Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1843-02-09


was slmosi empty this state Of things was pro-
duced by The extinction Df Indian titles, By the
Florida war, sud BY many extraordinary afpro-
priations, such As the inquisitoriAl committee
seat 10 New York, Of which Mechanic may be
enabled to give is some eceount. We admit that
the Treasury vas in this condition from the
many extraordinary appropriations which were
made. But what a strange spectacle do not
our rulers exhibit, with the charge Of bank
rupt treasury on their iips..we 6nd them taking
from the Government S25 900, for Harrison,s
widow, calling an, extra session Of an hundred
days, and abslraeting some Of the proper sources
\ OF the revenue Of the Government, when al ID /
very time the National Government was forced to
borrow IFS necessary supplies, driven to borrow
money. or increase The taxes upon the people
And while they are thus declaring 10 the world
that the treasury is saakrpHt, they are giving
the proceeds Of the saies,f the sales OF the pub
lIicland1 among The States distributing portion
/ OF the revenue amonn The States, which is FeEe-
nue. for the ssqpportUf Government as much as
the proceeds arising from duties and imports
i But, saws Mechanic, gthe admin islration of Van
Buren, 10 the short spAceFof four years, had ex.
pended, or rather asted, upwards Of s25 000,-
600 over and above its regular income" wish
i when he was makingEthis assertion, he had Gar
nished US with the data, upon WHICH il was made
During each year ofNanBuren's admins tration
the expenditures Of The GoverhmeDt had been
reduced, from the high amount 10 which they
had been raised under Gen. Jackson's admins
trslion, byextfaordf1ary appropriations, sane.
toned By men Of all parties, and growing out
OF surplus revenue, K the vice Of those times J
| They were reduced 10 about S27, 900, 600 10
! 1910, the last year Of Van Burer's administra:
tion In l84l, the 6rst year Of the WhE ad-
mnistration, lhsy were ia ised 10 little over
/ 1900, 600 and the estimates Of the Secretary
Of the Treasury Of the expenditures OF lS42,
lexceed $50, 100000, so that while the course OF
Van Buren's administration was 10 reduce ex-
pendaures, that Of the Wing administration is
10 increase them, and those who upbraided Mr.
Van Buren, with extravsgance, even in his last
year, and while the reduction Of expenditures
was progressing, on taking the Government into
their own hands, straighlwsy increased its ex-
penditures and the increase seems still 10 be
going on. Nr. Clay too, the, grea, leader Of
your party, stated id the Senate, that the annual
revenue Of the Government ought 10 be $685.
100000, viz sag 200, OpO for etfreut expendi-
lures, SO 000 900 10 be applied ii discharge Of
the public debt, and $4,000, 600 for contingsn-
cies. Then ID the $4,000 600 Of Van Barep's
expenditures ini 1870, about S5j00e,000 were
paid IN redeeming treasury notes, leaving about
S22, goo 900 rs the actual expenditures Of his
ast year. ffHthis wasextravagance under his
admins what is il noWl Has ii come
10 this, that the very same expenditure, whicK
was denounced and claniored against under Ysn
Bursa as excessive, extfaSagafll, and abomEha-
BILE, is now be set uPtby these same ugn as
The standard Of Wing economy N fa
i The next Paragraph of the address, }Mecha-
nictsays, 'consst Of ID efe rshlery'' with com
plaint that 10 measures are proposed in our ma
tional counsels calculated TO aflofdthe least re-
lief 10 ths people-mete rsillery, well be it SO,
still continue 70 repeat the gallery. tIn This
crisis, the conduct Of the people, and that OF
their rulers in Congress presenta strange con-
trast. The people fyIwhere, IS @ilh one
consent, are wisely anaxirtuously, endeavoriig
70 seirieys Ihe 4EEasaaSsi lr;5 and economy. Our
rulers in Congfess, 90 the other hand, deaf TO
the'lessons of past bitter experience, are still
profanely and wickedly perseyeTing in system
of legislation, Which induced our present en-
bartassments, gsquandering the public domain,
contracting heavy national debts, chaftering
banks, increasing taxation, and granting excu-a
sive privileges to the few, 81 the expense of the
many They still atternpito foster the delusiYe
hope shd expectation, Fthah they could, if not
lhwafted byS the President (Tyler) who is Of
theft own choosing, and for whose conduct they
aye responsible, enact laws which would pay ev
cry body's debts, and make every body prosper
Gus. For such is the meaning oftbeir promises
Of relief tolthe people, ifthey have any mean
ing at ALL But when these laws are proposed,
we always find that their effects would be to i'm
pose heavier burdens Of taxation on the farmer
and laborer, in order 10 relieve the eIlbarrass.
menis, or increase the wealth of banks, stock
jobbers, manufacturers. and other favoriies OF
Congress-. They would Jay heavier taxes on
every article or dress which the farmer wears,
on his salt, his tea. his sugar, his coffee bis iron,
on every article Of his Kitchen, the furniture Of
his house, and the Implements Of his farm, and
then have him believe, they were relieving his
pecuniary distresses ihereby-whist they i'm
pose these taxes for the support Of spend-,hrift
/ 90 se eminent, and the thousands Of Northern
manufacturers, they would fain persuade him,
that he would be quite as much benefited by
paying these heavy taxes, as the lords of the
loom would be 10 receiving them. A strange
process Of reasoning, but one quite of piece
with the rest OF the ridiculous sophistry Of the
writer. Have we not right to complain that
no measures are proposed for the relief Of the
country!
/ Mechanic then next proceeds, swilhout the
least respect for Inc opinons Of any and all,
+ who have gone before them, whether feGeralists
orEdemocrats, this committee pronounce ex ca
thedra, tEata Bank 81 Tie United States is Tn
constitutional, and that the Constitution both in
letter and spirilsc oudemns it,'i What Mr. Ed
| itor, what respeei chm be entertained FOR the
fairness and EcsndoI Of a writer who will mis-
quote the language Of resolution, which he
undertakes 10 pass structures upon, There is no
such word 10 be found in the resolution, as
the VOID condemns. But let ME assure Mocha
mic, we stall not take theiopinions Of Federalls
on this subject for our guide we shall take the
Constitutions itself, snd the exposition Of those
men, whose whole Lives were der0led 10 pre-
serving the putty ofi lhaR Instrument. 10 tie
FIRST place. let 1s take The instrument itself: !
have read the. constitution repeatedly and am
entirely at d loss 10 hnd,s 10 what part Of thai
instrum eut, the power TO create Bank Of the
United States is delegated. ID no part Of il is
the words bank or corporation used in The dele-
gated powers ana il the power was not dele
gated according ID the tenth sttice Of that in
s,rument, 1t was preserved 10 the States respec-
lively. or 10 The people, If this is the true I'M
term citation OF The constitution, and lsppeal to
the instrument itself, where is The power deriy-
| Ia. by whlchIyour party attempt 10 foist upon
the people, Bank Or The United States. II j.
attsmpled 10 be derived BY forced construction
and i'm plicatiqn Of powers, such as that referred
10 BY MeehsnIc-tslhai itcopfsrs upon Congress
ali powers whichsare necessary and proper 10
enable Them to carry intoefect the powers ex-
presssy de Iegated aud he says, that il is nader
/ his mower. that The advocates Of bsnk found
iheir authority" True. this instrument ecnfers
upon Congress power 10 enable them tocarIy
| into efect the powers expressly delegated =
| t1ffare lei fne ALL fMechauicl Is The Dower IN