The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-07-15
CHARLOTTE, n. C., JULY Is. 1911.
THE LATE PRESIDENTS FAMILY.

From the debate on the bill making AZ
appropriation of years salary to Mrs
Z Harrison, we select some remarks Of Mr.
e Adams, Of Mass, Mr.. Dean, Of Ohio. an,
2 Mcssrs. White and Lane, Of Indiana. a,
. possessing paramount interest. The cole
Fbloodcd remarks of MIR. Dean drew fortl
several wlthering replies, and next day hc
was fam to take back whatever might have
been construed into personal disrespect Of
the late President.
The bill having been read at the Clerk
table
Mr.. Adams moved to fll the blank ia
tho bill with the sum Of SO, zoe.
Cries ~ various parts Of the Hall Of
agreed agreed"
Mr.. A. said that this SIM, nc far as he
( understood, was IN correspondence with the
prevailing sentimen, Of the JOINT commit
tee raised on this subject, and Of which
the gentleman now in the Chair had been
a member. There had been some differ.
cnce Of opinion among the members of the
committee as TO the sum which it would
/ be proper 10 appropriate, and, also, on the
part Of some gentlemen as 10 the constitu.
tionaiiy Of the act itself in any shapc.-
There had been more objection to The con-
siItutionali than there had been as to the
sum 70 be granted. SO far as there had
been any discussion in the committee, it
seemed TO be the general sense Of those
composing il, that some provision ought t.
be made for the family Of The late Pres
dent, not in the nature Of a grant, but as an
indemnity for actual expenses incurred bv
himselfiirst when candidate for the Presi.
dcucy. Ii had bean observed in commit.
tee, and it must be known TO all members
Of the House, that in the situation in which
Gen. Harrison had been placed---tar from
lie seat Of Government, and for eighteen
months or two years exposed 10 a heavy
burden of expense which he could not pos.
ably avoid-it was no more than equitable
that he should, to a reasonable degree, be
lndemniiicd. Tie had been thus burdened
while N circumstances not opulent; but,
on the contrary, il nad been one ground on
which be had rcceiyed So decided proofs Of
the Peoples favor, that through a long
course Of public service he remained poor,
which was in itself dcmonsiratiye proof
that be had remained pure also. Such
had been his condition before leaving home .
to travel to the seat of Government. Al /
ter his arrival here, he had been exposed
10 another considerable burden Of expense, /
far beyond any amount he had received
from the public purse during the short
month he had continued to be President.
HIS deccase has left his family in circum.
stances which would be much improved BY
this net Of justice done TO him by the peo- I
pic, through their Representatives. The
feeling was believed to be very general
throughout the country, and without dis
tnctIUn Of party IN favor Of such a maa-
sure. Application had come from the
most. respectable sources, and, among eth.
ers, from the city of Charleston, 4 portion
Of the country where the support given to
Gen. Harrison as a political candidate had
not been SO strong as in many others with
a nagnmitv which that city bad often
ITS citizens had come forward
and pe,tioncd Congress that this sum
should be appropriated as an indcmuiiy.-
There had, he believed been other petit
tons of the same character offered during
this session. lie would thank the Clerk
to state whether such hud not been tic
case.
The Clerk, through the Chair, respond /!
ed to the inquiry, and stated that there had.
Mr.. A. said that a gentleman from Penn
'ylyania, near him had just suggested that
he had IN his hands petition praying for
a much larger grant than that he had NOV
I'd, aud which he would read when he came Z
70 speak to the resolution. The reason 4,
shy Mr.. A. had moved to insert this sum
was, that, as far as he could understand
what the public opinion was, this was the
sum which was preferred by great por-
ion of the American People. A larger
IT a smaller sum might be proposed; in
which case the question by usage Of the
House would first be put on the largest sum.
The grounds and reasons for this appro-
'rlat.oa had been so long and SO fully dis
used IN the papers and journals Of the
country that he presumed the minds Of all
he members of the House were made up c
n regard to it; he should not therefore, I
i'd any further remarks.
Mr.. Dean, of Ohio, said he was opposed
o voting any sum whatever. There was I
something SO extraordinary in the propo-
sitiun, that the moment he heard it he was {
startled at the views Of the ruling party.
Congress had been convened for an extra .
ordinary purpose, but was it for the Pur- :
,oso of granting relief to the heirs Of Gen.
Harrison Was it for purpose like that
hat the country had called upon them to (
assemble Was this to be the first mca- I
sure proposed for their public actionl Mr..
D. said he had no disposition to speak :
here OF the acts of the deceased; he did not
at this time desire to review the history of
hat man; he was willing that in his case
the usual fate Of men should be reversed,
Let the evils he had done be buried with |
his bones, and let the good only which he
had done for his country live after him.
Mr., ID. should set that all aside, until some ]
gentleman should get up and attempt to