Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-03-19

But whence this rapid diminution -of num-
bers? Because eighteen Of those who we've
not influenced by any scruples Of conscience,
but by scruplcs Of different sort, did not
choose to vote, but either refused to answer,
or withdrew from the Hall. There toas quo 1
run within call, all the time. MIR. Cambre-
leng could have had quorum to vote in an
instant, if he had desired It, The Chairman
of the Committee of Foreign Relations could
have commanded quorum at any moment
as easily as he commanded majority to IN
sist on the three millions, knowing, as he
must have done, instinctively If not otherwise
that the Senate could not agree to it, and that
the loss Of the bill must be the consequence
of this pertinacity.
How could Mr.. Cambreleng expect the Sc
nate to vote away three millions Of money IN !
the loose, profuse, and irresponsible manner
proposed? Does he not know, that, at eight
o'clock on the last night of the session,-the "
Senate were literally surprised by this attempt
20 force upon them, by way OF amendment,
specific appropriation Of more money than
there is, 1--WE beieve,) at this moment in the
Treasury !? Surprised, we say; for what had
occurred something like month before? The
honorable gentleman himself, as Chairman of
the Committee on Foreign Relations, official
" told the House that that Committee, having
determined to do nothing, thought tit to say
nothing. Within the last week, the honora-
BILE gentleman's committee made u report,
concluding with three resolutions. or these
three the first, having been superseded, was
withdrawn: the second, to discharge the COM
mittee from further consideration OF the
French question, was unanimously agreed TO.
Well, what was the third resolution which
was reported, and what has become of that?
The third was in the following words:
"Resolued, That contingent preparation
ought to be made to meet any emergency
growing out Of our relations with France"
What became of this resolution, looking to
further action on the part of CongresS Why
on motion of the gentleman himself,-(if we
mistake not,) this resolution was ordered to
lie ON the tuJle! What right had the Senate,
after this, to expect an item to be stuck in as
an amendment TO an amendment Of an ordinary
annual appropriation bill, the object Of which
was,-in effect,-tO put the Wdr-po,oer in the
hands ofMe President, with three millions Of
dollars to begin ,oith, to be expended at his
sole will and pleasure ? We know not what
others may think of it but, for our part it
struck us, when we first heard of it, us the
most revolving proposition ever made in Con-
gress; and we have not changed our opinion
of it upon more quiet and leisurey reflection.
The country is not yet ready for DIcTA-
ToRsHIp.
Mr.. Cambreleng says that the Senate, and
not the House Of Representatives, is charge
able with the loss ofthe bill. Now one plain
question: Did not the bill die in the hands of
the House? Was not its grave there? The
Senate had agreed to every thing, in man
ner satisfactory to the conference committee
of the House. But the House, having the
bill in its possession, would not act on the re-
port of its own committee; and would not, and
did not, send the bill to the committee. Tl.is
is the long and short of the whole matter.
/ We have hitherto spoken of the public his
tory Of this transaction. 1t has, however, a
secret history. With this we can pretend to
no familiarity. We shall state, however, what
is reported Of it; and we should not state it,
Of course, if we disbelieved it, or if we did
not consider il to afford the true key to the
fate Of the Fortifcation Bill.
About the time of holding the conference
between the two Houses. the Senate post
poned indefinitely the nomination Of Mr.. Ia
f, ney to be Judge of the Supreme Court
! This being equivalent to a rejection, in the
regular course, another nomination should
then have been made. The President, (who
was then in his chamber at the Capitol) did
not wish to nominate another person to be
Judge. Other occurrences (besides) Of the
evening, had not pleased him, the rejection
of the three millions being one of them. On
the ground that it was past IL o'clock, he ietl
the Capitol. 1t became evident, then, to those
who were behind the curtain, that if the re.
port of the Committee Of Conference should
be agreed " by the House, as the Senate
would certainly concur in it, the responsible
! ity for the loss of the bill would be thrown
upon the President. Hence, it is said, the at
! tempt to saddle the Senate with the blame OF
having defeated the fortifcation bill, because
:orsooth, they would not put into it PROPOSE.
ton vesting the President with underlined and
unrestricted po" er to do almost any thing he
! pleased with sum ofmoney sufficient to pay
years interest upon almost hundred mil.
! lions of dollars.
from the National Intel igrLce. ofTuesday 10th.
On the House of Representatives mus,
forever rest the responsibility of stopping all
the works of Fertilization, just at this mo
ment, throughout the United States. What.
ever may come of it, or whatever may not, on
the Administration party in that House, mus,
rest the blame or the praise of defeating the
bill for carrying on the Fortiiications, and
! fnor for pIuc;pr NJ Tho J;e,,..l