Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-06-26

: of December, at a session commencing on
the first Monday of that month"; How,
then, can gentlemen who have at least the
temporary possession of the Government
reconcile it to duty and to patriotism to
go home and leave it in this condition.
heard the Senator from Pennsylvania, (Mr
BUcnANAN) at the last session, express
himself in favor of duty on wines and
silks. Why is he now sient7 Has he,
too, changed his opinonl
Mr.. BUCHANAN. have changed none
of my opinions on the subject.]
am glad, most happy, to hear it. Then
the Senator ought to unite with us in the
imposition of duties sufficient to produce
an adequate revenue. Yet his friends de-
nounce, in advance, the idea of imposing
duties on articles of luxury They de-
nounce an extra session, after creating an
absolute necessity for it They denounce
all measures to give us a sound currency
but the Sub-Treasury, denounced by the
People They denounce the administra-
ton of President Harrison before it has
commenced Parting from the power of
which the People have stript them with
regret and reluctance, and looking all
around them with sullenness, they refuse
to his administration that fair trial which
the laws allow to every arraigned cul prt.
l hope that gentlemen will reconsider this
course, and that, out of Difference to the
choice of the People, if not from feelings
of justice and propriety, they will forbear
to condemn before they have heard Prcsi-
dent Harrison's administration. If gen.
tlemcn are for peace, and harmony, we
are prepared to meet them in a spirit of
peace and harmony, to unite with them in
healing the wounds and building up the
prosperity of the country. But if they are
for war, as it seems they are, say, LAY
on, Macduff."
Sensation, and general murmuring
sound throughout the Chamber and CALLER
les
One argument of the honorable Senator
who has just taken his seat (Mr WRnGuT)
wish to detach from the residue of his
speech, that | may, at once, put it to sleep
forever. With all his well known ability,
and without meaning to be disrespcctful.
may add, with all his characteristic in
genuity and subtlety, he has urged that if
you distribute the proceeds of the public
lands, you arrogate to yourselves the power
of taxing the people to raise money for
distribution among the States; that there
is no difference between revenue proceed
ing from the public lands and revenue from
the customs and that there is nothing in
the constitution which allows you to lay
duties on imports for the purpose of max
ing up deficiency produced by distribut-
ing the proceeds of the public lands.
l deny the position, utterly deny it, and
| will refute it from the express language
of the Constitution. From the first, | have |
been of those who protested against the
existence of any power in this Govern
ment to tax the People for the purpose of
a subsequent distribution of the money
among the States. still protest against
it. There exists no such power. We in
woke the aid Of no such power in main
tenance of the principle of distribution, ap-
piled to the proceeds of the sales of the |
public domain. But if such power clear
ly existed there would not be the slightest
ground for the apprehension of its exer-
else. The imposition of taxes is always an
unpleasant, sometimes a painful duty.
What Government will ever voluntarily in
cur the odium and consent to lay taxes
and become a tax gatherer, not to have the
satisfaction of expanding the money itself.
but to distribute it among other Govern
ments to be expended by them? But to
the Constitution. Let us see whether the
taxing power and the LAM power are, as
the argument of the Senator assumes, idcn-
teal and the same. What is the language
of the constitutional "The Congress shall
have power to lay and collect taxes, duties,
imposts and exciseS, to pay the debts and
provide for the common defence and general
uelfare of the United States !; but all duties,
imposts and excuses shall be uniform
the States" Here is ample |
power to impose taxes; but the object for
which the money is to be raised is specified. |
There is no authority whatever conveyed |
to raise money by taxation, for the pur-
pose of subsequent distribution among the |
States, unless the phrase general welfare"
includes such a power. The doctrine,
once held by party upon whose princi- |
pies the Senator and his friends now act.
in relation to the Executive Department,
that those phrases included grant Of
power, has been long since exploded and !
abandoned. They are now, by common
consent, understood to indicate purpose
and not to vest a power. Tho clause of
the Constitution, fairly construed and I'M
derstood, means that the taxing power is
to be exerted to raise money TO enable
Congress to pay the debts and provide for
the common defence and general welfare.
And it is to provide for the general welfare,
in any exigency, by fair exercise Of the
powers granted in the Constitution. The
Republican party of l70S, in whose school
was brought up, and to whose rules of
interpreting the Constitution / have ever