Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-08-04
MR. ADAMS, OPINIONS on THE
REVENUE LAWS.

III. ApAsrs, ia,answsr 70 Mr. pAK1, of New
York, rsfsSFed 10 elaimz due from TIE Govern
nsat 81 Inc War Department.
III 4, said that's far a. thers we're honest
esaIms xxainst ,ha fsovsrpsnent fOr sestiess ae-
s,,slIy rendered he should make 10 oFposiIioa 10
lheir paymsnt. but As % keeping up The army %
IL pFestnt number By eoneurrinsAWish the Sc
n,ses amendmeni, he m1st oppose T. u ihe
Military Commisses iasekded 70 report bill for
rsdaciax the srmy, he should think they might
haye dene il before this bill was eaturned from
~ senase, He should mol pronounce betwean
the I've systems, that Of prospective reduesion
according ID TIE bill Of tha eemnitiee,aaa 81
reaueSfl i'll fact hs "a The present bill d il went
from tkls House; all he had 70 say was thai il
ssnelesorn really wanted to reduce The sizeof
she arnx. they had now the opportunity b re-
fusinx he SeaAte's amendment. And notwish-
Fstaneiag inc sssuranees Of the chairman m.
SrASlsl IS 10 what would be done 1eTeaseer, be-
\ "a rnfhsr have bird ID the hand than two ii
~ bSRb rho other bilf, as MIA understood,
nroysieti for i new Organization Of tho army As
van IL lis reductions Now Mr.. A. had his own
annhss IS 10 the new plg1 OF Organization, Il
= enlb hA Z work 81 tine, and he trusted ii God
ms sou,axday would II length arrive when this
EHOpss was, 10 adjourn b Preferred acting
lnow.
i
1 Letters ne geceiysd, thoro we're any against tho
/ fstrsncbAsn. Of Athe .puSiic expenditures, Of
any which gave him satisfactory information as
rs thb mode 10 which retenue was 70 BE obtain
j edfb satisfy al thasaarpropriatiuns How did
I'VE stand now The President Of The United
States. without any authority q law, wss now
iiexying revenue on the People Of The United
States By yiftue Of his own sole authority, pre-
Iciselg as Charles Ighad levied ship money on
4haArs "a npn4o ~
that syrannieal Enactment, John Hanpden bud
suffered lmprlxonmept and-a 6ue of 100000
4 sterling; but how did !, end : The block on
WHICH the head of Charles atlast feIl presented
The answer That was precisely our own stste
III this day lin regard to the public revenues
The Secretary Of the Treasury had expressed
himself as in doubt whether a'dollaf could DO
legally collected after the lst Of june; Ne, had
since then been called upon by a solemn vote Of
this House TO say whether he bad changed his
opinioni and what did he say That he had
I BY nc means. Pill 8zs
L There was not particle Of EVIDENCE in his
! reply that bis opinion was altered one harris
breadth Ii he took very good care 20 soy mo such
!, thing but he told the House that III wasfthe
! 1opfnion OF the Attorney General, and be had
tconsequently issued circulars to all The collec-
tons in tho United States To- go on and rhise mo-
fnev from the People on the basis;of this opinion
/, Of MIR. Attofaey General and BY authority ofthes
Executive Mr.. A. desired to speak with all rel
spect of that genllemans character, talents, and
al tainments, but at the same time be could net
I but remember his opinionin regard 10 the Mis-.
