The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-18
THE co MPROMISE Acids TRIB
TON

TION.
We have been requested to repubish the fol-
lowing extracts of the debate in the Senate on
the subject of Distribution, in 1S41.
Mr. KING said he would now offer an amend
ment which would decide whether the compromise
act was or was not to be kept in good faith The
gentlemen say there is intention to disturb that act
Let them prove it now by their vote. Mr.. ny al
considerable length argued the question of right
der any circumstances but those In which the whole
Union would be bound to concur and when all other
sources of revenue, from sales Of public lands and
every thing else failed the duty of 70 per cent could
be exceeded in good faith and concluded by Offering
an amendment on which he demanded the yeas and
nays. 1t in effect that this shall become void
whenever the duties any article under the tariff
law shall exceed 30 per cent
Mr.. BERRIEN approved of the amendment, and
would support it.
Mr. SMITH, of Indiana, considered it proposition
to connect the Land bill and the Compromise bill to-
gether though the one had nothing whatever to do
with the other. He would ask the Senator from Ala
bama, if his amendment was adopted, would he vote
for the bill
Mr. KING. Certainly not.
Mr.. SMITH, of Indiana know that. He knew it
was not to carry out the measure but to defeat it,
that gentlemen opposite were trying TO fasten their
amendments on the bill. But he would appeal to the
friends of the measure who were from the South, to
trust the good faith Of his side of the House in
pledge himself to watch the Administration with a
view of combining it to rigid economy and to pre-
vent any possible necessity for encroaching the
Compromise act
Mr. ARCHER was not prepared, for the sake of the
Distribution BILL to open up the question which had
agitated the whole Union before He could not con-
sent to peril the country for the sake of this
He considered the amendment as now shaped inds-
pensabe, and would vote for it. He was as favora-
BILE to the Distribution bill as any of his friends but
tn do ANYTHING which directIV or
indirectly calculated to operate against the good
faith of the Compromise act
Mr. BERRIEN could not support the distribution
past the limitation of 20 per cent duties long as
there is any possibility of duties being raised past
that he must concur in every restraint necessary to
prevent it.
Mr.. MANouM would say that he, for one, would
not vote for the bill if he thought it either to lead
to the contraction of public debt, to the opening
up the agtatng question which was set at rest by the
Compromise act.
Mr.. PRESTON could see sufficient in the present at
ttude of this country, with regard to its foreign rela
TONS to satisfy him that the twenty per cent. of du
ties on Importation will not be enough. The most
rigid economy may not avert this although that should
be first tried but the question will come at last what
is to be done avoid raising the duties past twenty
per cent? He should not then, hesitate moment
in SAYING let the distribution of the proceeds of the
sale of public lands cease and let that revenue be
turned into the public Treasury again. before any in
crease of duties past twenty per cent is attempted
Mr.. BERRtEN said that, on looking more closely
into the amendment he found it would in the
duty raised on any article past twenty per cent.
repeal the whole bill that was going beyond what,
in his opinion, was necessary, He would suggest the
Proprety of modification, calling merely for
pension of the distribution during the continuance of
the excess of duty.
Mr.. KING consented to the modification, and the
amendment then read Section sixth line seventh,
after the word act"" cor the rate of duties shall be
fixed by law articles of Importation. shall,
after the Goth day of June, l842 increase said duty
beyond twenty per centum al vaore n, the dstribu-
ton OF the proceeds of the public lands provided for
by this act shall cdase during the existence of such
law and shall be renewed whenever such rate Of duty
shall be reduced to twenty per cent"
Mr. EVANS. Suppose the amendment is now
adopted and in two three Yeas the subject of in
creasng the duties comes before Congress, will not
Congress have the whole subject up, the distribution
bill included and it not then act at by taking
back the whole proceeds of the public lands? And
Congress 1oW assurediy do so in preference TO raising
duties past 20per cent.
Thus was the Compromise act considered a
sacred and inviolable instrument, less than a
year ago. What will be its fate next week p
We ask our readers to preserve these extracts,
and compare them with the speeches to be
made on the same subject by the enemies of
the President
We trust they will adhere to their integrity,
Notwithstanding their enmity to the Executive.
But we do not believe they will We have no
confidence in their honesty.
We do not pray that the coup may pass In
waging this against the President the ul-
ira Wings have ventured their political exis
tence on s'the hazard of the de- To lhi.
point have all their thoughts and actions tended
for seven long months, during which time moth
ing has been done or attempted for the country
And now the crisis is at hand. The battle
must be fought. il would be puslanimity ant
eternal disgrace for either party to avoid tn,
ISSUE The matter must be settled now and
fOrpver