Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-07-16
The Tariff BILL i'm the Senate.

Mr.. SEWER moved that it be printed and made the !
special order for the following Monday. The motion
was divided, and the printing ordered. Mr.. Evans
moved to refer the bill to the finance committee. Mr..
Sewer opposed this reference because member being
absent, the committee equally divided for and
against the bill, and report could be expected
He wanted early action. He called for the ayes and
noes on the motion to refer. debate occurred in
which the opponents of the bill advocated reference.
and its friends opposed it, and demanded early action
on the bill by the Senate.
Mr.. BENTON said that there was no disposition on
the part of any member of the committee to avoid the
labor Of giving this bill the fullest examination
But he confident that all the labor thus bestowed
would be Of little practical value. 1t would be quite
impossible for the committee to examine the details
of the bill in a short time. Every item would require
separate consideration. In his opinion it would be
entirely useless to send the bill to the committee
The only practical course to be adopted to pro-
coed at to the consideration of the bill item BY
item. He need hardly say that the important charac
ter of the bill demanded for it the fullest investigation
and theniost serious consideration The most advis
able to name day which the bill would
be taken up and then to proceed calmly and delibe-
rately to its consideration.
Mr. HANYEGAN next addressed the Senate. He
said that he should vote this question in strict con-
sstency, as he took it. with the course which he had
had been made to the attempts made TO fix day for
the adjournment of Congress, and that of the
objects of these efforts had been TO defeat this bill
In making his motion to fix the day of adjournment,
he (AIr had expressly disclaimed any such nten-
tion But there had been ample time for action on
this and all the other important measures before the
body. prior the Doth of July, if the proper dis
position had existed. He still thought that they
might adjourn in three four weeks from this day
but that they had this bill completely in their
power, he would be unwilling TO fix q day for the
adjournment until they had passed upon it one way or
the other; and he hoped that that day would not be
far distant. He would oppose the reference of the
bill to any committee, select standing for the
sons assigned by the chairman of the Committee
Finance and his friends who had spoken on the
side He opposed that procedure because he believed
If TO be diatory in all its tendences-he did not say
Intentionally so, but so it would be in effect They
had no guarantee whatever, that if the bill sent
70 the committee it would be reported to the Senate
in month. The Senator from Maryland had asked
the chairman Of the Committee on Finance-very
significantly indeed-if he had examined all the de-
tails of this bill, TO be able TO give list of the
items! He (dr. H. would ask the Senator from
MARYLAND in his turn, if he had examined, and could
give in detail all the items taxed under the present
tariff law or any other that existed. He pre-
sumed that such exercise of memory would be labor
wasted It would be very foolish, indeed, for the
chairman of the committee, any other gentleman,
to commit to memory a parcel of outlandish names,
as ere many of those to be found in the BILL The
bill had been in print since last Saturday morning.
He had read it in the Z" Union" He was perfectly
satisfied with its general principles which correspond
ed with his own opinions. he had examined the
details as far as he could understand them and had
arrived at the conclusion that the bill should have his
support without amendment alteration 1t con-
tanned one great principle which lie held to be right
and that was the exclusion of two most obnoxious
features from the tariff systematic minimum and
specific duties. Had either of these features been
included in the bill, it could have received his
assent So far as the duty on salt was concerned, he
would with great pleasure give the Senator from
MARYLAND his construction Of that item of the bill
1t was in his opinion revenue duty. As to its op-
pressing the poor man, he had only to say contrast it
with the present taxation of that article, and you can
ascertain in moment which system was most oppres-
siye to the poor man, for whose stomach the Senator
appeared to cherish such an affectionate regard If
he recollected right the duty under the present law
ON the article OF salt specific, amounting to eight
cents per bushel. In the bill before them, the duty
was ad va1orem, 20 per cent? so that the duty would
he about IL cent per bushe at most So much for
the oppressive character of this act good deal had
been said about observing strictly the rules of the
Senate Where was the necessity of delaying action
on account of what confessedly in this case an
idle form! He must be permitted to remind his
friends over the way, who were such sticklers for
strict observance of forms, that not long since
measure of far greater Importance than this dis
posed of without any reference whatever-nay, dis
posed of summarily after all freedom of debate had
been absolutely stified There precedent which
fully sustained him on this occasion.
| Mr. ARCHER. To what measure do you allude
! Mr. HANNEGAN. Ii will be no great stretch of
memory to enable the Senator to find answer to his
inquiry. Let me help the gentleman, however. 1t is
not quite two weeks SINCE Is 1t necessary for me to
/ be more particular!
Mr.. ARCHER. 1t is not necessary, sir. 1 under
stand you. There is no need for an explanation.
| Mr. HANYEGAN. Very WELL sir; If the rule is
good it is good for both sides. After that precedent
no gentleman on the opposite side could complain of
any want of proper courtesy in holding them to the
same rule. With regard to the time likely to be
occupied in the discussion of this measure he believed
he could refer to another precedent. The famous
s' compromise act"-which presented the tariff ques
ton in more important aspect than it ever had
assumed, or probably ever would assume-occupied
but ten DAYS in its discussion in both houses. And
vet that great arrested the progress of ntes
tine hostties 1t passed the House of Representa-
tives-my friend from South Carolina tells me-in
twenty minutes. The present question has had
most thorough discussion. Not only in the halls of
Congress, but in every town, village, and hamlet, at
every cross roads throughout the Union, has it been
discussed Its great principles known to the
masses of the people, speak, of course, of its prn-
cpes not its details why, then, should be asked
TO give perhaps months to the consideration and dis
cussion of a subject as familiar to the people as
4" household word" and upon which | suppose the
mind of every intelligent citizen is fully made up
Yet for his~own part, he would listen with pleasure
TO the discussion of the merits of the bill by gentle
men who felt called upon to make speeches. either for
the Senate or for home consumption. He would be
perfectly willing to afford full latitude of debate
long as any gentlemen desired TO express his views
| NrrFs of Connecticut who once n rood demo-