The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1841-12-24

Eve or seven members made up Of at least mem
Der from the Committee on Military Affairs, one mem
Der from the Committee on Naval Affairs, ana one
member from the Committee on Finance, 50 that the
broadesi view of the bill might be presented over
ruled, he should only feel that he differed from the
majority of the Senate.
Mr. PRESTON said that there were two motions
before the Senate, and that il was little awkward
to discuss them both al the same time, Tins qnes-
tion was not german TO the Committee on Military
Affairs it was question of general policy, con
neced with the lands, the finances, and with milta-
~ affairs, He saw no propriety M committing ,hs
bill at all, the question was merely an ihsulasu
proposition 10 repeal act which was passed AT ie
last session, fresh in the memory OF every DodSi ana
every light should be thrown, upon IT, Inc Dill re-
quired details and investigation whatever ana ~
was therefore mmaeral what course ne should
take IL was unnecessary to remark that the finances
of the country were in an extraordinary conduoh !;
and while they were disposed 10 40 an uey
could, il was necessary to look at tha' cohditioh
and TO ponder deliberately at every step winch they
took and little would they gain in the physical en-
ergies of the country by appropratng TO the deien-
ces Of the country, unless they had heahiul fsc
! and sound Treasury. BY looking at the annual
documents he perceived that for the public service
there were larger appropriations called Tor than
! there had been al any other time Inc De
partments had called for abundant appropriations Tor
| purposes with regard to which, there was strong
! feeling in the country the public passions urged
them TO proceed-political feelings urged them to
proceed in appropratng for the defence OF the coun
| try But where the funds TO come from
/ from what source-tor naval and military purposes
II was their business to be cautious, while and yielding
| To these impulses not TO oyerstep the boundary
They must not break down, but maintain, the sound
| ness of the hsc, it would be III VAN that they
erected Notifications or made additional approprla
| tions for ornaments Without money and without
| credit what kind of defence would be theirs The
great truth was, that credit and money, and sound
! Treasury was better than battements from one end
OF the country the other. The Treasurer's report
/ was appalling for he stated, IN round numbers,
that during the next year there would be a deficit
of fourteen millions of dollars. lie was, therefore,
satisfied that they should want all they could get
| from the lands and other sources, and would be
obliged to borrow into the bargain This was the
condition of the country and he trusted That, not
withstanding this condition, whatever was necessary
| for the navy and defences they would be able TO
get it, and they would get il but after this exhibit
ton of the Of the Treasury, ii the duty OF
the Government to build up sound Treasury
Without this every thing else would be in vain. I'M
| prudent appropriations should be avoided unless
they saw whence the money was to come lie could
not say, for one, that he had changed in ms mind
with regard 10 the propriey Of the act to stribute
the proceeds of the sales OF the public lands, and he
| feared that that policy very unwlse one Al
though he had doubt as to its consttutonahty, he
believed that il inexpedien and unwise and that
the step was ncauously taken; and The sooner they
retraced their steps, the better would 1t be Tor the
country.
|
question, and deeply affecting not only
members of Congress, but the people of the entire
country. He merely desired therefore, that the bill
| should 90 TO such committee as would present the
subject, with the reasons for the repeal fairly and
fully, before the American people. II was merely
technical reasoning to prove that it should go to the
/ Finance Committee. the Committee on Military Al
fairs or to any other Committee, because they all
knew that go TO what Committee 1t might (uniess
his friends changed their views of the subiect) II
would 60 To its death This was the reason why a
select committee should be appointed and If order
i ed, he had a confidence that the honorable Chair
would give to them such Committee rs would pre-
sent the subject fairly To the Senate and TO the cou
try If, however this subject should go to stand
ing committee at ALL and the appropriate one, IT
would be that on Finance lie confessed with the
Senator from South Carolina, MIR Preston) that he
had been shocked at the report Of the Secretary of
the Treasury. The commerce of the country was
increasing, the foreign trade Except so far as re-
garded the medium through which il was conduct
ed) had become more and more extenslve and, al
though they had exported more than they imported,
the revenue from customs had gone boyvnd Tie est-
mates the former part Of the year. And with all
this they told that at the end of the next year,
lin the estimates made according TO existing laws
there to be deficit in the Treasury of fourteen
millions aud some odd hundred thousand dollars I!
And how was it proposed to raise this sum Why,
that the time of payment Of the remainder of the loan
authorized at the last session was to be extended
eight years they were to issue five millions of Trca-
.
lions of dollars from duties upon imports. And this
was their condition and in this condition. without
considering for single moment the great subject IN
volved they going to distribute the proceeds the
sales ofhe public lands among the several States The
Committee on Finance ought to take up this subject
as a financial measure, and see whether il was pro-
per to make this distribution at time when the coun
try was in a destitute condition, and to give away a
portion of their property to the States or to any body
else. He agreed with the Senator from South Caro-
linz in her mar W
were to have war, (which Heaven avert, and which
he did not fear,) the very best foundation which
they could rest their hopes, and the very best mode
| of welding the national arm, to have sound
condition of the Treasury and TO effect this, there
was only one course to pursue !; which was, rigid
economy, not in their address, but in fact Let them
not spend one dollar, when the interest and the
honor Of the country did not demand it; for
in what condition would they be placed, if they
went on making appropriations for one object and
another, and still be pressed The Postmaster
u General very modcstly proposed that they should
increase the debt eight millions, in order to let
him make n contract with the railroad COM
panes to carry the mails Of the United States That
officer wanted to advance to these companies that
enormous sum, which, at five per cent would amount
TO four hundred thousand dollars per annum. Al
though he had not been sufficiently in health to read
the report of the Secretary of the Navy, he had no
doubt from what he had heard, that it was written
with much ability. He understood that the purpose
Of the Secretary was to increase our Navy one-hali
the extent of the British navy, when, known,
the expense in our service for man for man, and
gun for gun was just double what it was in Great
Britain. He spoke, however, from mere conjecture.
And with deficit of fourteen millions, they were
now indulging in prospects Of visionary glory in add
vance He was in favor of economy but, whilst so,
he would not yield one inch to any nation whatever.
They must however, look into their own condition
and by so doing, if they should become embarrassed,
they pay oil their debts, in order to enable them
to prepare for any hostile movement on the part of
their adycrsarcs. If he in favor of distribution,
and even if the country was not in debt, he should
go for taking the proceeds Of the sales of the public
lands and applying them to the defence OF the
country
i Mr. LINN said that the object which he had in