The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-09-12


Commnes.-Messrs. Smith, OF Me-, Phllips, John
son, Of La Cushman, De Graih. Legare, Toand, Cur
tbs, and Brown, Of Va,
Public Lands.-Messn. Boon, Williams, Of N c.,
Lincoln, Carey, Chapman, Harrison, Anderson. Dun
can, and Turncy,
Post Office aud Post Roads-Messrs Conner,
Briggs, Hall, Cleveland, Hopkins, Hubby, Calhoun, OF
Ky, Palmer, and Worihington
District Of Coiambia. --Messrs Bouldng, A. II.
Sheppard Jenifcr. Dawson, Lley Prentiss Brine, e.
H. Williams, of Va, Hunter Of Ohio
judiciary -Mcssrs. Thomas, Robertson, Toucey,
Martin, Corwin, Bynum, Garland Of Va, Hoffman. aud
Potter.
Revolutionary CLaims,--M essrs Muhenburg, Craig,
Underwood, Taliaierra, Ellsnore, Porter, Parmener
Harper, OF Ohio and Dirdsal.
Public observation-disclosures Haley Ogle, Alex
ander, Titus, Stratton, Rumsey, Fletcher OF VT,
Crockett, aud Patterson.
Pirate Laad Ciaims--Messrs. May, Garland Of La
Calhoun Of Mass, Harlan Bruyn, Mallory, Beatty,
Raridan, Leadbeatter.
Neutrality-suspicious. Adams of Mass, Webster,
Whittleseyof Conn, Holey, ssde, Bidde, Tilhnghast
Vail, Naylor
Agriculture - Messrs Deberry, Logan, Phelps
Weeks, Spencer, Noyes Davis, Randolph, Mitchell
Indian A6ars--Messrs. Bell, Everett, Haynes, Cha
ney, Montgomery Parker, Campbell Of s. O., Maury Of
Ky, S. W. Morris of Pa
Military Agairs--Messrs. Mckay, Coles, Glascock,
Thompson, Gholson, Mellen, Rives, Kembe, McCle-
Ian of Tenn.
Miiha-Messrs. Glascock, Wsgenen, Carter Of
Tenn, Holt, Hammond, Pratt, Hunter Of Va, Hal
stead, Hamer of Ohio.
Napal Afans-Messrs. Byham, Mlligan, Reed,
Wise, Gantland, Moore, Richardson, Painter, VIII
Hams Of N. II.
Foreign AGars-Messrs Howard Hsmer Cush-
ing Jackson OF Ga, Dromgoole, Rencher, Pope Clai-
borne, Fairfield
Tsrriiones-Messrs. Pat,en, Potts, Pickens, Pierce
Borden, Graves Davis, Jones of N. Y, Harrington
Revolutionary Pensions-Messrs. Morgan, Klngen-
smith, Bond, Fry, Johnson Of Va, Slbey, Ewing,
Gray, LOOMS Of Ohio
Inpaiid Peasions-Messrs Taylor Williams Of KY
Allen Of W., Mcclellan OF ~ Y, Petrken, Stewart,
Hcnod, Baily, Stanley
Roads and Canals-M essrs. Moore, Evans, McKen-
nan, Snyder White of KY, fillmore of N. Y, John
son, Bicknell, White Of Indiana.
REFUSAL and Unfinished Basiness--Messrs Mann Of
Ohio, Noble, Southgate, Henry, Peck.
Aeeounts--Messrs. Johnston of Va, Grant, Mcclure,
c. Shepard of N c., Johnson Of Md.
On Expenditures IN the Department OF Stale
Messrs Morris of Pa, Jackson Of N, Y, Shipton,
Yorke. Andrews.
On Expenditures IN Treasury Departments essrs
Allen Of VT, Shipton, Ayergg, Gray, Halsey.
On Expenditures IN War Observation-Disclosures.
Denney, Vandervere, Holt Morris OF Ohio, Marvin.
