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

If the history which have now truly given
shows that one thing was amended ny
another, which had no sort OF conneXion
with it, that unusual cxpedients were re
sorted to, and that the laws, instead OF
arrangement and symmetry, exhibit anon
ally, and the most groteSque associations.
it is, nevertheless, true, that no part OF all
his was made necessary by u.s. We de
waited from the accustomed modes OF legs
lation only when we were supplca'cd to
do So in order to supply bold and glaring
DEFICIENCIES in measures which were before
U.s.
But now Mr. President, let me come TO the
Fertilization Bill, the lost Bill, which not
only now, but on a graver occasion, has
been lamented like the lost Plead.
This BILL sir, came from the House of
Representatives to the Senate in the usual
way. and was referred to the Committee
on Finance. Its appropriations were not
large. Indeed, they appeared to the com
mittee to be quite too small. II struck a
majority OF the committee at once that there
were several Notifications on the coast,
either not provided for at all, or not ade
quatey provided for by this bill. The
whole amount of its appropriations was
100000 or 430 900 dollars. It contained
no grant of three millions. and if the Sem
ate had passed it the very day it came from
the House, not only could there have been
no appropriation Of the three millions. but,
sir, none of these other sums which the
Senate did insert in the bill. Others. be
side ourselves, saw the deficiencies of this
bill. We had communications with and
q hnn ~ 1t,t- o,,l ,rI ~
the bill every thing which any department
recommended TO us We took care to be
sure that nothing else was coming, And
we then reported the bill to the Senate with
our proposed amendments, there was a
sum of S75 900 for Castle Island, in Boston
500 600 for dcfences in Maryland, and Sc
forth. These amendments were agreed to
by the Senate, and one or two others cd
dcd, on the motion of members! and the
bill. being thus amended, was returned to
the House
And now, sir, it becomes important to
ask when was this BILL thus amended, re.
turned to the House of Representatives;
Was It nnduly detained here, So that the
house was obliged afierward to act upon it
suddenly This question is material 10 be
and The journal does satisfactorily answer
II: for 1t appears by the journal that the
bill was returned to the House Of Repre-
sentative on Tuesday, the eth Of Febrna-
ry, one aotoi' ,oeek bejore The close Of he
session. And from Tuesday, the cath day
of February to Tuesday. the Sd day OF
March, we heard not one word from this
bill. Tuesday, the Sd day of March, was,
OF course the last day of The session. We
assembled here at 10 or II o'clock ia the
morning OF that day, and sat ill three in
the afternoon, and still we were not inform.
ed whether the house had finally passed the
bill. AS 1t was an important matter. and
belonging 10 that part Of the public bust
ness which usually receive particular at
| tcntion from the committee on finance.
bore the subject IN my mind, and felt some
sohcIlude about IT, seeing that the session
was drawing so near TO a close. | took /,
for granted, however, as had not heard
any thing to the contrary, that the amend
ments of the senate would not be object t
TO, and that when convenient time SHOULD
arrive for taking up the bill in the house
1t would be passed at once into law, ant
we should hear no more abort It. Not tn,
slightest lntlmatlon was given, either tina
the executive wished for any larger appro
prlatlon, or that it was intended in th,
house to insert such larger appropriations
Not syllable escaped from any body, AM
came to our knowledge, that any farthe
alteration whatever was Intended in tn
bill.
AT o'clock in the af ernoon of the Sd o
March, the senate took lis recess, as is US
, ual IN that period Of the session, until 5
, AT 5, we again assembled, and proceede
with the business of the senate until
O'Clock IN the evening; and, at 8 o'clock i
. the evening, and not before. the clerk c
3 the House appeared at our door, and an
. nonnced that the House of Representa- tive
A had disagreed to one of the senate's amend
= ments, agreed to Others, and to two
those amendments, VIZ; the 4th and 5th,
" had agreed, NTH an amendment otis o,Cl
i! Now, sir, these 18th aud stu amendmen
OF ours were, one, a vote of y75 900 for Il
- castle in Boston harbor. aud the other,
\. vote Of 500 900 for certain detences
If Maryland. And what, sir, was the add
~ ton which the House of Represen,ativ
. proposed to make by way OF "amendmen
J. to vote of S75 900 for repairing the wor
v in Boston harbor' Here. sir. it is:
,e ".4nd be Hfurther enacted, That the su
nj OF three millions of dollars be, and t
as same it hereby appropriated, out of a
v. money in the Treasury not otherwise a
is proprtated, to be expended, in whole or
n. part, under the direction of the Preside
he OF the U. States, for the military and ma,
,h service, inclrdlng Notifications and OF
rs nance..and increase of the navy: Proud
TO Snch expenditures shall be rendered nee,
Id sary for the defence of the country prior
ne the next meeting of Congress"
This proposition sir, was thus unexpe
he eddy and suddenly put to us, at 8 ocIc
OH in the evening or the last day Of the S
IT. sion. Unusual, Unprecedented, extraor
he nary, as 1t obviously is, on the face OF
mo- the manner Of presenting it was still IN
extraordinary. The President had as'
les for no such grant of money; no departm
no had recommended it; no estimate had $
rs. gested 1T; no reason whatever was 81
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