/ sissippt election; that was his legal opinion,
aglinst as this was and notwithstanding all the
7 sldauence with which il had been maintained
! lin Tie House he ccufd not forget that its effscs
= vas 10 bring.the House 10 decision which they
had themselves rescinded at the subsequent ses-
B sion. Isl.
s There were other legal opinions expressed By
: The same gentemapIduring his membership in
!, This House, In which Mr.. a. had as little eonhs-
deuce All these ihipgs had not inspifed avery
s thigh opinion Of his Judgment as an authority in
& tlaw while on The other hand he scarce knew
one man Of any respectable standing in either
Ihosse, o. out. who had not expressed a. opinion
Ito 1.-The contrary nor was there, he believed,
man Of any legal euiinence on that floor who
would rise and say he agreed in opinion with tho
8 Law officerof ihe Government pnAhe contra
If rT what had The Honse Witnessed 6nihe 3Qlh 81
/. June lasl' A promising young Statesman from
!. Ohio (Mr. Weller gentiemah excessively OPP
posed 10 gags, and to all preefpitale legislation
I rose in ftonio the chair with bill which was
4 10 be passed that same dag through the House,
!, through the Senate, aHa through the President
or The United States, tg enable the Executive 10
i raise revenue. WeH the promising statesman
4 failed and then, when his project had miscaf1
ifpd, rrTS rIptIse p,e..ts saan from NJ
: York, alsosa awyer Of high character, and d
:, member OF the<Judicary Commitee,o boot, rise
+ I'm his 7lac9 and present another plan for The
: same objcsL He had made sitnila. effort ID
1 carry through his blin day, and with no better
!, snocesI And why this extfaordirary haste and
! precipitation WHY, but from the conviction
{ thaLnota dollar could he raised unless law here
! passed 70 authorize iti And.whathaa they since
! 11eenss 4 mlghlnot be in order for him 10 refer
! 70 what had passed elsewhere, bnt be might
lsuppose that in the Senate, nate Secretary Of
ne treasury, (Mr. Woodbury. i man who Of
= eonfseENould not let question like this pass
] nnexamined by him, and also himself 4 dislin.
: gulshed lawyer, had, ID The very teeth and eyes
81 NE Constitution, introduced into she Senate d,
! II Dill 10 raise revenue-a money bill-whith the
i Constitution forbade to be originated any where
: out 10 the House of Representatives. bill for
The same. purpose as these efforts il The House
70 put a patch over the great rent in the Consti
, tuition, ereated,by INCREASING or revenue ON En-.
ecuiIve nanda5e withoutfthe least authority cf
; Mr.. A. had heard Ii said ,hat one Of The al.
J thors Of the famous compromise bill zone COMES
quence, by,the-bY, Of which compromise was
II we present final condition Of this GoveEnmentl
naa expressed an opinion chat, after The Both OF
June, revenue might be collected. though no law
should be passed towarrant ii but that The other
alsHnRpished~ party 10 that proposition had de-
elaref, 10 The Plainest and mos. decisive terms,
AZ opinion directly The reverse The Judigsary
pemnIitee Of this House little as they agreed as
70 ghat was expeiient now to be done, .asreed
II perfectly thai some remedy mus, be provided for
II Sneh a s1ate ofihings. MIRA said then, ii his
Place that il was the very case Of The British
FTP money over again = case in which mil
iinns had been raised without law. aud all on the
s9is opinion Of The Attorney General, not.egea
sanctioned by that Of the Secretary Of The Trea-
4 spfy, who acted under Il, nor By any respectable
! lawyer in the country
And vel the House had had one Or The most
extraordinary acts thai ever was heard or renort-
II III from the Judiciary Commitiee-arl III nosf
taeto law sanctioning shisieyyine Of ship n one,
i which bad now continued for nearly monlb H.
fpN operation. That House vas asked 70 mass
T., and BIZ 50 doing 10 sanction and TO assume The
RESPONSIBILITY Of this Outrageous violation DC lha
Reconstruction n ofits iendefest and rpost vitan
parts on az post facto taxing III The Peop,e4 =
on their property, which BY Law was now
ffeei and tax levsed By Executive suthor;t
/ without even the form Of law This being our
sEass a present. he waited 10 know Il. his ftiehf
from New York had received any letters @Whieh.
tIisht inform The House how iEietweige milliens
/ for ne army, Ihe eleven millions for the navy
andAhe four Of fiyemiIlfons 10 part for their own
lpav, were lobe mel and satisfied Had the gen
Elen9an any leteTs on The subject Had aDvt