Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-03-22

ed power. Who or whs, could " i,h,,and !,
The States themselves would become sun.
plants at the feet Of the EXECUTIVE for a nor.
tion "i those paper emissions, OF the power Ia
issue which they had been stripped. and
which he now exclusively possessed.
Mr.. + President, my observation and ex-
perIence have satisfied me that the safety Of
liberty and prosperity consists in the division
OF power whether political or pecunisry. In
our iederattve system, our security is 10 he
ionna IN that happy distribution Of power
winch exists between the Federal Govern.
'nent and State Governments. In our none
,ary system, as II lately existed, its excel
! ience resulted from that beautiful ARRANGE.
men' ny which the States had their insliIu>
lions Tor local purposes, and the General
Government, its institution for the more Won.
erai purposes Of the whole Union. There
| existed the greatest congeniality between all
The parts ut this admirable system. Allwas
homogeneous. There was ne separation Of
the Federal Government from the Stale. Or
from the people. There was no attempt TO
execute practically that absurlity of sus.
tanning among the same people two different
currencIes OF unequal value. And how adj.
mirao'y did the whole system, during the
i"rty years OF its existence, move and work !,
And on the two unfortunate occasions of its
ceas'ng TO exist, how quickly did the busi>
ness and transactions OF the country run into
wild disorder and utter confusion
| 3. Hitherto have conside red this new pro.
| Ject rs II Is according Ia its true nature and
character. ana what il must inevitably he.
| come. have not examined il as i, 10 not
ou' as Its friends would represent il TO be.
They h"id out the idea that il is a simple
c"n'r'va"ce 10 collect, 10 keep, and 10 dis
nurse, The public revenue. In that view of
",every consideration Of safety and security
recommends The agency OF responsible cor.
! pofali"ns, rather than the employmept of
particular individuals II has been shown
during the course Of tins debate, that the A.
mount which has been lost by the deralca
ti"n Of individuals has exceeded three or
iour times The amount of all that has been
lust ny the local hanks. although the sums
conhded to the care of individuals have not
heen probably one tenth part of the amount,
! ihai has been IN the custody Of the local
hanks And we all know that, during the
!"riy years Of existence OF the two Banks of
the United States not one cent was lost of The
public revenue.
have been curious Mr.. President. To
Know whence this idea of receivers general
was derived. II has been supposed to have
been borrowed from France. IL required
all the power OF that most extraordinary man
mat ever lived, Napoleon Bonsparte, when
he was IN his meridian of greatness, to dis
place The farmers general, and 10 substitute
IN 'he'r place The receivers general. This
new system requires. think have heard
IL stated, something like 100. 900 employees
! 10 nave II executed. And NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the modesty OF the instan, promise, of The
new project, have no doubt that ultimately
we shall have To employ number of persons
appIoXImating to that which is retained in
France. That will undoubtedly he the case
whenever we shall revive The system of in
ternai taxation. 10 France, what reconciJed
them 10 the system ives, that NaDoIeon first
ana The Bourbons afterwards, were pieased
with the immense patronage which II gave
Them. They liked 10 have 100 900 depen.
dants 10 add strength To the throne. which
had been recently constr ucled or reasc.nded
! thought however the learned chairman of
The Committee Of Finance must have had
some other beside the French model for his
receivers general; and, accordingly, upon
looking into Smiths history of his own State
l found That when II was yet colony some
century and halt ago; and W hen it's present
monte ap''ai still retained the name of New
Amsterdam, The historian says, "Among tho
| principal laws enacted at this session ve
may mention that for establishing the reve.
nue., which was drawn into precedent. The
sums raised by it wero made paysble into
The hands Of The receivers general. and issued
ny the Governors warrant. By this means
the governor became for a season independeo.
OF Inc people, and hence we find frequent in.
stances o! the Assemblies contendipg with
him for the discharge of debts 10 private per>
sans, contracted on The faith OF the govern
ment. The then governor of the colony
was man of great violence OF temper. and
arbitrary in his conduct. How the sub
treasury system Of that day operated the
same historian Informs US 10 subsequent
part of hi, work. "The revenue" he saws
Established the last year, was at This session
continued five years longer than was ORIGIN,
ally intended. This as rendering The Gov.
ernor Independent OF The people. For. al,
that day the Assembly had no treasure but
Inc amount OF all taxes went, of course. into
The hands Of the receiver general. who was
appointed by The Crown. Out of This fund
moneys were only issuable by the Govern.
or's warrant, so that every officer in the Go
vernment, from Mr.. Blaitbwait, who drew
annually 1--WE per cent. out of the revenue, ss
a9ntor general, down 10 the meanest servan,
oi the public, became dependent, solely ON
'he Governor. And hence we find the House,
al The close OF every session, humbly ad,
oIessing his Excellency for the triAing wa
ges oil their own clerks" And, Mr.. Presi.
aen'; u this measure should upbspply pass,
The day may come when the Senate OF tbe
on'eo STATES will have hnmbly to implore
some future President OF the United States TO
gram u money 10 pay The wages of it's own
| sergeant al arms and doorkeeper