The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-09

haue party question, would nave Deen oe-
feated2 The mputation upon the opponents Of
Government is as arbitrary as false We hare
drank 81 the stream belop them, and they accuse
as Of making the cafer furbid ADORE them.
There is no reason in the charge. What mo-
tive have the opposition for voting increased sup
plies to their opponents for adding to the Execu-
tive's patronage, and his measures Of reward
| ing his partizans and instruments?
To substantiate it, they present some halt
dozen opposition votes for the item of public
printing and vainly hope TO turn the public
gaze from the immense mountain Of expen-
dture, TO peer into this mole-hill But even
as to the measure of printing, who are RESPONSE
BILE? They who have the majority sufficient to de-
eide imperatvely all questions They hold the
reins-they are on the box--and if the coach
oyerturns, we the passengers are not to blame,
but they who direct its course
| Mr.. Preston said he could not givs his vote TO
the proposition to print thirty thousand copies Of
| document before il was even read; PROPOSE
ton to increase, by large sum- the Govern
menfs printing account! The friends Of the
Administration wish il to go abroad with the inn
primatnr Of the Senate II was the doctrine OF
the Pope not to give his imprmaturt TO any thing
before il was read. But the Senate Of the u.
States is expected to put its imprimatur to papers
without knowing any thing at all about their con-
tents.
Mr.. PREsroN concluded his animated and elo-
quent speech by declaring his belief that $50 0O0
900 per annum would be abundantly sufficient
for all the legitimate purposes of the Federal
Administration; and his qualification that the
public mind was so firmly resolved that the ex-
penditures of the Government, which have in
creased, and are increasing, ought forthwith to
be diminished
Mr. Brown made some remarks in reply TO
Mr.. PRESTON; after which, Mr. Southland, we
learn made most powerful and effective speech,
Of which we will endeavor to present notice in
our next publication.
Mr.. HUBBARD followed with an elaborate de-
fence Of the Administration.
Mr.. WEBSTER said he would not charge the
Secretary with making the occasion to prepare
document for circulation at the public charge;
TO send forth a kind Of official refutation Of
charges made against the Administration but
it must be admitted that if such had been the
Secretary's wish, he could not have had more
convenient call upon him than was made by the
resolution to which he had replied
We are now, Continued Mr.. WEBsrrR,)
called upon for the hundredth time to print a
large edition Of document to prove our eco
nomy. What answer does it contain to the
charge Of increasing the expenditures That
they are according to law! What kind of
apology is that? Who made the law? The
majority party, surely and they are answerable
for the expenses incidental to it. But they say
the permanent expenditures are not large. II is
only the occasional ones which have been so
swollen up Why said (Mr. w. all jobs, all
exnevagances, are only occasional. They are
exactly what we complain Of These occasions
are perpetually recurring. Yet the country is
told these are small things-not worth while
troubling ones head about. The ordinary ex-
penses alone are worthy Of regard. The e.rtra-
ordinary to go for nothing. The resolution,
under which the precious information now to be
spread before the people was procured, actually
directed the Secretary to leave out all items ex-
traordinary and temporary and to omit also any
notice of occasional donations Of money. Every
one must see from this that the report cannot be
otherwise than ilusory and deceptive.
As to the publication and circulation of the
document, he had no apprehension Of any effect
il might be supposed calculated to produce on
the public mind. 1t would 60 where the report
on the assumption of State Debts, and on the Salt
Tax, and other papers of similar character had
already gone. 1t would receive the considera-
ton it deserved, and no more. The motion be-
fore the Senate was to print sort of dialogue
between the Senator from Missouri and the Sc
cretary of the Treasury, designed to be de-
fence of the latter. II il was designed for the
information Of the country, it did not go half far
enough. The whole subject of the Treasury
Administration was important as any expla-
nations that could be given. The Administra-
ton ought to show the condition Of our finances
in lS37-how the public money had been in
creased-how much had been expended-how
much had been retaned-what is the present
state of the Treasury how it had been re-
duced and impoverished. II would be well to
aud, TOO, now very unfortunate the Government
in the selection Of its keepers of the public mo-
ney is, for what higher economy can there be
than to take care that the receiving and disburs-
ing officers are honest and trustworthy?
| But let the document GO 1t was, indeed, an
extraordinary proposition to print THIRTY THOU
SAND COPIES Of a paper no one had read, or heard
of, or knew any thing about. But the majority
of the Senate were accustomed in these DAYS to
do such things at the public charge. Light,
however, is not confined to the Senate or com