Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-30
CITY OF WASHINGTON.

CITY OF WASHINGTON.
In the Senate on the Goth, Mr.. CHAMBERS again
moved to postpone the general orders for the
purpose of taking up the bill for the relief the
city of Washington.
A division took place. and Mr.. CHAMBERS mo-
| ton prevailed
The bill directed that the Secretary of the
Treasury be instructed to pay the city OF Wash
ington, out of any money in the treasury not
otherwise APPROPRIATED sum not exceeding
$4,000 dollars, for three years.
MIR. CLAY said he was disposed to vote some
thing to relieve the city from its present predica-
ment 1t had once been in the hands OF the En-"
glish and. it this bill was not now passed. it
would fall into the handsof the Dutch. He was
wiling he said, to vote something, but this three
wears proposition went too far. Let the Senate
assist the city with an appropriation Tor one
year, and let it then try to getalong without any
further aid from the government. he would
move to amend the bill by limiting the appro-
pration to one year.
Mr.. CHAMBERS said the city had been seduced
into its present state by an act of Congress- and
was therefore entitled to effectual relief from
CONGRESS.
Mr.. WEBSTER said, this was not the case; the
city had seduced Congress. With the very best
feeling towards the good citizens OF this place,
he must declare his opposition to the present bill
When this Dutch debt was contracted, he had
opposed it with all his might; he had endeavor-
ed to convince the people of Washington, that
by the course they were pursuing they would
bring on their own ruin. All his eXertions, how
ever to induce them to alter their Plans were
unavailing; the citizens, In this matter, had act
ed against the advice OF their best friends here
and elsewhere, and now, in the face of all this,
Congress was called upon to pay the interest of
this debt-ths Dutch debt. Why was Congress
to be called upon to pay for canal here, any
more than one in Massachusetts or PennSylva
MA If he we're to vote for such bill as this,
he could not Justify his conduct to his constitu
ents. He was willing, under the pressure OF
circumstances-und this Dutch eXecutiOn-to
vote for an appropriation for one year; but the
whole matter SO much the appearance of a vote
Of charity, or donation, that he could not sane
ton the bill in its present shape. The citizens
Of Washington had got into difficulty by their
own act, and they must get out again as they
best could.
Mr.. CHAMBERS: They are prodiga children to
be sure; but still they are our children; they ac-
knowledge their SINS and promise to sin no
more.
Mr.. WEBSTER: They are not our children.
The debate upon this bill was further CONT
nued by Messrs. CHAMBERS, TYLER, SoUTHARD,
PoINDExTER and T oNnlNsoN. The three last men
toned Senators spoke in favor OF the bill.
Mr. CHAMBERS in reply to some remarks from
Mr. WEBSTER, said he was surprised to hear the
honorable Senator declare that Washington
had no stronger claims to the attention of Con-
gress than Boston or Philadelphia. If Boston
got into difficulties, to whom would she fly for
relief2 Why, to the Legislature of Massachu-
sets. If any thing happened to Philadelphia,
where would she GO? Why, to the Legislature
of Pennsylvania But the City of Washington
had no State Legislature To whom, then,
could she apply but to the Congress of the Unit
ed States? AS so much had been said about do
nations and charity he would say more than
he had at first intended, He would beg Sena-
tors to look at the matter in all its lights. Let
the Senate pay back all the money it had OBJ
tanned from the City of Washington, and the
citizens would not come here for relief. Mr..
G.. ventured to say that if Senators looked into
this matter, they would find there was more mo-
ney in the Treasury arising from the sale Of
lots in the City of Washington than would pay
for this three years appropriation.
The amendment Of the Senator from Ken
lucky (Mr Clay altering the appropriation
from three years to one year, was then put and
carried.
Mr.. WRIGHT then called for the yeas and nays
upon the engrossment and third reading of the
bill.
The question was so taken and resulted in the
ALTERNATIVES Yeas 81, nays 10.
YEAs-Messrs. Chambers, Clay, Clayton,
Ewing Frelnghuysen, Hendricks Kent, Moore
Naudain, Poindexter, Porter, Robbins, Silsbee,
Southland, Sprague, Swift, Upton, Tomlinson,
Waggaman, webster, WfKITlS-2I
NAYs.-Messrs. Benton, Black, Brown, Cal
houn, Grundy Hill, King, of Geo, Leigh, Linn,
Mangum, Morris, Prentiss, Preston, Robinson,
Shepley, Smith, Tallmadge, Tyler Wright-19
So the bill was ordered to third reading,
and was afterwards read the third time and
passed
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A., Mob vii no tod