Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-12-21
Tvyenfy-Gsth Consress---2d sess.
IN SENATE.
Thursday, December l3, 1888
MIR Souhard OF New Jersey, and MIR. Talinadge of


State of Mississippi Senator from that State, to bill the
vacancy occasioned by the resignation OF the Hon. Jas
Trotler
MIR. Williams appeared, vas qualified, and took his
seat.
Mr.. Clay of Alabama submitted The following resolu
ton, which was adopted:
Resoi1sd, That the Committee on Commerce be IN.
s,ruced 10 inquire into the e1Pedency OF making i"f'
Their appropriation for the construction OF Marine hos
pi,al in The city Of Mobile.
MIR. Clay OF Kentucky presented the memorial OF
number Of persons engaged the manufacture nj pms,
praying for repeal modification OF the duty on brass
wire which referred 10 the Committee on Manuiac.
lures
rer-o,s tie OF New York. A~preca.ins .e evils
of war and praying Congress TO take snch MEASURES as
may promote the formation Of Congress OF hauo"s.
Referred TO the Committee on Foreign Relations.
MIR c. also presented the memorial OF number OF
netsons anraued in steam navigation on The ONO and
Mississippi rivers praying for modification OF The act
of last session for the regulation OF steamboats, Referred
10 the Committee on Commerce, and The me!nctla' or
dered TO be printed
MIR Wig ht gave notice that he would, tomorrow,
ask leave TO introduce bill efectuaIly 10 secure
the pubc money the hands OF officers and agents OF
Tie Government. and 10 punish public detauiers.
Mir. Clay Of Kentucky gave notice that tomorrow
he would ask eays to introduce bill in relation 10 copy
rights. ~ - 49, ,o.,.r,
Mr.. Wright, from the Committee on Finance, 10
which was referred annual report Of the Secretary OF
the Treasury the finances, reported bill further TO
the States, under the act OF June, 1876; which was
read. .
Mr. CLAW Of Kentucky said that he should like really
tn SEE It this nstament again 10 be postponed, so
contrary what they all expected at The last session.
tina, i, was not post poned indefinitely. He had hoped
that would Ienst, have been some PFoongation
Of the promise to the Stars that they might look tor
ward to time when they might reasonably nope 10
receive this money, which they oil expected, and which
many Of them had made arangementsto appropriate 10
useful and Important purposes lie should Ike 10 know
if one wears further postpOnement would not be sutl'
cicn, and without saying whether he should vote Tor
the bill in any event he hoped that II would be so
amended as postpone The yment 10 day GER
tan say the st of January l,O instead Of being post
poned provided FOR by the BILL until The inrlher plea
sure of Congress was expressed on the subject
Mr. &. then moved to amend The b! by making Inc
postpone menl Till the lst Jan IS40.
Mr. Wright observed, that ne was not then disposed
to occupy the time of the Senate by discussing the so
iect of this bill. The committee had reported 1t with
view IL the of the Treasury. indicated by the
Secretary his annual report. That exhibit showed
that By The frs, Of January there would be no money
in the Treasury for The payment OF this fourth install
ment and there anticipation oil mat olcer lhat
there would be moneys for the purpose by the hfs
OF January thereafter. The committee believed as ne
did that the time had arrived when the Treasury had
parted with all the money That Il could spare, and carry
on the one atoms Of the Government without calling
on the States Tor the O! The instruments ey
had already received He knew Of nothing which pro
missed that the Treasury would be able TO spare this mo
oppose the amendment Having made this Xpana'on,
he would content himself with asking Tor the yeas and
nays the question
hlr C!ay OF Kentucky sad that he confessed he was
utterly unabir IN know what would &c the condition 81
the Treasury by the time "nlioned and tins he b. eVeo
than was practicable for any body 10 know;
for after the deialcalions Of two pablo officers which
had lately come gh 10 the astGnshrent OF TINS coun
try one for 4 milo Of dollars, and the amount Of the
ohrr yet unknown, 10 one could possibly tell One
thing they did know, and that was If they could get
hack this money. any part Il" 1t, the state Of Inc
Treasury would be different from what 1t would be
with The total loss of it, he knew nothing as to the
amount Of these defa!catons, or as to the means OF
the Government TO recover back The whole or any
part of them-and, therefore, would not hazard any
calculations as 10 their probable value. The gen
,Ieman from New York could not say tina. the lfea
sury would be in condition In pay this money by Inc
1st of January, $780, that was very true. Such was
the nature of our cia concerns that man. could
say with certainty before hand, What our receipts
and expenditures would amount to. But lie would oh
serve that If 1t should be found when the time came
round that the Treasury was not IN condition 10 meet
this payment there would be the same power IN Con
rress that there 10 postpone 1t Tor another year
But what he wanted 10 that The act o! Congress
providing for this Opposite should be iuihed and Inc
pledye redeemed by carrying out the assurances gwen
by that Some greater security would be gwen 10
States ,ha they would eventually receive Tins money
If definite day fixed for the posponemeni, than II
it was left as provided for in the bill, for The future &C
lion Of Congress If II postponed I'LL the first day
Of January lc40, a still further poslponement would
require the Of bot branches Of the LEGISLATURE
as we'll as Of The Executive; whereas, II the h! passed
in its present shape would amount 10 an indefinite
nos,nouement without special at Of Congress- sane
toned by the Executive. lie was glad the yeas anc
nav had been called he wished 10 record his vote IN
"a of continuing the hope ha! The teposte act would
- eventually carried out
Mr. Wrirht replied. that il not his intention now
10 enter into discussion of the lamentabs deialcatlons
winch had lately 10 light. He had not the lntor'
ation enable HIN to speak to that bnty ineiIgbly
vplv trIIh npFI IN 10
derived from glancng al the very vOnminous report OF
.hr Secretary which had been ore'ed 10 be printed,
and which " as not yet laid upon their tables lie was
as much devoid of information the subject as the Sc.
nator who last addressed them But this much he would
saw that if this matter not thoroughly understood
by Congress and by the whole country before the close
%! the SESSION. 1t would not be his fault 1T vas his fixed
purpose 10 have thorough investigation OF the whole
subject and 10 let his constituents know the whole
truth Then 10 the bill before them II was not his
purpuse 10 hold 10 the States expectations that he
did believe could be realized In September last,
the Committee m Finance proposed the same post
poneuen this ns,aIGsnt, and on The terms that
they now did For himself he thought that the time had
gone by when they were authorized TO hold out any
esncctaons the States from surplus in the Trea.
sufy though at the time he agreed that he had no
power look forward and say precisely what would be
the condition the Treasury a, the end of another year
He had no information which enabled him 10 say that
this nsament could be met on The LIST January, lc40,
easier than il could.
Mr. Calhoun said he should vote for the post one
ment moved by the Senator from Kentucky, though he
had not the sg hes anticipation that there would be
any surplus in the Treasury, either in this in The
ing year. The question would then naturally occur,
why he gave snch vote. The answer was. in the first
place that i, could do harm, and in the next place
would hay the effect check this House in lis xpendi
lures If the expenditures had not been pofuse last
year. there might then have been payment OF this in
s,anient But this and the other House took different
.iews from wha, he did, and their expenditures were
more profuse than they had been since he
neced with the Government e had hoped al the last
session that the ponement of this instamen would
have had some feet 10 check their extravagant expen
di,ure but though lie disappointed he would again
viii he He