The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-13
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
MONDAY, July 10, ls4

Amer the reading Of the journal Of Saturday, the
House resolved itself into Committee of the Whole
On on me p'li authorizing loan Of Sl2,0O0OOO. Mr.
BRIoGs IN the chair
Mr. JOHN w. JONES, Of Virginia, addressed the
comm't'ee IN opposition TO the bill -attacking in de-
.a me whole financial scheme OF the present Admin
isua'on anu me statements and estimates OF the Re-
| port OF the Secretary Of the Treasury He aimed
particularly 10 show the great failure Of the new Ad
'suauon IN carrying out The professions Of econo-
my ana reform made by the party before the fourth OF
March lie denounced the Extra Session denied
the Secretarys statements of the comparative expen-
dllures OF previous years insisted that large portion
OF lhe expenses Of Mr. Van Buren's Admnsra ration
were contracted Tor purposes permanently beneficial,
suon as purchases OF territory, removal OF Indians,
erection Of permanent public buildings SC He de-
nieu me existence Of the deficit, or National Debt,
declared by the Secretary and the chairman of the
Committee OF Ways and Means As 10 the item Of
feasuiy Notes requiring redemption in the course Of
he year, 'heie Was NJ necessity OF assembling Con-
gress, now, TO provide for a demand SO distant MIR.
ration of " his hour
| Mr. GARRET DAVIS took up the report Of the
secretary OF The Treasury, and reviewed the items Of
estimates ior the year, in order show that the
penditures proposed were Indispensable These ex-
penses had been IN great measure rendered neces-
sary by the previous Administration He referred to
the estimates OF he late Secretary of War Mr. Pom
settD which the last Congress had failed To meet
hesc, with others, were burden upon the
present Administration The estimates of revenue
acciuing during the year. made by the late Secretary
OF the treasury IN bis last report, already
proved TO exceed the reality. The suspension of up
wards of 81 600 900 of appropriations made by Con
gress Tor military works, which nominalIy at an
end, by the declaration Of Mr. Van Buren,, on the
eleventh OF November last, continued in fact through
out the year, IN consequences of the season, which
prevented the resumption of public works The
same was the with the appropriations for the Flo
rida war. All these suspended appropriations
irll upon the present Administration, though justly
chargeable upon the preceding These works
Were essential 10 the defence and security Of the
try. II was necessary that they should be steadily
progressing.
In discussing the proposed scheme of relief TO the
Treasury, he observed that while upwards Of S24,-
100000 were required for the year, only Sl5,3l60 600
would occrue from means now in the hands Of the
Secretary Of the Treasury. But of these, upwards
OF $4,000 900 were Treasury notes, which were them
selves charge upon the Treasury They not
cash, as the other available means Deductng
these from the nominal means Of the year. the real
means would be only Sl0965000
The deficiency OF the past year had been created
IN part by the unwise suspension of the collection of
dues from settlers on the public lands. Another item
OF expense inherited from the late Administration,
charge of near $500 900 still due for the cx-
penscs of taking the last The expenditures
on the public works, no longer to be suspended
by the President must fall disproportionarely the
summer months. This was expenditure that
not TO be refused important the improvement
of the deences of the country at this time yet mem
bers had denounced this with the of the estimates
OF the Secretary, as needless and extravagant
lie quoted and criticised the speech of an OPPOSE
ton member who had abored to show that the deficit
could be only 81 ,743000. The ground of this
ing estimate was the assumption of S24 900 900,
the available means of the year. Much made,
also, OF an apparent discrepancy between the imam
cal statements of the Presidents Message and those
of the Secretarys Report. This due to the
difference of dates. The Presidents statements
from a report Of the Register of the Treasury May
27th. The Secreary's from a report of the
Treasurer himself under date of the first of June
/ Mr.. DAWSON said he intended to confne himself
strictly TO the subject before the committee which
the ascertainng Of the actual amount Of abili-
ties and the best means OF meeting them lie should
only show the present existence of such debt as was
claimed, without asking how il had been caused,
whether by the late Administration otherwise. He
gave both parties credit for sincere desire TO
tain the TRUTH and to decide upon the amount of the
debt and the past mode of dischargng it, whatever it
might be, and how ever caused
Interviewing the proposed appropriations, he referred
TO the bill (No. y recently reported by the Committee
OF Ways and Means, for the Notifications and other
military expenses of the country That bill not
yet passed. But would any oppose il There were
many gentlemen, holding on this floor most hostile
to Great Britain, and would they deny the Govern
ment the means of sustaining itself in the position TO
which such language might force them
/ Both parties should speak out canddly, and tell
their constituents that there debfi but that they
differed 10 the best mode of paying it,--one party
preierring loan the other proposing Treasury notes
If Government would pay its debts that would
operate at once as measure OF relief TO the whole
country. Business would revive the citizens would
be enabled to pay their debts and the Government
would thus more efiectuay benefit the People than
by any direct measure of professed relief
He did not rise TO occupy his hour, nor to go fully
into the subject but to present to Congress and the
country the simple state of the Mr. Dawson
/ spoke but twenty minutes.
Mr. ATHERTON commented on the great d.
yersity of opinion among the friends OF the Admins
traton, TO the amount of debt and liabilities for
the year. He noticed the statements of the Secre-
tary's Report, and contrasted them with those con-
tanned in the speech made last session BY the gentle
man from New York MIR. Barnard) He attacked
that speech in detail The supporters and organs of
the present Administration were agreed in but one
/ thing and that TO charge the late Admmisra-
ton with extravaganza, and the accumulation OF
national debt.
The real object of the session, he maintained, was
not to provide for the necessities OF the Treasury,
but TO charter Bank as appeared from the confess
sions Of gentlemen on this floor, one of whom had
declared that as he was satisfied that they
could not pass bill for Bank he ready to add
iourn and go home.
He then went on to show that ample means exist
cd aud would existto the end of the year, 10 meet
all liabilities He pointed out many reductions
which should be made in the estimates. Though the
item of the expenses of the extra session had ex-
ceeded the estimates yet he considered that result
W tit 'tCiclalN III hccu
CIV The estimates for Notifications and military
penses he considered too large. 1t desirable
that the Government should be kept short of mems
rich government implied poor people; for the
money which enriched the government must be rails
ed by taxation of the people.
The distribution of the proceeds of the land sales
great cause of the necessity of new means
This measure had deprived the Government OF por-
ton of revenue hitherto devoted to the ordinary
penses of Government much as the customs. The
money thus distracted from the revenue to
be supplied from taxes imposed upon the people
Those who to be taxed were not those who re-