The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-31

III the I1OuSe, Oh NlOuudyb TIC PiihSiP"i Pr
liminary business consisted in the following
preamble and resolutions offered by Mr.. Fill
more
Whereas it is provided by the act of Congress to
establish the Treasury Department" approved sept
3D. 1889, &c That it shall be the duty OF the Secretary
of the Treasury to digest and prepare plans for the
improvement and management OF the revenue and
for the support of public credit Sc, &c. to make re-
port and give information to either branch OF the Lee
gislature in person writing Gas may be required)
respecting all matters referred to him by the Senate
or House of Representatives, which shall apper-
tain to his Office and generally to perform all such
services relative to the finances he shall be directed
to perform.
And whereas the Secretary of the Treasury in his
annual communication, Dec. Goth, l841 blouse Doc.
No. 49, states that the accring is insufficient
to meet the wants of the Treasury and declares that
the state of the national affairs, the disposition of
the Government in which it is believed the People
fully participate to put the country into respectable
state of defence, and especially to support and
strengthen the military marine, all appear to suggest
the propriety Of such increase Of duties articles careful
ly selected while the amount shall not bear hard on
individuals by limiting their customary enjoymens,
nor Cypress derange the general business of the
country, shall supply the Treasury not extravagantly
excessively but yet reasonably and justly for all
the great purposes Of national defence"
And, whereas, the Committee of Ways and Means,
by their Chairman addressed the Goth of Februa-
ry 1912, an official letter to the Secretary Of the
Treasury in the following words:
Committee Room of Ways and Means,
February 2G, 1912. !
Sir am instructed by the Committee of Ways
and Means to request you to communicate to them
any plans which you may have for raising the neces
sary amount of revenue for defraying the expenses
of the Government by increase of duties impor
tatons, or by auction duties on goods imported or
otherwise also, any plan views which you may
have the subject of home valuation cash duties,
warehouse system, or any other matters inciden-
tally connected with these subjects, and especially
any information which can be afforded by your De-
parment to the particular articles imported which
will best bear an increase Of duty and the amount of
such increase.
AS the committee are now ready to take this SUBJ
ect under consideration they would be happy to re-
ceive your views at as early day as possible.
Respectfully, yours,
(Signed) WILLARD FILLMORE,
Chairman.
Hon. WALTER FORWARD,
Secretary of the Treasury.
And whereas the Committee of Ways and Means
have received reply to the communication thus
made, therefore,
Resolped That the Secretary of the Treasury be
required to commu nicate to this House the plans
views, information and matters called for in the letter
above mentioned from the Chairman of the Commit
tee of Ways and Means.
After some opposition from Mr.. Gushing,
they were adopted
Mr. Adams stated that some time had elapsed
since there had been any opportunity for the pre-
sentation of petitions. He had now nearly $50
which had been ntrusted to him. For the pur
pose of saving time, he proposed, upon the au-
thority of precedent, that each member having
petitions to present, should send them to the
Clerks table, and that the Speaker should de-
eide whether or not they were admissible. Mr.
Turney objected. Mr.. Adams moved a sus-
pension of the rules. This motion, as well as
the former one prevailed. So all petitions now
in the hands of members were ordered to be
disposed of in conformity with his proposal
After transferring, on the motion of Mr.. Cowen,
the memorial of Blair & Rives from the Com
mittee on Claims to the Committee on the Ju
dietary, the House went into Committee of the
Whole on the Loan bill,-Mr. Ward in the
Chair.
Mr.. Colquitt, who was entitled to the floor,
opened the discussion for the day, and delivered
an able and energetic reply to Mr. Rayner and
others, who had preceded him. principally in re-
lation to the responsibility of the Executive for
the present state of things with the other topics
introduced by those gentlemen, on whose re-
marks he commented Mr.. Shields followed, in
argument bearing directly on the Loan bill, and
the necessity of providing a specific fund for
the redemption of the debt in order to create
confidence and to enable the Government to
negotiate the loan.
The tariff and rerenchment resolutions Of
Mr. Clay, and the amendments of Mr. Rives,
occupied the greater part of the attention of the
Senate.
THE CREOLE CASE-MR. RAYNER.