Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-04-07
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POLITICAL.

POLITICAL.
LETTER OF GEORGE :. HOUSTON. OF ALABAMA, TO
HIS CONSTITUENTS
GENTLEMEN; The term tor winch was elected your
Representative in Congress VIII shortly expire and,
the almost continuous sessions III the body since
my election have prevented me from mingl,ng with
you, have determined TO submit, through the pEbic
press, for your consideration, ray views upon the lead
ing measures of thu party in power well as their
of action during the eth Congress.
Ii will be remembered that, previous TO the Pres
dental Election IN 1870 amongst many other false
cusations against MIR Van Buren,, the Wings charged
that his Administration had no; only created large
public debt, which fastened upon the country, bet
that had been reckless aud proii'ga!e--that the CT
tlzeD, we'll rs the Government OH the VERGE of
rum; that the Government and the people were alike
embarrassed, oppressed with debt without the means
OF payment AID without change OF policy the
part OF rulers change OF the rGe-s themselves
bankruptcy-utler, hopeless bankruptcy be the
inevitable consequence both. So and so bold
~ the charge made and repeated mat manv very
many, were induced To believe H. ar.d General Harr-
son himself so far mised by the llypocri,cal wall
lngs OF the demagoGucs o bis party the pretend
ed fate ot their country that the Eth day Of March,
lc4l Just thirteen days ate. he mad taken charge oil
the Executive Department Of the Government, and
certainly before he could have learned, from au-
thentc source, the true state and condition OF the ere
venue and finances, h. issued his proclamation, call
ing extraordinary session Of Congress remedy the
evils stated By them 10 exist in his proclamation he
tiers, principally growing out OF the condition ID the
revenue and finances of the country, appear to
call for the consideration Of Congress earlier day
then ts next annual session, and thus eXraor
binary OCCASION slch renders necessary, my judg
ment, the convention 81 the two Houses
NAV be practicable, &c.
Thus he predIcates the cal for Extra Session
on "important and weighay matters, principally grow
ing out of the condition OF the revenue aud finances
of the coun,ry-sgasian,eliy the charge o! which
have lust spoken! Now, let take short review o.
the Legislation Q: that session, and sec II the party at
tempted 10 the ev Cf which they complained
empty Treasury, aud sa embarrassed Government
and people. But, before snie. on that reveT sr.-
.sI me 20 call goH- 80 the condition OF both The
Government, and tie acope, contr6dis!irgusheG
then and now, aad TO leave Tor your just determination
whethe, both have not been materially injured since the
former period. According to the reports and exhibits
of the two Wing Secretaries cE the Treasury set
forth by IN my letter 1t last Summer the Govern
ment, on the 4th %. h!5:ch, I'LL, Owed 4 DEB: VI
about FIVE m!!ons and halt md now, the ascertain.
ed and certain debt nearly twcntysiS Millions Which
Will probably be Increased before the close 81 t.is
Congress- indeed, bill has passed The iiou1c, an
i2ng the Government 10 reissue, as they CONE in,
nnt'i juiy ici4 the entire amount OF ircasur notes
now Outstanding, (Which Is over eleven millions y
,ai however, creates new debt; IT paws ore
note by the issue Of another 70: the amount and
interest and tho main eject Of the ope ration will be,
to increase The debt due, 10 the gnount of the
terest included in The Treasury ISSUED, which
Will be exceeding hall m'tion per annum.
In 1910, which was the last year Of M. Van bu
rens Administration, the actual expenditures oi the
Government were So $50, 33G 10 loil, they were
about S2G n0G 100 In 1870, year OF unusually
limited imports, the Goyernmen, realized from customs
alone Sl3 400 ;h2 in ISL, from the same source, ths
revenue was $l4,4S7,el6 [See Doe "a, "a ses.
9th ConnA In the first three quarters ot lsl2, the
ac,ual revenue from custoEs was SD ,2b0,e30 DO
(See Doc No III These were years OF low and de
clinnq duties, undc, the Compromise Act @! l-j5
During the FIRST three quarters OF The year lS1Z ht
revenue from customs but little short OF ;',o0u,
on0 nor quarter ; and now mark the contrast the
amount received from the source tor the iouru
and les. quarter OF that year only S2,5l31l5 |o
,see Doc. No 70,l but little over halt the amour
realiaed il the other quarters Of the same year nnd
Tor 1913 the Secretary al the Treasury estimates thc
revenue from clsolns n only Si3 100000. Now, win,
This falling CT There must be some cause tcr II
md who account for in any other way, Khan al
ttbuting 10 the ru'noos operation oi ,!e Prsss'
oppressive and uaus, Tariff From lo33, to Jane
lSI2 we had declining duties they were being al
minshed gradually, until tie latter period, at wh'c
time they were atwenty per cent aud mark the con
sequences, the duties lowered, - rs to approach IN
revenue standard, the aDour' ~ revenue iro'n Gus
toms gradually and steadily iocr"aSed nntii August
1912 nj which time The new Tart, law took elect; an
at once almost 10 a week, we notice \ rapid iNi'ins OF
of the revenue from that source. For InStance-se
the amount received The different quarters OF ls42
the three first under low, and the last, under yer
high rate OF duties Look al the estimates Tor lclI
and see the great dlriuut,on3,77i2 b9 Al less tha
1872, ard $1,000, 80 - less than the first three
fourths OF l-.2-iess than ISL by 81 ,l-1,2l6, an
less than 1910 bv about talf million. Who, then
infer seeng The effects Of that law upon the Govern
,nen, saying nothing Of ills effects upon the people
can desire it's continuance Bat instead OF paying III
debt of which the Wings much and so loudly com
planned they have, two years made II about hvc I'm
as large 1t when they came INTO power In
stead Of retrenchment, they eApend near Sl,oOo,oO
per annum than was expended IN the last year
MIR Van Burens Administration. Instead OF increas
ing the revenue, and en!argng the means oil the Go
vernment 10 pay, they have actually lessened them
SO il appears that the great benefits winch were 10 re
suit the Government from wing management, nav
not only failed to be realized, bat every step taken ant
every act performed by them has added to the embar
rassment and distress. Aud, upon proper examna
tlon you III fad The 10 be the fact IN regard Il
the condition of the people. Look around you now
and see the amount of distress amongst your neigh
borssee the amonnt of property constantly under h
hammer OF the officer, being sold a ruinous sac:t
fee. Look back for few years-how it then
See the prices oil your produce and property then
What are they But these things apparent lc
every man, and Is useless 10 pursue this branch
the subject any further Ncr haze these results beer
n-oduced for the wan, OF legislation on the contrary
Since the 4,h of March, 1Sli the installation OF Tie
Wbigs1 Congress has been IN session fifteen
months within a few days of two-thIrds of the
ire two wears they have not given Representative
time 10 attend 10 his domestic concerns, much less &c
zee and commune with he constituents These facts
evident; that the Government ana 'he people are
greatly more embarrassed now than they were on the
4ih OF March, lS4l that the Wings have kept Con
eress in session nearly two thirds OF the entire tune
since then And why is itso, may ask you, fellow
citizens There be but one answer the havoc
which has been committed, The Bankruptcy and distress
which are abroad IN the uud have been greatly aggra