Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-08-20

there had been he thought, about 1--we, IN The course Of
years tor the court Of Russia; and one Senator Oh
this floor could tell how delightful il was TO spend some
time in Italy, OH the way 10 s. Petersburg II persons
thought proper resign, why there were vacancies %
FILL and he thought it highly improper that men IN hgh
places should remain after sgna dr!ea. Of the par
~ In the first eighteen months oil The JACKSON aa"i
nis,raion, more diplomatic agents had been removed
han would be likely TO be during the whole Of the
present; aud they had the gratifying sprcarle tia'
The Government had not put forth lis strength IN al
insulting and vitupsralivc manner, such as had ~ 'o'
many instances, marked the conduct Of lis predeces
sors. With regard 10 Spa'n would any man say mat
economy was the which led 10 the change iron
minister to Charge at that court, By the preceding Ad
mnstruton' Was il not rather for the purpose oi re
forming the mission: Another where change va:
by the present Administration, was at The
court of Brazla court which, he would undertake te
say had great bearing on American interests And oil
the unfortunate changes and violent revolutions when
had taken place, Brazil had preserved her station a
young European, just budding into hope, and iull 0
American feeling, anxious 10 have minister at n'
cour-there were already fourteen envoys ex'raoIui
nary at that court and il was desirable that we aiso
should send one there. lie thought IT Of more adVan
,age than even Spain Prussia or Russia
| Mr. PRESTON offered the following amendment
which was accepted, rs q modification, by Mr. Clay
And the same information, with regard 10 such IN
crease or dinnuton during the four years IRON Ios
the four wears from 1888 and the four years from 1891
III.
| the dipomatc question. This had been sufficiently
discussed already by the Senator from Missouri, UT
| Ran,on | and the Senator from South Carolina Mr.
| Preston
The Senator from South Carolina and his party
hrouphou the late canvass, had made the most solemn
,led,es of retrenchment and reform in the admnsra
linn Of the Government, should they obtain power
The time had arrived for redeeming these pledges
and before lie took his scat lac should contrast their per
Torrance with their promises
Ia MIL n
tbouuht his speech was made ten months too late &C.
neral declarations before the election that Mr. Van Bu
ren's Administration had been extravagant beyond al
former example, were made and reiterated so o.WI
throughout the country, as 10 have produced power
f effect among the people Such declarations coult
have no influence IN this chamber. We had ove
and over again challenged gentlemen to specify SIN
gle particular of extravaganza IN the conduct oil TIT
late Administration, and they had on all occasions, ex
&c nj one srunk from the task AT the late session
CONGRESS he MIR By had called upon the present AT
torney General, mir. Crittcnden,] then all ornamen
of this body point TO single particular wherein th
extravaganza existed That gentleman had made the
attempt; and with all his wellknown Abilities had ut
terlv failed. 1t was not therefore, by general charges
of extravaganza delivered in an ore r0unGo manner
TINT the late Administration could be successfully
assailed. No. sir, no; that day had passed By. The
Wings were in possession Of all the public Offices
They had the means Of detecting every mproydent ex
penditu!e within their power, and yet they had no
4
the highest tribute which could be paid 10 the economy
Of the late Administration. lie repeated that the tim,
for general charges had gone and Senators must now
desce nd to particulars be utterly dsregarded They
could no longer retreat, by referring 10 millions in The
aggregate, when they could not show the misappca
lion of dollars Tie truth that Mr. Van Buren, !.
administration had demanded no greater appropriations
than were absolutely necessary TO carry existing laws
into execution and had expended these appropriations
with rigid economy.
Although the present Administration had come into
power but few months ago, yet he could without
difficulty point TO individual instances Of cxtravagance
which could not BE- rciulcd. lie would defer this for
the present The resolution OF the Senator from Ala
bama implied charge against the Treasury Depart
meni; and the Senator from South Carolina instead oil
ATTEMPTING refuic this charge, resorts TO recrmina
lion AGAINST the late Administration for the purpose Of
dyertng public attention from the present 10 the past
rumor has been in circulation, that the present
Commissioner of the Land Office with The approba.
lion Of the Secretary OF The Treasury, had employed
number of new clerks in his Office ; and the Senator
from Alabama had merely called for the facts. II The
rumor be false the Head Of the Department will have
an opportunity Of explaining il il true, he ought TO
have an opportunity Of showing, # this be the case
that The increase necessary The Information cali
cd for was every point of view desrab!e and could
moi with any reason, have been resisted. But what
had the Senate witnessed One OF the mos, pruden,
and cautious supporters of The present Administration
MIR Smith of Indiana,l doubtless dreadin. the re-
suit had risen in his place, ami with an aiegetc pre-
face had opposed this resolution Of inquiry as InPro
per and unnecessary, Int without GcscrEtn. 10 par
ticuars The Senator from 5. Carolina (hr. Pres
toni however finding that has friend the Senator !rom
| Indiana had made mistake rose and declared that
the resolution CHI IL pass; bu, To divert attention
from the tender point Of the case, proposed an amend
mcnl from which II might be implied that u there
bad bec. any increase Of clerks tins was lustled ny
precedent, under the late Administration. This was
certainly not the hest method oil proving that the pre-
sent Adm, nislrai'on much lauded by the Senator
was superior to .he past IN retenchment and economy
The Senator would derive no consolation IRON ms
source. The late Commissioner OF The Land Ofice,
who had been removed b. the present Administrator
had been, according to the acknowledgment OF party
friend and party foe, Of the most valuable officers
under the Government He distinguished Tor cncr-
ry and application TO business lie found vast mass
of old business hand when he red the ohce aud
he was determined that this business should be brought
up He prevailed upon his clerks to work day and
night and accomplished his task In order 70 effect this
PURPOSE nc had been obliged under act OF Congress,
10 employ number nc additional clerks These and
others he dismissed aer he had no longer any use ior
them; but the present Commissioner, il was alleged,
although Tie business Of The Office had been reduced,
employing supernumerary CLERKS, ior the puf-
pose Of :cwardng party services
But IL was almost waste of time 10 talk oil these
clerks while there many other charges oil ex-
trayagance at hand, and in point Of amount, so vastly
more important. Congress had, by majority sun
available the party in temporary possession Of Power
passed law to borrow twelve millions OF dollars, nj
though from The facts stated in the report or the
Secretary Of the Treasury HIMSELF had present need
of no more than six millions. Now, he would d:y the
Senator from South Carolina AIR. Prcstonl TO show
that the Government wanted even the six millions tor
any existing claims on the Treasury why, then, were
The eiher millions demanded and granted II 1t was
not intended that il should lie expended: ANA VIVA,
was this but cxtrayagance Was II retrenchment :
was il reform; That too absurd to be pretended
Well, this borrowing bill would have been bad enough
in Itself but, in addition to It, there was the tariff bill
10 establish system of taxation in manner unknown
10 any other civilized country in the world by TINS
taf bill, the merchants Of the great commercial cites
were have but two weeks notice OF change so sud
den and great in the duties paid upon imports What
may be the result:
| He (hIr Bnchanan) understood that orders for fall
imports embraced by this bill, had already been sen!
abroad by merchants 10 the amount OF several NIL
lions Of dollars Before these goods could possibly br
received, tins tariff bill would go into operation, and
these merchants, without any previous notice, would
have pay nd valorem duty of twenty per cent on
their goods Due and timely notice had always been