Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-12

TwENTY-sEvENTII coNGREss--2d Session.
SPEECH OF MIR RlVES, OF VIRGINIA.
On the Provisional Tariff bW-ia the Senate Of the L.

SPEECH OF MIR RlVES, OF VIRGINIA
On the Provisional Tariff bH-ia the Senate Of the l.
\ S, June "a, 1912.
/ Mr.. RIVES said that far the bill under
discussion proposed temporary continuance OF Inc
present rates of duty upon foreign imports, he would
give it his cheerful support, though he could moi bul
lament the necessity Of mere provisional Legislation,
at this late day, upon subjec, of so much importance
He had hoped that, long before this tne pernia
nent measure for the nd usmen Of Tie Tariff would
have been perfected, and clothed with the requisite
Legislative sanctions Considering the time we nave
been assembled here, running to the end oil tGc
seventh month of session, and the urgent neces'
siiy for action Oh the subject growing out OF The "ei
known State Of the law lie thought the country hhd
right to have expected THIS hands. Why II had
no, been done, or where The responsibility for the onls
sion lies, il for him 10 decide 1t gull
Gent for him 10 know that no such measure was row
before them, or likely TO be in any short me und 'iat
the reduced rate of duties, they would stand, under
The existing law the FIRST day OF the next month,
would be inadequate 10 the necessary support Of the
Government lie wiling, therefore, under the
circumstances Of the casr that The present rates of du
iy, though exceeding Tie 20 per cent. ait fixed by
the Com promise act, should be continued til peiMa
nent system shall be arranged and peir ctcd by law
THIS concession, however, Eust be taken, suhjec 10
the ssal and pre-urdaned Consequences winch, uPoi
the fullest consideratinn were annexed To IL by so
Tenn act of legislation al the last Of Congress
In the law then pissed, directing, under certain cir
cumstances the distribution OF The nett proceeds OF The
public lands among The Sc vcra States il express
y stipulated aud declare d that, If at any time during
tue Of the act duties should be imposed upon
foreign imports, exceeding 30 per cent upon the value
of such imports, any u Mem, then the dslii:'not
provided in the should be suspended, and continue
suspended long any duty, exceeding % per cent
was imposed This pr, visa, Incorporated into the law,
the vital principle of existence. II was The sole
and Indispensable condition Of the votes wanting TO ell
ect the passage OF the .aw ard hy which, III point nl
fact, passage ultimately Effected, we'll
known and fully declared II, The tune. Nev'r. ven
iure TO assert there legislative adlusmeh OF any
SUBJECT which received more deliberate, uncquvocal
and obligatory sanction, than did tins prorSo 10 the
Distribution act
have been asonishcd, .,'. President, at the eviiy
and recklessness with which Chairman Of the Com
mitee Of Finance, (ir. Evans,l seemed inclined to
treat this matter. He denies that there any thing
of The cha racter of compromise in the ransncton be-
cause Of the enenies, md Cn OF distribution,
were induced by the provIso 10 vote Tor the iaw-ATe
we 10 understand then, from the new code dc J"re beh
and racs, promulgated by the honorable Senator That
faith is 10 he kept with enemies, but with
friends: 1t is well known, that there were III Tie
ranks Of The dominant party, here some Eve or SIX
Senators not smii,en with tie charms OF d'slri-
button per Sc TO the phrase of the day. 10 be
prepared sacrifice every other interest OF the coun
try to it, Taey and their constituents Il IL equal
tees at least, a wise nnt equitable adjustment OF the
burdens Of commercial tariff, and IN tie maintenance
of sound national credit. They were unwilling,
therefore, vote for distribution, unless they could
full and perfect security for the other great interests
referred to- Hence, they insisted that, II at any time
after the 30th of Jnne lcI2, duties should be imposed
upon foreign imports, exceeding ~ per cent ulie limit
established by the Compromise act Of lS33,) the land
fund shoald in that contingency, 10 be dist
bu,ed among the States, and return into the national
Treasury.
