The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-18

objects'-facts and opinions Of practical agrlcuur
lists, many Of whom are among the most learned
and scientific of our country believe not SIR
Ii, as the senator from Connecticut Mr. NILES.
seeHs TO suppose, statistics were connned 70 mere
tables of figures of the number Of bushels OF the d
erent grains or bales of cotton hogsheads Of to-
hacco his remark about the too pages might be cor,
rect. But who, sir, deems such restricted use OF
the term statistics legitimate or proper
| Do senators believe such was the intention OF
Congress when they directed highly important OF,
6cer of government, TO whom they pay Il salary oil
a 600 6er annum to devote his time and attention
10 the collection Of agricultural statstlcs'-o devote
his time and attention to the compilation oil too pa
yes Of figures, and authorize the expenditure OF
So 900 out of the patent fund TO deiTay The
Expenses "Crsdat JudaS .fpsHa am sure su n
Is not the Judgment Of this body. This Senate
will unquestionably agree With me that the commits
sioner under that act Of Congress executed the au-
thoity properly by collecting everything relating
ITO the science Of agricultural" and which, instead
Of being confined TO Two pages, has properly ex-
tended TO some five hundred But gentlemen
object that the volume is composed of "exuaets
from other publications, essays on agricultural sub
ects, and extracts from newspapers, fanslauons OF
foreign works, and a comparatively small portion
Of original matter" Allow me TO say, Mr.. Pres-
dent that the commissioner has referred 10 me le
CLIMATE and proper sources for information CouId
| he have resorted 10 any other Could ne nave done
otherwise in collecting agricultural statistics! The
act Of Congress itself cOntemplates collection
bringing into one connected view the vast mass Of
| facts scattered over our widely extended domain,
| and thus giving value and importance, and dissent
mating information Of them 10 all other parts OF the
counryi and the state Of the several crops are prn-
cipaly collected through the med4lm OF the eighteen
| hundred newspapers published IN all parts Of the
country and the reports OF agricultural societies. Of
| which there il but limited number In what other
i way could Il be done within the appropriation! is
| this information unImpOrtant TO the community
think few will say So The senator from Connec-
tcut seems TO fear that should soon separ-
ate bureau-"a bureau Of agriculture" | assure
the gentleman, my only fears are that such bureau
will not be established, at least in my day, and
assure him regret it most profoundly. The gentle
man says he had supposed was "strict-consiruc
ZIONIST OF the constitution" He is right am so and
yet will always be willing to place such con-
| structIon on the constitution will carry out the
pro visions of that sacred instrument and give effect
TO the wise intentions Of it, trainers. The consttu
ton gives full power to Congress ito regulate COM
merce with foreign nations and among the several
States"
| Now, sir, on what is nearly all our commerce
| founded Most certainly on our agricultural pro-
ducts. And can 1t be doubted that when Congress
have the sole and exclusive power Of regulating"
all commerce. foreign and domestic, that they shall
not the appropriate means of informing them
selves Of the extent and character Of the productions
which form its principal basis Congress would
be bound, as the great representative Of the whole
people, eglslate "to do the greatest good TO
the greatest number Common Justice requires it
at their hands. How Congress can understandly
regulate commerce without possessing the means OF
ascertainng the extent and character of agricultural
products upon which it is principally founded, con-
sstent with the greatest good, ia a mystery which
shall leave to be solved by those who raise the
consut utional question. But | do not propose to
a Sfrt.F
ZIONIST as am, and have always been, am more
than willing TO have not only agricultural bureau,
but department devoted wholly TO the great inter
ests Of this truly agricultural nation not to protect
the agricultursts-they require no protection-but
to afford this government the means Of legisating
wisely on the matters specially Conhded to its exclu-
tsive charge.
| The senator from Missouri Mr. BENTON OBJ
| served sit was the remark Of wise man, no lon
ger amongst them, that if the government would
undertake to instruct the people in the art of raising
corn, they would soon be obliged TO purchase the
seed for them" There may be wisdom in the re-
mark although confess myself unable TO find 1t
out and far from its being true, have it from IN
ltelligent practical farmers that the adoption of d-
rections In the patent document for selecting seed
corn, (by which the Baden produced has
| increased their crops more than ten per cent;
and have doubt but that the information in that
| one particular has increased the corn crop of all
such as have given it fair trial more than five per
cent. on their whole crop. The farmers have been
1 taught that the selection of the seeds for their
| crops it important to exercise sound judg-
ment as to select the best blood in horses cat
| de to improve the breed Of those animals ! should
| be pleased to be informed whether the "wise man"
| alluded to was the same who advised the young
politician always to vote against every act of Con-
gress good or bad, for the that If the law
was good his constituents would never complain Of
his vote, and if bad he could defend himself by it.
1t it was the same his wisdom in agriculture fully
equals his honesty in giving advice to young poll
tcian From the remarks of the gentleman from
Missouri, Mr. BENTON, 1t would seem that direc-
lions about raising corn formed prominent object
of the publication of the commissioner. by refer
ring to the report il will be found to embody vast
mass of facts in relation to that and all other kin
bred subjects, all subjects of agriculture, and the
best mode of cultivating a variety of crops; and
corn forms only very small and comparatively
unmportant part.
The gentleman from Missouri Mr. BENTON says
the answer to the circulars from the Patent Office
will be made "by persons who had no object but
merely to get their names in public document
cannot agree with the senator that there is much
danger of this; the sound discrimination ard judg-
ment Of the commissioner will easily guard against
the insertion of any responses to his circular made by
those Influenced by such absurd and preposterous
vanity.
The senator from Connecticut, [Mr. NILES stat
through Congress for procuring agricultural statistics:
and 'this sum had been given to another person,
the gentleman who had formerly been the head Of
the Patent Office who had collected the information
which made up the present report" This state
ment the gentleman from Connecticut had, since the
remark was made, ascertained to be wholly without
foundation--and was gratifed to hear him state in
his place, that he had been misinformed, and that
the former commissioner had nothing to do with the
present report. 1t wholly the work of the pres
ent incumbent.
And what the senator means by the assertion that
the appropriation was struggled through Congress,
do not know The appropriation received the
usual close investigation Of the finance committee OF
this body, and like all others, was printed and
spread before each house of Congress for their due
consideration | must believe it thus increased
and wisely 30, to keep up with the vast progress in
everything else around us.
The senator from Connecticut also produced a
COW of the report Of last year, printed by the pub
lie printer, and having cover purportng to have
been published by highly respectable firm in Phil
adelpha and from which he infers that those copies
were printed in this city, purchased for two cents
L 4 ,tn,lo,