State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-06-28
SPEECEE OF Nr. ERAKL.
OF VERMONT,
ON TIE FORTIFICATION BILL.


Chair
MIR. HALL, of Vermont, rose and said,
he could not reconcile it with his sense oil
duty to his constituents to remain longer
silent in relation to the events which
were daily passing before him. lie would
have preferred to submit the very general
view which he intended TO ;ake of some of
the most important measures before Con
gress, when bill on the table from the
Senate (the land billy should come up for
discussion; but he had very lately been
warned by some rather ominous votes of
the House; that it might be the pleasure of
gentlemen to prevent any direct action of
the House on that bill, and he had therefore
determined to avail himself of the present
occasion. lie knew it was the desire OF
gentlemen to take the question that night,
and he should condensc his remarks i'm
such manner AS to occupy as little of the
time of the committee as was practicable.
We have, as think, (said Mr.H. y reached
a new and extraordinary era in the history
of this nation. When we came together in
December, we We're in the midst Of an
excitement arising ont of an npprehended
war with France. During the existence of
that excitement, when it was supposed by
the country that real and imminent danger
existed OF an almost immediate war with a
most powerful foreign nation, we were
furnished by the Executive with an estimate
of appropriations which would be required
for that year. Do you remember, sir, the
amount otthose acquisitions? will remind
you of them. They were rs follows:
Ordinary appropriations speci-
ficaly called for, $17,515,933
Computation of extraordinary
appropriations TO meet all
anticipated contingencies, 5,617,707
Making, in the whole, 23,l33,640
This, sir, You will observe, was the
estimate submitted to us during the exis-
tcnce of our difficulties with France-a
war estimate-or at least such an estimate
as the Executive branch of the government
thought it proper to recommend under the
possible, fnot probable, contingency of
war with aPowerful foreign nation. And
n comparison of the amount with former
estimates will show that it greatly exceed
ed those of previous years; and that, upon
the principle on which the government
has heretofore acted, it could only be iusti-
fled by the uncertain and somewhat alarm
ing state of our foreign affairs. Now, sir,
all our difficulties are amlcably adjusted
the nation is at peace no foreign war is
unprecedented, and suddenly, as if by magic,
II new warlike watchword is rung in our
ears. II is sounded from the Capitol,
echoed in the newspapers, sought to be
published in the streets and proclaimed
from the house tops. "National defence
National defence !" is the cry, and we, sir,
of the minority, who have heretofore been
branded as wastetul and eXtravagant legis-
lators for our votes in favor of reasonable
appropriations for Notifications, are now
approached Ivy the same gentlemen who
lately denounced us, and very gravely ask
ed if we are not in favor of appropriations
for the "national defence 2" Even the
chairman of the committee of Ways and
Means, Mr. Cambreeng,) who has never
been over liberal in his support of the APP
preparations for Notifications, and whose
name in the journal of the last session
stands recorded in opposition to mine
against an appropriation of sixty seven
thousand dollars, for one Of the precise OBJ
iects for which the present bill, reported
by linn, contains an appropriation OF one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars; he, sir,
now seems ready to question even the pat
riotism of any one who hestates IN swal-
low, without examination, the most quiXotc
projects for squandering the public money,
under the name OF expenditures for the
national defence. Sir, this is no cry of
pdtriotiSm--it is the cry of border interest,
and of party and, for one, shall not re-
spond to it, The conversion of gentlemen
is altogether too sudden, the object too pal
pable, to give to their new efforts any other
character than that of the ridiculous and
by that character they must and will he
L., IN, vi A tn eli.
shall keep straight ahead on my old track.
I have always voted i'll favor of liberal APP
preparations for the national defence, and |
shall continue to vote for them. | shall
c!leerluly vote for the one hundred and fif-
" thousand dollars for terrifying Boston
harbor, uninnuenced by the last years OPP
position of the honorable chairman, and for
any other appropriations that have reas-
enable claim to our appreciation. But, sir,
| will not vote appropriations merely to
get rid of the public money. ! shall first
inquire, rs have heretofore done, whether
the object for which the money is asked
be proper one and if it be, then whether
the sum demanded can he probably ey-
pended during the year? If | come to all
affirmative conclusion on both these points
shall vote for the appropriation. Olher-
wlse | snail vote against IT, and risk the
denunciations of all new converts to the
'naliona defence party.
Sir, the secret Of this new course of ac-
ZION, which is, indeed, 10 secret at all, is
the discovery of large surplus in the
Treasury, which the people are DESTROYS
Of having distributed among the States, and
md applied to some useful purpose. To
prevent this distribution, we have for the
last two or three months, Witnessed state
fittings altogether new in the history Of
our Legislation Heretofore the acquisitions