The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-09-13

o'clock, having been pr"traclcd nearly .hrougl
nine months,
| The Session has been proiracted boy cad tho usu
al by the great variety and importance OF the
subjects demanding attention, and by the eAtraord
nary conduct Of the Political minority in both
Houses, backed by the open treachery of the acting
| President. Let US TO what end Congress hes
| laboted aud what it has accomplished.
| l. ortiz Finances During tho four years o
| Mr.. Van Buren's Administrator balance of over
Six Millions left in the Treasury by Gen. Jack son
was expended, Seven Millions retained anC
spent Of The Surplus Revenue set apart to the
States Eight Millions realized from tho sale
Of the Government Stock in the United States
Bank and spent and Five Millions Of Troasul J
Notes issued, making an aggregate expenditure ur
der MI. Van Buren, OF Twenty Six Millions in -four
years over aud above tho entire Revenue of those
years, including tho ip,s from Public Lands
Add to this the large amount of claims left out
standing in Florida and elsewhere, and the actua
| excess Of Expenditure over Income in Mr. Van Bu
ren's four years, no less than Thirty Millions
OF Dollars. Mr.. V. b. left the Government and
the Wings took it with Revenue and rates of Du
ties greatly diminished during his four years and
still rapidly decreasing. Here, then, the Wings
commenced 10 restore the Finances and provide an
ado uato Revenue for the Government. They
passed at tho Extra Session II Provisional Tariff
which was sgned and two Bank Bills which were
vetoed by the President. So closed the Extra
Session.
AT the commencement Of the late regular Ses
sion tho following extraordinary responsibilities de
voIved on Congress To reconstruct the entire
Tariff ~ stem, expiring by limitation Of the Com
promise AcO as 10 procure Protection to
American Labor and adequate Revenue to the
Governmen: This alone is The work of long
Session. even without Executive and other extrano
Gus obstIuctions. TO this the earnest and reso.
Lutte excrtons Of Congress, have for months been
directed. Four several bills have been carefully
drawn out; three have been passed. Two were
succe ssivoly vetoed by tho President The Third
has Just been signed. # adequate Pro
lection nearly all the Producing Interests of the
Country, but, owing to the extreme depression Of
Commerce I'VE apprehend it will not at present pro
vide an adequate remedy for the Government, in.
Guiding the repayment OF the Debt. But this can
be corrected as soon ascertained 10y imposing do
ties on articles now admitted free. PRoTFCrIoN
TO IloME INDUSTRY Is secured now, and adequate
Revenue will soon follow. Thanks, thousand
thanks the Jealous, undaunted, indeln; igable
er,ious and generous sacrifices of tho Wing Mem
bers Of Congress.
H. Ihe 4Pp0rtonmcnt,-Every tenth year tho
duty devulves upon Congress of determining The
Ratio on which Members Of tho Eve succeeding
Congresses shah be elected, thereby determining
the number of The uouse for So long and the mum.
bers Of Representatives to which each Stale shall
be entitled. This is alwaysa difficult task, hut
was this year rendered unusually SO by an earnest
cuIIisiun bftNvepn the ad civ # "A
low and hgh Ratio, in which majority suf the
House was found one side and Of The Senate on
the other. The high Ratio ultimately prevailed.
But theie another vital question. Experience
had shown that the hccnce accorded to the sever
al States TO choose their Members by regular Dis
,ric,s, had opened door gross Irregularities and
abuses. The large States, though at liberty 10
choose by the General Tickle could no, do so with
out virtually transferring the selection OF Members
from the impartial many to the interested few. and
ultimately absorbing the entire power of the House
And ye',through their failure To do SO in company
with others, New.Y York. Pennsy lvania and Ohio
were iated to exert less real influence in The Ma
tional Legislature than New Hampshire, Georgia
and Missouri And more than ihis--thls power
be perverted t" the srossest parry ends.
The Legislature Of Alabama, ior the single purpose
Of deprv;ng the political minority of any Repre-
sentatves in Congress, changed their mode Of elec
ting from Single Districts to General Ticket one
year only before New Apportionment and thus
secured the whole delegation, though the people at
the same election ordered them by direct vote 10
restore the District System Warned by such abu
SEES, and resolved to 10 prevent Them the Com nit
tee Of the House reported the Apportonment Bill,
with n second section req uirng that the Members
Of Congress shall hencef1r be chosen uniformly
by Single Districts in all the States. This just,
equal and necessary provision resisted with
the energy of desperation by the Locoiocos in both
Houses but passed, and. despite the show oc teeth
at it by Capt. Tyler, who man tested the will but
not the courage TO crafty his Loco. foco allies by
vetong it, it is now the law Of the land. Let il he
sustained and respected, and the representation of
The People will be lar more direct equal and per-
feet than il has hitherto BEEN
jill. Retrcnchment.-A bill has passed reducing
the Army of the United States 81 men or nearly
one fourth. The saving of the Annual Expendi