The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-09-09

matters noticed in the Presidents message
The Committee of Finance was prevented from
acting OH the Exchequer--the Committee on
Military Affairs from the Army Forlifcalions
and The Florida war-the Committee on Naval
Affairs from the Navy and maritime de fences
and several other committees from nearly, if
not equally Important affairs To show the i'm
preston Of this '' needless" debate. we 90 back
to January 10Th, and extract the following from
the Intelligencer of that date:
"The .hfh week of The session has passed away
without the accomplishment of any important object
by Congress no bill having yet passed both Houses
but the partial appropriation bill Nothing has been
done, has there been any step taken, beyond the
port of two bills by the Committee of Ways and
Means, toward providing for the deficit in the ways and
means which is of course every day increasing by the
demands which the opening of the first quarter of the
year acumuates against the Treasury. Government
with such rasi resources, and many titles to high
credit that Of the United States, may perhaps af
ford to trhe with its credit but the eTpedeney of do
ing so may lceH DC doubted The pride Of the majority
WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS STATE
OF THINGS, should, one would think, be stirred to
prompt action by the undisgused chuckling of the
Opposition at the poverty of the Treasury"
This was a ack-handed blow at It's friends,
I
fore this, the same paper justified all the delay
in the following words
1T (the debate) has at least furnished the public
with materials for forming opinions some of the
topics embraced in it,"
On the 2lst of March, when Congress had
been in session four months and halt, in speak
ing of the debate ON the Loan bill, the Inlelli-
gencer said
"On this bill debate as latitudinous the whole
field Of political controversy, and having very little
relation 10 the question really involved in the BILL has
sprung up and threatens unless stayed by SOME cise re-
strain to endure, for any thing to prevent
it, for the whole remainder of the session."
About January |, bill was introduced to
meet the deficit in the Treasury
January 5, Mr.. Fillmore introduced bill au
thorzing the Secretary of the Treasury to is
sue Treasury notes to the amount of SIS 000,-
OOO At this time the Government was under
protest for hundreds of thousands, and the
House refused TO consider the bill.
January 10, Mr.. Fillmore called up the Trea-
sury note bill, and was Obliged to state that the
Secretary was urging him to action because
even warrants could no longer issue.
January IA, the bill passed the House.
January 10, the bill was called up in Senate,
and MIR. Evans stated that the deficit was one
million of dollars, and daily increasing.
January %, Passed the Senate, and was sent
to the House, aciM amendments.
January 80, the Treasury note bill passed
finally, and became a law by the approval of
the President.
January 81, the Intelligencer, in abiding TO
the passage of the bill, said:
"Though it is most seriously to be regretted that
some such measure was not carried through fire or
sir iceeks ago. might readily hare been and doubt
less would have been had Congress realized the urgency
of the occasion for it, it cannot but be subject of
congratulaton among our readers that, by this mea-
sure, the Treasury restored to state OF sovency
A word about this article The Intelligencer
reereiied that the Government was under pro-
test for million OF dollars, und intin,o.ss mat
Congress would have passed the bill FIVE or six
weeks before had the urgency of the measure
been known. The President informed Con-
gress Of the urgency of the measure on the 7th
of December. The Secretary Of the Treasury
did the same on the same day. The latter wrote
to Mr.. Fillmore about it, yet he did not move in
the matter until the 9th of January. The House
knew all this from the very commencement of
the session, and yet the Chairman of the Com
miltee of Ways and Means suffered the time to
run over and the Government to be protested,
before he even introduced his bill and then the
two Houses allowed twenty -four days TO pass
before it became a law. During this time,
Congress permitted the Government TO be pro-
tested for more than one million Of dollars be-
fore they gave any relief-a state Of things
arhich neuer before eTisted IN the Government.
For THE FIRST time, during the existence of
The Union, the Government was UNDER
PROTEST DURING THE SESSION OF
CONGRESS-. Be it remembered, that this
chaos of credit was permitted, sanctioned, and
even exulted over by the majority of the present
Consress-by the very men who are now Prov
ling from city to city, counting notoriety for out
rageous conduct, while the Intelligencer nolo en-
dorses all their acts.
Having shown the reckless course of the ma
jority in suffering the Government TO be protest
ed, we will now give few facts" about other
matters The Intelligencer claims that this
Congress made l09S reports reported 6lO bills,
and passed 299 bills. 1t then goes on to Drag
about the great labor of the members.
The session of Congress just closed, was
longer by forty days than any previous ses-
ssion Of the reports made, many were double
OF the bills passed, about one hundred were old
claims raked up for the purpose of appropriating
money beyond the means of the Government,
and to produce necessity for a high tariff Of
ture, and are left in condition to be quickly