The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-01-22

pension list by the gradual decrease of the pensions
ers;) and when he proposed no new measure us II
means ofreplenishng the exhausted TREASURY, the
question for Congress and for the nation 10 consd-
er was whether this was course sale to be persued
in relation to our fiscal concerns Was II wise,
prOvldent, and satesmanlike'
here is one point in which (Mr w. sadly the
honorable member from New York had entirely
misapprehended him. lie (Nlr W. had said that
MIR W. appeared TO desire TO avoid AS critical and
delicate subject the question of the tariff; or rather,
had complained that this administration had not
taken it up. Now he (Mr W. had not said
word about the tariff further than TO state that
other great reduction was Immediately approaching
in the rate of duties of which the message took
notice whatever while did not fail 10 refer 10 two
other reductions which had heretofore taken place.
v hat he (Mr W. had said on the subject of i'm
posing new duties for revenue, had reference solely
TO silks and uiHes This had been delicate point
with him at no time. lie had for long period
been always dasirous to lay such duty on silks
and wines; and it did appear TO him the srangest
thing Imaginable strangcst phase Of the existing
system of reyenue-ihat we should import so many
millions OF dollars worth of silks and wines entirely
free OF duty, Al the very time when the Government
had been compelled, by temporary loans, to keep
itself in constant debt for four years past. So far
from considering this as matter of any dellcacy,
had the Senate the constitutional power of origiua-
ting revenue bills, the very first thing he should
move, in his place, would be to lay tax on both
these articles of luxury.
Were Mr. w. to draw an inference from the
speech Of The honorable member il would be that
it rather seemed TO be his own opinion, and ceT-
lany it seemed also to be that of the President that
il would be wiser TO withdraw the whole or part Of
the money deposited with the States than TO. lay
taxes on silks and wines. In this opinion Mr. W..
did not at all coucur. If the question were be-
tween such withdrawal and the imposition of such
tax he should without hesitation say Jay the tax,
and leave the money with the States where it was.
lie was greatly mistaken if such a preference did
not meet the public appreciation. He was for tax
ng this enormous anont of twenty or thirty lhous-
and millions of foreign products imported in sin
Gle year, and all consumed in the country, and
consumed, us articles of luxury, by the rich alone,
ana leaving the deposits in possession of the States
with whom they have been placed
Mr. w. said he believed he had now noticed so
much Of the honorable Senator's speech, as required
reply; aud he would resume his seat with again
repeating that it had been no part Of his purpose
10 uscribc either extravaganza or the opposite viz
tue 10 the Administration in the purchase oil Indian
lands, or other transactions. That was not his OBJ
cct, or his point. lie only wished to present II
true financial view of the condition Of our affairs,
and TO show our national debt was much greater
and mere serious than hasly reader OF the Pres
dcnl Message might be led from lis perSual, to
conclude; aud however warmly it admonshed the
country against national debt, yet these admon-
tons were all uttered at II moment when national
heLl had already been begun, and begun III time Of
peace. Mr. w. having resumed his seat,
Mr. Wright said he rose to make very few en-
'"'' '''" "O'''
"' Wv ,Lor, cha sono,o, - n h;s odd.
,i N;', ~ ,,o.,,. ,,L;cL .'Jhoon oynon-
n'n ~, ,a ,o,,' - H., sa.o,, AI,,irs,r,,;,n
"ru "'' rn corr"d honds lie snoEr
co,, ssoI,,,;an ,,d odd ma, ho oo,fdo,, Lu,
ill., ,,,i ,,,,,,,,,;,, ocho,J L;cb b,. ron
ouoc,oj 77onL nIacn mrJnr tho nct oC Conuress If
,a ,c,I arno,nLor Iea- nnssod -, tho .xI,, sos
H.; d.. ,,a,. ,,1 ,h, ,s,,,',s;on c,r Inn, MIN,
Zenith, nnj o"r,J o,l, ho On nnor,,oJ mon honJ.
G,lliur due in that yenr.
In reference TO the Senator's remarks rs TO the
Presidents anticipation of a further dninuton of
the expenses of the Government, he preferred ,hu,
the Presiden, should sneak for himself. The Sen
ator sad that he ASSIGNED no other cause for the ey
ppctn,ion than the elimination of the pension roll Ly
death. What the President did saw was
"Causcs are in operl,on which will If is bcliey-
ed iustily still further reduction, without injury
To any lmpor,nnt national interests. The exprnse
of sustaining The troops employed in Florida have
been prudunIly and greatly rcJucrd. ,hronph the
perserycrng efforts Of the War Department; and
reasonably hone NAV be entertained, aud the nee
es,ily for military operations in that quarter will
soon cease The removal of the Indians from
within our settled borders is nearly complicated
he pension list one of the heayis charges upon the
T,e,sury, is IapidIy diminishing by death. The
most costly of our public buildings are eithe, finish
ed or nearly So and we may, | think, safely PROM
isc ourselves continued exemption from border
difficulties"
His prncipnl object in rising at This time, was TO
make correction of an error into which the SEN
ator had fallen in his first remark, in reference to
the manner Of keepipp the accounts of the ,rus,y
funds n, the Treasury Department. lie had in,cn.
ded TO make the correction before: bu, not having
noted i, on his brief i, had been FORGOTTEN. lie was
EXPRESSLY ou,horized 10 saw. that SEPARATE and dis.
tine, accounts of ali trust funds we're ken, Il, the
Denortmcut with nil the accuracy and care which
characterized the kecpinr Of any accounts there
The hooks containing ,bese nccoun,s wore recu-
lnrlv srouph, mn. and the statement Of nnv s9cb
,., Ill IT, ,,.l III .,I! ID