Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-01-06
From the Mobile Mercantile Advertiser
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE


FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE
The following extract from a speech "a
Gently delivered in Fanueil Hall, Bostm
by the Hon. RICHARD FLETCHER, men[o,
Of Congress- most excellent honest and
worthy man-discloses some facts which
| it is highly important and necessary that
the people should be possessed Of. Ii dis.
plays in broad, clear light, another branch
Of the dangerous and alarming power
claimed and welded by the Executive
Mr.. Fletcher speaks of the duties Der.
formed by the Chairman of the Commit.
tee Of Ways and Means-C. C. Cambre.
leng-at the late Extra Session. Mr.P
was one Of the two Wings on the Commit
tee. In selecting him, Mr.. Polk--no not
Mr.. Polk; for it was done by others for
lhim--caught Tartar.
During the session, the business pro.
jects upon which the House were called
to act, came almost entirely from the Com.
mittee of Ways and Means. There are
nine members of that committee, only two
of whom are understood to be opposed to
the general policy Of the administration
suppose you would like to know the man
liner in which the business was arranged
for the House. Twill tell you the Ways
the Means you will all see in due time.
You doubtless suppose, that this Comms
tee of Ways and Means has some duty to
do-some ways to devise--some means to
find out-some plans to originate and ma.
ture for the action of the House. The
committee, you imagine, look over the mes
sage; see what is recommended to be done
for the benefit Of the country; consult To-
gether as to the best measures; and lay
the result of their deliberations before the
House. Is this your idea, Mr.. President
Is this what you think, fellow-citizens! If
it is am sorry to inform you, that youla
Dor under very great mistake. | once
|cntertained the same ideas; but ! soon
found my error. No such thing sir-no
such thing. The chairman of the Com
mittee steps up to- the White house, and
there receives from the President, or the
Secretary of the I'Feasury, such bills as
they wish to have passed by the House
The Chairman puts the bills into his peck
et-takes them to the committee; without
any examination the majority of the Com
mittee approve them; the minority can do
nothing; the bills are presented to the
House, and received as the doings of the
committee.
aver to you that every bill passed by
, the House, came to the House ready drdpn,
: from the Executive. The Representa-
tives are mere machines. Every measure
is an Executive measure. mean by the
! executive, the President and heads Of de.
partments; the Cabinet.-They originate
J every thing, put every thing in the pre-
else shape they wish, word for word
t letter for letter and comma for comma
and the Executive majority in the house
: pass each bill forthwith, without alter
alton, and so far as depends on them
r without debate, just as it comes from their
f masters at the White House!
. | had heard of Executive dictation-ol
n Elective usurpation-of Executive pat
: ronage. | thought had seen something
> of it; but till visited the seat of Govern
: ment, had no conception of its true ma
e ture, Of its vast extent. solemnly warn
: you against this terrible concentration o.
d power in the hands OF the Executve!--
e see in it most alarming danger--threat
b ening the liberties Of the country! Exec
r utive power has become very Colossus
e which bestrides the country from one end
e to the other; and, fellow-citizens, II we
r do not overthrow it, most assuredly 1t WIZ
!. crush US; and in crushing us, bin crushing
n the people, it will crush liberty, 1t VIII
d crush the constitution!
) A resolution was introduced into tn
c House from the Committee of Ways an
J. Means, declaring that it is inexpedient
G charter National Bank. You may fee
e some interest 10 know how that resolution
G was got up. Twill tell you. You will re
O collect that there were only two opposition
d members on the committee. The MAORI
t ty sUould do nothing for the people and thu
a minority could do nothing--except repor
o the doings to their master in the commit
!. tee, and the House to their masters, the PEG
y Pile; and this at least, for one, am resolve.
t to do. Very many petitions from almost al
Q the States, were sent into Congress for tn
: establishment of National Bank. Thes
it petitions, as they were presented, by mt
It tual understanding, were referred to tn
T. committee of Ways and Means: and su
e fered to lie on the table until they Shout
$ all come in; when, as was supposed, the
d we're to be taken up and considered. ?
l. the matter stood, when on the last day D.
7 one on which that committee sat, the chal