, 1844-02-07
MIR. TiLUEN.

me speech oil ms 6 fniieman IN tho
House, at Washington On The question
whether the subject Of Western Improve.
inenls referred to ia The Presidents Mes
sage should be referred to the Committee
of Commerce, or 10 ii Select Comtuittee
comnosed exclusively Of Western men is
y sensible. j takes the. Ictareet GROUND.
Ms TiIdeh said; fSl9a iSV tG 1yaa
Mr., 7. did not rise to enlighteu the
committee, but 70 present very succincllv
the reasons which would induce him ia
disagree 70 the sEendment moved by thu
gentleman from Keqlncky. Mr.. Thomas.
son. proposing lie reference Of this sub.
iect 10 q select COMMITTEES composed ex-
cIusiycly Of Western men, He had
heardqn one good reason given why such
i committee should be raised. Face did
not support il, nor had any been referred
%. AL manner Of things had been dis
cussed-lhe tariff, The army. the navy,
internal improvements, Eastern and.W cs:
tern rivers-but no one satisfactory rea,
son had been advanced in The whole
course Of the debate why the subject
ought 70 go TO a select copmiliee. Tho
mover Of The amendment had observed, i,
was true, That such a committee would
have an intilr8te acquaintance with all
The details of fact bearing on the subject.
Thai might te 50; but the reason did not
apply, because no minute investigation Of
facts was needed IN the matter. The
facts are few and obvious. The gentle
man himself had presented 10 the House
quite enough 10 satisfy any committee Of
tho House, and TO justify il in going 10
any length in recommending u%ppropria,
lions Cor the object. Other gen,lemca
were in possession Of this knowledge, and
a single hour was sufficient for The sta
ting Of all that needed 10 be known,
whether in reference TO the rivers or tho
lakes, 10 convince any man Twas proper
10 improve their navigation Gentlemen
had stalled that the Improvement Of the
Navigation Of these walters had been neg,
1cetod Tor years past; Tint WIS truey but
i, was II public fact, known to every com.
mitteo in the House. As western man
he hoped the amendment, would not pre-.
vail, but that the resolution moyed by
the gentleman from Virginia, (Mr. Wiso)
as modified by himself, would prevail,
aud the subject go 10 the Committee On
Cuumerce.
MIR. 7. had no fears from such a refer.
ence Of il. He had seen enough to cons
vine hun there was no disposition in the
House 10 disregard Western interests; he
believed that that committee would treat
Them with due regard, and Western men
asked nothing more. lie preferred hav.
lag the report Of one Of the standing com,
mI',ees of the House to that of The most
favorable select committee that could DO
raised. II would have more weight and
influence wish the House. When such o
report vas brought in, there would be no
suspicious entertained that it was of
partial or local complexion. Mr.. L. waa
satisfied that there was a disposition 10
the House rather Ia discountenancs the
indulgence of a sectianal spirit, md he
fell M distrusi Of the equity of the body.
Nune OF its standing committees wero
committed to any line of policy which
would require them TO exclude the West
from their favorable regard. Nor did
Mr.. i. believe, as had been represented
by a gentleman from Indiana, (Mr. Ken.
nedy, ihatlhe West now il had become
comparatively powerful, wished in any
manner to cQerce the House; nor tina, she
was so ambitious or 80 much misled as tn
desire. 10 create on issue with the East.
He utterly discIainsd any. such feeling,
lhe Western people were disposed la
loek~at great national interests; and il
was because they believed; tic improve.
Tnent OF our internal navigation Ia DO one
of those interests lha: ,ley urged it on
the attention Of the House. They cluim>
ed that it shndld be put on a footing with
Fother great interests Of thu nation, aud
they asked no more. lie hoped The 2
cause would not assume any sectional,
and, above all, any party attitude. Gen,
tlemeR might 5e assured that no good
would cunie TO Tho West IRON an nltcmp,
TO put this Claim on that ground. lle we
persuaded there would be fund IN Ih1
COMMITTEES on Commerce n mavnanimi'f
and a sense Of justice sufficient IL sa,i.is
fully every Western MN.
Mr.. +. should ask no other reIarearA
uniil he was compelled .iWr t,rlieys rhat
that Hpase was dead To Western iuirrcsi",
aud Iilat the represen! ation there waa
cut up into mere sectional Interests, each
going for itself. When he was %couvin-
rcd Of thai, he should nct accordingly.
Meantime, he called upon tie Domnrra-
cy of The West, who we're so exclusively
and zenlously national on the subject "F
internal improvements, To come up and
act IN a unrely n%nliohai feeling. f,hry
shouIdu mi, Mr.T. would bs greatly dis.
appoiaIcd.