Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-05
RICHMOND, FRIDAY, AUGUST S, 1912


Points made in the Senate-on Tuesday.
We are so much crowded with the proceedings of the
Senate Of Monday that we have for the sketch
OF Tuesdays. We seize, however, upon few of the
points, which pressed in The of the Debate.
The Speeches Of Messrs Bagby and Woodbury. (b.ehy
as they are sketched in the Globe are full of interest
They serve 10 show the of the Federal Wings
in their true light The grounds put forth by Messrs.
Wright and Berren calculated TO throw much light
on the den0ncment Of the drama.
Mr. Bag6y commended, with irresistible force, that to
distribute $4,000, 900 among the States, which de-
rived from the sales of the public lands, required an
equal exercise of the power, the distribution of 49,,
100000 among the States, which was derived from the
customs. lin fact, it is the same thing. What they
give away from the lands, they must raise from the
people by duties. Aud have Congress the power TO
raise money from the people for the purpose of giving
it away TO the Staes' Whence their power) In fact,
as Mr.. Bagby conlendcd the act certainly a
violation of the Constitution And he asked the ma
jorty at what time they doing ths' When they
were without dollar in the Treasury, without credit,
and without law 10 collect any and yet, in
such condition of the public finances, they proposed
TO give away the land fund from exhausted Jrea,
sury He suggested, that the true secret of the per.
,inncty of the Wings, in sticking TO the Distribution
under such gloomy circumstances, was because 1t was
Wing party measure-it was one OF the six measures
to which Mr. Clay had declared at the Extra Session
the discussion OF Congress should be confnedthnt he
It's father and Orgnatorand, for that reason, the
measure adhered 10 with The grasp of dea'hthat it
for this reason, the Wings had snld, rather than
give up the land fund, away with the Constitution,
Union, and every thing else. He asked how long il
had been since the Senator from Virginia Mr Archery
believed that be ought to hold to the distribution
with the tenacity of death and when that gentleman
said that the better policy would be To retain the land
frnd, yet he would mot snccumb TO the views of the
Executive, 1t amounted TO this that the Senator will
do tina, which he considers right, merely because
the President ngrees with him. And he reminded The
Senator from Virginia Of what he said in his speech of
1898, in which, reference 10 distribution, he said
"Was there Of justice torpid as not to be
awakened at the proposition z; He asked Why the
sense of Justice of the Senator so torpid now?
Mr.. Berrien was anxious to amend the BILL rs 10
suspend the Distribution Till the Both June, 1914, be-
cause it would enable the land fund to be applied 10 The
use Of the Government when it most needed H. and il
wonid admit of another appeal to the People. and
ther Congress- fresh from the People, 10 decide further
upon it-but he the nexorabe and iron rule, which
his friends had come 10, to reject all mendmens, and
avoid the necessity of returning this bill 10 the other
House. He concluded by declaring that he did not
agree with those who thought, that should is bill taH
Congress ought 10 ddjourn and do nothing FIR the
htf Of the GorernmentIha it aras their duty TO pro
ride means 10 carry II aud he trusted they would
not neglect TINT duty.
Mr. WoodLury spoke upon the question-and every
sentence was n pencil Of light. He conlended that
the 9th section Of this bill was making nco dstri
button act-ihai the bill Of the last session recognised
no reht in the States 10 these lands their proceeds
MARX you this we modern snses, who have discovered
the newanged doctrine, that the lands belonged TO
the States Sta,es he said the bill Of the last
session went upon the basis assumed from the start by
Mr. Stevenson (of Pennsylvania and followed up al
by Mr. Clay in 1899 that The right clearly
in The T. S-(Mark ye again, Aessrs. nnovators these
fac,s) land that only when surplus in our revenue
should happen at any time, it might be useful and ex
prd.ent TO give it the Staes-thu, Mr. Clay himself
positively declared in 1892 when arguing in his Report
for the Distributions that the measure recommend
ed then only, because thesc proceeds no longer
needed to meet the ordinary expenses of The Govern
nent"-but do we not need these proceeds now lie
stated, that last September the majority moi
willing to divide the lands, if thereby taxes must
be raised beyond twenty per cent. That rate, they
had satisfied themselves was proper both for re-
venue and incidental protectinn-and 1t the re-
ceips from the lands then became surplus, 1t
might be expedent to give them to the States in Ii
miled manner. But is Mct the now Is that the
proposition to be obliged to increase those du-
ties nearly double, end several OF them TO 100 per cent
in ordrr to make these receipts from lands surplus
Or as be obliged TO lag more tarcs 10 pay our ex
penses, instead Of using the very land receipts thus
given away. And even MIR. Clay said in 1892,
that il was unconstitutional 10 distribute any thing e1
cept n surplus, or even 10 collect taxes tor The pur
posc of Distribution Mr.. w. urged upon them 10 lay
over this que of Distribution TO put it into sepa
rate BILL let it stand alone, and upon its own merits
md not to expose the whole Tariff, as many anticl-
pate TO veto and loss, merely to make the
experiment of a new distribution principes,
and in nt,c condition IF our fiscal afnirs On this
side of the House, wash our hands of it, Ne ,onnt
proper tariff passed, and in proper tariff form, and
not mixed up with other controversies and, in fine,
such one as rii yield suitable rerenue for The
crisis Let those who refuse this, take warning as 10
the rcsponsibiitv- for none Of go home with
honor unless we first fairly egslae for the occasion,
Sc-(T'rup-most trne-and We will not even now
hermit ourselves believe that the ma ory OF both
Houses bold, and bad and mad enough to adjourn, to
leave the ship the breakers, and without resources,
because this bill will be vetoed (Which it will certainly
br and the Wings are, therefore, bafied in their Clay
scheme of distribution, bad as ii is at all times, and
insane rs il is in this exhausted condition OF the Trea-
sury. md unconstitutional as Mr. Clay said in ~ II
would be- because, instead of there being surplus TO
share the Government STEPPED TO the lips in poverty
and in debt
MIR. Uripht warned gentlemen against the course
they were pursuing. He could not in conscience vote
for the BILL if every other item were precisely what he
desired so long the 9th section were retained IN
for he did not believe he had right to vote tax in
this form, for distribution among The States; and all
must see that this the tbrc of the bill He de.
clared he was ready any Senator TO vote tor
tariff. which was calculated 10 raise sufficient revenue
for the support of Government, even according to The
demands of the present Administration. Neither was
he one of those who held The iron bedstead rule. He
had never supposed they could make protective tariff
hill nv adopting uniform rule Again: he had never
been one Of those who rcpudnied the protection oi
American interests SO for as strictly revenue tariff
could furnish lha, protection. Bot he would not lay
cent uf duty for protection Of itself
After the Senate had rejected all the proposed amend
ments,
Mr. Benton said he had great many to make; but,
as the hour was late, he moved an adjourn ment-
which the Senate refused by vote of "a to 20 lie
then rose to offer amendment; and warned gentle
men that no iron rule they might lay down for them
selves would battle his purpose-that he would 60 on
and sit them out and try their power of endurance-he
had as much muscle for it as any of them, DC NC On
Mr.. Crincndens suggestion who, wha very bad grace
shifted his course, the Senate Reconstructed and agreed
10 adjourn
We have reasons believe, that there will be
change Of Cubinet-but ,rhtn and hop-how many Sc.
retaries will 20 out, and who will in, We cannot
even conjecture Mr.. F"rward is seriously sick, and
will probably leave the Treasury. Mr. Spencer will
nlso probably leave the War bureau-and il has been