Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-08-18
EXECUTIVE DICTATION.

1 Extract from the Speech of JoHN
QUINcy ADAMS, in the House ofRepre-
sentatives, vindica'ing the rights of Con
gress and resisting Executive DctatioD.
| MIR. J. O. ADAMS said there was a
question oi some importance To this
Ilouse, Of importanee TO The Congress of
the United States, Of ofimportance- - infinite
Importance To the People OF the United
! States: whether the view taken by his
colleague Of this contest between the
Executive and Legislative authorities
was correct whether in all the divisions
that had taken place and were now mul-
| liplying from day to day, the Congress
had been wrong and the head of the
Executive department right That was
point Mr. A. meant to meet, and as his
colleague (Alr Cushing) wns ready to
meet any objections to his course and to
the princi plos laid down by him, MIR. A
trusted that no would justify himself and
the Executive against the Congress of
the United States. They well knew
that in every scrvle press the Executive
could command, ny power Of patronage
or any other power, this defamation
against Congress had been uniform and
reiterated from the time that the dissen-
sion first disclosed itself.
| 1t was not his province to defend the
Congress of the United States, and most
especially not to defend generally thus
Ionsc. In this House, to say nothing
of the o,her-for he had nothing to com
| plain of the olher-there had been pro
ceedings sanctioned by the authority Of
this House from the commencement Of
the extra session of Congress. and more
than one during the present session,
which he could not defend or Justify -
| lie hoped the time would come when
the House would see the propricty Of re-
viewing some of those acts /; but he could
say, and did say now, IN his place, that,
IN his opinion, no Congress ofthe United
Stales that had ever existed had done
more for The people than The present exist
ing Congress of tho United States
| Cries of Good ~ None had existed
which had done more justice to the ma
liion, or more justice TO private claimants,
as the labors of yesterday alone would
show. The present Congress, in his
estimation, had done all that could be
done 10 restore the prosperity oflhc coun-
try, which was suffering under The con
sequences of previous Legislation and ad-
ministraiion. One of the most material
and indispe nsable me asures, in his opin-
ion, for the restoration OF the credit, of
tho honor, and of the glory of this coun-
try, was the establishment of national
bank But two several acts Of this Con
gress that had been achieved, and
achieved against The most formidable OPP
position. Twice hnd il been repeated,
and twice had it been arrested by the
Executive hand. This Congress of the
u. States had accomplished bankrupt
law, relieving the misery and distress Of
thousands and hundreds of thousands :;
and now the Congress of the United
States, AT time when, by delay, which
he would not impu,e to any individual or
10 any party, II day had nearly come af
ter which no revenue conld be collected
from imports by the country, Congress
had passed on act providing for that
state of things, and delay for time, un-
al the final deliberations on the subject
should he consumrnatcd, tho arrival OF that
state Of The Treasury IN which no reve .
nue. could he collected by law.
That measure had been blasted like
the "her, and now, at this moment this
very ddy-ihis Congress hnd passed
another act, the Tariff act, which il
the gentleman at the other end of the
avenue would only sign with his name,
my word for it (said Mr. A. the pros
peIiiy Of this country, the credit Of the
country will he restored, and within
twenty -four hours after that not dollar
viii It cost you To raise not only twelve
millions, but thiIiy millions by loan, il you
, want II. les,and these mea asures taken
together, accomplish IN my opinion, the
great principles on which tho present
Administration was brought into power
Even now and that was the reason why
he had wished TO post pone the further on.
e sideration Of the question till Monday
the simple signature Of the President oI
, the l.. States 10 bill sent him this day,
: would operate like II charm, aud, together
with the settlement Of the neg OiiaiioD,
with Great Britain, securing the peace
. of The couniIy-thesc two measures to-
gelher, take his wOid for il, were enough
L To restore the prosperity Of the country
even NJ this hour, and The ellcc, OF Il
. would be tel, within four aud twenty
> hours after that signature should iah,
place.
Mr. \. feared that he should &c
through his time w,ihou, having an op
{ porIunlly OF presenting The ideas he wish
rd Ia do. The error OF his collcagu,
u was the error or the Executive head bum
10 self lie had met with the nisio,luu,
a, Whirh bclel Charles OF England. M
: A. had read the history -! the reign -
Il Charles d., aud lac found ia repeated ~
stances, that The author (who was padla
Z ~ hun, said that ~ tie controversies h'
= had bad with the Legislative power
u vhlch finally lcrninated on the scailol'
Oh his pant, that bis error was ~ conceIy
+. lng that he was ap absolute sovereign. -
lie was lsil vi conscience, 4 very iebg'
I otto man bot he thought hUIstlt N 10 b'