The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-28

ever abandon. But the party in power has aban-
doned that great principle during the present session
Of Congress. II Ia a principle which, as we all
know, Mr.. Jefferson regarded sacred, and so an
nouneed to the chairman Of Ways and Means in
the other House, principle which he contended
should be always adhered 10; and yet is that prn-
ciple which majority of this body have deliberate
ly abandnoed. Well, sir, the honorable gentleman
from Mississippi says that there was not time 10
mature the bl-to make il such a measure as was
required by The instructions OF the Senate--that
want Of time prevented compliance with the nstrue-
tons Of the Senate. And he urged that we on this
side of the house had named the day Of al Oumment
and settled the day ofadjournment The honorabe
gentleman will DO me the justice to say that
| did not fix the day Of adjournment He
will do me the justice 10 say now, and at
all times hereafter, that | syowed myself willing to
give gentlemen the other side all the time asked
To perfect the great measures Of the session. an
nounced Tepeatedly-oyeT and over again announced
my determination TO sustain them securing ample
time. And the l0th Of August was named as the
day Of adjournment by one Of their own political
frlends-the gentlemrn from Tennessee farthest
from me, Mr. TURSEr.l IL waS, therefore, as
understand from the debate and from the vote, their
own act. joined in the vote because they voted.
agreed 10 hx that day, because they fixed the day.
he has no right therefore, to taunt me, and those
who acted with me- with curtalling the session and
shortening the time within which Il "a necessary TO
act. But, in to all this, have to say that
II there be not sufficient time, introduce resolution
10 prolong the time. Name a more distant day. l
shall vote for IT, have idea Of dischsIging you
from the consideration Of this subject and absoly
ing you from the discharge Of solemn duty i'm
posed upon you by the Senate, merely because the
10th Of August has been fixed as the day Of adj
journmenL Name the Goth, the 30th Of August
name any day you please instead, but do not at
tempt To escape thus from the discharge Of your du-
~ on the plea that you shave not time" | tell
you, you about TO inhiet on the country ncacu-
liable mischief Never, after INJECTING that evil on
the country, attempt TO justify yourselves on the
ground that you had not time TO set with deibera-
tion II you have not time, II IL because you refuse
TO give yourselves time Time is not denied you
by gentlemen on this side Of the house. You have
no such excuse TO offer here; and you shall have no
such excuse to offer before the country. Something
was said with reference to amendments-as TO
whether they were or not desirable. have,
according 10 the best OF my ability, discharged my
duty. | have offered those amendments which ]
thought were necessary TO sustain-to save the in
terests Of the country. One Of them has failed.
think can fOresee the fate Of the others I regret
II. But having done my duty, do not feel thai ]
under any obligation to do anything more in this
matter. The amendments which | have offered
have covered the whole ground, as was remarked
by my friend from Kentucky MIR Car
rEsDESl yesterday. Adopt these amendments,
and the industry OF the country stands pro-
intend to wear out gentlemen on the other side Of
the house by offering amendments. Il is not part
OF my purpose, sir, 10 delay action this matter
have not trespassed much on the Senate during
this debate. | shall not abandon my course
shall not address the body on the great question
| have said enough 70 warn gentlemen Of the mis-
chievous consequences which will follow the pas.
sage Of this bill; and having thus discharged my
duty, abide the consequences whatever they may
be.
Mr.. WEBSTER then addressed the Senate. He
said the question now before the Senate is in one
respect a test question: as il has been described by
the honorable member from Missouri, [Mr. BEN
TOM, not exactly in the light in which he viewed H.
or IN the sense in which he wished TO be under
stood, but in quite different sense-n another as
pect altogether. We here sir calling ourselves
every day ademocratie Congress, and the majority
OF the body rs said TO be about pass great demo-
cratic measure. l suppose II any meaning ia
attached TO those terms, it is that Il is
n measure favorable to the masses-favo-
rable TO the peope-prefeuing the interests Of the
masses to the interests Of few.preferring the in
eress Of the great body Of the people to those who
may be called the possessors Of high meas
ure OF wealth. Well, sir, what sort Of
bill does the question now about to
be taken show that this "great democratic
measure" is'-or what sort of a measure
is this popular democratic bilP Ii purport.
to be an tact reducing the duty on imports and for
purposes ne ute could not describe the
bill at all If they did not Indicate that there were other
purposes besides the reduction Of duties; and
one OF those other purposes is to enhance duties.
The true Interpretation of the BILL therefore is that
1t is act for reducing certain duties and enhancing
certain other duties articles Of importation. Now
SIR, let us see whether this is such bill as is pre-
tended--a bill in favor Of the masses-in favor Of
the people! Just look at the question now submit
ted to the Senate! This bill does reduce duties-on
what On WHAT Why, there may be some articles
on which the duties reduced for the benefit of
the middng classes but the great reduction Of du-
ties Is on such articles those of which read to
you yesterday list from the letter of Mr.. Nichol
You reduce the duty on spirits Of all kinds to the
great extent which mentioned Yesterday You
reduce the duty on spices TO the great extent which
mentioned yesterday. You reduce the duty on
imported tropical fruits and other fruits. You re-
duce the duty on ready-made clothing You
reduce the duty on rich and expensive car
pets. You reduce the duty on. rich cut
glass-every one Of them. And you saw that
this reduction keeps out Of the treasury more than
the whole ofthe duty laid upon certain other articles
But these are your reducuons-your main reduc-
tons. They are all on articles Of luxury-of ex.
IRENE luxury-sprits spices, silks, costly carpets
rich cut-sIass, ready-made clothing, articles in
which none of the middling classes are interested
or are in the habit of buying using And now is
proposed to see whether you will or will not, by the
instructions to your committee, continue the prac-
ice OF freeing the raw MATERIAL upon which all the
manufacturing and laboring people of the country
earn living when they get it. That question is
now distinctly put TO you, and put to this Senate
on the raw material, which is to come here and fur
nsh employment and occupation 10 the handcraft
throughout the counry--on this you have raised
the duty. Perhaps on all of these raw materials but
certainly on masses of them, as showed yester-
day, you have raised the duty above the standard
of that tariff, which you say is an obnoxious whie
measure, and for the reduction of whose duties
you stand pledged. Now you are asked to send
them to your committee, with instructions in every
case where the duty on the raw material, as pro-
posed by this bill, exceeds the duty on the same
raw material imposed by the wing tariff of ls42, |
to take IT of;-you won't do it-you won'
do it No. You indulge in the luxury oil
taxing the poor man and the laborer! That is |
the whole tendenty, the whole character, the |
whole effect Of the bill You see everywhere in it the
desire to revel in the delights of taking away mems
employment That's the character of this bill. And
this is the question now before the Senate. Sir,
had hoped that the honorable gentleman who spoke |
yesterday With so much effect on the necessity OF |
protecting the mechanics and laborers-who dwelt |
mn ,ko,, al.