The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-01-19

to withdraw from the files certain paper of L Han
son and others.
Leave was granted.
Mr. WINTHROP asked leave of the II use the
State Of Maryland being unrepresented-to with
draw from the files of the House, certain papers be
longing to citizen of Baltimore.
Leave was granted.
MIR. CAVE JOHNSON renewed his motion for
the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the
Whole on The state of the Union which was agreed
to-
The SPEAKER vacated the Chair, and called Mr..
WINTHROP thereto who announced to the Committee
of the Whole that the subject before them was the
resolution of the gentleman from Kentucky (Nir.
Thomasson) nstructing the Committee OF Ways and
Means TO report an appropriation for the improve
ment OF the
WESTERN WATERS.
Mr. WELLER rose and said that, yesterday,
he promised to pay his respects to the gentleman
from Pennsy avania Mr. Stuart to-day land he should
proceed to comply with that promise But, that the
House may properly understand the difference be-
tween that gentleman and HIMSELF 1t Is necessary 10
60 back to its origin.
The gentleman from Kentucky, (Mr Thomasson,)
with the feelings of his heart had introduced reso
luton calling upon the Committee of Ways and
Means to make appropriation for the employment
of boats in the Mississippi to protect the lives
of our unfortunate fellow citizens and had stated TO
the House, at the time, the loss of some OF our fell
herdess near st Loui-, and while this QUESTION was
before the House, which required prompt action on
the part of this body, the gentleman from Pennsy-
vania (Mr. StuarD came forward and covered
the whole ground Of party politics, reiterating an
"old stump" speech, which he (Alr. Weller) did
then, and does now, say an insult to this House
The main object Of his speech 10 place him in o.
false position before the country 1t was an attack
upon Mr.. Van Buren,, known to be his choice
for the Presidency and the choice of the People
Of the West, in which he Mr. Stuart had stated
untruths, which he ready to prove to the salts
faction of every member of this House and the coun-
try at large.
After that gentleman had dsgorged himself of his
vile ISLANDERS against MIR. Van Buren, and his friends
he felt himself bDund to state to that gentleman and
the country that his statements were untrue, and
when he made the remarks, and found the gentle
man from Pennsylvania was absent he had distinctly
stated that he sh ould embrace another opportunity
of telling that gentleman that the remarks ne had
made WI untrue and if he did not place the brand
upon him Mr. S he would take the brand himself.
That gentleman had stated in the course of his re-
marks yesterday that he Mr.. w and his Western
friends must desert their principles and stand by
their man, or desert their man and stand by their
principles, to be consistent which he did here in
the face Of that gentleman and the world pronounce
untrue.
Mr. W. said that he might not be misunderstood
he swould read the remarks of that gentleman from
the National ntegencer, which he presumed to be
good authority for gentlemen on the other side OF the
House, upon which he based this assertion, without
shadow of trHth, that, to be consistent we would
he compelled to abandon our principles or our
man. Mark what he had to say; he did not
wish to be misunderstood on this subject. The gen
teman from Penns ylvana stated in his remarks, and
here they reported in the lnelligencer, that Mr.
Van Buren, had Withheld the estimates of the Cum
berand road.
Mr. STUART: presumed the fact
Mr. WELLER: There is no presumption IN he
matt r; it is positively asserted, and when he was
asked if he made the remarks, he denied them. II
there is gentleman this side of the House who
will say the gentleman from Pennsylvania did not
make the remarks just read and which he denies, he
| Mr.. w would relract. No will take back
what he asserted Then the untruih of the assertion
is clearly established. he gentleman from Penn
sylvania had stated what Mr.. Van Buren, had done +;
and when he was asked if the remarks, as reported
were made by him. he denied them. Here is false
hood number one take it, and brand your i rehsaa!
Then, to escape from the unenyiable position he
had occupi d, sub ect foreign from the one un-
der consideration he skulks behind Inference"
But no gentleman upon the floor OF this House
has right TO infer " falsehood," as he Mr. s had
done in this instance Yesterday, in the course oil that
gentlemans remarks to screen himself from the d.
emma in which he had placed himself as Yolun-
teer he denied the statements contained IN his speech
in the lntegencer, and which had gone form 10 the
world under his sanction truths and now he creeps
Burens Cabinet, therefore he could not know the
fact that the estimates had been WITHHELD but in
ferred il fact, and calls upon me Mr. W. TO dis
prove all he saidyes ALL all he said Is 1t to be pre-
sumed that any man the face OF the earth could
occupy the floor Of this House for hour, without
telling some truths; If there is such man, he must be
the greatest prevaricaor on tie face OF the earth.
Mr. w said, to illustrate the false issue the gentle
man from Pennsylvania V shcd to make, by placing
him in the position to dsprove all he said, he would
relate an anecdote of tavern-keeper aud an Indian
The Indian said TO the tayern-keeper if you will give
me glass of whisky, will tell you where you can
kill deer. he tayern-keeper very readily assented,
and gave the whisky to the Indian who told HIM
to 20 into Gers ain field, and he would there
see a certain large oak tree, with three notches
cut in il; and under that tree he would hnd
the deer The tavernkeeper started for the spot
with his rifle and went TO the field, but retuped
without the deer. On meeting the Indian he told
him he had been to the spot designated but he found
no deer. The Indian then replied, you found the
tree Yes. You found the three noches IN the ree'
Yes You found the deer No. Then, said the In
dian smacking his lips with the whisky, it is very
good for an Indian TO tell three truths and one ne.
This is the position Of the gentleman from Penn
sylvania, who insists that all that he stated must be
proved TO be untrue before he would take the brand,
which is virtually admitting like the Indian, that he
told some truths and some lies. The gentleman
shall not force me into such position, because he
had made no such remark. He had said That he
would dsprove all that the gentleman from Pennsyl-
yania had said about MIR Van Burens Withholding
the estimates for the Cumberland Road, and has OPP
position to all improvements. These he would dis
prove, and which amounts TO ialsehood No 6.
The doctrine in the Veto Message of the Maysvlle
road bill the proof of the opinion of Gen. Jack
son and those who acted with him In that Message
no where can it be found that General Jackson was
opposed to all Improvements. He expressly states
in that Message that he is only opposed to
local and sectional improvements, which does
not embrace oil Improvements, asserted by
the gentleman from Pennsylvania, but only local
improvements, and this is he evidence, from which
he stated yesterday that Mr. Van Buren, was OPP
posed to all improvements, but to-day he infers
the fact, and denies his speech, as reported in his
own organ.
Mir w said he would inform the honorable gen.
tleman that in 1885, the second year-msrk, the s'c
ond U ar-of Mr. Van Buren's Administration, (lhe
year he asserted no appropriations had been made