Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-07-20
DEBATE ON the VETO.


respects, in temper as mild, 10 a spirit as calm
and in forms OF expression as temperate and mes
sured as the nature Of the case would admit. Il
laush.l He should address himself to its pointles
ressonng and its poiniless attempt at satire upo
the House; to its open abandonment OF all prinsi
pie; TO its reckless disregard Of truth; and abov
all. to its unblushing efIrontery. I"Go IL, whi,ei"
But, before proceeding to examine the paper, h.
desired to say word on two OF the points assums'
by the gentleman from Massachusetts,, mir Cush.
NIL He understood tha, gentleman to ssy that
under existing laws, the President had power 4
make rules and regulations for the collection of thu
revenue and home valuation OF commodities Im-
ported. Was he right
MIR CUSHING said he could not remember IN,
exact words he had employed. There was the re.
port OF his speech; but he had referred to three
different acts Which allowed the Secretary OF the
Treasury, under the direction OF the President, TO
prescribe the necessary rules and regulations Tor
that object.
MIR WHITE resumed. He had understood the
gentleman, in the second place, TO say that, under
existing laws, duties beyond 20 per cent. might be
laid and that no distribution would then take place.
MIR Gushing was believed by the reporter TO ex'
press assent
One thing, Mr. w. said, was very evident: if 70.
venue could be collected Mt ALL it must be under n
subject the compromise act; had since been
passed. save the bill now vetoed and unless II could
lie done under the compounds act, 1t could not be
done; for no law has since been passed which was
Of the compromise net, the Government could not,
on this day, collect one dollar of duty on the i'm
ports Of the country. Hero Mr. w. quoted the
clause often referred 10 in the OF this de-
bate, which declared that the duties were TO be col
lected and the home valuation made, under such
rules and regulations should be prescribed by
Law. lie coniended that this referred, not 10 the
compromise act, or any existing law, bus to an
act OF legislation then future. But none had passed.
there law prescribing these rules, and there
fore the Government was without the power OF
assessing duties collecting them. Gentlemen
could not escape from this; they might attempt n
forced construction OF the compromise law; hut it
was vain. The duties were TO be collected under
rules; the rules were 10 be prescribed by law; but
Ia W had passed prescribing them; and until such
Law should pass, they could not he collected. MIR
w. here went into animation Of he law, com
psrins its LIST and 5h sections, and fortying his
gument from the terms employed
But the gentleman from Massachusetts,, II he had
not positively denied that distribution might be
made on this day, had said that twas atleast very
questionable. But the law declared that as soon as
the duties should como down TO 30 per cent, aud
no new act should pass raising them above that
rate, distribution must take place. No such law
had passed. and though some duties might now DO
IN existence which wero that rate, still, ac-
cording to the tSrms Of the act, distribution could
not be refused. The Presidents oath bound him to
dis rbute, unless the compromise act should be re-
realed, or duties laid over 90 per cent.
Mr. w. now proceeded to an examination of the
which the President declares that the existing laws
sufficient 10 warrant the rules and regulation.
prescribed by the Secretary OF the Treasury; that
lie did not doubt that duties would be required
30 per cent, and that Congress might so lay them
TO discriminate both above and below that point
The President placed his veto, as n whole, on
the ground of q violation OF the compromise act
ond this from the lips Of John Tyler, who had him.
self violated that law in all its provisions The act
stopped at 90 per cent; he said Congress might 60
above 30 per cent. The act said that duties Should
be aa palOrsm; the Presiden, said Congress might
discriminate; and yet this was the man who dared
10 charge that House with violation OF faith, for
departing from the act he invited them to violate
MIR w. next adverted to the Presidents repeat
cd sanction Of the principle that the Government
must look for revenue 10 duties alone and not to the
avails OF the public lands He referred as evidence
Of this. to his negative votes when in tie Senate o
motion TO strike out that principle from the 10 w.
