Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-09-29


six dollars per week, therefore, together
WI about nine.'enths OF whit is called
mileage. may be laid M in notes of the
onnks of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York, Boston, or Pittsburgh. The clrcu
ia''on then fspece would amount 10 this
the People buy it Of the brokers to pay
pos'ages and duties it 10 then given TO us;
we sell it to the brokers, from whom the
People are again obIged.to buy, at an ad-
vance; aud thus it continues TO run the
round. The People are the purvcvors of
specie for us. They have the handling of
1t on their way from the brokers' to the
post office or tho custom-house. This
state OF things, SO comfortable to members
OF Congress, will cease the moment epecie
payments are resumed. So far then as
mercenary motives 90, we are made, by
thus discrimination IN our favor, to feel an
interest in catching at any pretext, falling
~ with any scheme. however wild that
may tend to postpone the resumption. -
Well mny we consent to let things take
their own course, TO regulate themselves
and to await the result of that process wi, h
the most eXempIary,patience But assured
~ we stand IN singular position towards
the country VIC represent, aud with whose
interests we profess to be Identified
We see before US the loss OF profitable
traffic the moment we achieve the purpose
that brings us here. Such Is the penalty
Of success in our abors! We and the spe
Gle brokers on the avenue will be thrown
out OF business at the same moment, Would
any man, in private life, consent to place in
such position an agent, however pure and
upright, with any hope of being promptly
and aihiulIy served'
Mr.. B. went on to say that he believed
this to be matter of deep import |; was
not connected with party. 1t appealed TO
higher Interests and higher thoughts. No
thing said he) can be more fatal to the
usefulness and influence ofthis House than
belief that we are actua'ed by a sordd
g7aspng spirit. Public Indignation is es.
pccally vigilant here, because that ind Q.
na,!on is the only check upon abuse. We
all saw how s'rklngly this was illustrated
in the spontaneous movements on the sub.
ject of Of the compensation law. Tha,
was treated in this House ns small matter
--too small for the notice Of the People.
But different lesson was taught. We all
remember the storm that burst over the
whole country. Mr.. Jefferson, in one of
his letters, refers to the quick feasibility
Of the People on the occasion as triumph
ant evidence Of their capacity for self gov.
erpmeut. We must bear in mind that our
respective Staes have been paid their claims
upon the Treasury in bank paper, or bank
credit twelve per cent, worse than specie.
They could not get one dollar in hard mo.
ney. The laborersnpon The pub c works,
who sweats all day over his ma'tock for
sixteenth part Of our per diem allow
ance, we paw in paper ! say ice paw, be-
cause, will any one pretend to deny that
Congress is respon>ible' The widows
and orphans of those who fell in their coun
try's service, on the deck or tho battle.
fold, we pay in paper. In the city and
county which | represent there are many
evolutionary soldiers. If one Of these
venerable men has occasion 10 take let
ter out of one of your post Offices, from a
son absent in the public service. he must
sell to broker. Il, great loss. the money
with which we paw his scnn'y pltrancc,- =
SO it is with the A my and the NAVY. On
" The other day, an officer from Florida
found himself here with money so worth
less that he cond no, Sc II, at nv discount
so as TO ralsn specie enough TO take NJ the
letters lying for him at the post Office -
How is |, that the Secretary of War can
suffer these gallant men 20 be thus treated
-soured and disguised with tho service
whilst another Secretary, having no more
legitimate control over the sub cct, parades,
as if in mockery, an offer orspecie, through
the newspapers, To those who pay no
hostage and whose necessities are the
least urgent' On what principle can it
be Of honor, or honesty, or bare decencv.
that the only public creditors whom the
Treasury excmpls from the pressure of a
common calamity are those " hose exclusive
duty it is,to provide the common remedy
Suppose (said Mr.. b. joint resolution
were offered insisting, openly md maniul.
". that the compensation of members Of
Congress be paid in a medium denied 10 our
respective States, and to other claimants on
the Treasury. How many would be found
10 the face OF the country, to record their
votes for II ? And yet the course we are
invited 10 pursue involves all the offensive.
ness of such resolution without the cour-
age of assuming the responsibility. We
we would get a, the same thing by the
bounty of the Secretary of the Treasury,
We add to cupldlry the crime against our
political institutions, of giving to the exec.
u'ivca hold upon the hopes and Tears Of
this House.
Mr. B. repeated the expression of his
hope that this House would look anxlously
to its standing with ,he country. The
eyes of that country ;sald hc) are on us,
Our situation may well be deemed a try.
ing one. The counscs Of this body. on
crlic'ca occasions, have long been repel,
led rather than invited The great objec,
was 10 give it he go'by. 1t has ever been de.
nouncrd as venal and trecberous on onos.