The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-04-15
ID oItttraI.
SPEECH
OF M r. w RIGHT,
OF NEW YORK,

OF M r. w RIGHT,
OF NEW YORK.
In Senate, Wednesday, March 2, lS42-On Mr.
CLAY's resolution in relation to the revenues
and expenditures of the Government.
CONCLUDED.
The honorable Senator from Kentucky, (NIr
Clay,) upon n late occasion, when speaking of this
distribution, introduced the comparison of kind
parent, dispensing portions Of his income ard ofihc
property he had accumulated, to aid, encourage
and relieve his needy and embarrassed children
forgetting, as the honorable gentleman must have
done at the moment, that this Government, which
represents his supposed parent, SO far from having
income or estate TO spare in aid of the States, is
now in want, aud being wholly unable 10 supply it.
self from lis means or its credit is daily threaten
ING with further taxation all the people of al. the
States TO ill its empty Treasury. Mr. w. would
make the comparison of the hon, rabe Senator ac-
cordlng to the facts. The parent, finding his estate
TO be wholly insufficient to meet his current expen-
SEES, and that his credit has failed TO be resource
for the deficiency, generously offers the estate to
his children, provided they will consent 10 an an
nual tax so far beyond its value as 10 be equal TO
all his expenses and enable him to live at hs ease
This is the the facts present it; and will the
honorable gentleman so present it to the States of
the Union. when he, in the name of this common
Government, offers to them the boon of his
proposed distribution; Will the Legislatures of
the States, ard the Governors of the States, when
their respective agents shall return from the exhaus-
ted Federal Treasury, with this humble pitlance,
and when they shall present it to the people they
represent, tell that people honestly and truly, that
for every dollar so obtained they must pay back
in taxes another dollar over and above the charges
for collecting the taxi Will they tell them further
that while the dollar received is to be applied tow
ards the payment of debt now charged upon the
property of the rich, or TO make canal or railroad
10 benefit, his property, the dollar to be returned is
to be taken in nearly equal proportions from the
pockets ofa who are able to command the ordi-
nary comforts of life generally enjoyed in our coun-
lry' Iflhey do, the real merits o! this new policy
will be universally understood, and cannot, in that
case, fail 10 be justly appreciated by an intelligent
people.
g. The influences of this policy especially upon
the expenditures of this Government, for objects
purely national, such ms the army, the navy. pub
lie defences, the administration of justice, and
the like, should now receive brief consider
alton.
The natural and necessary tendency of this pol
icy must be 10 produce a constant conflict between
tho wants of the States and the wants Of this Gov
eminent. Both are 10 be presented at the same
Treasury, and 10 be met from the same general re-
sources, or from the eSertlon Of the same body to
lase revenue, Take The present time, and the
GCadian Of hgs i9 regard g 'he reyG
most favorable to the illustration. Many of the
States ar, deeply indebted, their Treasures emp
", their revenues wholly insufficient to meet their
ordinary expenses and pay the interest upon the
debts, and their pupic works arrested in an incom-
petc and unproductlve state. This Government
Is in deicncelcss state, lis army TO small, its ma
w bu, commenced, its judicial system covering
but part of its settled territory, its harbors rot
touched, or but partly improved, so ms to give Sc
curty to commerce, its debt increOsng,lis Trcasu-
~ empty, lis credit depressed, lis foreign relations
presenting threatening aspect, and lis revenues,
all together insufficient TO meet the interest Of its
debts and the expenditures called for by those en-.
trusted with the administration of affairs. In this
pecuniary condition of both Governments, the State
and the National, this policy of distribution is pro-
posed to relieve the States. Il is adopted subject
10 certain limitations. The ayas of one great
branch of the National revenue are TO be taken
from the National Treasury and given 10 the States,
provided the other, ut n certain rate of tax will
meet the wants of this Government. "A few months
pass away, ana before me ''he 'Ned IN Inc law Tor
The distribution principe TO commence lis acton,
the Tact becomes MANIFEST ueyonu doubt or qnes-
ton, that The hrahch o, revenue 'ei Tor me use OF
this Government pushed 10 Inc extreme limit al
'oWeu ny ,"o u''"'o' 49,; Wv" NV n'ee' '''e III,
dispensnble wants OF Inc Na'lohai treasury, and
that both branches Of 'Iat reYehue ,oge'her can
not supply the expenditure proposed Dy Inc admin
lsraiion.
Here the conflict begins: Inc distribution ism
sisted in the face oiihese lacts' and ihe resolution
now under consideration Is presented, boldly reno
wing the only remaining condition attached TO The
distribution, that Ola certain supply Tor The Nation
al Treasury, and thus providing certainly Tor the
States to the extent oil TINS entire branch oil The
national revenues, leaving the national wants to be
supplied as they may by future legislation, or no
10 be supplied ata Such are the first steps pro-
posed in this new policy, and can we ask stronger
evidences TO show US where aud how 1t mus
result!
Suppose this resolution do not pass, and that the
present Limitation on The distribution be not remov
ed, Will not the friends OF the policy, ms natn
raj consequence, be induced to make an effort lC