Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1836-07-29

SPEECH Of Mr.. !. q ADAMS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Wednesday, May 2G, 1886 .

au'noflEInh the PTeSldent oil The United
States 10 cause ratlons TO he distributed
to suffering tugilives; from lndian hOsliI
tiles III Alabama aud Georgia, being un
der deOate:--
Mr.. ADAMS asked that the resolution
should be read;I was accordingly read
and was as follows:
ResOIred BY the Senate and House of
Representatives. of The United States Of
America ia Congress assembled, That
the President OF the Uoiled States be au.
thorized to cause rations to be delivered
from the public stores 10 the unfortunate
sufferers, who are unable 10 provide for
themselves, and who have besn driven
from their homes by Indian depredaIions,
in Alabama aud Georgia, until they eau
he re.sslablshed in their possessiOn, or
so long as the President shall consider 1t
necessary.
MIR. ADAMS, after observing that
there was no appropriation annexed to The
resolution, which, If there h1d heen, the
RESOLUTION must, by The Constitution OF
the United States, have been made TO as
sumo the form Of bill, proceeded to adj
dress the Chairman OF the Committee Of
the whole Oh tie state Of tho Union, 10
substance, as follows:
Mr.. Chairman. There is no approprl.
alton annexed to This resolution. We are
called To vote upon it without knowing
how deep 1t will dive into the public
purse. We have no estimate from any
Executive Department; no statements Of
the number of the distressed and unfortu.
nate persons whom we are culled upon
to relieve, not with our own moneys, but
with the moneys Of our constituents. By
an exception to the ordinary rules Of the
House, especially established 20 guard
the public Treasury against the danger
of rash and inconsiderate expendl Tres,
we are to drive this resolution through all
its stages in single day. And it is, |
believe, the first example of system Of
gratitous donations to our own country
men, infinitely more formidable by its
consequences as precedent, than from
any thing appearing upon its face. /
shall, nevertheless, vote for it. But an.
swerable to my constituents, as am in
this as in all other cases for voting away
their money, seek for principle which
tnay justify Inc, to their judgment aud my
own. 10 this lGUish disposal Of the public
funds.
Ii is but one, sir, Of class Of legisla.
tive enactmeHls now upon tho pages oI
our statute book, Introduced first, believe
during the present session Of CoDgess; but
with which we are already becoming ia
miliar, and which greatly fear, will ere
long grow voluminous. shall take the
liberty TO deDominare them the scaLping
knife and tOmGhGipk lGws They are Ell
urged through by the terror Of these in
struments Of death, under the most atfec
ting and pathetic appeals from the con
stItuenls OF the sufferers, to all the tender
aud benevolent sympathies Of our ma.
lures. II is impossible for me to with
hold from those appeals, responsive and
yielding voice. have voted for all bills
devOting million after million from the
public chest, for the relief and defence of
those, the suffering feIIow.citizens of my
constituents. | will vote for the resOIu.
tion. | will vote again and again for
drafts from the Treasury for the same
purpose, should they become necessary,
till the Treasury itself shall be drained
but, for so doing, must seek for princl.
pie which may be satisfactory, first, TO
my own mind, and secondly, to my con.
slituents.
' And here, sir, the gentlemen who call
upon US for those bountilul contributions
irom the public treasure, are compelled
TO resort to the common defence and gene
raj 'ceBdre declared by the. Constitution
OF the United States TO be among the pur.
poses for which the constitution itself was
ordained by the people. | admit their
claim, There are, indeed two grounds
upon which some of them think their
cIaims sustaiuable. One Oi them produ.
ces precedent for this exercise of power,
and Yet dlsclaims the authority of the pre-
cecent llself. You have already, by a !
resolution in the same words with Il; lose
Of the resolution now before this commit.
tee; extended this same relief TO the inhab
itants of Florida. But Florida ia one of
your Territories. and you are under oh,
legations Of protection more comprehen.
slVe to ltS inhabitants than those which
lind you 20 the People of the States.
Vhtse receive and are entitled to the pro
lection of State Government, and you are |
bound to extend that species Of protection
TO the inhabitants of The Territories, be |
sides the protection which the nha infants
OI the several States are entitled to, as
members o: the great confederation.
The precedent, therefore, of the resolution
Of relief to the inhabitants of Florida.
does not cover the case. We are remind
cd, however, that some twenty years or
more ago, the people OF Caracas were
visited al once with tremendous earth, |
quake. with famine. and with the si;Il |