Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-12-30
a7TH CoNGREss-TuIRD SESSION
MorpAv Dee 10

iouse, announcing the death of Hon n W IL
bersham Of Geo and Mr.. Berrien introduced
the usual testimonials OF respect in most cbaste
aud touching manner, impreseinR all who heal
him with tho sincerity ofihe regret with which no
snd he announced the death Of his "enrly friend
and touching chord OF sympathy in The hearts
ofall
Immediately after the reading Of the Journal Of
me House, Mr. Gamble announced the death of
Mr. Haberslnm, and the House adjourned.
TUESDAY, Dec. 90
III senate, bills were introduced, on leave. Inv
m9 'o'Vw"g senators, and appropriately refer
req; Mr.. Linn, TO surrender TO Alabama nnd
Arkansas certain sections of the n,,blic IenJs
reported not worth survey; nlso. for ,h. se,,Ia.
ment Of Oregon Territory referred 10 n seIec,
Committee; Mr. Bates, fixing the compenss,;on
10 renson agents also, TO continue the o(fic. NJ
Commissioner of Pensions; Mr. Fulton. su,hor'
izing the sales Of lands in Arkansns. Tennsssao
aud Louisiana, heretofore appropriated for the
benefit of schools.
In the House, Mr. Gwih asked leave to ofr.r
resolution calling OH The President Cor nnv ofici,I
Information lie lngy have received relative 10 tho
recent mUt'ny on board the brig Somers, the
number Of executions Of Nbar grade of oficers
&c. Objection being made, MIR. G. moved ans
pension OF the rules for It's reception, which mo
lion was rejected without division
Mr.: Fillmore moved 10 60 INFO committee of
appropriation hill. " '''
MIR. Everett hoped the motion would NOT pro.
vail hut that the bill to repeal the bankrupt nc,
(Which had been postponed till 10 day. would be
tnkrn up
The House, having disagreed to Mr.. Fjllmor..s
motion ~ Yeas e9, Nays 0S, took up The bill for
The repeal OF the bankrupt law, introduced. as
will he recollected, some days since by Mr.. Ever
cit OF W.
Mr.. Everett stated that he had voted for ,he
bankrup, law when 1t passed, md against its re.
peal at the last session. lilo was glad that il bnd
been passed; II had had greater beneficial effect
ia relieving The country from the loud of hank
rnpicy, OF ruin and distress that had been cast ,ip-
on IT, GENERALLY speaking, without the fault of the
hankrUpts themselves, hut from the action of ina
Government and from unavoidable nsior,unes-
among which he noticed the great fire ia New
YORK, producing a probable loss of $40 OO0OOOA
lh"n any other measure which had been passed
by Congress.
But he had never desired il to be permanent
measure; lis beneficial effects lie considered nll
accomplished and as prospective act, particular
y III lis voluntary provisions he considered il de-
slruc,ive of oil confidence butween mali and man.
lie did not know but by retaining it's involuntary
provisions, and limiting its operation 10 mercantile
transactions md to dtbts Of a large amount. il
might he benefcal but he preferred its entire re-
peal and The bringing forward Of another plan, il
expedleni, on lie own merits He had, therefore,
brought forward This bill, which he thought I'M
lnSCtSsuFy 10 commit 10 a committee.
Mr.. BarnaId made an animated and powerful
spec ch against the repeal. lie spoke of The very
peculiar and hard fate of the 9Th Congress, Of
the loss OF the Wing party OF their President and
llielr subsequent misforluDes and compared their
condition to tnt Of the tabled Sisyphus They
had been compelled to roll enormous bnrdons up
steep ACTIVITY only to find some fatal ohstruc-
lion at the summit, by which their iabors mud
themselves after them were to he lumbled down
again and again TO the bottom.
But this bad been their misfortune and no, their
lau and IN the midst OF all these dfcultie. thew
hal succeeded in accomplishing some rooJ for
The country; how long any OF their measures
would be permitted 10 remain no tnan could tell,
What an extraordinary spectacle was now pre.
s ,ra. =" 'ns hmerlcan people! propesIIioD
Eyereti,l who declared this one of the best laws
ever passed, for the repeal Of the law!
Mr.. II. commented on the disastrous conse.
quence, III presenting such an example of unsta-
BILE legislation referred to the resolutions passed
by the Legislature Of Vermont in favor of repeal,
of which he said this bill was the first fruits, and
deprecated the results of being drfcd about Ivy
every wave OF popular opinion and popular deu-
sioh-of the Representatives in Congress being
governed Ivy the will Of the Representatives in
the Stale Legislatures.
Vermont he ssd vas creditor State and in
common with other creditors did not like to see
the dead body Of debl buried out of her sight but
on carcasses and it was not right that these car
casses should he kept above ground for gratifca-
ton until they limited the whole atmosphere and
poisoned the health of the whole country.
lie agreed that a temporary bankrupt law such
as referred 10 by Mr.. Everett was not bankrupt
law which carries within the sphere of the Con-
| stitutonnI powers Of Congress "io establish uni.
form laws ON the subject Of bankruptcy, and that
it was in fact not law rs il laid down no rule OF
law. hut merely an exception TO The existing rule
OF law.
The mos: odious part Of lis effects only bad vet
been seen in lis retrospective operations. and in
its benehlting debtors, and now us ils salutary eff
lrcts and real usefulness, by its prospective pro-
visions in its advantages TO creditors by enabling
them TO limit the amount OF credit 10 be given, to
compel their insovent debtors TO . liquidation Of
their accounts &c. was about 10 be experienced,
it was proposed TO lie repealed The limits of
The letter do not allow a further notice of Mr.. BIS
cogrnt arguments.
J lie concluded by moving TO refer the bill to the
Committee on the judiciary.
! Mr.. c. J. IngersOll moved nm amendment Of in
slruclions TO the Committee TO report "a Bnukrup,
Act excluding voluntary applicants and including
trading corporations.
Mr.. Winthrop briefly opposed the repeal, taking
the ground with MIR. Barnard and adducIng fur
ther reasons against the repeal bill.
| Mr.. Payne Of Ala, advocated The repeal Of tie
law as unconstitutional aud nsxpedient. ami rp-
posed Inc amendment, as support OF u ~o"d
he yielding The point Of The eonslitulionality ii
the law.
Mr. Gordon advocated the repeal, and went IN
to a senseess TRADE against The Wing party whom
he advised TO dispose Of this law soon posi-
bile, and warned that tho dispeasure Of the people
would prevent them from very soon enacIing any
other.
Mr. pickens moved the previous question,
(which would cut off The motion to commit and
bring tho House to a direct voIe on ordering
third rendingl which was not seconded-56 only
voting in the affirmative.
Alessrs. Bovine and Chas. Brown briefly oppos-
ed the commitment and advocated the immediate
repeal OF the law.
Mr.. Pickens renawed the motion for the previ-
Gus question and advised the friends OF the repeal
10 do immediate execution, lest some anendment
should be introduced aud prevail thus saving a
part OF the bill.
Pending this question, on motion Of MIR. Arnold,
The House adjourned.