Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-07-19


Government, and to absorb all their means of y-
ng--h Congress should consult the interests OF
the producers Of Europe dsregariing The States
and the People which constituted these States,
there might he reaction in public opinion.
Public sentiment might lead to the inquiry wheth-
er the General Government, as n faithful trustee,
not only to dispose of the proceeds Of the sales of
the public lands, but as trustee bound to execute
and exercise all the high trusts which he'd been
rcposed IN it-as trustee bound 10 administer the
Constitution of the United States to the several
Stales-public sentiment migI lead to the inquiry
whether they had done it with fidelity whether
they iloh exercised their powers and their egitim
ute attributes for the benefit of our own for
egll country. 1t might become n matter Of i'll
qGry whether there might not he a power in the
States that appear here and speak in voice
more potential than any that may now Dc heard in
this Hall = that might require OF them, whilst
they laL TO exercise the powers they have, TO
exercise them in higher degree than by the
bl mat Is now before you. lilo said this for
the purpose of warning his friends every where
who we're opposed as at this moment he himself
was to the assumption Of State debts, whether
they had moi better place the States in their true
position. aud The General Government in its true
eynr-~dnional position-hus benctiitiug both the
General Government and the States, md keep
ing oil the other question that lay behind That
was his position. He went for distribution Of
Reject TINT measu,e and le for one, should ex-
anime and reflect upon the genius OF the Govern.
ment aud the power of the States, aud TO their
rights, before he took step as to the future. lie
would never be found in favor of exercising the
powers of The Constitution for purposes Of neg
lcct or oppression, or in disregard oil the interests,
The sentiments, and the feelings of the People of
the States of this Coniederncy.
He came now to speak of the question Of ex-
pedlcncy. Leaving the constitutional question,
leaving the argum ;ns deducible from the history
OF the past, he came now TO rest this question up
on mere point of expediency. And he asked,
row, II II was not expedent that the proceeds of
the sales of the public lands should be divided u
inong the States?
Before he went into that question, he would re-
Ter 10 an argument which might he made in op-
position. 1t would he said, why do you wish to
pass this bill when the revenues OF the General
government IRE not equal TO its wants ? Will
you press such measure when the chairman of
your Committee of Ways aud Means (Alr. Fill
morel has reported u bill anthnrizing loan Of
twelve millions of dollars? Will you urge the
argument of eXpe,liency, aud talk about dividing
the proceeds Of The sales Of the public lands
when your Treasury is empty? viii you urge
distribution when you have nothing to distribute?
Well, in response to that, he would ask members
of tue com nittee to take up the Report of the
Secretary of the Treasury, to examine that docu-
ihen and to see whether they had materials e.
nough upon which they could lcgisate, not only
so as TO meet the present and future liabilities of
the nation, and to divide this fund. but to do so
nlou, embarrassing my portion Of the Union
They might even 20 and double the amount
They might even 20 us far US Mr.. Dickerson aud
Gen. Jackson.
What are tho facts He found that Mr.. Ham
iIon in his first report, recommended to Congro =
to lay something like i duty of twenty five per
cent. on Madeira wine. According to Tue report
OF Mr.. Gaatin, in 1909, more than million Of
dollars were raised in this nation upon the article
of wine uone.
Looking AT lleneport oil the Secretary Of the
Treasury, we found that, rom the year 1884 TO
ibyyear 1910, the amount of articles imported in
TO The United Sfaies duty free averaged seventy
i've million seven hundred and twenty eight
thousand Two hundred and twelve dollars. The
amount paying duty was but sixty-nine million
seven hundred and forty eight thousand four hun
dred aud fifty seven dollars. Thus, then, during
Inns period o. years, we received within our ports
n larger amount of articles wholly exempt from
duty than Of those which paid duty. We found
aso by the same report, that lin strict conformity
with the compromise aci we ng ht exempt from
duty fourteen million three hundred thousand
dollars worth Of articles and yet, upon the res
itl'e OF those imported now free of duty, and cou-
formally TO tie spirit Of the compromise act, we
might place duty of twenty per cent. and there
would thus lie n clear nett revenue OF twenty
two million five hundred thousand dollars. H..
WOMB say 10 gentlemen who opposed these argu-
'nenls that they must meet them. They, as
statesmen, were bound not to study how they
could best suppress or reduce the revenue of the
General Government. or how they could most
sudlously absorb il ALL but they were bound so 10
exercise the high trust which Ind been conided
to their hands MS to provide for the wants and car
ry OH the objects Of the General Government,
without expressing the States. Here then were
the articles; here WINS the material here was the
subject matter on which their Judgment, their wis
dom, aud their legislation could ACT and acr, he
maintained, without OPPRESSION to any interest
whatsoever.
Suppose Tia, the revenue should be brought to
hut twenty-five million five hundred Thousand
dollars, according to the report OF the Secretary.
lie asked gentlemen who Ind been with him here
Tor the last eight or nine years, who had support
cal with zeal and ability the Administration which
Ind Just faded into ol,scury who had advocated
and defended an Administration which hal ex
pended $50 060,00O annually on an average, with
out giving the States dollar and which had alb
sorbed the public domain---he asked them il then
would now complain when they were told that
the whole amount of revenue required 10 meet
the wants OF the Government was upwards OF six
millions less Than the amount heretofore requir-
ed? The party in power were for bringing The
Government down TO twenty-five millions of dol
hrs, and, in doing That, they were TO pay off a
debt which the iorlner Administration, in addi-
ton TO absorbing all The surplus revenue which
was found IN the Treasury, had created. That
Administration lad created national debt in the
form of Treasury notes and outstanding debts 10
M amount (he could not speak precisely certain
ly not less than twelve millions of dollars; and
YET The party now in power told them that they
would pay off this debt without expanding TWEEN
weight millions Of dollars, las the last Admins
.ration had done y and thai this could be donetby
dividing the proceeds of the sales of the public
lands, and without expressing the People of any
portion of the Union
Gentlemen denied his and exertcd their inge-
nuity TO disprove ir but though, in some OF the
opponents ofths bill all the faculties OF nature had
been cultivated 10 The highest degree, subtle aud
obstrusc ms gentlemen might be in their metaphys'
ical powers let them go toll the American People