Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-09-23

regretted your veto on the bill it passed the
two Houses OF Congress. and though foresaw
J the excitement and agitation which it would pro-
duce among the People, yet considering the chan
ges which the bill had undergone in its passage,
| and its variance from the one you had agreed to
| sanction, | could not find in that act enough to
disturb the confidential relations which existed
between us. i was disposed to attribute this act,
fraught with mischief as it was, to pure and hon
orable motives, and to a conscientious conviction
on your part that BILL i'm some of its provisions
conilicted with the Constitution. But that opin-
ION OF your course on the bill which has just been
returned to Congress with your second veto. do
not and cannot entertain. Recur to what has
passed between us with respect to it, and you
will at once perceive that such opinion is impos-
| siblc.
On the morning of the 10th August, ] called at
your chamber and found YOU preparing the first
veto message, to be despatched to the Senate
The Secretary OF war came in also, and you read
portion OF the message to us. lie observed
that, though The veto would create great sensa-
ton III Congress. yet he thought the minds of our
| friends better prepared for it than they were some
days ago, and he hoped it would be calmly re-
celved, especially as it did not shut out all hope
OF bank. 10 this you replied, that you really
thought there ought to be no difficulty about it
that you had sufficiently indicated i'm your veto
message what kind of bank you would APP
prove, and that Congress might, if they saw fit,
pass such one in three days.
y The 18th being the day for our regular Cabine\>
meeting, we assembled, all except Messrs. Crit
tenden and Granger, and you told us that you
mad had long conversation with Messrs. Berrien
ana Sergeant, who protested to come in behalf of
the Wings OF the two Houses TO endeavor to
strike out some measure which would be general
~ acceptable. That you had your doubts about
The propHety OF conversing with them yourself, |
ana thought 1T more proper that you should COM
mune with them through your constitutional adj
visers. You expressed wish that the whole
subject should be postponed till the next session
OF Congress. You spoke of the delay in the
Senate OF the consideration of your veto mes
sage, and expressed anxiety as to the tone and
temper which the debate would assume.
MIR. Badger said that on inquiry he was happy
to find the best temper prevailed in the two Hou-
SEES. He believed they were perfectly ready to
take up the bill reported by the Secretary of the
Treasury, and pass ii ut once. You replied
Talk not to me of Mr.. Ewing's bill (; il contains
that odious feature of local discounts which j
have repudiated in my MESSAGE then said to
you, u have no doubt, sir, that the House, having
ascertaned your views, will pass bill in con-
formiiy to them, provided they can be satisfied
that 1t would answer the purposes of the Treasu-
ry, and relieve The country You then said,-
Cannot my Cabinet see that this is brouuht A.
bout! You must stand by me in this emergency.
Cannot you see that bill passes Congress such
as can approve without Inconsistency q ] de-
clared again my belief that such bill might be
passed. And you then said to me, what do You
u'u'IoldHu W Do my opinions State them, SO
that may see that there is no misapprchenson
about them.
then said that understood you to he Of opin-
ION that Congress might charter bank in the
District OF Columbia, giving its location here
10 this you assented That they might author
ize such a bauk TO establish Offices OF discount
and deposite i'll the several States, with the as
sent of the States. To this you replied, Don't
name discounts they have been the source of
the most abonnable corruptions, and are wholly
unnecessary TO enable the bank to discharge its
dulles to the country and the Government
observed in reply that was proposing moth
ing, but simply endeavorng to state what had
understood to be your opinion as to the powers
which Congress might constitutionaly confer OH
bank that on that point l stood corrected. |
then proceeded to say that understood YOU to be
of opinion that Congress might authorize such a
bank to establish agencies in the several States,
with powers to deal in bills of exchange without
the assent OF the States, to which you replied
yes, if they be foreign bills, or bills drawn in
one State and payable in another. That is all
the power necessary for transmitting the public
funds, and regulating exchanges and the curren-
cy.'
Mr. Webster then expressed, in strong terms,
his opinion that such charter would answer ali
just purposes of Government and be satisfactory
TO the Peo"ie; and declared his preference Tor it
over any which had been proposed, especially as
ltdlspensed with the assent of the States to the
creation OF an institution necessary for CARRYING
OF the fiscal operations of the Governments He
examined 1t at some length, both as to its consti-
tntionaIty, and its influence the currency and
exchanges, in all which views YOU expressed
your concurrence desired that such bill should
be introduced, and especially that il should 90
into the hands Of some of Your Eriends. To nv
inquiry whether Mr.. Sergeant would be agreeable
to you, you replied that he would. You especi-
ally requested MIR. Webster and myselfto COM
munlcae with Messrs Berren and Sergeant on
the subject, to whom you said you had promised
to address note, but You doubted not that this
! personal communication would be equally salts
! factory. Y on desired us, also, in communica-
! ting with those gentlemen, not to commit YOU
| personally, lest. this being recognised as Your
! measure, 1t might be made d subject of compare
son to your prejudice In the course of discussion
OH and Mr. Webster then converscd about the
particular wording Of the 9th Fundamental arti-
Gle, containing the grant e power to deal in ex-
changes, and OF the connection in which that
grant should be introduced you also spoke of
the name OF the institution. desiring that th0f
should be changed. To this / objected, as it
would probably be made subject of Fidcule,
but you insisted that there much i'm name,
and this institution ought not TO be called bank
Mr. Webster undertook to adapt i, in this particu-
Mr.. Webster and myself that we had no time tc
lose; that il this were not Immediately attended
to, another bill less acceptable, might be got uy
and reported. We replied that we would lost
time. Mr. Webster accordingly called or
Messrs. Berrien and Sergeant Immediately, and
waited on them by his appointment at O'Clock