Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-02-05
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY ;. 1886.

ing so entirely irregular and anomalous
Dir, reccnlIect the occurrenccnce of the
moment very well, and | remember the i'm
preston which this vote of the house seem
ed to make all round the Senate. We
mad just come out Of executive session, the
ooors were but just opened; and I hardly
re'hemoer whether there was a single
spectator IN the hall or the galleries. |
had oeen at the clerks table, and had not
reached my seat when the message was
READ. All the Senators were in the cham
oer' heard the message, certainly with
great surprise and 2nsionishment: and |
Immediately moved the Senate to disngree
to this vote Of The House. NV relation to
the subject, N consequence Of my connec
ton with The committee on finance, made
II my duty to propose some course, and
had .lot Gl7pcnt's doubt or hesitation
what that course ought to bel took up
on myself then, sir, the responsibility of
moving that the Senate should disar gree to
this vote, and now acknowledge that re.
sponsibiity. 1t might be presumptuous
to say that took leading part. but I
certainly took nn early part, a decided part,
and an earnest part, in rejecting this broad
grant Of three millions of dollars, without
limitation of purpose or spec fica,ion OF OBJ
lecl: called tor by no recommendation,
founded on no estimate, made necessary
by no slate of things which was made
known to Us. Cerlainly. sir, took a part
in its rejection; | sand here in my place
IN the Senate to-day. ready to defend tn
part so taken by ne; or rather, sir, dis
calm all defence. md all occasion of de-
t,,,a md | / mo ritn ff,
have been among those who arrested, at
the earliest moment, this extraordinary de-
parture from all settled usages, and as ]
think, from plain constitutional injunction
this indefinite 7otlng OF n vast sum OF
money, to more executive discretion, with
out limit assigned, without object specified.
without reason gwen, and without the least
control under haven,
Sir, | am toltthat, in opposing this rant
| spoke with warmth, aud suppose | may
| have done so. If | did, it was warmth
! sprlnglng from as honest conviction Of
| duty as ever Influenced public man. II
was Spontaneous, unaffected, sincere
There had beln among us, sir, no consuta
| ton, no concert. There could have beer
none. Between the reading of the mess
age and my notion to disagree, there wa
not time enouTh for any two members ofthf
! Senate 10 exchange five words on the sub
Ject. The proposition was sudden anC
perfectly unexpected. resisted il, as r
regular as tlngerous 10 itself, and danger
| Gus ~ Is precedent; as wholly unnecessa-
y, an1 a I.'ltiny the PLAN intention, i
not the express words of the Constitution
Before the Senate, then, avowed, and be
fore the c1untryI now avow my part il
| this opposition. Whatsoever is TO fail OF
those wto sanctioned it, of that let mt
have my full share.
The scnate, sir, rejected this grant by {
vote of,wcnty nine against nineteen. -
These ~ names are on the Journal; ant
whensotger the cxpungirg process may
commen,e. or how far soever it NAV be
carried, pray II, IN mercy, not to erase
nine from the record. | beseech 1t, in il.
spaTlng GOODNESS, to leave ME that proof o
at,achms Mt to duty and to principle. |,
may draw around 1t. over it, or through it
black Ines. or red lines, or any lines: i,
may max 1t IN any way, which either The
most prostrate and iantastical spirit of man
"orsh'p or the most ingenious and elabo
rate sicily of self degradation may devise
II only will leave 1t so that those who in
herIt M blood or who may heraiter car,
Tor my equation, shall BE- able to behold
1t wheri it now stands.
The louse. sir, insisted on the amend
ment. The Senate adhered to its disagree
ment; he house asked a conference. I,
which reqost the Senate immediately nc
ceded' The committees Of conference met
ana IN very short time, came to an agree
ment' fhey agreed to recommend to thei
respective houses, as substitute for tn
vote proposed by the house, the following
AS an additional appropriation for az
! ming the notifications ofthe United States
three hundred thousand dollars"
AS an additional appropriation for tn
repair and equipment o: ships of war OF tn
: United States, five hundred thousand do
I lars"
t Immediately reported this agreemer
= OF the committees Of conference to the ser
; ate; hIt, lnasmuch as the bill was in tn
G house Of representatives,, the Senate coul
u not act Iurtber on the matter until til
II house SHOULD first have considered the RI
port o. the committees, decided thereof
IS aud seat US the bill. did not myself tax
any note Of the particular hour OF this pa
IS of the transaction. The honorable men
her IRON Virginia (Mr. Leigh says
NJ consulted his watch at the time, and
he knows that had come from the conferenc
y and was in my seat at quarter past eleve
have 40 reason to think that he Is und
III any mist axe in this particular. He says
NJ SO happened that he had occasion 10 tai
al notice Of the hour, aud well remembers
d 1t coull not well have been later than tn
a. as any one will be satisfied who will 10
s at ouriouruals, public and executive, a
10 see what mass of business was dispatch
after came from the committees, a
81. beiotethe adjournment of the Senate,
Oh Having made the report, sir, had
- doubt hat both houses would concur in
u result Of the conference, and looked evc
IT, moment for the officer of the house bril-
IRE ing the bill. He did not come, howev
eo aud pretty soon learned that there Y
'ht doubt whether the committee on the .
~ OF the House would report to the no
zen the agreement Of the conference. At {