The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-21

Here, then, are the facts, and would ask an,
candid mind whether they do not clearly prov.
that my colleague has made statement which
the facts of the case do not warrant At nc
time in this House at the present session has
majority of the Van Buren, party voted for the
Cumberland road; yet my colleague rises in hi.
place and says, without blushing, thatlthe Cum
berland road was defeated by the Wing party
| viii, sir, advert TO another fact the Wing
party in this Congress is in a feeble minority
the Van Buren, party have an Overwhelming
majority. The Van Buren, party have the Pres
ident; they have the Heads Of Departments
they have large majority in the Senate; Q
large majority in the House they have all the
power, all the patronage and yet my colleague
says, that party thus powerful are unable &c
pass an appropriation for the Cumberland road
That the majority cannot pass bill, that the
minority defeated il. Tell us not that the Van
Buren, party cannot be rallied upon any measure
the President wishes to pass. We have seen
that when any tayorlte party measure is desired
to be passed, the Van Buren, party have always
been able to pass the measure. II, by chance,
any Of the members of that party have proved
refractory, they have uniformly been whipped
into the tracesn They have had the power to
pass the Treasury Note Bill, by which the Presi-
dent has been enabled to issue five millions
of sshin-p lasters" They were able TO disfran-
chise New Jersey. You will pass the Sub
treasury Bill. In a word, the Van Buren, party
have the power to pass any measure they wish
to pass Why, then, have they not passed an
appropriation for the Cumberland road
But, Mr.. Chairman, will not follow the ex-
ample of my colleague, and make a charge
which believe TO be unjust. Candor compels me
to say that neither of the parties in this House
is responsible for the defeat of the Cumberland
road; but, sir, if the responsibility is cast upon
either, it certainly must rest upon that party
having the majority. Upon fair and candid
review of the votes in this Congress, it will be
seen that about an equal number of both parties
in proportion TO their relative strength, voted
for and against the road.
But il will be asked where then does the re-
sponsibility of the defeat OF the Cumberland
road rest2 | charge, sir, in the face of this
committee and the country, that the response
bility rests upon the President, upon Martin
Van Buren,.
1t is remarkable fact, Mr. Chairman, that
six months Of the present session have elapsed
and no bill has been introduced into this House
for an appropriation to the Cumberland road
Why, sir, has this happened Has it arisen
from any want of zeal on the part Of. the friends
of the road ? No, sir: ask my colleague how
he will justify himself for not long since hav-
ing introduced a bill for that purpose ask
you, Mr. Chairman, whose anxiety and activity
in behalf of the road, now known to every mem
Der here: why did you think il necessary to
offer Instructions TO the Committee OF Ways
and Means TO report bill making an appro-
priaton to the road2 This course adopted BY
you was certainly unusual, and out of the ordi-
nary course of business in this House. Why
is it, sir, that the friends of the road have been
lodging aboul from pillar TO post, and vainly en-
deavoring TO insert an amendment for the road,
first on one bill and then another2 Why all
this difficulty, this hitherto fruitless labor.
The answer to all this has long since sug-
gested itself TO the mind of every member of
this committee. The whole difficulty, delay,
and failure, arise from the omission OF the Sc
cretary of the Treasury to submit to this House
the usual estimates" for the Cumberland
road. But, sir. to illustrate this point. The
usual course of business in this House in rea-
ton to all appropriations is for the Secretary OF
the Treasury as the organ OF the President to
submit to this House, at the commencement OF
every session. such : estimates" Tor approprIa-
tions as he may deem necessary and proper
These estimates when thus made, are referred
to the Committee Of Ways and Means, who
report bills to this House, founded upon the 'es-
Inmates" thus submitted. This, repeat, is the
usual course of business here Further. it has
been the case, until the present session. at every
preceding session, since the commencement OF
the Cumberland road, under every Admnistra-
ton, by every Secretary of the Treasury, in
GLIDING the present, that estimates" have been
submitted for that work AT this session, for
the first time, this inrariable usage has been
departed from, and the Secretary of the Trea-
sury has submitted to us no estimates for the
Cumberland road. The Committee Of WAYS
and Means have refused to report any bill max
ing an appropriation for that work, and upon
the ground expressed by some Of the members
of that committee, that no estimates have
been submitted by the Secretary Of the Treasu-
nv, and hence the whole difficulty in which we
have been placed and hence, sir, the impossi-
| bility of obtaining direct vote upon the ques-
ton of the Cumberland road. We all know, sir
that by the rules of this House. il is almost inn
possible to introduce bill into this House, I'M
| less it comes from one of the standing commit
tees As evidence of this fact that never
firing friend of the Cumberland road who sits
before me- (Mr. Rariden,) has made effort after
effort to introduce bill for that work, but all his
efforts have failed. 1t was impossible for him tc
introduce a bill under the rules of this House II
was necessary for him to make the effort be-
cause the standing Committee of Ways and
Means had refused to report a bill That com.
mttee had failed, and refused to report bill
because the Secretary Of the Treasury had not
submitted the usual estimates In view of these
facts, ! again repeat, that the whole difficulty
delay and failure of the Cumberland road arises
from this omission of the Secretary of the Trea
sury to submit the usual estimates
I The doctrine has repeatedly been recognized
that the President and his Cabinet were a unit
that the Heads of Departments are the mere
agents or organs of the President. If this rule
is correct it would follow, that the official act o.
the Secretary OF the Treasury is the act of the
President himself The failure of the Secretary
of the Treasury to submit the usual estimates, is
the failure of the President himself
But, independent of this principle, | would
submit II to any candid man, whether he can
believe that the Secretary Of the Treasury
would have taken this stand upon such an i'm.