The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-31

IN SENATE,
FIRST SESSION.
MONDAY, August 80, i84i.

MI. AftChEh presented the proceedings and feso-
lutions OF q meeting OF citizens of Orange county,
Virginia. against the measures Of this session the is-
trbuton OF the proceeds of the public lands national
bank, &c. and approving of the course Of President
Tyler, IN his veto OF the bank bill. AE
On his motion, they were laid the table, and or
dered TO be printed
Mr.. CLAY presented petition Of citizens Of Phla-
deiphia, praying that bleaching powder be exempted
nom duty lie said this was question on which
much diversity Of opinion existed Ii interested deaf
ers In the article but OF very general interest
he hoped the Senate would thought proper on
the subject. s8@ @Uta
MIR. SIMMONS presented similar petition from
citizens OF Philadelphia. He said he had voted against
the exemption from duty Of those articles, but from
.he facts stated in this petition, and others, which
had since to his knowledge he should vote the
other way when the amendment came up in the Be-
nate. t#at
Mr.. WOODBURY. presented letter which he
had received on the same subject, which he would
wish read when the Senate came to act on the mat
ter II was, with the petitions, laid on the table.
Mr.. TAPPAN said they had been confined here a
great whie three months in this exhaustng weather
they had been laboriously occupied, and II was not
asking too much of the majority, that they should
fix time for adjournment that they might be able to
inform their families He moved therefore, TO take up
the resolution previously submitted, for an adjourn
ment of Congress- so that time might be fixed;
and on the motion he called the yeas and nays.
Mr.. CALHOUN hoped the resolution would be
taken up. The majority were sufficiently numerous
to fix their time let them fix il il was desirable
in every point of view, and
Mr.. CLAY. wish TO know whether the question
is debatable and whether shall have right To an
swer the Senator.
The PRESIDENT said it was not debaiable
The question then taken, on taking up the re-
solution and negatived; Yeas 81, nays %.
Mr.. KERR, from the Committee on the Judiciary,
reported the resolution for the distribution OF the
printed returns of the 9th census, with the amend
ment of the House, in which the committee recon-
| mended concurrence. He explained that the
amendment provided for the printing OF 2OOO copies
not of the aggregate returns OF the census but OF
compendium of il, connected with the census OF other
years and for ection in the returns OF Mont
gomery county, Maryland The compendium would
be very useful work. and he hoped the Senator from
Alabama.( MIR. Clay, who had previously opposed
this) would not object to il. The committee were
| unanimous on the subject.
Mr.. CLAY, Of Ala, waived his objections and the
question was TAKEN and the amendment Of the House
concurred in.
FISCAL CORPORATION BILL.
Mr.. BERRIEN from the Select Committee appoint
ed on this subject, reported the above BILL from the
House without amendment and asked that it be made
the special order for Wednesday next
THE REVENUE BILL
Was then taken up, and Mr.. BUCHANAN offered
the amendment of which he had given notice. TO repea
the of l4h July 1882, which released from duty
iron which used in the constIuc OF railroads
inclined planes and to provide that there shall be
levied railroad iron hereafter Imported duty OF
20 per cent ad vaorem, provided that shall not ore
rate on iron already imported
Mr.. Gu fHBERf wished the Senator to postpone
The amendment 10 afford him an opportunity Tor ITS
examination il was matter in which Georgia was
deeply Interested
MIR. CLAY, Of Ala, opposed to the amend
ment, and wished its consideration postponed.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON moved amendment 10 the
mendment to provide also that iron that may be inn
ported prior LIST Dec. lS4l be exempted from duty.
He briefly stated the Tor this amendmenttor re-
eve corporations from paying tax on the article for
which orders had already been SENT and for which
tax ought not Justly to be levied.
Mr.. MILLER was in favor Of the amendment Of
the Senator from Pennsylvania. Strange as 1t might
SEEM England for years had had the monopoly in
the of railroad iron, for this country and
had imported il free of duty while we were Impos-
ing duties other articles, we had RETAINED from
duty on this which could be manufactured here in
abundance. 1t ought to be imposedi and under
the operation of the amendment to the amendment,
sufficient police would be given before went into ope
ration. There had not been single article imported,
which had carried more specie out OF the country
He hoped the amendment would be adopted.
Mr.. BERRIEN opposed the amendment. Il would
be productive Of extreme injustice to Georgia, and
other Southern States, which had commenced their
railroads under the operation of the law by which
railroad iron was exempted from duty. If to the ex
pense of the construction of heir works, there
to be added duty the iron to be used, the cost
would much exceed what contemplated at the
time of their commencement under the law which
then existed. Ii was inconsistent with the purposes
of equity and Justice that they should be subjected to
the payment OF a duty Which they could not have
tcipated !,
his colleague, and opposed the amendment.
Mr. CALHOUN said this question one Of
great and vital Importance to the Southern States
which had commenced extended lines of rail
road under the expectation Of the exemption from
duties Of the iron to be used in them. They ought
not to be nterered with, but TO have the advan-
tage that had been enjoyed by the North in the
struction Of their railroads.
There was but modes obedience to the country;
their Navy, and the other the facility oftrans
portation by railroads Of ammunition and men. He
asked in the of an entire section of the country
that they should not be ntcfered with, His opinion
was that 10 l-2 per cent with the land, would give
ample protection for the revenue. They could appro-
pirate ten millions per annum to the Navy, and carry
on the Government if proper economy were used in
It's various departments.
Mr. BUCHANAN should be brief as possible, as
he wished to arrive at the termination of this extra
session He was much surprised at the argument Of
the Senator from South Carolina and should have
supposed from the opinions of the Senator, he would
have been in favor of the repeal ofhe act of 1882
he had long opposed the system of internal improve
mcnt.
propriatlng the public money for internal improve
ment.
Mi. BUCHANAN, asked if this Government had
not appropriated $500 900 per annum according the
official statements given by the Senator from Connec-
ticut, (Mr. Huntington) by exempting iron from
duty for the use of railroads. not this direct APP
preparation for the benefit of the railroad corporaonsl
If the Senator had this side of the argument he would
make the Senate resound, with the plea that all duties
must be equal, and uniform and not duty of twenty
l nor Levied the while
The article of iron Of all the rest exempted
The doctrine of vested rights almost, had been
brought forward by the Senators from Georgia
The very same argument would apply TO any change
he