The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-02-12
CONGRESS-.
From the Boston Daily Mail.
THURSDAY, Jan. 90.

THURSDAY, Jan. 29.
In the Senate Mr. Fairchild's bill, an,
proprialing $5625, 900 to the building ten
war steamers, and for other purposes, re-.
sumcd as the regular order.
Mr. Speight, (he tall Senator from Mis-
sissippi, and perhaps the tallest man ever
elected 10 Congress. not excepting John
Wentworth, arose 10 address the Senate.
After some general remarks upon the DEL
icate state Of his health, aod the necessity,
Notwithstanding, of defining his position
upon this measure, he proceeded a, once
to the merits OF the main question. He
opposed The bill as unwarraned from the
evidence around US Of continued and pro-
found peace. II was not called fort was
useless y ex'ravagant. Mr. Speight refer.
red TO the downfall of the democratic party
in. 1910, mainly upon charges of exrav>
agance ia Mr. Van Buren's administration
The charges of extravaganza, and OF ex-
iravagance in the navy, had led, as much
as any thing else, 10 the expulsion of the
elder Adams; the gunboat system, the
weakest of all systems of defence, had been
adopted during Jefersons administration,
in order TO escape the inordinate demands
which would have been made upon the
treasury for the large increase OF The navy
which would otherwise have been require
ed. Even lhe administration of John
Quincy Adams, administered at an ex.
pense of thirteen or fourteen millions, hac
been ousted, in a great degree, from the
effect of the cry of "retranchment and re-
FORM" Mr. speight opposed all extrava
giant expenditures, from the extortionatt
laxalions which were always the conse
quence. AS peace measure, the wal
steamers were no: wanted and if It coult
b. established that under no contingency
likely to grow out of our foreign relations
the bill was an excresc ence, then he hoped
the Senator reporting the bill would &C,
knowledge the corn" and permit the bill
10 be laid upon the table. Mr. S. appre
hended no war from our relations with
Mexico. The late revolution there wa:
one of those events which occurred ir
Mexico about every three or six months
and The next news, perhaps that we would
receive, would be tina, the present military
dictator was superseded by Santa Anna
or some other ephemeral despot There
was nothing, he thought, 10 pppreSent
from Mexico, no danger whatever. Next
the dispassionate Senator preached the
Oregon question. The failure of Lore
John Russell 10 form Cabinet, on the ex
press ground that L7rd Palmerston, who
was hostile TO this country, was obnoxiou;
TO Lord Grey, Mr. Speight said was news
which it made his heart glad 10 hear
This single fact regarding the attempted
change in The Cabinet, was conclusive o
peace. No better evidence could be de
sired Of the continuance OF peace. If We
were to be rushed into a war, 1t would b,
from our own reckIessness and rashness
DIR Speighl was sangulne OF comproms'
upon the Oregon boundary because
was matter in dispute which the goo'
sense OF both na!ions wos!d teach then
was no, worth fighting about. The hon
orable senator blunlly denounced the wa
panic as originating from men who ha
nothing to lose but every thing to gai
from Waffle cry was hawked about tn
streets of Washington by men who wer
b1nkrupls 10 money, in morals in polite
and in honor-it was echoed by dema
gogues who were anxious to ride Int
20 Ser-by, bankrup! spectators in poll
lies az well as 10 socks, by the Who'll
horde Of drones who were gloallng apo
the prospects Of p!under' =,
The House resolved itself into Com
m;,lee Of lhe Wholc-Mr TIbbSls, tn