Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1837-01-24

ff EfnhlF NlA NNk A"'Ni WV ifTNtNf'-''
dsv ~ too sacf 80 ir'rcaue'ion and When ,or'
Iaile discussion had been nod uroo 10, motion u
lsy It on The table prevailed hardly opposed.
,hink. eSccp, 81 The gentle mans own vote. few
weeks amer Tile d,spo,iion had been made 81 ih
resolution the tession came TO clo'e, and. sc'er
ds,s after the close IL 'he scai0n. The Treasury
order made 10 appearance.
4 Bot ih,, i. not ail. Ttofe IS higher auihon,,
. ihaa even that ofihc honorable member. Looking
N the expiration Of the cHsricr q the bank of iht
i T. States the President, 10 s annual message ~
( December last said IL was incumbeut on Congress
I ~ discontinue by law. the receipt OF The b'i's 81
J that bank 10 payment ofthe public revenue. Nov
~ the claret Nss 10 expire on The Sd OF March
there was noihiug 10 make its bills receivable sf
lc, ihst period except the law Of 1916. To sirike
the provision respecting notes Of Inc bank out oi
tina, law. smother law was indeed necessary accor-
ding 10 my understanding bot do not conceive
how It should be thought necessary, upon the con
.iruc,ion Of the honorable member Both houses
being Of opinion however ths the thing could not
be done without law on act vas passed for that
purpose and wss approved by the President. Here
then cir II the gepl'einsns o~n authority, the att
,hority Of the President. and The authority Of both
houses Of Congress, f,r saying that othing con
fsined IN The law Of 1910 can be thrust out Of il
quen, statute. om Of option ,ha, the Treasury
order ofihe Ilh of July istgains, the plain words
aaa mesniug Of the law of 1916 against the
whole practice ofthc Government On Ter the law
sgans, the Honorable gcntemans own opinion. a
expressed in his resolution Of the 23i of April; and
mol recoaciabe with the necessity which was sup
posed to exist for the passage Of tho act of last
session.
On this occasion have heard Of no attempt to
Justify the order on the ground Of any other law,
or act, but tho net Of lSl6 When the order was
published. however, it was accompanied with an
exposition, apparently half official which looked to
the land laws the Secretary's source Of power
and which took no notice at all of the Law Of 1916.
The land law referred to was the act Of $40 bal
it turns out, upon examination that there is moth
ing at all in the law to support the orderor give
any countenancc whatever. The only clause in il
which could be supposed 10 have the slightest ref.
crence to the subject is the proviso in the fourth
section. That section provides for the sale of
such lands as, having been once sold on credit,
should revert or become forfeited to the L. States
through failure Of payment and the provso declares
tha, no sucE lands shall be again sold on any 9TH
or terms than those of cash payment" These
words. "cash payment" have been seized upon. ns
if they had wrought entire change in the ian
pornnt provisions Of the law of 1916, aud al.
ready established an exclusive specie payment for
lands The idea is too futile for serious refria.
ton. In the FIRST place the whole section applies
to forfeited lands but the truth IT, the Term leash
payment" means only payment down, in con,radis-
dc,ion TO credit, which had formerly been allowed:
jnst the same words in the tariff act Of July
1882, mean payment down, Instead Of payment
secured by bonds. when it says that the duties on
certain articles shall be paid in cash As To
the second section Of the land law of 1920, which
was set forth with great for'nuliiy in the eSposi-
ton to which have referred as furnishing author
iy for the Secrelarys order there is not worl IA
il having any such tendency not syllable which
has any application 10 the matter. That section
simply declares that after the first DAY Of July in
tina, year every purchaser Of land at public sale
shall, on the day of purchase, make compiete
payment hercfor; and the purchaser at private
sale shall produce receipt for the amount Of the
purchase m0nry on any tract bsfrrc be shall enter
the sane at the land Office. This is all. Il dec
not say how the purchaser shall max, complete pay
nenf, nor IN what currency the purchase money
shall be received |: is quiie evident therefore
that lha, section lends the order no support what
ever
The defence ofrhc ordc- then stands thns The
Secretary POUNDS il up1n the IDEA that nothing bat
gold and silver was ever lawfully receivable. aud
that the receipt Of bank bills has been all along an
Indulgence" against law. For this opinion he
gives no reasons.
The honorable member from Missouri rejects /
,his doctrine he admit. the receipts Of bank note.
TO have been lawful until made uaawfil by the or !
der itself; add iussis that the Secreiary's pnwrr
Of stopping their further receipt arises under the
'aw Of 1916 and is m ruhou'y derived from II.
Bu, then, the long sn! half Official opposition which
accompanied The publication Of he order has no
faith in the law Of 1916 as source or power bu,
makes parade ga iuit.ig and perfccll, lnsoo,,ra
bic section, out Of the lnud lsw Of 1890. Ground.
OF defence, - totally Inconsistent, canre, an be
sound, bot they may be ell uhsoaud and whe,h
~ hey be 60 or not s question which Voy,d
willingly leave 10 the decision of any msu of go,,J
tense sud honest judsmen'. may psuse at east.
hope, un, those who defend The order shall he
better Ssrerd on what ground 10 place IL.
Mr. President the subject of tie currency Is so ,
"PoHini' 30 delicate, and, ia my Judgment sur.
rounded, a. the prcsent moment. viii 90 m.eb q
both Of c'tcul'y snd Of danger that am dc.,,,..
before making the few observations which intend 0
% ID" existing condition Of things aud rs cause.
o AVOID 81 m'sspprehension. by general si.,e. !
az