My honorable friend from Mississippi, (Mr. Walk
err yesterday, gave faithful history Of the prccccd-
ngs connected with the progress and corsurImalion
l,f tLe mr. N Is
every particular, by the authentic and imrer,siahle
record Of our journal. II will be there
HAT the honorable Senator from Georgia (Alr Ber-
riem) had proposed amendment TO the bill, in ge
neral terms which moved Ia amend TO rendtr
it specific ard unequivccal, by expressly de.
caring that If a higher Guty .lan twenty per cent?
as established by Tie Compromise act, should he laid
aayarteie after tie }trh O! June, isi2 the Dsirl
button should ESu }ccio during the existence n
such higher duty. Though the amendment proposed
by me was not then carrnd yet the proposition OF thr
Senator from Georgia was, days after, modified
as 10 conform 10 ii, and, in tina. modified shape was Ii
naily adapted and Stands part and parce! Of tie
law. The stipulation which had teen insisted or,
the qua OF line votes required 20 pass the law
thus deliberately yielded and incorporated into tie
law integral aud in,recrabe element Of the inca
sure. 1t assen!rd 10 by the leading friends Of
Distribution, whose stand recon ced OF your
journal in favor OF it, and among then the Of the
chairman Of the committee which repor ed the bill,
Mr. Smith OF ludiaDa) ard also that oi TIE distinguish
ed Senator from Kentucky, (Mr. ClayD so long its ur-
dent and pcrseyerinG champion. If proposition thus
soemhly made and acccptct-not private and cues
ticnabe bargain, conducted in corncrn the conciave
OF cG:Eilttee roUn- but clcn, manly and honor
able negotiations carried the euar process OF !e
GsIaton, in the face Of Tie Senate and The verdi at
tested by official records, and finally Imboded III The
form Of law, carries wish II, alleged no de-
gree o! obligation upon the parties, at loss 10
conceive what there can be in any legislative proceed
ings To engage the responsibility or to bind the faith Of
man.
The honorable Senator from, Maine tells US That he
declared at The time, in his place. that he attached
no particular sanc,Ily to tie pfovso in the Dslr'bn
ton sct-that the same majority which might here
after impose higher duties than twenty per cenun
would have il in their power provide, al the same
time, in the same act That the distribution Of The
proceeds Of the public lands should take place, not
withdrawing the imposition Of these higher Clues
Such declaration Qhough | have no recollection OF
having heard It from any quarer) might have come
naturally enough from the Senator OF Name, who
was opposed to, and actually voted against, the pro-
vso. But suppose that It had been then made by
my friend from Indiana, Ike Chairman OF the Gem
nittee on Public Lands (h,r SmI,) or by The DIS
tinguisbed Senator f'om Kentucky, (hlr Clay} Goih
of whom, together with many other friends OF DIS
trlbuon, assisted by their votes TO engraf tins pro,
vsu upon the law-suppose that they had announced
70 u.s. in effect, that though we now vote tor tins pro-
vso, your votes FOR the bill, yt having effect
ed the passage Of the law by your operation thus Oh
tanned, shall seize the first moment vi ch may place
in hands the power, to withdraw and cancel II.
appeal to the honorable Senator from Georgia, lAir'
Brrricn,) if such sentiment and purpose hao Deeh
avowed this floor by any conspicuous friend OF DIS
lrlbuon, cho lat rottd for his amendment whether he
would, after such decluation have given his support
20 the bill appeal TO my honorable colleague Mf ar
chcr) whether would have received lis support ne
could have apprehended even any such purpose of re-
traction The part any ofthe leading friends OF Dis
rbnton who had given their votes for the incorporation
ofthc proyso in the bill But in truth, not the slightest
ss u' eonTary the whole proceedna in this Chamber
seemed give The ampest assurance tata prnciPle,
incorporated into the bill fundamental part oil lhe
measure, and known be the sole basis of any practi
cal legislative action urrn il, would be faithfully 40
hercd TO and sacredly maintained.
But tbs is not all Mr. President Not only was