The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-08

Reserved unutr the utpvSie ~
Fourth instalment of surplus kept back 9ooo,op
paymen, h ~ a"' o"'" 100000
$2OOO0,O00
RI, even this las been found insufficient for the
,o,;,r,l;tv If The Administration, and we had not
been long assembled in Congress before demand was
made upon it, notwithstanding the haterng represen-
taons of the Message and the Treasury report, for
authority 10 issue fire millions more OF f,asuty notes
and this we are assured il Congress would only keep
within the estimates submitted by the Departments,
would be ample. Congress did keep within the esti-
mates and yet before We broke up, iniimaiions came
from the Treasury that they must have authority 70
borrow or issue Treasury notes for four and half mil
lions more $500.
This time even the friends of the Administration
demurred and finally refused TO grant tins new and
And what then was the alternatives Why after nav
inp VOTED appropriations for the various branches oil
the public service all within the estimates and all OF
which they were told indispensable, they con-
fcrred on the President by special section authority
to withhold these appropriations from such objects as
he pleased and TO select at his discreoh ,he
upon which money should be expended. Entire su-
thory uas thus given to the President over all these
expenditures in direct contravention oil hat provision
of the constitution orbidding all expenditure except
by virtue of appropriation; whch, II J. meant Any
thing must mean the specialization Oh usuhe' su's oi
distinct purposes ,
In this way then, it is proposed to keep back from
Indispensable works four and half millions, which
are, nevertheless appropriated, ana Whch, WIN 'iu ,
five millions of Treasury notes already Issued, VIII
constitute debt of from nine to ten millions
So, then, when General Harrison shall succeed,
in March next to the Presidential chair all that nc
will inherit from his predecessors their prii-
liant examps-will be these Treasury vaults and
safes without dollar in them, and debt OF ten mt
lions Of dollars.
The whole revenue policy of this Administration
has been founded in error, While duties are laid on
articles of daily and necessity articles OF uxuly
| ..y1 ,tv. IlnEn nj ~
returns 20000000 dollars worth of silks imported IN
ono year free of duty and other articles OF luxury IN
proportion that should be made to contribute to the
revenue.
We have in my judgment, imported ercesstreW;
and yet the President urges II as objection to works
of public Improvement to railroads and canals, that
they diminish mportatlons and thereby interfere
with the comforts Of the People His message says:
"Our People will long be insensibe to the extent
of the burdens entaed upon them by the false system
that has been operating on their sanguine energetic,
and industrious character to the means necessary
to extricate themselves from these cmbarrassments-
The weight which presses upon large portion oil the
People and the States In an enormous debt, foreign
and domestic. The foreign debt of our States, corpo-
ratons and of business, can scarcely be less IMAM
two hundred millions of dollars, requiring more than
ten millions of dollars year to pay the interest ms
sum has be- paid out OF the exports OF the country
and must of necessity cut OIL imports 10 that extent
or plunge the country deeply In debt from year to
wear 1t easy that the increase OF this foreign
debt must augment the annual demand on the exports
to pay the interest and to the same extent diminish
the imports and in proportion to the enlargement oil
the debt and the increase OF inter
est must be the decrease of the import trade. In lieu
of the comforts which IT now brings us, we might
have gigantic banking institution ana splendid,
but in many instances profess, railroads and canals,
absorbing To great extent IN interest upon 'he cap
ta borrowed to construct them, the surplus fruits of
national industry for years To come, and securing 10
poseri,y adequate return for the comforts which
the abors Of their hands might otherwise nave Sc
cured.
What are there comforts that we are TO get so much
more Of if we will only stop railroads and canals
Foreign goods, loss Of employment at home or Euro
pean wages, and lastly, direct taxation
One of the gentlemen of the South, OF that nully-
inc State Rights party that has absoI bed the Admins
,ration or been absorbed by it, boldly out with
the declaration that the period has arrived for Hrecf
tar on land and among the reasons assigned Tor inns
project is this one that il acW bring The Norm 70 ne
grindstone We shall see before tins contest Is over
who will be the parties ground and who the grinders
II is however but lust to add that thus far this Is
only an expression OF individual opinion and do not
charge it to be otherwise
| had proposed to say something OF the militia bill
hut it is already late that must orego this topic
/ mo no go on 90 on--irom the crowd)
! Mr. WEBSTER resumed, and briefly analysed the
bill.
Owing however to the latencss of the hour, he did
not 30 largely into the discussion He did not he
said mean 10 charge Mr. Van Buren, with any purpose
TO play the part of Cesar OF Cromwell, but he did
say that in his judgment, the plan recommended by
the President in his Message, and OF which the annual
report of the Secretary Of War, accompanying the
message de, elopcd the leading features would, car
red into operation be expensive burdensome III dcro
CATION of the Constitution and dangerous TO iber
ties Mr.. w. referred rapidly to the Presidents re-
cent letter to some gentlemen in Virginia endcavorng
to exculpate himself for the recommendation in the
Mcssare by cndcavoring to show difference between
the plan then so strongly commended, and that sub
mittcd detail months afterwards by the Score
tary of War TO Congress. MIR, w, pronounced this
attempt wholly unsatisfactory
Mr. w then went on to say have now frankly
stated my opinions to the nature of the present
element and have answered the question PROFOUND
ed to the OF the revolution IN public senti
mcnt now in progress Will this revolution succeed
! Docs il move the masses, II an ebulton merely
on the surface And who is it that opposes the
change which to be going forwardl Here some
one in the crowd cried out None hardly but the of
/ liceholders oppose it. Mr.. Webster continued: |
hear one say that the oiceholdcrs oppose it. and tina,
is true If they quiet, in my opinion change
would take place almost by common consent j have
heard OF anecdoe, perhaps hardly suited to the
briefly and dignity Of this OCCASION but which confirms
the which my friend in the crowd has given TO
my question Ii happened to farmers that his
load OF hay was blown over by sudden gust an
exposed plain Those near him. seeing him manifest
degree of distress which such accident would
not usually OCCASION asked him the reason he said he
should not take on much about ill., only father
under the load think it very probable gentlemen,
| that there are many very active and jealous
| friends who would not much whether the wagon
! of the Administration blown or not, if II
were not tor the fear that father SON. or uncle or
brother might be found under the |, adj Indeed il is
rema rkabIc how ervently the fire of patriotism CLOVIS
in the breasts of the holders Of office thousand fla
vored contractors fear lest the proposed change should
put the interests of the Public in great danger. Ten
thousand post offices moved by the same apprehension
= ~ -. IL