Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-01
rwENrY-sEvENru CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
REFERENCE OF THE PRESIDENTS MES


The House resumed the consideration Of tho u
finished business of Thursday last, being the 70
lowing branch Of tho resolution heretofore offer,
by Mr. Fillmore.
Resolved, That so much thereof rs relates to q
Tariff be referred to the Committee on Manufa
lures.
Which resolution MIR Ather,on had heretofo
moved to amend by striking out tho words "Cor
mittce on Manufactures" and inserting the wor
"Committcc of Ways and Means"
Which amendment MIR Rhctt had heretofore mo
cd to amend by adding thereto the following word
"wth instructions that, should it be in their op
Mon cxpcdent TO lay additional duties, they shs
be laid not to discriminate in favor Of any pa
ticular class OF iotustry in the United States"
MIR WELLER was entitled to the floor, and a
Dressed the House at considerable length. He WI
very impcrfectiy heard, owing to his uniavorab
position, by the Reporter.
After noticing briefly, and in tone Of condemn;
ton, the wanton and unprovokcd attacks which, b
said, had been made by the Member from Tenne:
see, tMr Arnoli,) when speaking Of the conduct
Members of the other branch of the Legislator,
MIR w. remarked that his object in now rising wa
not much TO discuss tho motion immcdiote
pending, as To refer TO some Of the other matter
which had been referred TO by gentlemen on I'll
other side in the course Of this debate.
Amongst other charges which had been made, Ia
had heard II stated that there was disposition OF
the part OF the Democratic Members Of this House
to ride roughshod over those who differed with thai
party in political sense. He had seen nothing &c
warrant such n charge. IL true that they haC
reioiced over the results OF the popular elections
.:'.'- rad been held during the late fall; 1t was true
mat ihey nd reloieod TO the People again COM
Ing back tn those Republican principles on which
.neu 'vernmcnt was iipnded; and that they mad re-
Jocei at these renewed eTidences oil a de,ermina-
ZION on the part Of the PcSSIe TO MAINTAIN those
pInePeS, on The preserva,ion&oi WINCH ne consc',
.Inuously believed, the prosperity ana welfare o.,
Tue country depended. Furtfer than ms 'hey had
HOT gone, so TAR as lie was awsbre.
Mr. W. then adyerted 10 n u rules adopted at the
late special Session, which No said, prevented The
men,s and enabled the nj jority to force measures
@ % nSs place ns n her SeSE
In relation to the Ell, ~ Of those measures. The mi
nority had besxE efiectuay gagged: nay, in the
other end Of use Capitol, they had been tainted with
hayins sen condemned, and had been told that the
spp'Syhc executiouer was waiting. They had taken
solemn appeal TO the People; and well might they
be excused for rejoicing that that appeal had been
sustained.
Gentlemen had told us that these rules were about
TO be re enacted, and said that State necessity re-
quired it. State necessity That had been the
plea of tyrants and the friends of tyranny in all
nges of the world. Upon that plea, Marat and
Robesperre had justified all the horrors of the
French Revolution. Ii was plea upon which more
outrages had been committed on the rights Of man,
than any other that had been invented. He
trusted for the sake OF the peace and harmony OF
this House, well as Of the country, effort
would again be made TO restrict the liberty of speec
In this Hall.
We had heard much speculation in relation to the
causes which had produced the recent revolution in
public sentiment, rs demonstrated in the results o.
recent elections Excuses plenty had been manu-
featured, as usual, by the Wing party. These re-
suits Mr. w. attributed to the failure OF the Whil
party 10 redeem its pledges: amongst which wa
the pledge TO expose corruptions which were ALLEGED
10 exist IN the Government. The Wing party haC
now been in power nearly year: they had had ever,
opportunity of exposing those corruptioHs, If AMI
such existed. And was there any man so credulou
n believe that, If the charges OF corruption which
had been made before the People were true, I'll,
Wing party would now, when they had the power
have failed to prove them.
