Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-12-21

IL" remarks IN reply Ia ie suggestions ut lie genue
man The other SIDE of the House MIR. Clay oil Ken
lucky in which assertions mad been made, and Ptinci'
pies advanced which were Of importance not 10 &c
overlooked Ii is now, Sir, for the FIRST time, proposed
to raise revenue FOX the purpose Of distribution
among the Sia,es-to raise money from The people, IN
their individual capacity TO be Distributed among inc
States their corporate capacity 10 enrFr to The beneht
of chartered mnnopolies He MIR \ knew this was mol
intended thought Of when the depose bill vas pass
ed by the Senate The object 10 gc,Td Of an eno'
nous plus which had accumulated and was dIsr!Uu'
ted among ninety banks, expanding our already over
grown paper system, corrup!ng The legislation OF Cor
gress and embarrassing IN pnlc and private aHars On
this ground he voted tor that bill, did majority OF
those who voted with him. Bnt he commended, thai The
object for which The bill had bsen passed accomplish
ed the surplus had been deposited He asked, II 1t was
pretended by the Senator from Kentucky that there ls
surplus in the Treasury now, would there be sur
plus at The period proposed in the amendment Dd not
the gentleman know, that by the operation OF ms own
Law, Che Compromise Ac' the biennial reduction OF The
duties on imports would during the coming year.
thus lesseHing by that amount the fiscal resources OF
the Government: Under these circumstances, to bold
out the hope would be done by the proposed amend
meni, that The fourth instrument would be paid IN
January, lcl0, when there would be no surplus III
the Treasury would be 10 sanction the idea, that
the money would be raised by taxation. This 10
the essential question, aud the only question before
the Senate. Bot 1t IS said that the Government
should redeem ia pledge; that the good fHh of the
Government pledged for the payment of the fourth
ins,ament %. deposite Sir # IL is debt due by the
Government To the States, IL Should bh discharged
But instead Of having any CHM for this money
the States Under obligations To Congress tor not
claiming the three IDsaime nts already deposited II
il for the inerpositos Of Congress, good faith
would have required the Secretary of the Treasury 10
recall the money deposited with thu States, 10! The
necessities OF the Government; such was the spirit and
acquisitions Of the lie, and The friends who
with hi mad supported the bill in good faith dcpo
site act, distribution among the States IL was to
be deposite Of a surplus This had been accomplished
and the bill had fulfilled lis functions. II IL was intended
any than dcposiIe actor distribution OF
money among the Sta'es-tben was our legislation
fraud upon the country.
lie would remark, IN rep 10 The Senator from South
Carolina MIR. Calhoun who proposes 10 vote for the
amendment, that 1t may be an inducemcn TO retrench.
meD and economy in the expenditures OF the Govern
nent that il wOuld he better take direct me
hod Let adhere to that first great principle, which
he MIR. & has often and ably advocated on this
floor to raise money from the people. than IL
necessary for economical administration OF the 90.
vernment This Sir, would be pr iersbie 10 checking
a contemplated cxlravogant expenditure by countenanc'
ing what u.s. technically, dcpnse- Substantially, dis
trhulion act
Mr. Benton remarked that the natural progress of
this thing had been distinctly pointed ont by him when
he had The honor III connection with hai! dozen other
gentlemen, 10 oppose the depcsite act He knew then
that il was a distribution among the States. lie knew
that il was the commencement OF system OF evying
money from The people, for those who would get It out
OF the hands of the people lie treated this act then as
distribution, and secuted the idea OF lis being depose
So and that, IN f. years, should he lett without
money lie stated these facts this floor IN such strong
language that member came 10 him, and begged h!n
not 10 publish his remarks He stated then that the ef
feet of this would be- either to break the deposte
banks or compel them 10 crush their debtors Every
thing he then said had been verified 10 the letter. We
have said Mr.. h committee ii the directors OF the
bnrks Of New York, o! the hghes, intelligence and
we'll yersed financial anirs, placing the head OF
she which compelled them to suspend specie pay
,ncnI, the effect Of this distribution act He MIR
knew then we'll now that ot the effects OF THIS
&C, would be either 10 compel these deposte banks 10
choose between stopping themselves crushing those
indebted 10 hem He knew then that IN the short space
Of lwo years should be without money, and 1t was
that he vas rIgh for, instead OF calling back
from the States any Of the money already distributed TO
them as provided TOR in the many cautious words in
serted in the to make It appear like dePoste, the
Government driven 10 the expedent of raising mo-
ney By forced loan, for Treasury notes nothing
forced LOAF from those 10 whom tary we!e paid In
stead of calling on the States for OF part of
his money deposited with them, this body was now
renroached with a breach oil faith to III. States tor
no, going on deposIte the remainder, which also
claimed debt Tint which IN the Ersl instance was
declared be pusIte only aud treated on that io0r
as GepOsite, IN the same place declared 10 be
debt and the +. dera Government was taunted with
breach OF faith tor not paying it. Now what was the
-firct OF the motion under consideration 1t was d.
rect proposition, 10 be carried hereafter, Of rasing
money by indrecon for the purpose Of distribution
II was a in which the powerful and strong would
"a
Ton TO commit this Government 10 ihe 9ysem Of 4epo.
sitting money with The States The effect would be, that
all party who in favor Of raising money OF the
whole divide among the few would throw every vote
TO diminish Just and necessary appropriations, and TO
keep up the taxes. The price OF the public lands
would be kept up and by The time the tarH act shall
have worked its object in January $40 there would
be enough interested to bard together Tor the purpose OF
raising from the Aslac section Of the Union the cotton
growing States. sufficient sum for distribution Your
cotton crop. said Mr.. B, amounting 10 some hundred
millions will hold strong temptations 10 The friends
Of this system OF distribution r b said r had voted
here for the last years against this syalem ct collect
mo money for distribution He opposed /, when II was
proposed by Senator from New jersey, Mr.. Decker
son for the purpose Of keeping up the ar.H He OPP
posed it with the zeal when subsequent prOpcs
lion was made divide the proceeds OF The sales OF the
pnbIc lands. and again when II returned IN the ins
dious shape Of deposite act In all this he found HIM
self sustained by the young Slate ct Missouri; for,
vounp as she was and destitute of resources she tes
ois.d the whole policy OF distribution Both branches
Of her Legislature adopted resolution condennng the
whole thing, and lnstrucng her Senators and Repre-
sen,alives to oppose forever In obedience then TO
her instructions well in accordance with the die
,a,cs of his own Judgment, he soiemnly protested
AGAINST the odious principle II was two hundred years
since the Lord Chancellor Burlegh put into the mouth
OF Queen Elizabeth the noble sentiment, that The best
Treasury Of Government was The pockets OF the
pcople This sentiment was, even al that time, re-
ceived with rapture By British Parliament; but it
still olde. than The time Of Chancellor Burlelgh for IL
wns hat Of orators and statesmen IN the Rfpub
l,c of Athens (Demoslhenes) when vile scheme
proposed to raise money for similar object, vino lndg.
nanlly ramped the whole under foot, and then uttered
the me morabe sentiment that has since been often
Quoted The author said NO Leave this money
in the pockets Of the people When the country needs
il for her Defence call for it, and The people will cheer
fully give it," These, said Mr.. B., my sentiments
A proposition made, the effect Of which was TO
nit The Senate to this system of distribution; and il had
been said on that floor that harm could from
il, II was like the old woman's medicine of milk and
water: If il did good, it could do HARM Such Ian
puage did not belong TO statesmen nor TO the elevated
theatre Of an American Senate The whole proposition
was rong 10 hold out to the American people scheme
for future distribution, which, it evident could not