Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-12-20
Tsvesaay-fourdla Golagress--ssd sess
Wednesday, December IA. lS36-[ Continued
IN SENATE.

IN SENATE.
The resolution submitted by Mr.. Ewing Of Ohio, 10
escHd the Treasury order OF July last designating the
uds 10 be received in payment for the public lands
taken up for consideration.
Mr. Ewing having cited The terms of the Treasury or
der o The 18th of July last said he thought that he
might fairly dcnoIninae this paper of
binary character But before he proceeded to exam.
naon Of it, aud the different bearings and propositions
it contained lie would, in U-ftw words, give his views
to the Of things in Which the order had original
ed He did not think that the objects avowed therein
were the onty-certainly not the leading-motiyes
which induced the issuing of the order in Question He
thou there potent than these 10 be
found IN the order itself 1t would be recoected that
early in the last session there contest for the dis
position Of tie public funds. 1t ioresccn by that
there woa!d be large accumulation OF the public
nue. and it supposed, prior to the meeting Of
Congress, that some bill would be introduced for The
purpose OF taking the surplus out OF the hands Of the
Executive, and making disposition Of ii. Early
however, after the assembling ot Congress, the policy
developed itself c conveying TO tho public and the two
Houses Of Congress- and npressng them, the idea
that there then sirp!us, would there be
Now. this the OF policy which appeared to be
resolved upon, and which was finally adopted. lie
tended t! the Secy of the Treasury when he made his
report Congress- st December last must have been able
to satc if lie would-and certainly within millions
OF the anoantwilat would be the probable reCep in
the Treasury the expiration Of The two following quar-
lers He (Ar knew from experience, that it easy
gu TO ascertain pretty nearly "lt would be received
ina given tine taking the past rs bass for the calculation
Of lie future. From looking at the report OF the Secre
ary OF the Treasury at the time, he had asccrained
what would BE- the amount Even allowing that the Sc
cretary did not know The fact. it nevertheless i'll his
power have arrived ct knowede OF it by making
the necessary inquiries. 1t was his (Alr. Ewng) i'm.
preston that the Secretary Of the Treasury did de-
sire that Congress and the people should know what
amount had been received, about 10 be received
into The public Treasury Honorable Senators general
" took the ground and it not until the month
Of p that this body, the joint majority Of it, could
hn tr,t IN In Et al
surplus; ard gentlemen did contend, at last, that there
would be surplus for distribution. 1t said that
the estimate then made would be fastened upon as
wrong calculation. He had thought then that it would
be Il very hard do So and time had proved
Mr. l.. proceeded 10 say that the OF those who
had expressed theit opinion that there would be no
plus, had been 10 get up cxpcdcnts b. which to squan.
der millions upon millions OF the public money. and
thus do away with the impression that there would be
auy surplus. 1t was remarkable fact that Congress had
adjourned only days when the Treasury circular
issued and which grew out of the circumstances he
ha already detailed IL issued, not in pursuance OF Il
law Of Congress, but, lie presumed, at tie instance Of
gentlemen who had joined in recommending it,
lie entertained tie opinion, that the effect OF had
been 10 embarrass the commerce and currency OF The
country; aud 1t doubt promulgated tor the pur
pose OF making the pnb!ic suppose that the dsrl
button bill, which had caused the pressure and embar.
assncnt under which they were !aborlng. Doubtless:
among other motives, was to effect check IN the
sales of the public lands. by raising their price, and thus
enabling tie holders sell them Tor cash ut ten fiji
teen per cent! than they had agreed TO pay for
them. Mr.. f. maintained LIat the order worked favor
ably for spectators, defended the banks generally tren
the charge made against them OF having made over Is
sues and aver:ed that the ale CATION true only
respected dcposite banks Another object which he
understood the Treasury order issued TO effect was
10 put down the paper currency and increase that Of gold
and silver. MIR. L. here wet into an elaborate argu
nent show that the attempt would total talland then
contcnGed that the order, having produced the effects lie
had Indicated ought, Il matter of policy, to be
I6,h fIfst HGno MI
be restored and the difficulties which exist regard
the currency would Immediately disappear. He would
say with regard the second branch Of the resolution
which he had the honor 10 OTTER, that, ii passed. it would
prevent the Secretary Of the Treasury from making any
discrimination in the money receivable for the public
lands It was right just that there should De any
snch discrimination made wien public property was sci
up for sale.
MIR. Benton observed, that he should want to make
some exposition Of facts which he thought would 60 far
10 nvali,a!e the statements made respecting The pfevi
ous effects of this Treasury order, and 10 demonstrate
clearly what had been It's practical aud beneficial results
Fer this purpose he should 4 little time in
order 10 yet the returns, and such other documentary
evidence as il would be necessary for hun to refer TO-
He should show then 10 the Senate far more sasac".
rily by facts, than the gentleman from OHIO had been
able 10 do by argument, why the banks had been pre-
vented from extending the usual accommodations to the
public. While on his feet he would say that he entire
" concurrrd with the Senator from Ohio, III his Con-
strucon of the law respected payments INTO the pup
opinyn for sixteen seventeen years past that the law
ought 10 be construed though it had reniuined but
rs i dead letter the book lie remembered
that some years ago Register Of land Office IN Mis-
sour conslrinr the act as he and tie Senator from Oo
did, refused to receive from purchaser Treasury GER
tca,c Of dcposi,c, and he (Alr b. applied to by
the iu!i ridua lr get the money returned 10 ham.
He had however, heard it said since his arrival here,
uhourh he did mol get his information from any officer
Of the Gogcrnment,) that as as the attention o the
Secretary turned to the law, he had given 1t the
same construction that had been given 10 it by himself
and the Senator iro'h Oi!o.
Willie I'D lie would remark that this large amount
Of surplus on hand distribute which showed that there
was 50 great mistake the part Of those who said there
would BE- none Uongh they SAID so with the necessary
notifications that the appropriations should be made III
lime TO be uscd) yet when they 10 lock al the Free
sdcns messarr they found that Of this large surplus
u or lG 900 600 OF il appropriated money, wich
could not be sed because the year was hall gone before
| Tie appropriations made. This (sald Mr.. b. we
represutcd so Often last this foOr that 1t walls
had tongues they are said 10 have ears they ~ouIu
anain and again reyer5eTGe the warning But ('aiu h
b The committees were so organized, oeing cohtI"ec
by gentlemen who in favor oi distribution and con-
scHpnllr anxious for snrpuscs, that the necessary ap.
prdprations ere STAYED off, for the purpose Of iak:ng
! them.
In this way they might have SURPRISES in abundance at
errrv session. and the whole might, by keeping
off the anprouriaons till too late TO be used he convert
cd into surplus 1t almost incredible (slr b. sa'dD
70 see the n which business was pocfasnat"d
a, the last session. These few leaves, SAID Mr. Be"on
nurninr over a few pages of the acs) contain every
pvac &C, passed By Congress the last session They
we're Mr. Whttesey saclsacts sent up by the ndlStiy
or one single man in the other House. Here said Sr D.
i,u,ning again to the voume,) the reminder OF the
acts; aud when you look at them, you vii! lind
that The appropriation bills 'stavetd until the last
moment lie repeated that if the appropriations had been
| made in time - be used which would have been zone
had il not been for the extraordinary organization o. the
committees Of that body by which they we're controlled
by those centlemrn IN favor of supuss the case would
have been Gar different from what il was There would
not have been SO much surplus 10 talk Of and there
would have been no occasion for this application o!