, 1842-02-12

or whether the Land bill was to be repealed
The only question, he commended, before tn,
Senate now, was, whether they would vot,
the five million. not called for by the Secre
tary, not wanted, and which might never b.
wanted, if the expenses of Government wer'
%retIenched as they should be.
Mr.. Calhoun said a general disposition
prevailed or his part and that of the friend
with whom he acted, to acquiesce in thu
passage of the bill as it was returned from
the House. But if the amendment proposed
by the committee was persisted in, it would
cause a protre cted debate, MnG .ould, be the
question of debate for the session. For one
he was anxious to avoid that, if possible. HI
was willing, as were his friends on this side
of the Senate, 10 vote all that was absolute
y necessary 10 supply the immediate wants
of the Government.
He deplored as much as any Senator
could, the train Of causes which had brough,
the Treasury to its embarrassed condition.
1t was the inevitable resultof the proceedings
of the extra session. That ought to have
been avoided. The committee on Finance
assumes the high responsibility to press on
the Senate at this time, an amendment which
provoked, and would protract debate, and
further embarrass the Treasury which the
bill. as it came from the House propose to
relieve.
He hoped the honorable chairman would
assign SOM satisfactory reasons for it,
Without an additional loan, we are told, that
the present ways ano means are ample, but
that the loan authorized ,st session could
not be made available. He was ready to re.
spond to the call Tor substitute for the loan.
Why. then, in asking for a substitute to raise
means which would, as it afforded relief to
the Treasury, tend TO cancel a part of the
loan authorized. do the committee introduce
an amendment for a new loan? Why, when
the Treasury is suffering when they were
uniformed as to what would be the fate of
the Distribution bill, which was proposed to
be repealed-why, when they were %uninior-
med as to the means that would be wanted
for the year, and in the face of the suffering
creditors of The Government, did the com
mittee introduce this amendment? He rose
to appeal to the chairman Of the Finance
Commute not 10 press the amendment, and
the opposition side Of the Senate to weigh
well the subject before they took the re-
sponsibiI'ty OF pressing an amendment which
opened up the general question Of the means
of the Government. He appealed to them
to leave the question Of general means Of the
year for future legislation, and vote the bill
Of supplies rs { came from the House. If
they persisted in this amendment, they would
force him, and those with whom he acted, in.
to the general question. twas, in fact, not
only the question of the session, but one that
would decide the policy Of the Government
for years to come. Upon this vote turned
the future policy Of the country. He who
votes for five millions Of Treasury notes, in
addition to the loan, votes for the estimates.
votes for the expenditure to that extent, and
votes for increased taxes, not only the five
millions this year, but that amount for future
years. He who votes for this amendment,
taxes the people to an amount correspond
ing. In fact, he neither votes more nor less
than authority to plumber the industry Of the
country. He for one must look into the SUBJ
ject, whatever others may do. 1t requires
US to look into it. to see what economy and
retrenchment could do to prevent the neces-
sity of so much additional means. 1t re-
quires US to fix the points of the future poll
cy Of the Government. He hoped the Sena-
tor, and those who assist him, will permit
this amendment to be voted down. and thus
save a protracted debate, and afford prompt
relief to the Treasury.
Mr.. Evans observed that the Senator. from
Cd o---I:-- 80 - " SNo"S "PPe"'.o
him personally, and asked, would he persist
in his amendment! In reply. he begged leave
to saw, it was a matter not under his control.
1t was the amendment proposed by the Com
mittee on Finance, Of which he was only a
member. The Senator thinks, if the motion
is persisted in, it will open up the main ques-
ton of this session, and produce a protract'
ed discussion, defeating the object Of imme-
date relief to the Treasury. That cannot
be avoided, if it must be the result Of meet
ing the fact that this additional loan is nec-
essary. Mr.. Evans here proceeded at some
length to show that this additional loan could
not be dispensed with, and commented upon
some remarks made by Mr.. Woodbury., as
to the letter addressed by the Secretary OF
the Treasury to the Committee on Finance
in the other House, wherein the present
wants of the Department were only set down
at three and a half millions.
Mr.. CALHOUN set the Senator right as to
the real issue now between him and those
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