Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-23
TWENTy-sIxrII coNGREss---2d SESSION.
DEFERRED DEB.aTE.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Ar

Monday, Fab 10, 1871.
The House being in Committee of the Whole on the
bill making appropriation for the civil and diplomatic
expenses OF the Government for ISL
Mr. VANDERPOEL moved 10 strike thousand
dollars from the appropriation for clerks in the office oil
the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury, and as reason for
stated that he had that morning, been informed thai
there was vacancy in of the clerkshps of the
office OF the Fifth Auditor, (Mr Pleasonton) that the
proposed appropriation, which he wanted to reduce
covered the salary of this clerk Isl 000 that he under
TODD MIR. Pleasonon declined 10 ill up the vacancy til
after the 4th Of March Now, he, Mr.. ", thought if he
could dispense with the services OF this clerk during
the session of Congress, when the business OF all The
Departments was more pressing, he could get along
without such clerk after the fourth of March. For that
reason, he moved 10 strike out 900 from the proposed
appropriation.
Here Messrs. STANLY, GRAVES, PROFIT, and
Others severally attacked Mr. Vanderpoel for sud
denly becoming IA refnrmer.
Mr.. VANDERPOEL said, when he made his propo-
son to reduce the appropriation for the Fifth Auditor
Of 900, he surely did not intend to disturb the equa-
nlmiy of the gentlemen on the other side, nor did he
intend, thereby, to the character of reformer
master general. lie had never been ambitions TO Sc
cure the honors of that Office. 1t seemed that gentle
men doubted his (alr. VS. right TO propose reform
orreduction in any quarter that they away with
he idea that the glory of this great and patriotic work
belonged exclusively 10 themselves. Sir, (sald Mr..
we mean TO try the sincerity of your preach
rgs and professions for The last two years "UarrSon
aad reform" were the watchwords with which you en-
tered upon and CARRIED through the great contest whch
has Just terminated, and now mean to try whether
you are willing to practise according to your promise
and professions. The speech of the gentleman from
ndinna Mr.. Profit was pretty strong evidence how
the bulk OF the dominant party intends TO 90 upon pro-
positions 10 reduce salaries and enormous incomes
from certain Offices lie had already, in advance, APP
piled the sponge oil rldculc to proposition in the bill,
ne n q HI
attorneys, marshas and clerks of courts Gentlemen,
said Mr. v, this will not do. lou mus, not refuse to do
good because the proposition originates side Of
the House You say, swat till Gen Harrison gets into
power and then we will accomplish these works of re-
form No We will not rely upon your promises
You Will then have more magnificent objects 10 nc
compish Your attention will then bc engrosscd
with the making huge National Bank, with the dis
tribnon OF the proceeds Of The public lands, with the
repeal Of the Sub. Treasury law and The mndica.
ton il not the increase Of the Tariff We afraid
that these little matters Of PRODUCTION will then
be beneath your notice. The immense incomes Of
some o. your collectors post-masters, district attor
neys and marshals which, before the late election,
had 50 long disturbed your sumbcrs, will not then,
we fear, receive from you even passing notice. You
tell US that our patriotism too late; that
ought to have made these movements when we had the
power 10 this answer, that il is never too late to
do good. Besides, have to suppose
when we recolIect how loud and deep have been your
curses against our alleged spos system, that the re-
ductions propose will not operate chiefly upon our
own friends, the present ncumbents Of the Offices
You have preached too constantly, and too empha
lcally, from THIS text to justify on our part the ap-
pelcnson that "tara Ou 10 be the order Of the
day.
We say is the time, the accepted tme for doing
the good work We convened here, during sort OF
out another is about to come ust before the gam
Of the vctors IS consummated by actual possession, and
is the time for doing good. You shall not escape
responsibility BY urging the plea that it will be time
enough TO begin the work OF reform, after you shall
have actually entered upon the possession of your
estate. We mean 10 hold yon to the maxim that the
present time is always the best time for doing good
The gentleman from North Carolina Mir. Stanyl
had referred the he (llr. W. had taken last
year. upon the proposition made by that gentleman to
strike out the appropriation Of outfit for Mr. Throop,
as Charge TO Naples. He had opposed the motion Of
that gentleman. and lie gloried in it, fMr. Throop, as
nav officer " York, had neglected his duiyIf that
neglect had been established BY investigation wholly
pGrfe 10 him, It no good reason TO his mind,
for withholding the compensation belonging TO him in
another office, to which he had been constutionally
appointed If he had violated his duty naval officer,
(Which he vas by no means prepared to admt) take
the course prescribed by the Constitution-lmpeach
him; but in the name of justice and the Constitution,
do not attempt TO exercise your mpeachns power in
this oppressive and unconstitutional manner.
After some brief remarks from Messrs. A. SMITH,
UNDERWOOD, HUBBARD, and others Mr.. VAN
DERPOEL, al the suggestion Of his friends, withdrew
the amendment.
Mr. STANLY moved TO strike out the item "for
compensation the Solicitor of the Treasury, $780,
and made some remarks thereon; the purport Of which
will be ascerained by the replies of Aessrs. Wander
poe and Weller.
Mr. vANDERPOEL said that he had not now for
the first time on this floor been charged with having
been Fedcralist. Though that note had been Of
ten struck by Others who had honored him with their
notice he had never before deigned to make any re-
NV 10 it. because of lesson lie had been taught when
very yonng-neyer TO speak of himself when he could
possibly avoid doing His own course in early life
had 50 little connection with deliberations here
that he surely could not gra,uitously, alude to il,
without incurrng the lmpntation OF cgosln but The
charge of the gentleman from North Carolina (slr
S,nnIy) must plead his apology for breaking the
silence in regard to HIMSELF which he generally pre-
f.rred maintaining If, (said Mr.. W the friends
and family of the member who addresses you
ORIGINALLY tainted with the sin of Federalism and if
his own young mind had in his early youth received
the impress Of those principles if he had afterwards,
with more matured Judgment como 10 the conclusion
that the principles Of Federalism were opposed to the
host interests Of the people, had repudated his first no.
on and labored for fourteen long years double the
neriod that the Patriarch labored for his wfe) in the
rood old cause of Democracy, he was willing Demo-
cracy were the test Of political orthodoxy, to compete for
the honor CT tne true jHGH, Win W"
cd and perssted in his Federalism against the lights
and The evidences that had now become palpablc
and accumulated.
lie, Mr. v, il ever obnoxious TO the charge of Fe-
derulsm, (Which lie much doubtedD surely not an
sold FedcraliSt." lie never attained his majority til!
some time after the memorable event in the political
history ofthe State TO which he belonged lie alluded
to the address of forty arrogant leaders of the Federal
party, sometimes distinguished as forty "hgh-mlnded
gentlemen" at other times familiarity if not aPPro
pratey designated the shorty Mieees,' an address
by which they proclaimed the dissolution OF the fede
raj party and it was order here to remark, that a
the survivors of these "highminded" gentlemen, WITH
as he believed but single exception, had turned to
their first love- and were most ardent and genuine Bf-
tsh Bank Wings Of $40. The first vote he ever gave
was for Mr.. Clinton for Governor; and # that const'
uted him Federalis then some Of the most pro-
mincnt actors in the ranks Of the New York Deocra-
cy Fede.as,s lie would 90 further and say that III
from the days OF his minority, uniform opposition 10
hinh Protective Tariff National Bank-to atItu
dinarian construction Of the Constuion-cousi'tnted
the aui;podes Of Federalism, then bad he never been
Federalist but had always been Democrat
MIR Sianly remarked, he did not reproach Mr. :