The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-16
WHOLE NO. 200.

Congress; neither the majority or minority of
Congress with proprieiy, be made exclusively re-
sponslble Tor them. II is said in quarter, that
the recommendations of the Executive have been
disregarded, and that Congress has gone beyond
those recommendations, and appropriated millions
more man mad been asked for. Some days since,
sir, we passed appropriation bills to the amount OF
/ some Two or three millions. The chairman of the
Committee Of Ways and Means, on being INQUIRED
OIL says that 1--WE six hundred thousand dollars of
that amount have been appropriated which were moi
/ embraced in the estimates, but which were called
Tor subsequent periods by official communications
IL has been charged that the extravaganza OF appro
pratlons s to be traced the Opposition in Congress
This is singular contradiction. The Opposition, for
twelve years, have been in q minority in this House.
and yet 70 thems attributed the charge
and waste. As member Of the Opposition I have
voted literally for objects Of appropriation when be-
neVed ihem TO be Just and proper and still intend to
90 SO. put when gentlemen charge this responsibility
mpon Inc Opposition, say is absurd in the extreme
The administration have the power whilst in majority
here to prevent any and every appropriation and they
must not hope thus to escape from Just responsibility
have not had time TO look closely into these matters
but have before me few cases to which will call
your attention.
The matter Of the three million appropriation will be
IN the recollection Of every member Of this House OF
al VINO were here at that time; ard also Of the people
Of the country II will be recoleced that at the close
OF the session. four ago upon the last night there
was an amendment appended to the fortifcato bill
approprlstng the large Of three millions of money
TO be placed in the hands Of the Executive for the de-
fence oil the United States That appropriation was
opposed with few exceptions, by all the Opposition
members and 1t was supported by the mcmbess Of the
haJofly II passed this House, but was defeated in
another branch Of Congress aude to it now 10 show
ha 'he Opposition, at all events was not charpeabe
WIN extravaganza IN that instance, where the appro
prlaon was made, as many believed, in direc, viola
uon o. me CONSTITUTIONS and where proposed that
large sum of money, appropriated without speci6ca
ton should be placed in the hands of the Executive
and yielded up to him for such disposition he might
think proper -
Again Two years ago amendment was reported
from the Committee Of the Whole on the state Of the
Union to one Of the appropriation bills appropriating
S4oo to launch and equip the ship Pennsy vana "
II was the session with which terminated the admins
trauon Of General Jackson; and Of his friends
seemed to think it necessary wind up the term
OF ms official service that this great vesse-this Lee
vlathan Of the Navyshould lave her huge sides il the
waters OF the "Atanc " they urged that she ought to
DC sent abroad over the world, and exhibited the
tons Of Europe, as an emblem of the power and might
OF the people Of this Union The bill came into the
House the yeas and nays taken on the amend
ment upon concurring with the Committee Of the Whole
IN this enormous appropriation; There one hun
bred and twenty-five votes against the appropriation
and out OF that number, sixty Opposition
votes; and OF The number Of votes on the other sde
very few were those of Opposition members The ap-
preparation defeated by the joint OF the men,
bers Of the parties but the Opposition votes out
numbered those Of the other side. Afterwards came
up in the shape Of amendment from the Senate
though reduced to the Of SI00O 900; and believe
will be found that larger proportion Of the friends OF
the administration voted in favor of than of the on
position. In my opinion, the whole appropriation was
exravagant and unnecessary The public service did not
require il to be done.
There is another fact At the next succeeding ses-
sion of Congress. when the Treasury OF the country
OVERLOOKING with millions, when the ingenuity OF certain
gentlemen Of Congress put TO the test the
money by any means short Of having it thrown back
again to the people from whom it came, appropriations
for Notifications made to amount double that
which was called for In addition this bill was re-
ported at another end of the Capitol for entire
system OF Notifications, the whole cost Of which could
not have been less than hundred millions Of dollars
and that BILL too came from quarter where there was
constant boast OF economy. II met with no favor from
the opposition members of this House And the Jour
mails OF that day will show that appropriations for roads,
rivers aud harbors literally voted for by members
of both parties. At that time gentlemen could see
proprey in such appropriations but change has sud
denly them These Notifications, which were
then necessary--and when, although the Of
war, supposed, were told we scarcely had
gun mounted in any fort and the necessity was urged
upon not only of completing the old fortihcations
but of beginning oncs-these appropriations are
now to be suddenly abandoned. How is this! The
appropriations for fotfcations understand, to be
suspended this year in anticipation that mode OF
harbor and defence is to be adopted. Whether
the House will be Of that opinion not, remains yet to
be This economy in appropriations is to be
applied your harbors and extended coasts
The lights OF the ocean, which guide the tossed
rncr to place Of safety to be extinguished and
he is to be given the darkness of midnight and
the fury of the storm. The mouths of your rivers are
to be left obstructed The harbors upon your lakes
be abandoned and the muttudes that ride upon those
rough and tempestuous inland to be given up
to the mercy OF the elements Thousands Of lives and
untold millions of property on your great rivers are to
be exposed 10 snags and sawyers. ALL all suddenly
to be abandoned Let tell gentlemen that, whatever
temporary object they may hope to gain by this course
they may rely upon that the people will look into these
matters They matters which deeply concern them
They require the reasonable and necessary appropria
tons for these great and important objects, and they will
| have them.
Sir have already stated that what have said in re-
gard these questions of tariff and internal improve
has been said deiensively Gentlemen so often
this oor, Especially those honorable gentlemen
from South Carolina who have spoken and reiterate
charges Of injustice, and oppression and fraud,
nexion with the tariff that justice has seemed TO
demand that those charges should be repeed do not
admit the position which gentlemen here seem to take
for granted that this system oppressive and unjust
I DENY il and will not fear on proper OCCASION to
maintain and prove the position that the South has never
paid any thing under this system beyond the JUS, por
ton which fell to her in contributing TO the expenses Of
the Government hold this TO be capable Of the clear
est demonstration.
But, sir although we at the North deeply in
tcrested in the preservation Of this SYSTEM do not
come here with any view 10 reagate this question of
the tariff; and do not know why gentlemen who pro-
fess to regard the principles OF the compromise bill as
sacred taltheugh neither !, any representative from
the State which in part represent voted for ) whilst
| wo silent and mako move, should scarcely ever
speak without allusion to that aeita,ng topic. The
gentleman the other day manifested what seemed TO be
morbid sensibity that it might be agtatcd. Though
| he would not any account do it himself, yet he
thought it manifest how easy it would be to do so Sir
we do not propose 10 aga,e this matter before the ex
gcncy comes that shall render it necessary to do So
When that exinency shall come do rot suffer my sci!