Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-23

their own condition. Bat giren a,cay-yes, to Tn
the last cent gren amay foreverto pamper the fecHrs
extravaganza Of a Government forever preaching re
trenchmeni ard economy and forever heaping miiiio
upon million Of annual expenditures "to sucke afhe
and dry nurse the land
The committee submit 10 lie House lheir thh'sn'
ing opEon that Tic appropriation OF any past ot III
proceeds of the sales olhc public lands TO the oraiha
annual exrc nd'iures would be The only eiircua and
re'evable gi1inS aray CT that greet and nestimaoi
inheritance of the American people. That, il once tina
growing and inexhausble fund shall be doomed
fern the whole any part of the nays anu anfanS ~
the annual estimates Of the receipts and expenditures
the national Government, Tie people may BID iare"ei
long fare WE'LL 10 every hope of ever receiving 20
lar useful improv from that gift oil God TO then
HI cIue.ly aud prff!ousy wrestcd from their iana'
Ninercm Of the States of this Union, in the ardent
perhaps, in Gases, nsaeratr'y ardent pnfsu
of hs Improvement OF their own CONDITION., nave VI
GENE involved, some of them heavily involved, IN ceo
The greatest portion of this debt has been cnnrac'e
for the accomplishment Of stupendous wohs 10 expe
dite and facilitate the intercourse OF travel and Of trad
between The remotest extremes OF this great Republic
swarmBg, from year 10 year, with redoubiing million
Of population 1t is no exaggerated estimate oil the va
uc Of these works 10 say, That the saving OF time,
labor and pcnse to individual citizens oil The UNION
enjoying the benefit of these public works, more tina
epays in every single year, Tue whole cost OF ihe'
construction.
Blu, while these immense benefits have been thus Sc
cured TO the people, community Of individuals, Tn
States which authorized them have contracted burdr
Of liabilities heavier than they are able TO bear lhe
need the assistance Of friendly and powerful hand
and where should they find it but in tie sympathles
the national Government in their fidelity 10 The trus
committed To their charge in this immense and unos
boundiess public domain; The application of the pro
cceds of The public lands TO alleviate the burdens
these debts pressing upon the people OF almost ell ih
States, is If not the only, tie most uncxceptlonab
Mo nf Ia ip miu
lieve The people of the States from the pressure n TN
burden bearing upon them relief consisting only o
the distribution among them of their own property
"a relief furnsl q them the means OF paying TO th'
United States themselves no uconslderabe portion o
,,r debts due from the States to them so that By one
and the same operation Tie people of the States will b
relieved from The ntoleraLle pressure of their debt
and the common Treasury of the Union, will receive
back in payment Of debt small part Of the same sums
allotted the States their respective portions OF the
distribution.
The committee regret that the shortness Of the time
winch they have allowed themselves for the rrrfaTa
ton Of lhis report corsrans them to pass over nnier
Gus other considerations amounting IL The cra!esl Ge
monsralon that the distribution among The states o.
the proceeds OF the sales OF the pubic lands VIII De IN
6ney conducive to the ends Of justice and 10 the
relief ui The People from their hdn the
devotion of the same funds 10 be swallowed up in the
insatae gulph of the ordinary ANIMAL expenses a" The
Federal Goyernmenito perish IN the using IKE Tue
nine millions Of the fourth nstament promised to the
States the eight millions ol stock IN the Bank
Of the u. States, the five or SIX millions oil Indian
trust and Navy pension FUNDS, a sunk, during Tie Van
Buren Administering without leaving wreck behind
This view cf the reasons Of the President for OBJ
cctirq 10 The passage Of the bill might be extended Tar
more into detail, and al leading to the conclusion thai
they are lctble Inconsistent, ard unsatisfactory.
remains only for the House TO take by yeas and nays
The ours ton unon the ira passage ofhe bll and as
Io nf he cannot
hvpohe,ically the absurd hope of majority either IN
tins or The other House of Congress competent 10 lie
enactment of the bill INTO law, they leave tie House
to determine what further measure they may deem ne
cessary and practicable by the legislative authority IN
the present calam,tous condition of Tie country.
TLey perceive that The whole legislative power OF
the Unun has been for the last fifteen months, with re-
ua;d Ia the action Of Congress upon measures OF vital
Importance in state ofsuspended animation, strangled
Ivy The FIVE times repeated structure OF The Executive
cord They observe that, uncer these unexamped oo-
s!.uct,ors 10 The exercise ol their high and legitimate
duties thay have hitherto preserved the most respect
FIJI orbearance towards The Executive Chief that w'ns
he inns time alter time annulled by the act Of his
will .!e commission from the people to enact laws i"r
the common welfare, they have ior5orne even The ex'
p7esson OF their resentment Of these multiplied insults
and iniurics-they believed they had high destiny
to fulfil by administering to the people IN the form
of law remedies for the suiferlngs which they had
too lon, endured The will of one man has lrus-
raed all their labors and Frustrated all their powers
The majority of the Committee believe that the case
has occurred in the annals OF our Union, contemplate
Nv the founders Of The Constitution by the grant to the
Ilonse Of Representatives of the power 10 mpeach the
President of the U but they are aware that the re-
scr, 10 that expedicn insight, i'll the present condition
,hl = AFFAIRS prove abor.ive. They Tint The ir
reconci!sbe difference of opinion and o action between
the Legislative and Executive Departments OF The TO-
vernmen, is but sympathetic with the same discofdan'
vicws and feelings among The People. To them alone
tho final issue of the Struggle must be left. In the
so,row md modification under the failure oil all helr
bors To redeem the honor and prosperity oil heir cou
try il is cheering consolation to them mat the Ter
ul,alion of their oicia existence Is nj mana; lha'
they ere even now about 10 return to receive the SEN
tenca of their constituents upon themselves; that the
legislative power Of the Union, crippled and Disabled as
il NAV now be- is about TO pass, renovated ana reVVi
fed nv the will of the People, into other hands, upon
whom will dcvove the task of providing that remedy
for the public distempers which heir own nonesl u1u
,ronziny energies have in vain endeavored Ia supply
The meyer Of the present Congress I" enact laws es
,,,,l 70 The welfare Of the people has been struck
with oncplcxy by The Executive hand. Submission 'o
his will is The only condition upon which lie VIII per-
Mi, them 10 act For The enactment OF measure ear
nc s,ly recommended By himself he forbds their acton
unless eouoicd with condition declared by linselt &c
be ON subject so totally different that he will not
.nlfcr them coupled in the same law. With that conoi
,;on Congress cannot comply. In this state oil things
he has assumed, as the Committee fully believe, me
exercise of the whole legislative power to h'mseil
and is levying millions of money upon the people
without any authority of law. But the final deci
sion of this question depends neither upon Leg'sia
tive nor Executive, bu: upon Judicial authority MOI
c,n the final de csion of the Supreme Court upon u
bevprcnounced before the close oil the present ION
cress In tic mean time the abusive exercise Of the
constitutional power of the President TO arrest The &C
ton of Congress upon measures vital to the welfare
tho pecp!e, has wrought conviction upon the minds o
majority Of the Committee that the veto power lsei
must be restrained and modified by an amendment t'
the Constitution ITSELF resolution for which they &C
cordinuly herewith respectfully report
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,
JNO. NJ. Bolts,
JAS. COOPER,
K. RAYNER,
THOS. J. CAMPBELL,
TRUMAN SMITH,
f. GRANGER,
RI. s LANE,
JEREMIAH MORROW,
A PEARcE