The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-02

oeVlefi omith, OF Connecticut, Sturgeon, Iappan
Walker, WILCOX, Woodbury. w right and Young
N ga
NAYS-Messis. Bates Choate Clayton, Crafts,
Evans, Huntington, Miller dorehead, Phelps, Porter
summons, Smith, of la, Sprague Tallmadge, w hlte
and Interchangeable.
The Senate then proceeded to the consideration OF
the Revenue blll-the question pending being the
motion OF Mr.. Buchanan and not Mr.. Benton as
enormously printed IN the Madlsonan of Monday, }
10 strike out the twenty section which pro-
poses 10 repeal That part of the Land which
ponds the distribution of the proceeds of the lands
case duties on imports shall be made 10 exceed twenty
! per cent.
Mr.. BUCHANAN said that he understood hat
the whole revenue derived from the public lands du-
ring the hrst halt year only $3.50, OOO. The
share OF Pennsylvania would, therefore, be but S3o
900, and no more. And now for the sake at hs
comparat vely miserable ptance, were they going To
continue the Treasury state of bankruptcy, and
dep i've the vast interests Of the country II the nc
dental protection which reasonable tariff bill would
aHord hal was the question. The President of
| the United States, II was well known, had declared
IN solemn and official form, that he will not, under
any crcu Instances, approve bill which raises duties
above twenty per cent, and, at the time, dis
tributes the proceeds of the sales of the public
| lands
The CHAIR interrupted the Senator. II was not
in order to speak as to the views OF the Executive
and upon this point, he desired have the decision
| of the Senate.
! MIR. BUCHANAN said that he had a right to re-
| fer To what was called the little veto,
The CHAIR Not as an argument, if my consruc-
| ton of the rule be correct.
Mr.. BUCHANAN remarked that he not very
well acquainted with the rules OF order, but from the
practice OF the Senate, and from his own obserya
tion he had not single doubt that he had right to
refer To the veto message and the principles con-
tanned in it, and to draw any inference he pleased.
He had right to refer To any thing but the docu-
ment, but he had always understood that document
was a fair subject of debate He appealed from the
decision of the Chair.
Mr. KING presumed that it could not be the de-
sign of the Char say that the Sc ator from Penn
sylvania could not refer to public document
The CHAIR, nterruptlng HIM, observed that, ac-
cording to the parliamentary rule 1t was out OF order
to draw from public document any inference to bear
on question pending before the Senate, for the pur
pose Of influencing its action, so far the opinion of
the Executive concerned,
Mr. WALKER said that, former occasion,
when the subject of the recognition of Texas was
before the Senate, distinguished Senator from Ken
lucky Mr. Claw did refer to President Jacksons
message In relation to our affairs with Mexico AT
that time he called the attention of he Senate to the
fact, and asked whether it in order to direct t.
tention to the opinions of the Chief Magistrate with
a view to influence the action of the Senate. So
tar acton taken then, It asains, his point
o order
Mr. PRES TON inquired whether he understood
the Chair to say that any document OF the President
was not fit subject of remark
The CHAIR repeated that argument drawn
nom the document tor the sake of showing what
was the Presidents views upon the subject now be-
fore the Senate out of order but tina. ref
erence 10 the document itself was not
Mr.. KING said that all the Senator from Penn
syvana desired To asa, effect, whether the Pre-
sIdent, unless he had recently changed his views
sanctioned this measure, which was IN direct opposl
ton To his Veto message.
Nh. GRAHAM observed that he knew of no in
ii. 4
of this kind had been made heretofore. Ii it was
now raised for the first time, he hoped that entire
freedom of discussion would be ullowed, and that be
the rule.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON sustained the decision of the
Chair
MIR. BUCHANAN admitted most cheerfully that
he had not adverted the private opinions of the
President But he Senator of the United
States and he told that he could not take u, a
Veto Message of the President, in which he an
bounced in the most solemn manner that he would
not sign bill countenancing the distribution of the
public lands, because, IN doing so, he drew an lnie-
to the Executives future action When
General Jackson vetoed the Bank bill, could he
not have said that to pass another bill, when they
had conclusive argument that he would not sign IT,
It would be labor spent in vain He had intended
merely to advert to this subject IN passing, and had
said all that he intended to say but he now under
stood that the Chair decided that he had no right to
advert to the public document
understood him.
Mr. BUCHANAN Let me finish the sentence
if an inference could be drawn from it.
The CHAIR observed that what he had said was,
that it not in order to allude TO the Presidents
opinions with view to influence the action OF the
Senate on the question under consideration.
Mr.. BUCHANAN remarked that he had rot the
slightest intenton OF referring 10 the President ek-
isung opinions lie had as little idea of them as any
body in the world He meant to say that if he Mr.,
Id In, N.t,
message a month ago. ii was MOI probable that, by
this time h had changed his opinion
Mr.. SEWER hoped that the Senator would with
draw his appeal
Mr.. BUCHANAN DID so. He had not stated
what the opinions OF the President now were, but
what they were month ago Ia augh]; and any Son
aor nigh, INFER what they were now without his
saying anything more upon the subject
Mr. ARCHER I'D that the Senator could refer 20
the opinions If the President derived from his public
acts bu not from private Information IT record OF
his body they could draw an Inference from 1t how
ever be hoped that the opinions of the President were
different now Fl ON what they were month ago
Mr. BUCHANAN said that he would despse any
miserable eaves-dropper who would go to the Presi-
dent of the United States and ascertain his private
opinions on any subject and then be guilty OF the
crlme-for crime he would call tot divulgng 1t,
for the purpose of Influencing votes Certainly, he
should alude to the private opinions oil the lres-
dent If he did hear them he would not he guilty OF
the indecorum of making them known in the Senate.
But if the President pursuance of h IS high Official
duty should send IN his reasons Tor veolng bill, the
paper became pubic document II the highest ana
grayest character; not his private opinions, but an
archive to go down to after generations. On the
Doth of June the Executive declared in the most So
Tenn form that he disapproved of the little tariff
bn and assigned his reasons Tor the Veto that IL Vo-
lated the principle which he laid down Tor ms
own conduct and that while the duties raised
above twenty per cent. the proceeds OF the lands
were still dis ubuted. This the Prrsu'ens
opinion one month ago what It was now he DID not
prelend T., say He would keep himself VIII hin ihe
rule and would not pretend to say but then, In So
Tenn and grave FORM the face Of the country, he
said that he would approve he bill because 1t vlo
lated the COMPROMISE and TIE Distribution law; and
this was as cc as fate and true as history Inc
prcScnt income of the Government but one hall