The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-18


Dent could be carried into effect, without resorpng
TO taxation. What prospect there, he would ASK
Of iis being realized Look the report Of the Seere
tsry Of the Treasury, aud il would be found thai 30 m
from there being any surplus divide, the reverse was
the case that there was falling of Of the revenue ee
rived from the land sales. and falling on o. 'ns' ue
rived from the tariff and the prospect was ina py 'ne
year ls40 there would DO still greater dimnueon'
A. this very time we were hardly able 10 meet the ord
nary expenditures Of the Government. though we had
been forced the raising OF money by extraordinary
Means such as selling bonds, and issuing Treasury
notes which nothing more than forced loans' ye,
we had been called for this fourth instanent, and
charged with breach Of faith for not making H. Are
we said Mr. b under such circumstances no say no.
thing OF the principles Of raising money for dstrloution
we TO excite expectations In the states, that TINS
Government is to raise eight nine millions by taxa
ton, TO he divided among them The effect OF the
vote taken this proposition, unhappily it should be
carried would be TO make such States as were willing
20 accept this money, look upon pledge that
this nine millions turned to them; and being
So il would become the bounden duty OF this Govern
provide the surplus, by arresting necessary APP
preparations, by raising axcs by the issue OF Trea
sury notes, and by resort to the old tariff and when
this much DONE then all was done that wanted
The example would be set which would be followed up,
of raising money from the weaker portions Of the Union
10 divide among The stronger and more populous parts
oft Our revenues derived principally from the
weaker parts Of the Union-from cotton, which, being
carried to Europe, the proceeds brought back
chandse whnh pays duties The agriculture OF the West
also contributes its share in the way Then, said
Mr. B. adopt this propositlononly establish the prin-
cple-and the South and West prepare themselves
IN future for heavy Of taxation until the asity
and enomity of the system shall eventually PROSTATE it.
Mr. b. said he was opposed TO postponement TO the
next year, OF 10 the year after that He was for POST
ponement only indefinitely, but the strongest aud
cesrest language that could be used He for an
eternal, perpetual, and everlasting pos,ponement.
Mr. PRESTON concurred with the Senator from
Missouri in the Improperly Of holding the idea that
this ins,alrnent would be PAID in ls40 He did no,
think proper tina, the Senate should take such course
would hold out fslscious hope, 10 deceive the
States and the people OF the United States In accord
ance with these sentiments, he thought the proper
would be to repeal at once the first section OF
the deposite act, and any Senator would make such
motion he would support il. He concured in the SEN
tment that the raising Of money for distribution was
unconstitutional, and admitted that he mistaken in
the operations Of the deposite act. There was
cessity for the passage Of the law from the fnghtful
surplus we had accumulated But sir, part Of the
law has been completed the surplus has been distri
buted, and the Treasury compelled unconstitu
uonal issue OF Treasury notes to sustain itself We
have appealed to the avarce OF the States, and how
have they responded Instead Of vigilance and econo-
my the States have gone n schemes Of unparalleled
extravaganza. Why appeal longer to the vigilance of
the States to control US in our expenditures He
thought il he had known that instead Of retaining the
money deposited with the States, when the Treasury
was exhausted, the Secretary would have borrowed
money BY forced loan, he would have opposed with
the Senator from Missouri the passage Of this law He
thought that 1t had been mischevous in its operations
in respects, aud accelerated the fiscal calam,es
under which have lately suffered But was not
the sole cause There was an antagonist system for
getting rid Of the surplus bv appropriations for
exravagant and useless objects and though our system
prevailed, we increased our expenditures, even after our
surplus was deposited with the States. We had
bounded rapidly from surplus Of sixty millions and
appropriation oil forty millions. 10 nsolvent Treasury
But the dePoste act had failed in the great object pro-
posed BY ita enactment and having failed is it
to continue 1t upon the statute book Is there any
probability of any portion Of the money being hereafter
reclaimed from the States why. then. continue it He
had acted IN good faith when voting for that bill he
had voted for 1t as depose act; depositc which
would be called for, and ought 70 be called for. when
needed for the exigences VI the Government He was
deceived He concurred with the Senator from Mis-
souri, that the act had squirting towards raising
revenue for distribution, and that ground for
obliterating it.
Mr.. TALLMADGE said he should vote for the
amendment, as he was about TO rise offer similar
one when he anticipated by his friend from Ken
lucky. His object having thus been accomplished he
designed to sit still and give silent the ques-
ton; bot some gentlemen had fit to 90 into the
merits OF the deposte act, which they pleased to term
distribution bill. He had SAID a former OCCASION
that whenever gentlemen thought proper discuss the
merits Of the bill he would not sit still silent listener
He took an activa part in the passage of that be-
lieving that he right then, and he believed
Gentlemen talked Of deception when that bill was
passed. Sir, (said Mr.. T.. there was no deception
and no misconceptions The matter perfectly
dcrsood, and this BODY put the bill in shape to OBJ.
vate all difficulties. The bill il was originally in
troduced not distribution act, but for mere
depose with the States But gentlemen say that the
effect OF II was distribution Why, General Jackson
himself recommended absolute distribution three
times over! Twice in his annual messages, and again
in his veto ssage the land bill and when he heard
that objections had been raised in Congress as the I'M
constitutionaty OF the measure he recommended that
the Constitution should be amended any
doubts on the subject At that time no objections were
heard from his friends; no, sir, it was their party doc
trine but when the time arrived that had surplus
revenue far beyond what we had anticipated, and the
proposition was made not for absolute distribution,
but for depose with the States, the whole matter
was changed-he President changed his opinions, and
his friends changed theirs That bill however, passed
the Senate with only six dissenting voices. How was
ii, Mr. L. asked, that it had been received with
much dissatisfaction in different parts of the country
1t was because it had offended party. The official
organ here denounced it, aud denounced every man who
voted for -,hongh every member OF that body but
six voted for 1t, and it the very previously
recommended by the President Now, how did that
bill pass When gentlemen talked about giving this
money TO the States, let us look and see how
SIR, said Mr. t., we adopted amendment by which
this money kept Within the control OF Congress
1t was provided that should be distributed among the
States in the ratio Of their representation who should
give their certificates for the amounts received by them
and that whenever should be wanted for the purposes
OF the Government the Secretary OF the Treasury should
sell the certificates in the market which should from
the time OF sale bear interest Of five per That
amendment placed the money entirely under the con-
troll OF the Government; it placed in the hands OF
the States who could for valuable Objects with
out interest until the Government wanted it, The
State OF New York. for instance invested her quota in