Amongst other charges which had been made
against the Democratic party, before the recent
Presidential election, WAS that OF extravaganza. o.
nil the charges which had been brought against that
party had had such effect on the public minC
as this charge OF extravaganza IN the expenditure:
OF the public money. The people had been TOLD
tina, the party to which he tMr. w belonged, wer
using the public moneys for the most corrupt pur
poses. The Wing party had promised the Peopl
OF the State Of OHIO that, If the Wings came int
power the expenditures Of the Government shou
be reduced TO the annual sum OF fifteen millions o
dollars But ~hnt was the fact? The report O
tho secretary OF the Treasury, sent in at the com
mencement of the present session, laid the expen
dures of the present year at the sum of thirty mil
mions Of dollars. Here was direct, palpable, anC
fragrant violation Of pledge given TO the People
But it was only necessary 10 let the People under
stand these things, to dIsa5use them of these pre-.
JUDGES, in order TO secure the application OF The pro
per correcives and the very moment the People
had understood The character of the party which
had made pledges only 10 Violate them, that very
moment they had rejected them
MIR. w here alluded to the condition of the coun-
try the deep indie OF the States, arising from
wild and eXlravagant expenditures Tor works of in
haat IHnnN
TO the existing corruption Of public and private mo
rails. What had produced this state OF things
Was il the working Of the democratic principle? Was
II the carrying out oil that great principle upon
which this Government had been ioundedl No; it
was base SANDER TO say so. IL was the result oil
the corrupt system OF banking.
MIR. W. then ndvetted TO the loan of twelve mil
lions of dollars already authorized by law, and to
the proposition contained in amendntory bill re-
ported at the present session by the chairman OF the
five millions of dollars thereto, making an aggregate
of seventeen millions Of dollars. And had the Wing
party laid the foundation for a national debit
Mr. w. then glanced briefly, Tor the purpose OF
re probation, at the increased expenditures IN dit
fefent Departments OF the Government, and espe
cially 10 the proposed increase Of the Army and
Navy AS to the latter, he said il was proposed by
the Secretary of the Navy TO increase that arm oil
our defence so as TO be equal 10 half the Navy o
Great Brtain-a project the support OF which, Mr.
W said, would require from twenty TO twenty. five
n, iliions par annum. Were the people prepared "a
see the expenditures of the Government increased
10 ffty miilions Of dollars year, Was this the
reCorm promisefR Was this the economy which the
Wing party hnf pledged themselves TO introduce
into the admipSstration o! public affairs2 IL was
not necessary for us TO keep up large naval nrma
ment for the protection OF our commerce, though i
was necessary for Great Britain to do so. The pc
licy Of the two countries, in their commercial rea-
tions, was essentially different Great Britain car
ried on her commerce either by force or by the in
huence of money. When force would accomplish
her purpose, she resorted to that. Witness the cas-
OF China. When force would not do, she resorte
TO the influence of money, as IN the case of on
own country. Not such was the policy of the
States. Her policy, in commercial affairs, was ne
gooiation and peace; and in tins way she accom-
pltshed what Great Bnta'a eitec cd by the means h
had Indicated. He repeated, therefore, that the U
States did not require large naval force to carr
o. her commerce.
A few words as to the immediate question bcfot
the House Gentlemen differed widely to tn
meaning to he attached to certain expressions in IN
Presidents Message. He mir W. understood III
meaning OF the President TO he this: that the ont
object of q tariff was TO produce revenue 10 NEE
tho expenses Of the Government, but that in dom
that Congress might discriminate between article
in such manner MS to afford incidental projection
In this co nexion Mr. w rele led the idea which hb
been thrown out as to Executive dictatlon IN tn.
portion Of me Message. lie trusted that member
on this floor " ere yet at liberty 10 speak Of N
opinions OF the President without suOiectng them
selves to tho charge Of being dictated to by the Elk
eculivo.
Mr. w. condemned the denunolations which he ha
heard against the President on this floor. lie IN
wy had heard epthets applied which he, trusted
for the respect which the members OF the Hous