Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-02-21
n annual tax Of seven millions


Of dollars!
| 1t was hrmiliating TO an American 10
note the miserable slratagens which had
been resorted TO IN order to keep I'D the
delusion. Aside from this matter of the
Cumberland road, how was it as to thu
bill for the armed occupation of Florida +.
1t was proposed, by that measure, to give
away three million two hundred thousand
acres of The choicest lands, to be selected
at will by settlers. This land had been
bought from Spain in 1919, by money paid
out OF the public Treasury. II was pro.
posed, also to spend an immense sum IN
cash upon these settlers. But not dollar
appeared in the estimates. Yet 1t was
proclaimed as an Administration measure
The gratitude of The South was claimed
for 1t accordingly. The Commanding
General in Florida had been denounced on
the floor of the Senate, by the author
of that bill, for presumlDg express an
unfavorable opinion Of project sanctioned
by the Administration. The result was
that, after answering a local party pur-
pose in one quarter, it would subserve, in
other quarter The great general purpose
Of deception indicated by the Message
I Again, as to The additional military force
for Florida. The President asks for one
thousand men. Yet be had kept tn is item
out OF the estimates A Wing member
Of the committee on Military Affairs Mr..
! Thompson consents to be visible in re-
porting a bill. My honorable friend whose
disposition involves a lofty ignorance Of
such artlfices, Is thus made to play into
the hands of the deceivers. The President
gets credit with the South he gets all the
patronage and we shall have this piece
of Wing extravaganza 10 encounter next
fail!
The subJec. Of lighthouses was one Of
deep interest. The reputation of the
country, the interests of commerce,
and the claims of humanity, were alike
involved. Every one must have been
surprised al the omission 10 the estimates.
Mr.. b. had asceraIned that, after keeping
out this item from the est lmates, which
were got M TO sustain the Presidents
boast, the Fifth Auditor had been sent to
the Committee on Commerce with urgent
entreatles to report IN favor oflight- houses
to an amount exceeding two hundred and
seventy five thousand dollars, and that
various other points were anxlously indi.
ted.
Mr.. b sad that he sckened at such ex.
hlbltlons Can 1t be that an Intelligent
aud generous people will be thus duped /?
Will they be the victims ofa pn,fu con.
spracy To foster discomfort at their own
free institutions? The frank and manly
spirit of The West, he knew, would revolt
from he spectacle. Suppose the president
of board of commissioners to expend the
public money should attempt to get false
reputation for himself, and to decry his as
socIaes by limiting that he was opposed
to certain expenditures, but was overruled;
that he could not control the majority.
&c. and 1t appeared. afterwards, that he
had silly countenanced that very eXpendI>
ture: would not a storm of Indignation
arise? Could such a man ever pretend to
show himself as candidates What was
the difference, in morals, between gaining
reputation by false pretences, and galulng
money by false pretences
Sir, 1t Is not mere matter or personal
feeling or calculation to resist such at
tempts. Something is due to The station
we occupy. We must not bring it need.
Iessly into odium. The question is higher
than mere party. For two months we
have been circulating this message, at the
public expense, tar and wide. |, contains
what we see may do vital injury to the
representative principle. 1t Is matter of
grave reflection whether, if we take no &C.
tive measure to dsa buse the public mind,
It yet becume us to peril great and perma-
nen' interests by falling quietly into the
trap that is laid for us. We hold this high
office in trust for the People, and It must
not, IN our hands, be furnished or BETRAYED.
There was c0nsumate dexterty in the
way the President had put this matter in
the Message. II the bill passed, he must,
on his theory Of duty, give II his signature.
Those who prof ed by It's passage would
not care to scan very closely the reasons
which invested it with legislative sane
tons ; whilst IN quarters where the bill
was odious Congress would he held res.
ponsble not only tor its own sins, but for
the painful restraint imposed upon the ten.
der conscience of the President
Mr.. b. said he did not know whether
explanation wuuld ever overlake imposture
that had got so long start. 1t had been
said that Fasehood would travel from
Maine 10 Georgia whllse Truth was putting
on his boots. He trusted, however, TO the
intelligence of the People and he be.
eved that before long every farmer would
nail these deceptive professions about
economy against the barn,as he did hawk
or other bird of prey, which, after long how
ering IN the clouds over the poultry, at
length made a stoop within rifle distance
WING MEETING IN WAsHINGToN.-
The Wings and Conservatives of the
District of Columbia were to hold a