The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-05
GRESS SION AL.
SPEECH OF MIR. SPEIGHT,
or MISSISSIPPI,

n Ssnais, January %, le46--on the bill providing
forthe augmentation OF the navy.
Mr. sPEIGHT being entitled TO the floor, ad
dressed the Senate as follows;
Mr.. PAEsIpExT; In the discussions which have
AIKEN place during the present session, land which
w kind Of fatality, seem to have taken the same
dreclion) have occupied but little or no part OF
your time. | have not remained silent because
lid not think that to some small extent, compre.
hended the merits Of the great question Of the day.
OF that was entirely ignorant ofits practical effects
on the graf mass Of the community, but merely
and chiefly because It was my misfortune tn differ
with some OF those With whom Il has long been my
pie sure IN act
I did not nor do now, believe that the proper
| lealy unable to do justice to the subject which
nov engages the attention Of the Senate, | canno
any longer consent IN remain silent, because fee
that u is due TO my constituents that they should
know the Teasons governing me In the vote intend
giving, aud my knowledge Of their intelligence and
patriotism assures me that they will truly appre,
ciate a course which sound democratic doctrine
would seem SO distinctly TO mark out FOR the action
Of this hoiise.
Without further remark, proceed to the provi-
scns OF this bill. Ard whit does IL proposeI In
The hru place. the President is authorized TO build
steamships Of iron, and 10 81 out and call into
actual service the remainder OF the vessels in ordi.
",
ny. And what Is the amount OF money thai is pro-
posed to be appropriated by your votes to the ac-
complishment of this object' Why a sum Be.
TWIN SIX AND SEVEN MILLIONS or DOLLARS! The
honorable senator from Indiana, Mr. HAxsro N, |
brings forward an amendment adding u this AL
ready enormous sum, an ADDITIONAL nv MILLIONS !
This, with the annual expenditures for the Navy
Department, swels the appropriation to above OUR
rrIs MIL IONS or DOLLARS! Yes, sir, IN time Of
profound peace, when, ! undertake to say, not a
shadow OF war hangs OVER our heads--when The
horizon is unobscured by a single cloud we are
called 10 vote fourteen millions Of dollars for one
branch Of the public service
Now MIR. President, II may not be altogether un
profitable to look little into past expenditures
You will not be surprised, because ii must be known
to you-lhat This sum Of money Is nimn, double the
rnnBai expenditures Of the government for any year
pp 10 Tic declaration Of the lost rar Here under
democratic admipistraton, pledged TO a System OF
reid economy--most especially in It's monetary
aaairs-we are called upon to expend at single
dash. and for the support ofbut one arm Of the ma.
tional defence, larger sum Of MONEY double the
amount--han the whole yearly expenses Of the gov.
eminent prior to the Of 1919. lhave statistical
lst before me which shows that even these outlaws
we're larger than required during most Of tho years
up TO 1881 and 1882. Yes, sir, many Of those
years the amount Of money required to defray the
ordinary expenses Of the government nas less Than
Here Mr.. s. went into extended review Of the
expenditures Of the government for series of years
past
This bill (said Mr. g. presenis itself to our con
sideraton in two prominent aspects. We are to
consider II first as PEACE measure, and secondly,
Is WAR measure. II we are really at peace with
the whole world, there can be no argument to sup
port So extraordinary an outlay; and the bill be-
comes at once an extravagant and wasteful expen-
dtnre Of the peoples money, and one which they
will never Justify or tolerate, The honorable SEN
aior from Missouri Mr.. BENTos,1 when speaking
the other day upon this branch Of the subject, ad-
verted to what is matter Of history that SIX years
ago powerful party was overthrown and turned
out Of power under a charge that this government
could be administered for thirteen millions of dol
lars Yes, sir, that very party to which the gen.
teman and myself beong-that party to which a
majority Of this body belongs-was turned
out Of power because the expenditures of the
government had swollen up to an amount
which was regarded by another portion of the conn.,
munty as extravsgant. But this is not ALL de-
sire TO call the attention OF gentlemen back to PEE
Rod more remote in our political history. | would
go back /" the period when Mr.. Jefferson came into
power; end upon an examination Of the political
records Of that day. it Willie found that the prnci-
pal charges brought against the administration then
power was an ertrapagant expenditure of the pub
lie money; and in that extravagant expenditure, one
an unnecessary Increase, and one imposing oppres.
sive taxation upon the people. This, say, is a
matter Of history. II is matter Of record that the
second admiIistration--I allude to the admnstra-
ton Of the elder Adams--was turned out Of power
and one Of the principal causes of that event was
the Indignation Of The people Of this country against
the large increase in the expenditures of the naval
portion Of the national defence Well what was
the ehectl Mr.. Jefferson came into power, and es.
hbished what 10 known as the gun. boat SYSTEM
the weakest and least effective system that could
probably he devised; and yet such was and have
been the prejudices ofthe people against large ma.
val armament that they absolutely tolerated ha,
departure from the principles Of national defence
never before adopted in warfare by any civilized
nation on the face Of the globe. would not detrac
from the virtues Of that great man who gave them
existence; and it is due 10 him on this occasion te
say that his plans Of defence were never fully car
ried out. 's
We'll, we need not stop our inquiries here. Lei
us come to the year 1928, when the second Adam.
was removed from power. ] have some recollec
tons Of the events Of those days. ! was then &
young man, just entering upon the stage Of life, ant
partook, with lively interest, in the great potica
drama then TRANSPORTING around me. | recollect dis
hnctly--and | call upon the older members Of th
body to bear testimony to its truth--that one q
the principal charges brought against that admins
ration, was an ExTaAvAoANT EXPENDITURE or TIL
PUBLIC MorEr The charge, however unjust OF
ugcnerous, was over and over again reiterated
as well in the public prints as in the primary as
semblles Of the peopls-those grand arteries Of re
publican government which animate and contro
all our national schemes, both before and after they
shall have been devised 10 these halls. The repub
lean erscd--he republican doctrine laid down at lha
day was that the government could be efficiently
administered for twelve millions Of dollars; and
when General Jackson came into Office he wa
pledged, so far as in his power, to administer III,
government tor that sum Of money. lf,his ~ demo
cratic doctrine, J ask the honorable senator from
Maine, Mr.. FhRrixLD,l under what prrtext h,
comes forward at time, rs before said, of pro
found peace, AMI asks his rarty, who stand pledgec
To admin ster this government ecnnnmic,lly 10 yor,
u say nothing now o. the amendment OF the homo
ruble senator IRON, Indiana) SOME rwr.vr on roua
rEExALtIoNs OF DOLLARS roR IHE auoNs NJ ATT IN O,
rHgshvY % rHE UsrrEp STATES ask that senat,,
hhe supposes that public opmton IL this country vii
tolerate such lavish and inordnae expenditures O.
the public money! Does he expect, il this conrss
Of pnlicy be adopted that hsptople will sustain az
administration avuwedly the offspring and gusr,iaI
Of the massrs, and which cannot spend one dulla
without drawing il from heir po-ke'R ! must con
Tess, err, ihdn view Of those striking facts in GU
Pdlucsl history to which | have called your stsn
non and which should serve as guide 20 ever
prudent administration, was shocked II the ide