Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-25

away the means Of national defence, and now hesitaet
10 retrace their steps when prudence policy ana duij
demanded the retraction. II was saiu th-t "neh Lux
crisis would come the States would be ready 10 sup
ply the General GovcrnmeSt with the means OF ne
iance-,hat they would make out means OF feiiei.-
Rpt r. this dsirbut,on act continues IN force, VII
that crisis ever come VIII. any insult provoke
declaration Of war that would virtually annu 'h I'M
net of bribery No. the net teclarlng war never WI
be nassed as long Us this measure Is IN force. lie u''
M, ,,;sb for war lie cverse to It as any one
hn, LOT The necessity exist, which would arouse th'
most peaceably disposed, md stu TINS act "ouiu o
an ;psu perable impeachment to n declaration VI W"
- Convinced as he was al this, ana OF Inc neceS
s,y for lis repeal he asked tha' me p'l' h"~
consideration should receive due attention..
,l ,,,rv discussion on a subject OF shcn aeeP ahe
vial interest He was aware thai deheae'ay .a
uae would fall unheeded on the ears Oh 0ehu'o's
had in defiance of all argument ana 'sasu and coil
~. ~ :lsa,;o, ,Uas demanded-such as became SEM
,ors MA nreat country. During this SESSION.
v;tol questions will have TO be discussed, asoass;on.
h;s desire TO see them discussed calmly mr. "a
,l Tie events Of the las, tweny-fo ii'i'"s ~,
a.,y' ,:,, or o-a,t importance, connected WIN
L. ai,,,ons Of this country with oihef countries ~
him he poin,ed out willing 10 60 - - ntt 70 70
Tho national honor, and ne wouiu oe , II, he said
'''e ~ h, would 20 farthest. But what ~ -
US III % ne aiso willing 10 show by his own eaup
lnls ne "as ready to meet all subjects oil oeoae Will
~ ness and cool deliberat'on. ,.: 49,,
M PIERCE would not enter ~" oiscuss'on "ne'"e'
The bin ought to be referred TO D"e eu''' ,, y, umo
was TO is ae,'se clear that country under pre-
e. ;rcumstances could not b. left any longer u lis
,,asont condition. 1t totally unprepared, from
rsuIy to the other of the seaboard, to defend it.
salr npans. aggression. No gentleman Oh the floor
could deny that in of conflict with foreign pow
or. more would be lost by ravage and destruction con-
scouent this unprepared state, than would defend
the country ten times over. The loss would he moi
alone money aud property, but in the blood oil vau
able citizens Ii would be- better TO appropriate twenty
millions at for national defence than TO leave the
country in its present condition.
MIR ALLEN embraced this occasion 10 express his
woS not dey 2 so us 10 allow the Legislatures of
the States TO adjourn without an opportunity of act
inc in conformity with it. 1t was well known that
many Of the States were not IN condition to bear the
expenses Of extra session, should be necessary TO
call one in consequence of the action of Congress
this measure. He should say nothing to protract dis
custom He should merely remark, that he consider
ed the Committee on Military Affairs was the proper
to refer the bill TO. This is not merely
question Of repeal 1t also embraces proposition 10
apply the revenue derived from the public lands to the
public deences of the country. And The latter being
the main object, the Committee on Military Affairs,
which had especial charge of the means of defence,
certainly The proper committee TO refer the bill to-
1t was not question applicable TO the duties of the
Committee on Public Lands |, ought not to be referred
TO that committee. Not that he doubted the ability Of
those forming that committee, but that he conceived
it came more Immediately within the functions of the
Committee Military Affairs. 1t did not appear TO him
that the observations Of The Senator from S. Carolina
in preference OF select committee, were material
enough to alter his opinion to the propriety of
ferrng the matter to the Committee Military Affairs.
He supposed the object Of the friends Of the bill was
simply 10 obtain vote for the purpose of testing the
question Ii So it was almost matter of indifference
wha. committee might be named. If he must make a
choice, he would certainly prefer the Committee on
Military Affairs.
MIR. CALHOUN had no particular disposition to pro-
tract the question of reference but he understood his
friend from Missouri to have no objection to the refer
ence of the bill to u select committee:
MIR. LINN explained that, although he did not at
first allude at all select committee, he had OBJ
lection to that course his friends seemed 10 prefer it,
MIR. CALHOUN would then at once move to refer
the bill TO select committee TO be named by the Char
The committees in charge of the deences Of the coun-
try, could each furnish member OF the select commit
tee so that the whole subject would be properly in
charge of competent committee. This would be bet
ter than charging any Of tho standing committees
with the subject, it might be doubted if one whose
attention exclusively turned to single branch OF
defence would fully appreciate other branches OF de-
fence The select committee night consist of six or
seven, to be selected he had suggested, and named
by the Chair. He felt naturally great socitnde the
subject Of the repeal of the Distribution Act OF last SEES
sion, representing, he did, State which, by an al
most unanimous vote Of its Legslaure-92 to 6-had
refused accept any part OF the funds to be derived
from this abstraction Of one Of the Of general
revenue He was anxious that bill to repeal inca
sure condemned with such unanimity by the Legsla
!YTe Of his y s! ia sRGq hqEev III d
present the subject to tho country fairly
Mr.. PRESTON said he was utterly opposed to il:
reference 10 the Committee Military Affairs. The
object of the bill was TO repeal law, dsposng of the
proceeds Of sales FROM the Public Lands and therefore
was not germane 10 any object usually coming within
tine jurisdiction of the Military Committee. 1t was more
a question, he contended, of general policy, or o.
finance; and the main point, repeal was not .
matter with which the Military Committee had pro-
perly anv thing to do lie was in doubt whether
the bill should be committed at all 1t was an IN
sulated proposition, fresh IN The memory OF every
Senator and required no investigation on the part o.
any committee The Senate was prepared TO meet the
question: and he was prepared to meet ii bluff. lie
spoke Of the extraordinarily exhausted condition of the
finances and argued that the Government was not pre-
pared 10 appropriate large amounts to ceences anc
that the best mode of defence was first to repair the
exhaustion Of the Treasury, and keep the credit oil the
country in good state that would he more e!frctua
mode OF defence than voting beyond the means of the
Government, 10 tortifcations &c. lie contended tina
the condition Of the Treasury was appalling, and tina
there would be large deficit next year-nearly four
teen millions. lie was therefore opposed TO pledgine
any specific amount annually to defenccs, but would
vote for such amount from time to time required
They wanted all the money they had, and would have
TO borrow to carry the Government. lie believed
it 10 be the ndis pensabe duty of Congress first tc
build up sound Treasury. II was important that ap
preparations should be avoided unless they could see
where the money was from For one, he could
not say that lie had not changed his mind as 10 the pro-
rrety ofhe passage Of the distribution bill last session
The policy he believed unwise: but that 1t was uncon
stilutional he did not believe lie prepared 10
trace his steps the interests Of the country demanded
Iit
Mr.. BUCHANAN said his only desire was, that il
should 20 such committee would present the rea
for repeal fairly before tie country lie believed
however, let il 20 10 what committee it might, it woulc
90 to its DEATH unless the members of The committees
had changed their minds He was in favor, for tha
reason of its going TO select committee. He had snf
icicnt confidence in the President pro tenn. that he
would give such committee would present the sub
ec fairly before the country. lie mantaincd in reply
MIR. Preston, that the condition of the country
bad asserted by that gentleman, and referred
the amount Of exports retutation Of that asser