The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-26

ity (" IL might be TO those portions which re-
eslted the money, but robbery 10 his constituents
This government had no more right TO build these
poor-houses in Louisville, Poducah, &C., than in
China. IL this dsgraceful scramble for government
advantages and for government patronage at dh-
ierent points was TO be continued, why they Of New
York would want hospitals erected on the line Of
their great channel OF commerce, the Erie canal, al
Utica, Buffalo, &c. No; he thanked God they did
not want them. New York not contaminated
with Poor-housss boilt by the general government.
She asked not for them.
He dissented from the general policy Of this sys-
tenn OF collections for seamen-this system Of exact
ing ~ cents per month OF all the seamen Of our
country for their whole lives, because some oftheir
number might be sick and III reed al some time.
He urged that improyidenee and exttaVskanee
would most certainly follow in the expenditures
and insisted that those who wanted marine hospitale
--as those who wanted the channels Of commerc,
cleared Out-should do il for themselves, as il
would then be done 1t 4 much lower rate, and
the expense sooner or later, by dfss, or indirect
tax, must come upon the people.
He denounced the general system Of extravagant
appropriations, which vas too widely favored in
Congress by many in order TO maze : pretext for
continuing in force the present system Of oppressive
taxation. But, we had a on hand, we should
get rid Of our money. IL heavy expenses would
keep up the tariff, il would be kept up. They need
not, therefore, resort to these lavish and ndiscrmi
nate expenditures for "marne hospitals" internal
improvements, &c. He hoped 10 see the time when
this system Of expenditures, IL continued, would
"return TO vex the tormen ors;" and that when a
deficiency arose FROM this source, thai Il would be
supplied by direct tax. fthere was deficiency
in the revenue, instead Of keeping up the tariff and
taxing the poor mans tea and coffee, and other
eessarles, and compelling him TO pay more largely
than the rich for the support Of this system Of
travaganee he hoped that his friend the chairman Of
the Committee of Ways and Means, woGid reach our
John Jacob Astors and Abbott Lawrences by d.
rect tax, and he would vote for it. The moment we
collected FIVE millions by direct tax, then farewell
TO all your improvident legislation. The people
would ask then what we wanted the money for, and
when they were told, 80! il is for poor-house at
Cleveland, at Louisville, for Tire continuation Of
the Cumberland read for the clearing out ofthe Mus.
Gle shoals in Tennessee river" &c. they would soon
put their veto these extravagances, and on the
men who favored them. He argued at some length,
and warmly, against this class Of appropriations,
and against the manner Of log-roIling by which
they were carried through-the connecting one APP
preparation with another-the attempting 10 buy up
the South Carolina men by sticking in an approprf-
ton for Charleston harbor, and then hoping to have
their aid to slide bill through Of entirely
constitutional character He represented the urgen-
cy Of attention to the tariff now. We were in war,
II said; but that reason why we should
not to do evil and learn to do we'll and relieve
the country from the evils Of this oppressive and
inqritous tariff.
He warmly appealed to the democratic delegation
from New York, well the entire party in
Congress- to join one man in the support Of this
and the accompanying measures OF rigid economy
in the expenditures of government and extensive
reforms. He hoped that they would vote 10 strike out
these poorhouses and in this that they would see an
earnest that they were coming back to first prnci-
ples--to what was honest and just, land they had a
long road to travel.) II this course was not taken
by the whole democratic party, he confessed he
should blush when he got back to his constituents,
and know not what apology TO make. In con-
cluson he renewed his appeal to his colleagues to
go with uniformity in behalf Of these principles
the great principle of economy and reform to which
the democratic party pledged-and to resist all
improper appropriations, whether their own dis
tricts to be benefited by them or not-the
more if 30, as they would then exhibit greater moral
hrmness, and more patriotic constancy and devotion
to principle.
Mr.. PAYNE, after some preliminary remarks, in
which he paid a compliment TO the remarks Of Mr.
GROVER, especially as coming from the great State
of New York, whose representatives, lat least OF
the democratic party) he joined in the hope,
which the gentleman had adverted, proceeded to
refer to the constitutional question. These appro-
priatons he said) could not be justified under the
war power, for no weasel Of war ever assembled one
of these rivers and no seilor engaged in naval
service could ever receive the benefit Of these hos
ptals Neither could it be maintained under the
power to regulate commerce, as wide had been
the construction placed upon it, justifyng, as it
sought the establishment Of a national bank,
of an oppressive system of taxation of the many
for the benefit of the few, and appropriations for
the digging out canals, for the construction OF
roads, and almost every other measure. He dwelt
upon the pernicious effects of so latitudinarian a
system of construction, and he denied the power ofu e
government to make appropriations for these hospi-
als-caled, and with some degree Of justice by the
NJ.
government should pause in its career of extrava-
gance, and regulate it's appropraung power by some
bounds definite and fixed. How il should be ef.
fected he was not prepared to state-whether by a
system OF direct taxation or not he not now
prepared to determine. But he believed that what
ever measure measures were necessary TO
accomplish the object ought to be adopted, and that
the greatest benefit would thereby result to the peo-
pie of this confederacy. That the present system
of collecting revenue was one which tended TO in
crease profigacy of expenditure more than any
other he had no doubt; not because it not op
pressive upon the people, but because individual
could specifically tell what he pays under it.
He did not like to ask the question-occupying
the position he did to the two great parties in the
country-whether or not anything was to be done
with our present revenue system at this session of
Congress. But it was anxiousy asked by the peo-
Pile of the country; each individual looks his neigh
Dor in the face, and asks the subsistng burdens
to be kept up'--or Is there to be a reformation
reformation most solemnly promised, he dared say,
by nlne.tenths of the democratic members on this
floor. Why did they ask iR Because some six
months had passed of this session and no move was
yet made by those in whose hands the subject was
placed to take it up. 1t was true the bill was re-
ported some six weeks ago, printed and referred to
the Committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union where it had been permitted up to this time
to sleep as quietly as in the grave itself The Bat-
more convention had frequently been referred to on
another subject. He did not pretend to say how far
the resolutions which political convention might
see fit to pass were to be binding Con-
gress; but where a question like this was
made one of the great if not the great
issue of the convention and when the party were
elected on distinct and solemn pledge to reform
the tariff, they bound to do so. And from his
personal observation, and from all the acquaintance
he had with the canvass in the different States, he
averred that the modification of the tariff of 1912 was
one of the measures Of reform to which the demo-
cratic party were solemnly pledged Notwithstand-
ing this, action had taken place; and by the advo
Gates of this tariff system Of taxation every device
and artfce was in the meantime resorted IN in ;,s