Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-26
wENTY-sEyENTH CONGRESSES session.
SPEECH or Mn JONES OF YIRGISIA.

SfEECH Or Mn. JONES OF VIRGIslA
ON TIE LOAN BILL.
Deliracdn the House of Representatives. JUN 10 1s4
VT Shasman: Under a rule of this House, recently
aa"ptea Tho, for the first time in nv life 70 address
we eoHihillee by the clock That rule makes it your
uu - ho'e every moment as it passes, that you may
say !" nv just sixty minutes from this time that |
have no longer the riga, TO address the committee IN
opposition 10 ms bill, winch proydss for loan of
twelve millions oil dollars, "p av as has been alleged
the deb's OF Inc preceding Administration; and based
upon report Of the Secretary oil Ne Treasury which
If to judge from its great aecu,aev has cost ia
author many day of hard labor, ana over which
he must oft have burned his own midnigh,,,m, Sir
| should lament this but for the recollect, finn,
have been preceded in this debate by gen,lem,, and
shall pro.ah,y be followed by others, who, by pd.,no
togehes ,,es fragments Of time which are allotted
eech rxsyt habed present the subject understand
ngIy to The committee and to the country.
THIS, Mr. Chairman, is financial question, and it is
my intention TO treat il as SUCH md il do not succeed
demonstrating that there exists no necessity Tor ths
oan or in other words that there should be no deli
c;ency at the close of The present year, It will not be
because have not the most ample materials 10 make
good that position but The fault will be either IN your
rule, which limits my remarks TO one hour or Il mag be
that shall not be able understandlng'y 10 present
the facts 10 enable the committee and the country to
see them as in truth they exist
do not mean 10 SAY that This economical AdmnIsra-
ton may no. produce deficiency possessing as they
claim, the power TO give away millions OF the pubic
revenue, and the right TO add TO the charges upon the
Treasury any amount of new appropriations and 70 m
crease the expenditures beyond all former preccden's
in the history of the Government. But do mean 10
say and prove, that if they will but practise what
they profess and what they stand pledged TO the conn
try 10 cnrry out mean economy in the adninlstra-
ton of the affirsof the Governmentthen, that The
means provided by Congress at It's last session are
ample for the years operations; and there will be nei-
,her "dsL' nor "d.fcl at the close Of the present
year.
Here is, perhaps, subject in which the peoPe just
ly feel deeper interest than in that which relates TO
the receipts and expenditures Of their own Govern
men'; and 10 keep them correctly advised of their real
burdens, is less the duty Of those charged with
the administration of the Government itself, than OF
their immediate representatives. My own ex-
perience in The legislative councils Of my country
has taught me the extreme difficulty OF this task
difficulty perhaps, inherent in the subject Itself,
but vastly increased by those which it IS at all
times in the power Of ingenious parsans 10 throw
around il. And when | say this, | do not intend
to apply The remark exclusively to any party; Tor,
10 extent, know, it is alike applicable to all
To invest gate this, we'll every other subject
which may BE- be submitted for our considerations WIN
Freedom and if You please, with the closest scrutiny,
hold 10 be the right Of every representative OF The
people this floor and il is, perhaps, 10 be lanented
this cannot always be done free from feeling, and some
times from prejudice, which but too apt 10 conduct
the judgment 10 mos, erroneous conclusions
You, and /, Sir, well remember the oft-repeated
charges Of corruption against the late Administration,
which daily rung IN our ears by rs pnitcai oPpo-
nens. How often have We been told that i the doors
Of the departments Of the Government could be thrown
OPEN aud The misdeeds of those then in power dragged
TO light, what Illuminating spectacle we would be-
hold aud what load OF public debt would be DIS
closed The charge then was, that the committees Of
this House packed; that the books and accounts
we're kept By those into whose custody they were
placed sealed from public view aud hence that no OPP
portun:y afforded to bring TO light the mlsdeeds
complained Of. This, Sir, was the charge. But we
all know that the before the last, The Then
Speaker of Tie House mir. Iun,erl INDUCED gentle
men in all they could desire lie appointed four stand
inr committees 10 investigate those departments here
were five members each commtee-three Wings
and two Democrats-wIlh Wing chairman ~ every
case men Talents and of business habits, as all would
aprec: men who were not only competent TO make the
bu Willingness, SIR, willing-to ex-
po.e fraud wherever il mi gh be found to exist They
had at the first session, more than seven months 10
make these Investigations, and three months at the
last-time enough, III all conscience. And what was
the result of their labors' If light in my recoi-
lection but of these committees ever made arcport
all; and that believe, was never acted on 10y TINS
House.
