The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-21
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
THE suB.TREAsURY BILL.
WEDNESDAY,. March IL

lgH
Means. TO refer the bill 10 the Committee OF
Ways and Means. Mr.. Ware, Of Kentucky,
then moved 10 refer the bill TO the Committee
Of the Whole on the state OF the Union. Up
on which proposition
Mr.. WHITE remarked, he proposed to
submit few observations. He said he would
limit himself, mainly, to the isolated question
of reference, reserying whatever he might de-
sire to say upon the general merits of the bill
when it should come up for discussion in the
Committee offhe Waoie. He asked what So
lid objection there was TO the proposition OF
reference to the Committee of the Whole on
the state Of the Union He could not per-
ceive any. Is it proposed to tako away from
the Committee Of Hays and Means any Of
It's appropriate and ordinary duties! He did
not SO understand it, He was not disposed to
nnovate upon the established order Of Lusi-
ness, or withhold from the Committee of Wdys
and Means any matters or propositions that
legtimaiely belong 10 that committee. Mr. w.
remarked that, whilst he was ready to aid in
securing TO all the standing committees their
just rights, he was not inclined quietly to sit
by and see the entire business Of the nation
swept into the arms OF the standing commit
tees, Mr.. w. said il would be recollected
that the principal standing committees were
emphatlcay ErecutiUe committees. A decided
majority OF the members of said committees
were selected because of their acknowledged
approval Of the great and leading measures Of
| the Administration. Ofthis he would not stop
to complain perhaps il was right il should be
so. But the instance Of such fact certainly
authorized rigid restriction Of said commit
tees to their proper and Legitimate duties. Mr..
w. said the very object and exclusive purpose
OF standing committees was 10 take charge OF
the usual and ordinary business OF this House. |
lie observed that, according To well settled
Parliamentary practice, and according TO the
uniform usage in legislation in this body, until
within avery few years past, all propositions OF
an extraordinary character, all matters OF
great concernment, to speak in Parliamentary
language, and especially measure like the
one now under consideration, involving not
simply the revenues, he finances of the Co
vernment, but affecting, for ueai or wo for
good or euH, the currency. commerce, agricui-
ture, manufactures, and euery ram,fcaLoa Of
business of this entire country, peculiarly de-
mands to be referred. debated, and maured !
in the Committee Of the Whole upon the state
of The Union. But again, (said Mr. wy i'll
none OF the reasons urged existed in favor Of
has proposed reference Of this bill, convenience
and elpediency recommend the preference
OF his proposition. Ii is we'll known to every
member of the House that the standing com
mitees have quite much business Of the
ordinary character, as they are able TO dis
charge; and especially the Committee of
Ways and Means, the regular duties Of which |
are onerOuS in the extreme. Mr.. w. asked if
there was any thing new or unusual in the
proposition he had made He contepded
there was not. So far from il, any other re-
ference he insisted, would be departure
from the established usage Of this House,
from the beginning of the Government TO the !
opening of this Administration. He said, i'll
the journals of this House were examined, il
would be found that at two periods in the his
tory Of this couatry-if not in all respects
similar, certainly in very many things similar
to the present-the magnitude of the crisis
was considered so great, and the measures OF
redress so weighiy, that special committees
were raised, as matter Of course, without OPP
position, chosen from the first talents Of the |
House, TO whom were referred the PROPOSE
mons OF the nature now proposed to be re-
ierred to the standing Committee Of Ways
and Means. In the year 1871, when the
finances of this Government were greatly
embarrassed, the currency deprecated, COM
merce suspended, public and private credit
greatly depressed this course was adopted !
In 1914 and lSl5-a crisis very similar lothc
present-the same course was pursued by
this House in each successive year. And
was II SO ordered at Those periods (asked Mr |
w because of any disrust of the want of
intelligence or financial ability the members
of the standing committees Of those days
No, sir. Go and read the names of the dis
tinguished individuals who composed the
standing Committees of Wuys and Means at
the periods alluded to, and there is no circle
OF greatness that can be drawn around the
present chairman and his associates upon
| said committee, from which they could justly
be excluded. He said this, not by way of
invldious comparison, but to repudiate the
idea that it would reflect any disparagemenl
either upon the intelligence or integrity of the
present Committee of Ways and Means to
make the reference proposed.
Mr.. w. said he did not conirovert that, at
the called session of 1887, the topics now
proposed to be referred to the Committee ofthe
Whole on the state of The Union were refer
red to the standing Committee of Was and
Means. and that the precedent then set had
been followed since that period Yet, he
commended the precedent was departure from
the established usages Of Legislation in this
House, and nothing, in his judgment, but the
peculiar circumstances of the case would have
carried its adoption. He said it would be re-
collected that no business Of an ordinary cha
racier was acted upon during that session
nothing but the "graoe and uetghty matters"