Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-07-18
REMARKS OF MIR. norrs.
ON TIIE REVENUE BlIJ,.


those gentlemen who were IN favor Of direct taxation
which lie believed was iavorile theory with an,
| gentleman who had Just taken his sent. (Nr Lewis
never denied the constitutional power ol this Houa
TO lay duties for the support Of Govcrnment-pro
ceeded TO say that tho bill p,oiessc to be bill io
revenue, aud not Toe protection. Had any gentle
man expressed his belief that il would raise mor,
revenue than was necessary Tor an economical sup
post OF Government The gentemm from Alab \.
ma (Mr Lewis) had expressed his fear tina, Il
| would no, raise enough for this purpose; nnl ihC
gentleman forgot the debt of si7,0O0O0O contract
ed loo the purpose OF paying tho eStrayaganecs to
| which he was 80 warmly attached
Mr H. would not 20 into the details oC the bill,
but would present his general views. aud the views
oi those he represented in reference To the passage
Of t,riG bill. lie wished hill TO raise revenue
enough Tor all the purposes OF Government; not Tor
pars'monluus aud nigsarliy administration, bat
Hr fair and liberal, and at the same time eeonomi-
| ca, administration OF Goyernment; aud in hyin,
duties for this purpose, he wished to see such dis
elimination made as would furnish accidental pro
lection not to one but 10 every branch Of the indus
| try oC the country.
His chief object IN addressing the Committee va,
10 show tho Indispensable necessity of passing re
venue bHl; 10 show that there At this time no
revenue IN exstence-no legal authority for collect
| ing dollar; that tho Government was wastin.,
away its means; that it was deprived OF its riehlful
revenue; and that millions Of money would be- as
had been the case already lost to Government un
less some revenue bill should pass which should
lthmeOiatoly receive the sanction ct the Executive.
Air u. desired O. call attention 10 the famous com
promise act, and 10 show from that act as well AZ
from the debates accompanying it, that future lesis
laiicn prior TO S0th June, 1912, was inteaded by
those who passed 1t as Indispensable 10 authorize
the collection OF duties. lie read ut some euetb
from the debates on tina, bill Of MIR Clay and others
in proof Of this fact. lie was aware that tAi. Adj
ministraiion had obtained the legal opinion of the
Attorney General of the United States, which he
had read with some care, and he mus, s,v with
fehu Rnf Ia -.
gentleman, before he was elevated to the high post
which he occupied, was remarkably distinguished
for his legal acumen, and without intending any
disrespect him, he must say that in his opinion
that gentleman was better qualified TO occupy the
post of professor OF rhetoric and oraory than OF tho
law officer Of Government.
Mr. B. cared not for the opinions Of those who de-
bated this question at the time OF the passage OF the
act, or for the opinions OF the Attorney General or
Executive this question He looked 10 the law
and would undertake 10 show from the law itself
there was no authority, but that there was usur
patton o. power and violation OF all law in tho at
tempt made on the part Of the Executive to collect
| duties. MIR b. read from the first, third, and fifth
sections OF the bill, showing that il provided ex
prcssly that after the 3O,h Of June 1872 duties were
| 10 De assessed "under such regulations as may be
prescribed by law" Ho also referred TO the fact
| that when the bill was under consideration, MIR
Diekerson, of New Jersey, moved proposition to
strike out the word 'aw," and insert "Seeretary Of
the Treasury with the appreciation of the President
of the United States" to transfer these rcgua
tons to the Secretary oflhe Treasury and President,
The motion failed. MIR Tyler was then member
| OF the Senate, and present when that debate took
place; and notwithstanding his knowledge of tina t
| proposition, he now undertook, with his Secretary
| Of the Treasury, to prescribe these regulations.
| Mr. B. maintained that the condition Of the coun.
try and the action Of the Executive on this bi in.
volved the whole question of taxation IL was n
struggle between the Legislative and Executive
powers over the whole subjec, of taxation. Where
was the limitation 10 the power the President claim.
ed over this subject? BY the compromise net itself
tho power was taken from Government after the
3Oth OF June, 1872 to levy duties exeept by such
regulations as might be prescribed by law Thus.
