The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-19
gmemtp=Seoemth Congress.
SECOND SESSION
IN SENATE.
FnrpAr. February Is, 1912.

Mr.. SIMMONS presented the credentials Oh the
Hon. VIM SPRAeuE, elected by the Legislature OF the
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
a Senator OF the United States, to fill the vacancy
occasioned by the death Of the Hon. N r. Dixon
MIR. SPRAGIE was then qualified and took his
seat in the Senate.
The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate COM
munication from the Secretary of State, calling the
attention of Congress to the Inconvenience OF the
present regulation for the payment OF the salaries Oh
the ministers and diplomatic agents of the Gov
eminent which referred to the Committee on
Finance.
Mr.. ALLEN presented a memorial from citizens OF
Jefferson county, Ohio asking an appropriation Tor
the improvement of the navigation of the Ohio river
also aremonstrance from Maumee city, Ohio, against
a repeal of the Bankrupt law
| Mr., WOODBURY. presented memorial from the
city of New York, proposing certain amendments 70
the Bankrupt law.
| MIR. PIERCE, from the Committee on Military Al
fairs reported the bill for the relief OF certain COM
panies Of Michigan militia.
| Mr., EVANS, from the Committee on Finance, re-
ported bill for the relief of Zacharah Jelllson~
THE COMPROMISE ACT
| Mr.. CLAY presented a memorial from Bedford
county, Pennsylvania, signed by persons employed ~
various branches of industry, atributng the eViis
which prevail throughout the country to the
Compromise act and asking Congress to arrest
the operation oF the act and establish system OF DIS
eliminating duties for the encouragement OF domestic
|
that he had been requested by the memorlaliss to
say something upon this subject, that was not cor
rect that the Compromise act had occasloned The EN-,
barassments of the country and that II II had, ne ud
not think that any reproach towards the act or towards
those who concurred in it, oughtto come from Penn
| sylvana. Two motives had operated upon his mlnd,
and he believed the minds of others, TO induce
them to concur in the passage of the law Inc lrst
was TO avert the calamity Of civil war, the hre OF
which having been lighted up in South Carolina,
threatened to extend It's flames over the whole Union
the second was to preserve from utter destruction the
i system of protection which Pennsylvania favored
when the law passed and he would repeat mere
although it would not be long before he would nave
an opportunity TO 90 into an examination OF the who're
4 subject, that if the Compromise act had not been
/ adopted the whole system of protection would
have been swept by the board by the prepon.
derating influence Of the lustrious man then
at the head of the Government General Jackson
at the very next session after its enactment
With regard to the operation of this act, it was
great mistake to say that any portion OF ne enpar
rassments of the country had resulted from It,
Other causes had contributed to this result, ana II
was to be attributed to the experiments which mad
been made upon the currency. The embarrassmenls
also be attributed to the action OF the States
which, by plunging into schemes of internal improve
ment had contracted debts abroad and thereby given
false and fictitious appearance to the prosperity OF
the country and, when their bonds deprecated, the
: evils under which they now suffered, as a conse-
, quence ensued As to the Compromise he had al
remain in the Senate, to maintain that the original
principles of the act should be carried out faithfully
and honestly and, if in providing for an adequate
revenue for an economical administration OF the Go
t vernment, they could at the same time AFFORD
t incidental protection, he would be happy If both
' of these objects could be accomplished; but
: if it should be necessary for the interests OF
Pennsylvania, to 60 beyond revenue tariit, Tor the
purpose Of obtaining protection, then ne hoped ina,
every Senator and Representative from that State ana
those who thoughtit necessary to transcend the re-
venue would take up this subject of protection and
carry to the point which their local interests de
manded.
c Mr.. CALHOUN replied and in the course Of his
remarks said that South Carolina opposed the tar OF
1923 because it palpable violation of the Con,
sttution destructive of her interests and threatened
overthrow the Government itself; and that when ne
Yielded to the COMPROMISE act he conceived That they
surrendered in toto the protective principle and were
willing to let the manufactures come down to twenty
per cent and il was only in that view tina
he acted and yielded his assent to the act to
il was his opinion that any duty which transcendeo
twenty per cent was palpabe violation of the Con
sttution and more especially, if it were caused by
surrender of any branch Of the revenue He did MOI
agree with the Senator that it would have been IN the
power Of General Jackson to pros rate the protective
u system; and in saying this, he estimated the power
! of General Jackson having been potent almos,
as that of the crowned heads of Europe and most DIES
potic.
r act was passed, that it was in the power of Congress
y to repeal it and it was, his opinion the platform
on which the country then stood and the means by
which the country restored to brothery affection
/ and union and it had the sanction of all manuac
turers except as he observed that time political man
ufacturers He assured the Senator from South Caro-
# lima that when this subject should be taken up he
meant TO discuss it in that spirit of duty TO the country
and in that spirit Of truth and genuine PATRIOTISM by
If which he mad always cndeavored to regulate hi'
whole conduct on this and all other questions pub
lie importance. He moved that the memorial be re
), ferred to the Committee on Manufactures.
Mr.. CALHOUN thought that the Senator Woult
= find upon examination that if the land revenue
should return the public Treasury, and the expen
d ditures of the Government be brought down to thu
r estimates of last year, and rigid system of econom
: and retrenchmelt be adopted, there would be NJ
necessity for the tariff to go above twenty per cent
e Mr. PRESTON stated the motives which induced
South Carolina to acquesce in the Compromise act
and expressed his opinion that a duty OF twenty pc
cent would be sufficient, and he held himself oouh'
not to weld one cent beyond that until the income
from the public lands should be restored to tn
: Treasury,
n The memorial was then referred 10 te ComHl'te'
= on Manufactures
b Mr. BUCHANAN presented a memorial froT
: Huntington county, Pennsylvania, complaining o
J. the COMPROMISE act far regards the duty or
+ iron and asking that the duty that article may b
e restored to what it was in 1889 He said that few
! evenings ago he looked at the opinions OF Genera
5, Jackson at the time that the Compromise act wa
u passed and il seemed 10 him that the Senator from
A. Kentucky was mistaken in the views which he hat
l. advanced with reference to that distinguished ind
y yilua; for in his message of the 4th of December
As ElS32 General Jackson recommended gradual reduc
NJ ton OF duties a standard and suggestct
G. that after paying the national debt exceptions ough
&c TO be made such articles would conduce to thu
4 safety Of the people, and make them independent
le foreign nations in time OF war
AZ Mr,CLAY stated the fact on his own responsbi
n ltv and in his place and he could prove it, that Gen
y cal Jack son opposed to the COMPROMISE act, an'
IN signed il with the greatest reluctance.
W Mr.. BUCHANAN remarked that General Jack