The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-01-17
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. II, 1914

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, Jan. IT, 1874.
Prayer by the Rev. Mr.. TUsroN.
The CLERK then read the Journal of yesterday
after which,
Mr.. FRENCH offered resolution, calling on the
Commissioner Of Pensions for all original papers Oh
file in his Office so as to enable members presenting
claims for pensions TO prosecute them.
Mr.. J. r. INGERSOLI offered resolution au-
thorizing the Clerk of the House to furnish to the
members the stationery on hand, purchased at a
higher price, at the present prices.
Mr.. PRATT offered an amendment, which was
inaudible.
Mr.. WELLER said if the resolution was amended
he should vote against it.
MIR. PRATT withdrew his amendment, and it was
agreed to.
Mr.. Prick offered resolution, calling on the
Public Printer for the reasons why the President'
Message and accompanying documents had not beer
furnished; which was objected to.
The SPEAKER announced the order of the day
being the proposition for recOnsdering the vote in
structing the Committee Of Ways and Means TO make
an appropriation for the
WESTERN WATERS.
Mr.. WELLER said, yesterday he felt an inclination
to reply to the gentleman from Pennsy Mr. Stu
artl whose remarks were wide from the truth. That
gentleman is reported in the lntelligencer, which
presumed correct that Mr.. Van Buren, had author
lied the Secretaries of the different Departments,
whose duty it to make these estimates to withhold
them, he should be bound to veto the bill when it
was presented to him-which he Mr.. W. pro-
nounced to be untrue, and without shadow of foun
dation to have justified the assertion.
The report of the Intelligencer makes it also ap-
pear that there was question of veracity between
the gentleman from Pennsy lvana Mr.. J. r. Inger-
soil and HIMSELF in relation to what he stated to
have been the action of the Committee of Ways and
Means, which is untrue. He merely stated that the
ffaa had arana thac bod
come to the conclusion to make no appropriation for
the Western waters; and lie here repeated that the
committee had taken vote and agreed 10 make no
appropriation for those interests. True, the gentle
man from Pennsylvania MIR. | was not present
when that determination announced
Mr.. J. r. INGERSOLL said he understood the
remarks of the gentleman from Ohio to be what the
committee would not do, and not what had been
done.
Mr.. WELLER said it impossible for him to
know what the committee would do, but 1t was COM
petent for him to know what had been done, being
member Of that committee.
Mr.. W. then resumed his remarks, and said he
should conhne himself TO the subject before the
House, although his feelings prompted him to reply
to the gentleman from ennsylvana, whose remarks
were nothing more nor less than an old stale stump
speech, which he had heard before clothed in better
language, but which untrue in every particular,
and could not stand the scrutinzng eye Of the Ame-
rcan People.
The question before the House is one that requires
action, and not debate, as asserted by the gentleman
from kentucky, Mr.. Thomasson,) who placed the
subject clearly before the House that he should
not make speech at this time but when it came
before them in another shape, he should reply
more fully to the exploded arguments of the gentle
man from Pennsylvania, Mr. Stuart
The immense loss of human life on II Mississippi,
and the loss which had taken place few days ago,
by the snagging of boat near St. Louis, requires
the action of this House to be prompt on this
subject With these facts we'll known 10 the
gentleman from Pennsylvania he came forward
and inflicted upon this House a stump speech
an old exploded stump speech-on the old and ex-
ploded sef.styled American System-when the pro.
position before the House required speedy action TO
save the lives of our unfortunate countrymen, and
save them from watery graves by removing those OBJ
structions In the Mississippi, which have been the
cause of so much disaster. The speech he inflicted
upon the House at the time, and under the CT
stances in relation to Mr. Van Buren,, not sentence
OF which was true, was an insult to the House. and
at proper time ne would expose his fallscious at
tack on that gentleman, and prove TO the satisfaction
gentlemen on this floor the unruth Of his asser-
tons He Mr. 5 asserted that MIR. Van Buren,
was against Western interests Is this assertion true
Did he not approve the bill making appropriations
for the Cumberland road Certainly he did. Then
what Justification there in this untrue and unjusth
able attack IL was insult TO those honorable
feelings which prompt every gentleman TO act on this
seat TO hear what he had TO say, that explanation
might be made, # necessary. He thanked Mr. Holmes,
Of s. C., for his views upon the constitutional power
Of Congress, under the original grant, o make ap-
preparations for the Western waters which clear
specific and satisfactory TO his mind, and which
not be controyerledi and he glad that the West
had such an advocate, coming, as he does, from the
Southern portion Of this Union.
When the proper time should arrive he would
show to the country, by documentary evidence that
the remarks ofthe gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr..
s. were untrue, and he made them without a shadow
of truth TO Justify him in his assertions and f be did
that gentleman should be branded with the fslsehood
on his forehead, and should he fail the House might
brand him with it. But that gentleman is not pre-
sent he would give him another opportunity to hear
what he said, and pass by He stated when he first
rose that il not his object TO make speech, but
TO upon this subject and to sustain that declara-
ton he moved the previous question, but withdrew If
to allow
Mr.. SEYMOUR 10 explain, who said he misun-
derstood the remarks OF the gentleman from Ohio,
made yesterday, but from his remarks to-day he felt
bound say his statement yesterday correct
He then renewed the previous question.
The question then required on a second to the pre-
vious question: and upon count there was a second
M. WELLER demanded tellers, when Messrs
HARRISON and Grinnell were appointed tellcrs, wbC
reported 80 in the affirmative and 81 IN the negative
SO there was second.
The question then REQUIRED upon the main ques
ton, and there was a second.
Mr. WELLER demanded the yeas and nays, which
ordered
Mr.. J. w. DAVIS called for the reading Of the
resolution, which was read.
1he CLERK then called the roll, aud the following
IS the result Yeas 95, nays II.
So tie resolution reconsidered.
Here message from the Senate was announced
informing The House that that body had passed bill
OF me House making an appropria ion to supply de
hclency IN the appropriation for the protection Of
American seameni
Mr.. i. SMITH, of Indiana, said he voted for tn,
proposition of the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr
Thomasson) that it might go TO the country upon it
merits He believed some gentlemen had voted fo
the reconsideration, no, properly understanding thu
question He was for voting appropriations not onl,
for the improvement Of the Western waters but 70