The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-09-21

them yourself, and thought it more proper thai
you should commune with them through you
constitutional advisers. You expressed wish
that the whole subject should be postponed till
the next session of Congress You spoke OF
the delay in the Senate of the consideration Of
your veto message, and expressed anxiety as
to the tone and temper which the debate would
| assume.
Mr.. BADGER said that on.inquiry he was
happy to find that the best temper prevailed
| in the two Houses. He believed they were
perfectly ready TO take up the bill reported by
the Secretary of the Treasury, and pass it at
once. You replied, Talk not to me OF MIR.
EwING's bill il contains that odious feature
of local discounts which have repudlated in
my message Il then said to you, have no
doubt, sir, that the House, having ascertained
your views, will pass a bill in conformity TO
| them, provided they can be satisfied that it
would answer the purpose of the Treasury, and
relieve the country You then said, Cannot
my Cabinet see that this is brought about p
You must stand by me in this emergency
Cannot you see that bill passes congress
such as can approve without inconsistency ?
declared again my belief that such bill might
be passed. And you then said to me, what
do you understand TO be my opinions! State
them, so that | may see that there is no misap-
prehension about them
| then said that understood you to be of
opinion that Congress might charter bank in
the District of Columbia, giving it its location
here To this you assented. That they might
authorize such bank to establish offices of dis
count and deposite in the several States, with
the assent of the States. To this you replied,
Don't name discounts they have been the
source of the most abominab!e corruptions and
are wholly unnecessary 10 enable the bank to
discharge its duties to the country and the
Government
observed in reply that was proposing
nothing, but simply endeayoring TO state what
had understood to be your opinion as 10 the
powers which Congress might constitutionally
confer on bank that or that point | stood
corrected. then proceeded to say that I'M
derstooa you to be of opinion that Congress
might authorize such bank TO establish agencies
in the several States. with power TO deal in bills
of exchange, without the assent Of the States,
to which you replied, YES, if they be foreign
bills, or bills drawn in one State and payable
in another. That is all tie power necessary
for transmitting the public funds and regula-
llDp exchanges anu inc CuiICAiI y
Mr. Webster then expressed, in strong terms.
his opinion that such character would answer
all Just purposes of Government and be salts
factory to the People and declared his prefer
ence for it over any which had been proposed,
especially as it dispensed with the assent
Of the States TO the creation Of an institution
necessary for carrying on the fiscal operations
of Government. He examined 1t at some
length, both as 10 its constitutiOnality and It's
influences on the currency and exchanges, IN
all which views you expressed your concur
renee, desired that such bill should be intro
duced, and especially that it should so into the
hands of some of your friends. To lily enqGi-
ry whe Their Mr.. Sergeant would be agreeable
to you, you replied that he would. You espe-
ciaIly requested Mr.. Webster and myself 10
communicate with Mcssrs. Berrien ard Sar-
geant on the subject, to whom you said you
had promised to address mole, bat you doubted
not that this personal communication would be
equally satisfactory. You desired us, also IL
communicating with these gentlemen, not 70
commit you personally, lest, this being reccg-
missed as your measure, it might be made sub
ect of comparison to your prejudice in the
course OF discussion.
You and Mr.. Webster then conyersed about
the particular wording Of the 10th fundamen-
tai article, containing the grant of power 10
deal in exchanges and of the connection in
which that grant should be introduced you
also spoke of the name OF the institution, dcs-
ring that that should be changed. To this
objected, as it would probably be made a sub
ject of ridicule, but you insisted that there was
much in name, and this institution ought
not TO be called bank. 3ir Webster IN
dertook TO adapt it in this particular to your
wishes. Mr.. Bell then observed TO Mr.. VI cb- /
ster and myself that we had no time TO lcsc ;
that if this were Immediately attended to, an
other bill, less acceptable, might be got up and |
reported. We replied that we would lose no
time. Mr.. Webster accordingly called On !
Messrs. Berrien and Sergeant Immediately, /
and | waited on them by his appointment at .
o'clock on the same day, and agreed upon the /
principles of the bill in accordance with your .
expressed wishes. And | am apprisod Of the |
fact, though it did not occur in my presence,
that after the bill was drawn up, and before it .
was reported, it was seen and examined by .
yourself; that your attention was specially /
called to the 10th fundamental article; that on /
full examination you concurred in its provis: /
ions; that at the same time its name was so |
modified as to meet your appreciation and the !
bill was reported and passed, in all essential !
particulars, as it was whan ii came through .
your hands.
You asked Mr.. Webster and myself each to |
prepare and present you On argument touching .
the constItutionaiiy Of the bill; and before
those arguments could be prepared and read /
by you, you declared, as heard and believe,
to gentlemen. members Of the House, that you
would cut off your right hand rather than ap-
prove it. After this new resolution was taken
you asked and earnestly urged the members of