Congress had failed 10 establish such regulations IL
had no, failed in the attempt, il had discharged its
duty in passing temporary bill: continuing the
laws in force on the 30,h of June. That bill h, a
not met the Executive sanction, and the Govern
ment was about to lose millions and millions in the
collection OF revenue. He maintained not only that
every article that had ente ed our ports since tho
3Oth OF June, and that should enter them until the
passage oil revenue BILL entered free of duty, but
that many millions Of dollars might be drawn from
the Treasury in the shape OF drawbacks. Before il
was possible to pa5s revenue law TO meet the
Executive sanction, It was in the power of the New
Orleans merchants for instance to ex port ten fty
and perhaps one hundred millions CT goods to Ha~
yana, to receive the drawback on them, and then
TO import them again free OF duty. So that the Go
| v6rnment bore not only the duty on those now
coming IN but was liable 10 lose that which had
already been collected; and this was the responsi
blity that the maniac at the other and of the ave
nue. flor MIR. b. could call him nothing less) had
| taken on him.
MIR IL. was sometimes asked where was the RENE.
! dy for this usurpation Of the taxing powerl Let
| them talk no more about stamp acts or the tea tax
when this House would sit silently 10y and fold il !
arms IN aequiescence and ask where is tho remed y
Tor this gross usurpaton Of the whole taxing pow
for this right which the Executive claimed TO
Il HaEnA la a..
States, directing one day that duty Of twenty per
cent, the next day that duty Of sixteen per cent
and the day after that duty of five or OF fifty per
cent, according TO his pleasure, should lie levied
lheTe was no limit TO his authority, The had the
right TO collect dollar OF duty. Iere they sat and
asked themselves what is the remadyl - Was therc
no remedyl Did the Constitution prescribe no
remedyI Was this man TO excuse himself by as
serIing that this The construction OF his law oil,
| hcer or OF himself on thus law1 Was there any
outrage which hs could commit that might not Toe
excused on the same ground-on the ground that Il
was his construction Of the law Was not he re
spoons ble for his msc0nsirucinn Of the law-fos tho
demonstration of his law oflicerl Yes, sir, said
Mo Bolts and proclaim now, II there IA any spark
OF spirit, manliness or freedom in this House. that
they " III exercise that remedy at the proper time
| impeachment was the remedy, and the only re
medy save that Of revolution. md he declared that
II was his sincere belief land gentlemen might not
take II an idle decaraton) that this usurpation OF
power were suffered by the House, six month,
would not pass over their heads before they Ter
| thousand bright bayonets glitleTiny on Pennsyva.
MA avenue. lie had no idea that the people of The
country would submit to il.
! But there were great difficulties in the way Of i'm
parchment. There were some Of his friends Mr.
| u. was Understood 10 sny) who concurTCd with him
bu, he disclalmed for his party any participation il
Tue design ni impeachment, or IN the midnight eau
cuses that had NJ any time been held, as had beer
rumored. AS the Secretary Of the Navy had claim
Cd to be the first to raise the flag Of isunon in Vir
| gina, so MIR -. claimed to be the first to raise tn,
| flag OF Impeachment in this HOUSE. lie was alone
/ IN u. AS an American citizen independent Of Icing
! n Representative OF free people, no would resist
this Executive assumption Of power ns long as he
had voice 10 raise against il. Difficulties were in
tho way, and the fear that they could not succeed
"ns an argument with gentlemen. All that he pro =
posed TO do when the proper time arrived, was to
prefer charges against tho Presdent-to nsk thi,
House 10 appoint committee with power TO send
Tor persons ond papers, to inquire into the truth Of
those charges, and to let the testimony collected 70
before the Senate Ifthese charges we're sustained
nc would trust to the Senate to perform their duty
For thirteen years the President Of the u. S.otes
had been Ilotng in lawloss power II was tine t.
arrest u. Hs would not give the snap Of his finger
! for the Government Il il were TO, arrested.
What vero the objections Of the President 10
the passage Of the law they had sent him7 That
II vio'ated tho compounds act OF 1888. He did
not pretend to interposo any constitutional Difficult
I ". However obnoxious the sentiment might be
| IN that portion OF tho country from which he came,
he utterly rejscsd and repudioted the idea that
sny eompromiso bill passed by this or any o,hsr
Congress was TO have binding effect on him o
his success ofs. Was the comprom 8, act any thing
more than any revenue act passed for ten years
only IL had no more binding force than this