On Expenditures IN Nary Deparfment--Messrs.
Broadhead, Maxwell, Goode, Edwards, Graham Of In
diana.
On Expenditures in Post Office Department. Messrs.
Childs, Dennis, Henry, Gallup, Plummer.
Pubic Buiidings-Messrs. Sawyer, Cranston, Meme
fee, Dunn, Ridgway.
The House then took up for consideration the follow
ing resolution offered on Monday by Mr.. RIDDLE Of
Penn.
Mr.. BIDDLE then submitted the following resolu-
ton, which by the rule lies day.
Resolved That the Secretary Of the Treasury report
to this House, whether rpuporting to be address
ed by him to the Clerk OF the House. offering payment
in specie to members Of Congress- authentic If So
m he off
has been made, and what principle Of discrimination if
any, has been adopted in the medium of payment to the
public creditors.
Mr.. BIDDLE said when he first saw the letter OF the
Secretary in the newspapers he considered the
as improper, and on further reflection, he convnc
ed that his impression was correct If the order
intended gratuy, it would be withheld, and with
held from the whole or from part Of the House. 1t
would be granted to and withheld only from those
who were obnoxious, it would also be granted TO, or
withheld from, the Courts Of the U. S. 1t would have
been oeI ed during the pending of the Mandamus
We would witness the spectacle Of fuctuatng COM
pensation OF the members Of Congress- and Of all other
government officers, and fuctuang the order Of the
Treasury Department The effect Of the order would
be to enable every member to pay his weekly expences
out oil the premium which he received from the brokers
in exchange for his gold and put by, clear gain,
the whole amount OF his pay In notes of Philadelphia
New York, Boston, or New Orleans. This was state
OF things which served inducement members Of
Congress to avail themselves of every pretext for de-
feating the resumption Of specie payments The pre-
MUM on specie would increase to the advantage of
members of Congress- and the great oppression Of the
people The states on the other hand, had been
PEELED to receive their money from the government in
paper IL per cent below par In such currency too,
we paid the hard working aborers the public roads,
and the widows and orphans on the pension roll
He wished to know the principle which this offer
made by the Secretary of the Treasury, if il
matter Of grace, he, for would not accept it. He
would not 60 home to his Woodworking and oppressed
constituents, and tell them that could devise nothing
for their relief but, that had through the complas-
Of high officer of the government provided well
for ourselves and should go back reap another
golden harvest Onnoprincipe Of honor or equity could
such distinction be made at any time in favor Of the
officers OF the government and the members of Con-
gress. This indeed, was making exclusive cur
rency
Mr.. ROBERTSON, Of Va offered the amendment to
the resolution which he laid on the table on Friday call
ing for certain other information the subject Mr..
BlDDLE accepted the amendment a modification
Mr.. HAMER, of Ohio, had no objection, he said, to
the resolution hut he did not consider the order Of the
Secretary OF the Treasury offering bride boon TO
Congress- did he believe that the Secretary offered
it on that ground For his part he had fear that
his constituents, would imagine that he would be in
fuenced in his here by the pay consideration
of trifing premium on his pay.
Mr.. MCKAY would not oppose the resolution, but he
expressed his surprise that the gentleman IRON Penn
sylvana, (Mr. Bddle,) should hsve inlnated that the
mode adopted for paying the members, a boon to
Congress- for there express law requiring that
nothing should be rendered in payment Of public dues,
but gold and silver, its equivalent Nopublic creditor
NOT the aborers the public highways, nor the PEN
sloners, obliged to receive their pay in any thing
else. Some years ago. when the Bank of the United
States was the depository Of the public money, the
members drew their pay in bills Of exchange, worth
or three per cent advance but then it all right. If
there was anything wrong in the matter, it in
publishing it in the newspapers, which wholly
necessary.
Mr. BIDDLE did not, he said, intend to accuse the
Secretary of the Treasury Of impudence in making this
order public. He would not have wished him to keep
il secret and annrse Of il only through lis