The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr RHErr)
had complained OF q breach OF the compromise act
and especially of the language employed by MIR
WIS colleague, MIR LAHE,) every word OF which
Mr. w. was ready 10 endorse, on the ground, for
sooth, that il squinted towards disunon. Surely
q gentleman from South Carolina should be the very
last that floor TO put forward such an objection.
Dissolution Why, did the gentleman remember
who it was that in South Carolina, raised up the
Dagon Of notification, and stood ready to offer to
il hecalombs Of bloody sacrifice Had the gentle
man forgotten the extent TO which that idoatry was
carried The urgent invitations to all the Union
90 join in il And how its violence had OF length
been moderated not so much by any very affection
ate love TO the Union by the dread of the ha,er7
That was the plain truth Of the matter. And as 10
what his colleague had advanced as to the sacrifice
of army and navy too, before he would bow 20 Exc
cutive diciation, Mr. w. repeated that he stood
ready 10 endorse IL, word for word
The President objected 10 the bill because il
would suspend the provso in the distribution act;
that was, in fact, his chief objection to il. Now
MIR w. eontended that the House had right to pro-
vide revenue for the Government not after the mode
tho President might like best, but in such mode as
the House pleased; u was IFS province TO originate
revenue bills. But Mr. w. had hmse fvoted against
the proviso in the distribution bill, because lie
thought il wholly supererogatory, inasmuch as all
that il did was done already by the compromise
act. That suspended distribution so long the du-
tics remained over 20 per cent. All the House had
done was 10 suspend distribution for a month, and
the distribution would have been suspended with
out any law at all.
MIR w. after dwelling on the Inconsistency OF the
President in signing the distribution bill, while he
vetoed the bill now sent here, and denouncing the
weakness Of the reasons assigned, concluded this
part OF his speech by expressing the conviction that
the President had determined veto FIRST, and sought
for reasons afterwards.
What was the true reason for this veto7 Was it
that the President had any constitutional objection
TO the bill, or any objections founded on expedi-
ency7 No, at ALL For what end, then, had he
done this thing7 Mr. Tyler had long severed him.
self from the whig party and he found il necessary
ponents, something 10 crafty them, and thus get
their votes for reelection. AS Mr. w. had been
informed, and believed, the night after the veto
had been received, large body Of the Locoloco
gentlemen had gone up in n body, TO congratulate
him on the redemption OF the liberties Of his coun-
try. The veto message had had q wonderful effect,
indeed, upon tho gentleman from South Carolina,
(Mr Uomes;) il had converted him to true religion
the gentleman had broken forth into the most pious
praises 10 God, that Mr. Tyler had saved the coun.
Try from ruin.
IMr HOLMES. aside. Do you say that went TO
ihe Presidents, TO congratulate hm7
Mr. WHITE Oh, mol not youl you stayed away
and prayed. Loud lnughterI
Mr. W. said that, although the marriage uni5n
had been congummaled but the night before, in the
morning a gentleman from Ohio, (Mr Weller,) a
new chancellor, rose in his place, as soon as the
House had got together, aud proposed to take
nway the reins Of power from tho naughty Wings.
Yes, so rapiJly prolific had this new union proved,
that on the very day after the marriage, the bant-
ling was presented for baptism, loud laughter
and, though the whole House had witnessed the
offspring, they were gravely told there had been no
alliance!
The gentleman from South Carolina had ltclur-
cd the House on the subject Of holding caueuses;
but MIR W. would call on that gentleman 10 rise and
ray whether tho bill offered by the gentleman from
whether il had not been brought into the House
with the pryity and after consultation with the Pre-
gidsnt
fCnes Of "Wollerl Weller where are your
Stand up Hes gone; he's run awny"l
MIR WELLER, who had been INDUCING in a
nap IN one corner ~ what is called IN tho House
"slsepy hollow," here rose up and exclaimed
"fiore / am; what's the mauer1n Roars oil
Laughter, and much confusion.l
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