Since that time political power has passed into other
hands The bolts and bars are now out OF the way
For more Than four months they have had access 10 the
books papers, aud accounts; and had the aid OF nearly
full regiment rclerhs assist in their Investigations
And what is the RESULT Have they made appear that
there was on the 4h of March, $40, 600 OF debt
and liability incurred by the late Administration, ana
handed over by that, 10 be paid by the present Admin
istration "a was gravely contended by leading mem.
Der Of the Wing party (slr Barnard) now IN M eye:
They have not made that discovery. What says the
Secretary Of the Treasury this branch oil Tue SUD-
iect, That there WIS, the 4th of March, le1l ~
the Treasury olhe u S. available balance Of SOLO,
SUB with power 10 issue S3,ll'i. oi treasury
notes There were, then, OF available means, ~ l"e
control of the Secretary, lie shows, $o,c61.S9o-
HIVE thew been able 10 show that there was one dollar
of delhi epally charceabe on the Treasury then IN
maid, They have not made that discovery. WHAT,
then becomes OF the charge that there was iorty i
lions of debt outstanding against tie government TOT
az wa. universally regarded and was upon he ups "
everv man who undertook 10 speak oil The state OF me
T,a.snrv although now disclaimed by the honorable
member from New York Sir, the assertion IS now us
cl,;mod bv the honorable member from New foik-
S; tbc assertion is now dsproyed by their own oih-
Gers in whom even those who made the charge must
conide And all must admit mat the pecrn,1ry ia
bI;,;cs If the Government have been pnncinay met,
.nd tho prhlic faith maintained Inyloate There was,
tben no m Ecit on the 18th of March; none on the Isl
r nne and there should have been none either on the
Int of September, or at the close Of the year
gut we have been told that the means provided oy
Congress at the last session were not sunicen, 20
.n,ble the Government TO meet puncnally It's lIaoill-
lies through the year and that hence had arisen the
necessity Of converting Congress for the purpose Of re-
lieyinc the Treasury of the United States ! am
aware that in the Proclamation oil the PRESIDENT, s-
sned ON the 9TH day of March, just thirteen days alter
The Of The last @ s."m %ss
,tc,c we're "sundry important and weighty matters,
principally growing out Of the condition Of The revenue
and finances of the country" which called "for the con-
sderaton of Congress al earlier day than It's next an
nual session." This was the ostensble reason Bnt
the true and real objects to be accomplished have been
since much more clearly developed. why, SIR urgent
as was the alleged necessity which brought US toge-
t IL and large as was the estimated deficiency in
the resources Of the Government on the LIST OF sep
TENDER next, during The six weeks we have been ~
session we have scarcely heard OF the treasury
mean in the form of bill calculated to relieve the
wants and necessities complained OF. And what must
ba We been the establishment of the people when they
came to be informed tina, Of the first acls OF tins
Administration which comes INTO power on i'S pfo'es
sons ofeconomy and retrenchnent, was not to Tepen-
isb blu. to take from the Treasury from three to hive
millions of dollars annually, and give it away yes,
with an empty Treasury, you give away millions, ana
rs nro1nce The necessity for loan. You then Dor