The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-07
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

The Journal Of yesterday was read and approved,
Mr. SERGEANT moved that the House resolve
itseiinto Committee Of the hole the state of the
Union but Welded the floor To
Mr. ADAMS, who said he 10 question of
privilege message had been received yesterday
from The President OF the United States, enclosing a
communication from the French Minister 10 the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury demonstrating against bill
pending before Congress The communication had
been referred and ordered to be printed yesterday with
out beng read and he had not therefore, been aware
Gifts import until this morning. II was matter OF
great Importance, and, had he been aware yesterday
what It's character was he should not have let pass
without expressing his views in regard 10 it, He pro
posed to offer resolution in something like the
following terms
Resoired That the President of the U nted States
he requested to inform this House by what author
ily the Minister from France addressed commune
cation to the Secretary OF the Treasury TemonsIa
ting against the passage OF bill now pending be
fore Congress.
TWAS well known (Mr A. remarkcd) to every body
that understood the relations between civilized Gov
ernnents and nations that the organ of communca
ton with the French Minister was not the Secretary
of the Treasury, but the Secretary Of State. The
Secretary of State the proper person 10 whom all
communications from foreign ministers must be made.
The impfopricly OF the proceeding was apparent TO
every one was the danger of the precedent, IT The
House should suffer itself to be influenced in such
Mr. lNGERSOLL suggested, with great respect
TO Mr. Adams, to let the matter lie for day
two MIR. l. understood to say that there were
only few hours yet remaining tor the consideration
OF the Bank hil, and 10 submit whether II would not
be better To devote that il without Interrupt
ton.
Mr. ADAM briefly pointed out the consequences
which must result if such of proceeding was
allowed but dsclamed imputing any blame 10 the
Executive authorities
A long, desuliory and irregular debate followed
amidst much confusion, in which many members took
part among whom Messrs. Adams, lngerso,
Plckens, Turney, Bolts, Underwood, and Fillmore
Ii ended in laying the hole subject the table on
motion Of Mr. Bolts Yeas SO, nays H.
FISCAL BANK.
On motion Of Mr. SERGEANT, the House re-
solved itself into Committee of the Whole on the
state ofthe Union (Nlr. John G. Clark of New I ork
in the chair the bill to incorporate the subscribers
70 The Fiscal Bank Of the United States.
The question beng on the motion of Mr.. McCLEL-
Ian, to strike out the enactng clause of the bill.
Mr. POPE entitled to the floor and addressed
the committee during the hour Mr. P was very i'm
perfectly heard by the Reporter especially in the latter
part Of his argument. But the general heads of the
argument were as follow
Mr. p said it was with great reluctance that he
addressed the committee on subject on which he
had thirty years ago said all that he could say in ia
Of the power and the policy of the establishment
Of a National Bank and which, during the last five
years he had often discussed upon the stump.
And he confessed that he felt difficulty in bring
ing himself up to any thing like the point of ANNA
requisite enable him to present his views Nor
would he have said word but toi the particular rela
ton he bore to his constituents they would be sur
prlscd if he to give silent vote question on
which he had saked his election three four times.
He had not talked 10 his constituents about retrench
ment and the many various and minor points which
had been brought into the canvass but he had fixed
upon important point, and he had saked his cause
upon that
As 10 what public opinion upon this question of
-, ~ ~ MI ha M
controversy He took it for granted that every gen
tie nan here on whatever side he might vote, was to
bc regarded the faithful organ of the constituents
by whom they had all been recently returned TO
this body and the faithful opponents Of their views
And ii II should be found that majority of the mem
hers Of this House decided in favor of a National
Bank h. should regard that fact as conclusive esi-
dcnce 81 the public Will
For himself he felt bound to vote for a Bank in the
best form in vhch he could get it. II he could not
get exactly what he wanted, he would take the best
thai he could get
He " uld not enter into any elaborate inquiry to
the utility txpedlency OF banks here or IN any 9th
er country. That was no longer adebatable question:
They the offspring of liberty and commerce IN
e'cry region of the world where they were TO be
found They had been consi lcrcd. 1t not
~ after The es s Ry9 ha e ct
10 be IN the People-that a bank was known. The
banking system therefore, he considered to have been
established by the sanction Of the enlightened of eve
~ country for the last two three hundred years at
least II was now deeply rooted in country and
Il c9nlI not be eradcaed by any legislation within
the lowcruf Congress or of The States. To be sure
an amendment to the Constitution of the u nitcd
States nigh reach the subject but the people never
would consent t. it, Puhnc sentiment was IN favor
.ot the system II had IT'S evils and It's Inconvenience
nlduuh but they constituted no just reason for lis
distinctions As well might the people be called upon
tp abolish this House, because II sometimes went too
tp,l ana sometimes too slow. These evils and
incanSeniences incident 10 every institution in coun
try Ike ours. Let US therefore, take things they
Wore and act upon them with view to practical
suits
Ia considering this question, he did not think it
ccsslrv to rely much presidents Judicial deer
suOs althou IN he regarded nothing more Inc pc
di,n than 10 disturb what had been settled by egsla
ttc ietlsion and had been acquesced in 10y all the
departments OF the Government and by the people
Themselves, He had 50 far back rs III / taken the
ground that there was nothing which Government
should 81 much hesitate TO disturb the currency Of
thr couutry. MIR p here advered to the causes OF
the II nch Revolutions among the most prominent OF
winch was the chaos and confusion INTO which the
nuneinry affairs of that country had been thrown.
lie remarked that what we had suffered here IN this
tc oct within the last eight ten years, would have
huNcn any other nation To buolshed No country
hl>ing dense population could stand tn. humbug
experiments that had Distracted the American nation
io' some YEARS past.
~ call upon gentlemen 10 unite with him IN put
VIM an end to this disastrous state of things and II
gentlemen the other side could agree with him
y y what the remedy was let them come out and
irll what they would have lie put II to their candor