Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-16


CLERKS and snlaed officers have been borrowing money AT
dividing SURPRISES withholding them their stipulated
wages Laborcrs n !!rers Ferry armo hay beer without
ma Eet 70, their families and soc sGre css three
rs "t4os. ea because We st attend 70 The distribution bills
before we can attend to The pay bills DsaFss oceIs nave
os Even the annual Indian annuity bill has just got ton2h
even they Lave had wait in and misery iT the annual
rnds tolsmny guaranteed TO them by treaties Al .h has al
ton spirit; but this not all that has taken place., &C.
This is history, copied from the facts. This is the
experience of the Senate itself Of the baeful influence
of the distribution bills on the Legislative action OF Con-
gross. While such bills depending, all others are
suspended, and many sacrificed. They are q reto
upon legislative faculties. This have seen and
suffered; and this must and suffer again, unless
assumption in all its forms and dlsguises-assumption
of State debts, which is the fruit of the policy, and the
contamination of the policy, OF tempting and seducng
the States with distributions Of public mCneya!l this
again and worse than this, unless assump.
ton is ebuked and repulscd and its fell spirit exercised
from our legislative halls. The fret step towards doing
any business is to expel this nruder-to drive off thus
bird OF evil 10 chase away this harpy, which
come TO flap its foul wings over our Capitol, and to croak
its guton notes for the spoil Of our Treasury This is
our first duty When we have got rid OF this intrusive
monster, can then 90 with the public business
until that is done, can do nothing but growl and
wrange for the spoils of our country.
trust, Mr.. President, that have shown sutii-
Gent for proceeding upon tbs subject
for moving thus early, and bringing in broad and d.
rect resolutons and for pressing the Senate to speedy
and final action the momentous subject OF assuming
or providing fer the payment CT the State debts
feel that th!s preliminary point is made clear. What
next wish to show is. that myself have some l.e
right to take lead in this business-that am the
earliest and most seadast oproser, this floor, of The
policy out Of which this GROWING measure of mis-
chief mas grown-and that, in now opposing ASSUME
rIoS, ! only opposing the CHILD OF DISTRICT
l IL md of
on the first day of its appearance in this chamber;
and haze continually made head against since, re-
gardless of personal popularity, and undIsmayed by
the small mnorities in which / was often left
This assertion, sir, IS no poctica license; 1t is no
rhetorical flourish it is fictitious assumed self
comncndation; bot history of the facts of the case
from the journals of proceedings. Its now twelve
wears, less month, since Senator from New Jer-
ey, longer member Of this body, brought in bill
for distributing money from the Federal Treasury
among the States On lay motion, and the instant the
author had res,ncd his seat that bill was laid upon the
table there 10 lie during remainder of the
The ensuing session it was brought in again. and was
then one among several Senators who took the floor,
and spoke agans, it. In company with the Senators
Haync Branch, Bcrr:cn, Smith OF Maryland, Johnston
of Louisiana, McLane of Delaware, and Kane OF III
nois spoke against that bill; and the temper of the
Senate was then such that it easily disposed Of and
without the test of a vote upon its merits. deem IT
material 10 the present state of the question 20 look
back 10 this orrin Of the distribution polcyo see the
or rna naked bill for that purposr-and 10 mark how
IL there has been accomplished, under dis
ruiscl FORM what could not then be cGlnicnanccd in
Ia naked proposition This is the bill brought in BY
Mr Dckcrson at the session OF lc2b-', to distribute
among the States part Of the revenue OF Tie UntcG
States:
Rc By - ond Hs Q? Rprssset9'res IF lie T.
s.a.r. ssaaS That The Secretary Of The
ar authorized and rcGirsd under such regulation. as he
Of Tie unon in The ratio Of dire, ,aaa''on all money.
