The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-09
CONGRESS-.

Senate bill for the reorganization Of the Army
with an amendment. The bill was referred &c
the Committee Of the Whole
Mr.. COOPER, of Georgia, again asked leave
10 Introduce the resolution offered few days
since, calling on the Secretary of the Treasury
for information in relation to the reports of the
condition of the Banks
The House then went into Committee of the
Whole and resumed the consideration of the
Revenue bill.
Mr. GwIN, of Mississippi, replied to the argu-
ments of Mr.. Kennedy, Of Maryland, and vim
dlcated the cotton interests-showing their I'M
portance to the country at large, and the injury
inflicted on them by the protective system
He commented on the statement made, that
there has been an increase of the importation of
foreign manufactures which were thus brought
to compete with ours in our own market-and
showed, by reference to statistic authorities,
that there had been, for several years past, de-
crease in the importations of foreign manufac-
lures competing with the domestic.
MIR. STEWART, of Virginia, thought that the
question is, whether there shall be dscrimina-
ton in favor of home industry. He was oppos-
ed to 81 rplus in the Treasury, and advocated
duties only Tor an economical revenue, but whe-
Their that limit be maintained, discrimination
should be made for the protection Of home in
dustry This is not a local question-it is not
a question between the extreme North and the
extreme South, between Massachusetts and
=, ;c , al
sections are interested in protection, indirectly
or directly-the farmer as well as the manufac-
turer. If the question was made local, he
would show that his district would be benefited
by judicious protection.
Mr.. BREWSTER, of New York, would
not to go into the general questionable
rose for the special purpose of giving
notice that he would, at a proper time,
introduce an amendment to the section laying a
duty of rs cents a bushel on wheat, providing a
drawback on -four manufactured from foreign
wheat To account for his proposition, it
would be necessary for him to go into an
explanation of the character of what is
called the Colonial trade, and to correct
some errors which had appeared III the re-
ports from the Committee on Commerce, and
from the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He
might show the impolicy Of high tariff, from
the character of the Colonial trade, but he would
forbear gong into that division Of the subject.
Mr.. MoRRIs, of Ohio, said he had not deserted
his party-he was still Whig-but he thought
it impoitic to unite the Distribution with the
for III
Veto power, and thought the country would
never be truly free until that power was cut
from the Con ,ttution. He was and still is an
unwavering friend of Distribution; but the pas
sage of Tariff bill is far more important than
the retention Of the Distribution provision. He
was a friend to both measures-but he would
surrender the latter rather than relinquish the
former But he insisted that it is necessary,
under existing circumstances, to keep the two
ques ions separate. Because he SO thought
because he differed from his political friends on
subject of mere expediency, he had been de-
nounced, but most unjusly, as deserter
Mr.. DAVIS, of New York, gave history of
the acts of the present Congress. 1t had been
in session seven months, not employed in legis-
latng for the benefit of the People, or in provd-
ing feasible remedies for the distresses of the
country; but in intrigues for making and head
ing Presidents. The President hal signed the
Distribution bill of the extra session, with
the suspension proviso, aud had signed it
solely because it contained the provso. In
March, he informed the House of his idea of
the necessity existing to raise the duties above
the compromise standard, and the consequent
necessity OF suspending distribution What
then happened? In the month of June, the
Chairman of the Committee of Ways and
Means introduced bill for continuing the eX
istng duties till the fl st Of August. But that
bill was trap for heading the President, and
accordingly another was Immediately substituted
for it, containing the distribution clause This
clause was trap. The President must either
approve tle principle Of distribution with duties
above twenty per cent. on temporary bill, or
he must take' apparently the responsibility of
the condition of things that must ensue from
Veto on bill introduced at the last moment,
with the evident intent to place him in posi-
ton Of peculiar difficulty. What is the common
sense view of the position of Congress at the
present moment? Why, a bill had been passed,
which il was known the President would Veto
the Veto came--and now another bill was un-
der consideration, which contained the objec
tionable clause, aud would also be vetoed
The Wings knew, and every one knew, that
the President could not sign the little Tariff bill
without lasting inlamy and disgrace. Could it
be supposed that he would sign the present bill
containing the Objectionable proviso in relation
to distribution? Who must bear the response
bilily of Having the Government without the
necessary supplies The majority in Congress.
w ould tb. ~, n oo hack IN tho moo