yescrdayihe scenes which occurred moi many
hundred miles from this place. am sure that Two oher
know what s %, whom 'o have in my ason
70 whch my honorable colleague aud myself belong
gu, IN .ne Athen@um OF that city, resolution was
""ouuced 10 concur an sndrtt 9pprore of the no.
mination of certain magician TO y certsn hie, osce
In me Government. 1 then and there Mr. Speaker
was raliyng around Of Virginia. and Supported an
amendment 10 the resolution striking out the words SIN
pIo'e y anu Tor the first time in my life, made speech
W. o'oy OF poh'ieans against all magcians and ew
% .aeu.,ahs DIR, was but a mere novice, as am
now in political matters but nav honorable r
was there, who had experience and he re.
s,s,eo me amendment to strike out the words " annrore
anu secuted the idea of magical influences and New
as the imaginings OF one no, mi.
idteu Wough', though, that foresaw then what I
know ! see now; and am truly happy that nv honor,
ole colleague has awakened from his tranceEthat the
Urokeh, and he Is free Bu Mr.
speaker cannot say that he has burs,ed the burning
Wy"es' as with "he vigorous limbs of the vet unsborn
Naxafile' His limbs seem raher cramped since he wa,
fPe pound But TO the subject, Sir have moi vet realized
inc solemn fact that in the midst OF
ou mere are some serious truths of which am adno
lis Lgn,y TO camper with the public aiih the pub
~ anu the currency OF any DESTROY pub.
Tic confidence in the and to fearful and
alarming internal convuons. s,ru
ge' ANA knowingy aud wifuliy or tsmeiy and supne-
~, or ignoranty aud corrupily to permit any
er whatever, especially that Of none we'd n
ous,om 'ne STATE ITSELF besides The majesty of The people,
anu oVerawe her representatives, is basey and igno
mDiousy at once 10 surrender the liberties of the country
beyond the nope OF revolution On this question then
we are truly between Scylla and Charyb dis
For my part, now ready to give nv decis;o,
On all the issues joined between the Secretary and the
The legislative branch of this Government has nv ss
cia act, chartered this corporation Whether co1stitu
uonaily or NOT is not now the question II has been re.
me Staes and the State Tribunals and il h been olera
tea by The people II it does exist ode jure il does
o e ,seo Rights have become vested by its charter
a ,ne oahk has Tor long time enjoyed its corporate
privileges aud realized lis profits under contract made
iaw credit is pledged the performance Of that
contract and here hold myse bound to maintain the
pigh,ed faith OF the Government, l am for the ,eso
raon Q, me depotes bn, with the FIRST position assum-
Gu oy me sank and It's friends here, differ II is con-
tended that the question before us is .coram non m
ace mat The case not property brought up that has
been en-, sent here by The President BY Secretary
OF .he treasury according TO Flaw. Sir as geniIemen
VIII perseverey discuss this matter as before judicial
tribunal look TO the record The first paper is the mes
10
congress the fact that the Secretary the Treasury re-
moved The deposes, and that he (he Secretary would
nay Deis'S cTagress The reasons for doing The
the same act and who ceres cord under his own
nand The Identity and genuineness which is not de.
p,ea' NOW, sir, from what paper document in this
House, belonging 10 this body, upon which we can Ieg
tlmaiely ac,rom wha, authentic record do we kno.o
in our official capacity that the President and not the Sc
creiay has removed the deposies and that the
Tor the removal the reasons of the President and
not OIL the secretary From Iumor, from gossip from
But WI fold tl. H.
sell has promulgated his will in cabinet poper show
ing The measure to have been his own, aud that he
assumed tho responsibility" Sir, are we TO act as
aesien mere or as mere politicians Are we to be
governed as legislators in this Hail. or as demaeopues
Ola, Oas,room' repeat sir how does Congress get
'na' paper! by travelling out Of the record And gem
emen have totally forgotten their fret position unon the
reference OF this subject, that acting deypaiuev
ana not ongndty-uPon reuicW Of proceedings-upo1
Dill and answer alone and that should not look so far
OUT OIL 'he record as TO ascertain any facts pertaining
TO the merits of the case Sir that napcr 10 ,o, lit
deors the record upon which are TO act and we have
no more 10 do with it, in the decision OF this ,oo tha
WIN .he PRESIDENTS private accounts, until he makes il
an oUctdI communication to Congress But awav with
'his contracted lawyer like view Of the subject!
Sir. we are iegisafOrshe popular branch of the L.
people, not tied down by the and mockery of foren
sc forms, nor legal tecnicaes We are Iawgyers and
oou loroa mat The representatives. of this people should
not III any way-thfougb spies eveDfcrret out misrue
corupuon abuse OF power tyranny, and oppre soD when
ever there Is the least reason suspect that they uk in
secret places or exist forms When their ln,id
breath ants the atmosphere of this country our
should be keen TO snuff in the breeze as well as
oil IL IN Whispers Aye, in these days. believe the winds
sooner than the press which has ceased TO be faithful
sentinel Believe any of intelligence which INV
possibility even speaks truly of oppression or usurpa.
uob Let ihe cabinet paper then, be read If gentle.
men please, at the Clerks table Will that satisfy Them
IL ought not In order TO carry out their unspariue
uheompromsng mode OF opposition, they ought to 60
anu should, upon heir principle assumed 90 further
Sir, II has been said in the newspapers and boldlv
sai' but the other day in this building, that there is
power behind the throne greater than the throne IL
SELL that there is kitchen-Kinderhook cabinet " bic
caused The President, their 'paot tool who caused The
secretary, his 'pliaDt TOOL" remove the depostes
why, then, do gentlemen not go down 10 The kitchen
among ne solutions and scayeDgers TO the first
theTemovalf Good God, sir, is not this full
nifty Of thought and acrloni' lie ~" H, ~, " org
ed by seat here who is friend of this proce edino
but, II this is to be the rule of action here I vii
not be oesmeared, MIR. Speaker, by seat i'm This
House When this House clothed with authorize TO
hqurs INTO and ccnsure, ercptby Impeachment the con.
duct and motives OF the Executive, appointing and re-
moving The members OF the cabineii Without evidences
or right TO evidence hen sir this pont at This fine
we might as well attribute The OF the depostes TO
the removal OF Mr. Samuel ID. IDgha to the removal
OF MIR. j. w. Duane; for, II the former had never been
removed, the latter had never been appointed. Sir thus
lay aside his topic which was improperly unnecessa
ry except Tor mere party purposes,) introduced into this
discussion IS unworthy the dgncd consideration of any
legislative body. -
But gentlemen tell US, and The Bank tells US that the
treasury Department is not Executive Department
sir, this Is The proposition which rise chiefly TO debate
10 prove THIS proposition gentlemen rely mainly on the
reading OF the act itself TO establish the "Treasurv ne
PdTfWen, as coDtf -aiisinguished from the Erec;re