na me an On l @ day JUNE every YEAR
"src .4na De hather enacted That OF the annual sum OF
cond Srton Of me ac q the rird March, thousand eight
hundred ard entitled an act TO prorde for Tia re-" MP
ton of e public debt Ave millions be Appropriated TO the fund to
divided among the States By the hr't section OF TINS act an
nna after The year one eight r., n sra ana
millions Of dollars SHALL not on the rs day OF June OF any
year have applied redemption Of the public dct s"
o al nns SI''a'O = '''
in the brief debate to which this BILL gave rise, took
part not in formal specch--for then, compara
tivelv n voung mcmhcr-but in 4 few remarks, which
propose to read now, for the double purpose OF show
inr what my sentiments were then, and also to SHOW
from history the disastrous consequences OF the fund
ing system now adopted by many of our States IN
creating debts FOR posicrty TO pay, and to exhaust
with annual interest the resources both Of the prescn,
| age and Of unborn generations. These were my re-
marks
"M Benton rose not 10 make speech, read
tracts from debate the British House CT Commons about one
hundred years ago, proposition CT the same kind as ha
which occupied the declarations Of the senate England
then had email much larger than the debt OF the United
present; she mad sinking fnd ALSO under the oe
ctoa Of which her debt was annually melting away and s
aton Of Robert Wnpoe, which The debt might have been
their dc, were alike possible; thai is 10 the como ton
of England one dred years ss9 and l m me s.d Ian
divert 900 from the English sinking fund.- as the Senator
New o bekys . w59 now b. s I divert s
million. annually from or sinking fund Inc motion Of the
in
increased wealth of country ond gave stability to the Go
might be paid al any me thai the public creditors in
hurry receive and that The money for The present. could bt
bc however from whose speeches propose read
all these doctrines These the Iron
sken Barons Of later period They had tho best C The
4 and l S e aana pd the ef be 6
and his motion prevailed He succeeded in violating the sinking
ahc,g of Transient interest and Subordinate mr The
consequence such had been ctcld by the Iron Barons
ati nS Of Wapoe c PASSED away the debt was unpaid
and the debit ic was then matte 80 lsn
helmed the country taxes and banshed all ida Of
PAID s sal Re s Of EnrSR TSe S ."
tie mother he hnby trusted, wou! nc Dc lost upon Tue aaug
ter as the experience parents often lost upon their c
dren History was said 10 be philosophy teaching BY example he
hoped this moral and bme teacher would not LAVISH her Lessons
in vain upon the American Senate , .
Carolina ar faync that the debt OF the United States might
be paid of under ensuing Administration lie concured
with the Senator in Tie fame which such
cons summation would confer upon Gen. jackson.
observing sonic smile, Mr. e. spoke with ANNA
ton and vehe.ncr repeating what he had ad and even going
"a far a 10 say thai President would have as hard or
harder york IN battling the payment OF the dbl,
than he vanGuishng the British Of N" Orleans; ioi mere
he had enemy 'front.' aud what ~ was al 0uf mere Ne
would his opponents his flank rnG rar, covered Up IN
and dgsc. ,bGriEg TO accomplish what Jhld mol be
uvoved No one stand aGd say pubuc debt was
public blessing many would practise upon the Haa and
eieayor ours BY Withholding The means oil pa! s
IL nv abolshing beforehand. and preventing the acquisition
Of revenue BY squanderng upon all sort OF objects
read the following extracts from lie debates 70 "heh
he alluded: ,,
Sa WILLIAM PrLIFSEY"The Sinking Fund, that sacred de-
pos,e cxnguisn2 duties and abolsng Inc taxes when
trade ard the people OF tins naon ought
never 10 be ouhed consideration whatever ought 10 prevail
with US convert fund BIZ; that for which
originally designed. has Of late been often robbed
pardon sir robbng harsh word will not say
say that upon several OCCASIONS there have been eonsid
Bile sums shipped away from H." .,
Sir JOIN BARSARD-The creditors Of the public are peha'
at present unwilling be paid Off because they have greater
tercst m from the public than they can nav ~
where else But lct their inclnaons be what they pie M
certainly the interest the nation 10 have them al! pau w M
sooner done, happier will be for tiie nation, anu TX X
fore no part what appropriated 10 their payment ous 70 "
converted any Their " pay
nen is 30 far from being argument asan., PAYING a.,
on the contrary shows that they have better bargain from the
the way nave oa ah! oh=t per