Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-09-22

the committee on the Judiciary. The
committee then rose. The report Of the
secretary of the Treasury was referred to
the committee Of ways and means, and the
House proceeded to CONSIDER resolution
offered by +. o. j. Smith, "that a, the
present session, no other subjects should
be considered, except those embraced IN
the Presidents Message" In he course
Of the debate, Smith said, that if his rrso
luton were not adopted, the House would
be presently involved in great variety OF
angry discussions, which would unfit 1t tor
the calm and dispassiona,e examination OF
the important matters which had called
them together. Abolition, the Texas
question, and other like subjects, would be
introduced, which would generate only
anger, uproar and confusion.
Bell said that he was not exactly pre-
pared to vote upon this resolution, until he
could learn from the chairman of the COM
ml,tee of ways and means, whether 1t was
his intention in the measures to be pro.
posed by his committee to confine himself
to the recommendations OF the message.
If SO, the business Of the session might be
dispatched in very short time 1t other
measures were to be brought forward, they
might lead to protractcd discussions. and
Il he session might be prolonged. Cam.
| breieng answered somewhat evasvely.-
| lie seemed, however. to admit, at least, so
far as he was concerned, the committee
would not travel out of the message; and
he challenged the opposition to bring Tor
ward their antagonist schemcAwhich he
SAID could be nothing else but'a National
Bank-and to try which of those plans the
people would best relish.
Bell replied that for himself he had no
antagonist scheme to propose. As to the
matter Of National Bank, he had avow ed
| the opinion previous to his election, and be
now repeated it, that National Bank
could not afford any immediate relief
Such an institution he judged essential to
the regulation Of the currency. but Its
operation could not be felt in less than two
or three years.
| Wise spoke very impressivelv, and was
| listened TO with the most attentive silence.
He said it was absurd for the chairman OF
the committee of ways and means TO call
upon the opposition for plan. The oppo
sition could do nothing. II was the business
Of The majority to offer plan; the RESPONSE.
blllry belonged to them, aud hey need not
! hope to shlrk out Of it, The chairman
wished to diminish the odium of his plan, by
inducing The opposition to bring forward a
scheme, which might be represented as
still more odlous The opposition would
do no such thing. The responsibility rest
ed on the majority, and there the opposition
( intended it should rest.
Cushing SAID, that if the committee oil
ways and means intended TO propose no
other means except those recommended by
the President, Congress might as well dis.
perse, and 60 home Tomorrow. Those
measures perhaps might answer well
enough for relief of the treasury; but they
offered no relief to the Suffering people,
AS to the subtreasury system, it was no
sort of consequence whether Congress
acted upon it or not 1t already existed
in fact; and the government would con.
tnue it, and arrange 1t to suit themselves
whether Congress acted or not. 1t would
be with that, as i. was with the pet bank
system, "a system which was carried into
complete effect by the Executive, ant
which Congress was only called upon tt
ratlfy.