The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-12


Mr. CLAY, of Ala, moved to proceed TO the or
ders Of the day, the morning hour having expired.
Mr. CLAY, Of KY. moved to lay the Distribution
Bill on the table, with view to take up the Dill ior
the repeal of the Sub-treasury.
Mr. CLAY, of Ala, raised point of order that
the regular orders could not be laid the table, VII
il was announced by the chair.
Some conversation on this and MIR, CLAY,
of Ky, withdrew the motion the orders of the day
were announced, and Mr.. CLAY then renewed The
motion TO lay on the table the Land Bill.
On this, Mr.. WRIGHT called the yeas and nays
and the motion was carried. Yeas 23-nays %.
Thus the Distribution Bill was laid on the table
REPEAL OF THE suB-rREAsuRy.
Mr. CLAY moved TO take up the bill for the repeal
Mr. CLAY, of Ala. raised the point that the mo-
ton not in order, the bills the table Of the
Senate must be taken up in their order on the cal
endar
The PRESIDENT said this bill had precedence
on the calendar.
Mr.. KING wished TO know where the revenue bill
was, that had been for time the table
Mr.. WHITE showed, from Jeferson's Manual,
that bills took precedence according TO the time Oh
their introduction into the Senate. This Senate
Bill No. !, and consequently took precedence OF all
others.
The PRESIDENT decided the motion to be in
order.
After further remarks by Messrs. WHITE and
cd the yeas and nays, which were ordered, and the
motion carried by the following vote
YEAS-Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Bates, Bayard,
Berrien Choate, Clay, of KY, Clayton Dixon, Ey-
ans, Graham, Huntington, Kerr Merrick Miller,
Morehead, Phelps, Porter, Prentiss Preston, Sim
mons, Smith, Of Ind, Southland, Tallmadge, White,
Woodbridge-26.
NAYS-Messrs. Allen, Benton, Buchanan, Cal
houn, Clay, of Ala, Cuthbert, Fulton, King, Linn,
McRoberts, Nicholson, Pierce, Sewer, Smith, Of
Con, Sturgeon, Tappan Walker, Williams, Wood
bury, Wright, Ioung-2l
The bill then taken up, the question being on
concurring in the amendments of the House Of Rep
resentatives
Mr.. CLAY said the Committee on Finance
mended the adoption of the amendments. They
Were but two one to repeal what was familiarly
called the PET Bank System, with the exception of
OF its provisions the other to repeal the law
which prohibited the Government from paying notes
of less denomination than twenty dollars. The Bank
Bill provided for an issue of notes of five dollars
this act was therefore useless He hoped both amend
ments would be concurred in.
Mr. CALHOUN said this bill to repeal the Sub
Treasury was either useless wrong The bill now
before the President superseded this bill and provi
ded for the keeping of the Treasury in another man
ner. The provisions of the Sub Treasury act would,
therefore, be superseded if the Bank bill became
law If the President did net sign the Bank bill, it
wrong pass this as i, efi no security by law
for the Treasury.
He would go further and say it indicate. Ii.
must bear the decision ofhe Chief Magistrate The
Bank bill. They nerered then with his right, not
content with gagging the House. and they presented
the alternative before him. that if he did not sign the
Bank bill the Treasury would be left without legal
protection
This was, in short the question, and he moved to
postpone the subject to Saturday next tie had seen
il noticed in the papers that the Chief Magistrate in
tended 10 visit the ship Delaware Saturday, and he
(Mr. Cahoun) took it for granted that he would dis
pose of the bill before him before he made the trip.
they owed il to themselves to the Chief Magistrate,
and To all concerned, that this matter be postponed
On this motion he called The yeas and nays.
Mr. CLAY said if the Senator meant to erect him
self into tribunal Of decency, he (Mr. Cay) would
plead from his jurisdiction, He was incompetent to
Judge Of what was decency on his (Mr. Clays) part,
or on the part of the Senate
What had been his object in moving to take up this
bill He had had design of connecting the two
matters. He should think that it would be agreeable
TO the Presidentto have both subjects before him at
once. Congress were to 20 on, and pass bill after bill
and if number came before the President at once,
il would enable him to act more understandingly
them
The gentlemen had said that in a certain contingent
cy, this law wrong, He Mr.. Clay believed,
whatever might happen that their respect to the wish
of the People would induce them repeal the Sub
treasury, at any rate.
As to its being superseded by the Bank, it true
that some Of the provisions Of the two acts nerered
and some did not; when this was the case, the Bank
bill would supersede the other. They should act
matters that came before them, and with all due
spect send them to the Executive without reference to
the fact of others being before him.
Mr.. BENTON said the President must feel himself
embarrassed to have both subjects before him at
w hat possible objections could there be to leaving in
operation few days longer measure which was work
ing well, that no human being could make par
cle of complaint against il There was but one
for it, that every day that system worked it put to
death the necessity of your National Bank; the Go
vernment going well He held that if
Gen Harrison alive he would feel himself
bound TO veto this bill, the sub Treasury was
dong so well that there was no necessity for Bank
MIR. PRESTON said the Senate had acted on this
subject about two months since They had made it
the first act to comply with the expressed opinions of
the people, and had repealed the Sub-'Treasury.
Then, as now, its friends cried give us few days
longer before this repealed and now they entreat-
ed them to spare this cherished object little longer
Did any body doubt the general sentiments on this
measure when they considered the unqualified con-
demnation from the people, when they considered
the action of the other House, and this House, on
this subject Did any body doubt the opinions of the
President and with what deep and heartfelt satisfac
ton he would sign the death-warrant of this odious
act; Now its repeal was objected to ndeli-
cate" to the Wing President and that by those who
did all they could in preventing this ndelcacy, by
the defeat of his election They now come forward
to protect him from the injuries his friends would
nilict on him. 1t reminded him of the ancient max
i'm, " Tfmeo UdndoS n dana fertnteS."
He friend of the President, and inclined to
respect all his feelings, political otherwise. He
would vote for sending this bill to him now, believ-
ing that in the act they performed the will of the peo-
pie of the country and for which the President would
thank them. lie had had no communication with the
President but believed he would sign this, whatever
was done with the Bank bill. If no other measure
were adopted, he would sanction this measure. Why
pause Where was the indelicacy or embarrass-
40 tho. ~ ha1a
law tomorrow. Would the people object to it if the
Bank were not established The issue was made
between the Sub-Treasury and any other system of
revenue. He (NIr. P.) would prefer any other plan