The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-11
CONGRESS.

announced TO supply the vacancies produced by
the permission given to others to resign their
places in the Committee on Foreign Affairs :;
Messrs. Holmes, Shepperd, of N. c., Chapman,
of Alabama, White, of Louisiana, and Cooper,
of Georgia
A small number Of resolutions and petitions
were received by general consent. As it APP
peared that much time would be thus consumed,
Mr.. Fillmore arrested the progress of their pre-
sentation, by a motion to go into Committee of
the Whole-but was reminded by the Speaker
that the business pending for the morning hour
was the motion to lay the resolution from the
Committee on Manufactures on the table
call OF the House was ordered-and 176 mem
bers finally answered to their names. Further
proceedings in the call were suspended. The
question being put, shall the resolution be adopt
ed, was decided in the affirmative by vote Of
l0S to 70.
Mr.. Stanly offered resolution that the Com
mittee on Public Expenditures should be al
lowed to employ clerk. After an explanation
from Mr.. Stanly, of the necessity Of the assis-
lance of a clerk to copy sundry papers in the
Departments required for the information of the
Committee-objection were made by Mr..
Brown, of Pennsylvania who thought it was
asserted that numberless abuses and extrava
gances had been already discovered, previous
to the last election, and that few had been left
concealed If abuses were yet 0 be ferreted
out, he thought the members of the Committee
might make the discovery themselves, without
further expense. He was followed by Mr..
Merriwether in reply; BY Messrs. Profit,
and Williams of N. Carolina, who advocated
the appointment OF the clerk, and by MIR. Gil
mer, who explained the progress made by the
committee on retrenchment. Mr.. Linn made
some remarks showing the amount Of drudgery
to which the members Of the committee We're
subjected, and the indispensable necessity of
assistance; when he concluded, he moved the
previous question. The vote was taken by the
yeas and nays on the resolution, and decided in
the Acknowledgements H. nays 50.
The House then went into committee Of the
whole on the state of the Union, Mr.. Briggs in
the chair, and took up the Civil and Diplomatic
Appropriation bill. After some conversation be-
tween Mr.. Fillmore and Mr.. Gilmer, relative to
postponement of its consideration TIL tomorrow,
Mr.. Gushing proposed an amendment substltu-
ting Sl5,50o for the $l2,500 appropriated for
the payment of the clerks OF the House. The
salaries OF two clerks had been struck out be-
cause their appointment had not any other legal
sanction than an appropriation law. Mr.. Cu5h-
ing said that the same objection applied to many
other appropriations, and if the principle adopted
by the Committee of Ways and Means were adj
hered TO in one instance, he should insist on It's
being adhered TO in all. Several others particl-
pated in the debate-among them Mr.. Fillmore,
in explanation of the views of the committee,
OF which he is chairman. Mr. Gentry, who
moved recommtment Of the bill, that all the
reforms alluded to by Mr.. Gushing might be
made; and Mr.. Wise, who maintained that,
under the exception contained in the 76th rule,
the appointment Of additional clerks may be
legitimated by an appropriation law That
rule prohibits the report on general appropria-
ton bill, of an appropriation for any expenditure
not previously authorized by law, unless in con-
tinuaton of appropriations for such public
works and objects as are already in progress II
had been usual to regard the term works alone,
and 70 affix no force TO the word objects And
yet, under this part Of the exception, additional
clerk labor might be egitimated by an appropria
ton law, the employment of clerks having been
already authorized by law.
In the Senate the bill to confirm certain land
cl,ims in the State of Louisiana, and the bill to
enable claimants in Arkansas Mississippi, Mis-
souri,, and Louisiana, to institute suits to test
the validity of land claims in those States, were
ordered to be engrossed for third reading.
THE EXCHEQUER BILL-COMPRO
MISE.
The plan of finance before Congress is I'M
doubtedy the most important subject demand
ing serious and decisive legislation. If this sub
ject is amicaby disposed of-satisfactorilya d-
justed--a political millennium will ensue. The
country will be prosperous and the people hap
py; the rancorous outburss of partisan passion
will abate !; our credit at home and abroad will
be permanently reinstated; the demagogues,
the dogs Of party, will have no longer "the
bone Of contention;'' in peace there will be
plenty, and in war we will be prepared for any
emergency. The people desire the consumma
ton of such an event-their interest and honor
combine TO demand it. %g.
The only difficulty in the way, is the selfish
schemes and treacherous devices Of ambitious
members, which run counter to every measure
of the Administration that is calculated to effec:
any good for the country, or to rebound to the
honor of the President. We trust however,
that patriotism will prevail. We will not be-
lieve that the representatives Of mighty and
magnanimous people, will withhold their sup
benefit, at such crisis as the present. We in
woke them to permit patriotism 10 overcome