The Madisonian., 1840-01-18


INrHE SENATE FTHEUNITED STATES.
January lath, 1919
Mr.. WHITE rose and addressedthe Senate 10 he
following enecl'
Mr.. PaElDESr: have duty to perform this
morning, before proceed 10 any regular order Of
The day. Presumi that the business Of presenting
petitions Is now over proceed discharge il with
as liule delay as possible.
When reached this place the twenty ninth Of
November last | was furnished by one OF 9TH
GERS with letter, which contained several resolu
tions adopted by The Legislature Of Tennessee, con-
demnng one of the votes given by the Senstors from
that Stale, at the last session. and inslruciing them
how 10 act in future on nany subjects. believed
my duty 10 my Slate aud 10 The pubic, would be best
discharged by remaining in my seal, and continuing
10 attend 10 the business OF the Senate in The man
ner had en- accustomed to do until some OF the
subjects spctifealiy mentioned in the resolutions
should be placed before The body for discussion On
this day OF The last week, the Hon, Chairman of The
Committee OF Finance reported bill, commonly
called the SuS-treasary Bill, and gave notice tha, on
this day he would ask ior its consideration. This
being one Of the subjects mentioned in the resulu-
tions, the time has arrived when, 10 my opinion il
II respec fu to the Legislature Of my Stale, that
should present them ~ this body 10 the end that the
members ol ii, as well as The community al large,
may be made acquainted with what the Geleral As
sembly has chosen 10 express as public opinion in
Tennessee. move thai The preamble aud resolu-
tions, which now senl 10 the Secretary, may be
read, printed, and laid on the table.
After the resolutions had been read Mr. WurE
proceeded aud sand,
Mr.. Presideut-As | am now memb.r OF this
body and my instructions have been read and or
dered to b, praIed consider il proper that should
follow the example Sc, By others, and make equally
public the conclusions 10 which have come in re-
laon 10 them.
The subjects Of which they real, are of vital in.
teres TO the country, and am anxious that the opin-
ions | entertain and express upon them should
neither be misunderstood nor misreprescnied; / will
thereace, take The Liberty OF dcvialing from nv usual
course Of delivering my sentiments, (Which has been
not even to use notes,) and will now read The answer
which have prepared, and intend, whout delay,
TO oiorward 10 the same body which adopted the res-
lutions.
Mr.. WHIrE then read his answer in The foil loving
words
To the Honorable the General Assembly, ofihe
Slate Of Tennessee
GENTLEMEN-On the 29,h Of November
last, in the city Of Washington, received
copy Of sundry preambcs and six resolutions,
which appear to have been adopted by you on
the l4th Of that month, inslructing your Sena-
tors, and requesting the representatives in the
Congress of the United States how to act on n
variety Of subjects
An answer to the resolutions would have
been Immediately given had not believed it
my duty to re.nan at the post assigned me by
your predecessors, until some Of the matters
specified in them should he presented to the
Senate for its action. Although | might en-
terrain an opinion different from that employ
ed by your honorable body, and might be un-
willing to surrender that opinion; vet if no
case should be presented for the action of the
Senate, IN relation to which such difference Of
opinion existed, could perceive no good rea-
son why should state what course | would
pursue, upon subject, which might never be
presented Tor consideration Now. however,
bills are presented TO the Senate upon some
of the subjects embraced in your resolutions,
and deem il my duty, without farther delay,
10 inform you, that cannot obey the in,iruc-
tons contained in some of those resolutions,
aud respectfully TO assign some Cd the reasons
which influence my conduct.
Tha. may be the better understood, will
notice each at the resolutions in the order in
WHICH SAep were adoReu.
First. As one Of your Senators, / am in
s1ructed "to vote against the chartering by
Congress Of National Bauk"
This instruction corresponds with the opi-
mon have repeatedly expressed and acted
on, and could now feel no difficulty in con-
forming my vote to your wishes on this sub
Ject.
Secondly. | am Instructed to vote for.
and use all fair and proper exertions to pro-
cure the passage Of The measure brought for
wa d IN the Congress of the United States,
commonly called the b-Treasury Bill, or
Independent Treasury Bill" &c. &c.
The following, with many other, reasons in
dnced me to believe | ought not to comply
with the instructions contained in TINS resou-
ton.
1t has often happened, and will generally be
the case, that considerable titne must elapse
between the receipt of public money from the
debtor to the United States, aud its dis5urse-
ment to their creditors; during this interval
the money will be much more safe in the GUS
tody of well selected Banks than il can be in
the hands ot individuals supposing them to be
faithful.
Suppose any one of your honorable body
had one hundred thousand dollars of his own
money, which he did not intend to use for six
or nine months, and lived in the vicinity of a
Bank OF resp ctable standing, would he keep
the money in his own house, under his own
care, or would he deposit it in Bank for safe
keepingn.it he wished to use it If he was
prudent man regarding his own interest, he
certainly would deposit it.
Are we then justified in taking less care of
the peoples money than prudent man would