Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-18

should be made. !, r,., &c ,ho ITo;,oa s,ates
WV AZ of an, hundred million dollars. In addition TO
M Interest on that debt it had made great appropn-
zion for the purpose Of quidang the principal by the
gna;nr act which then passed. ten millions OF dollars
III aside annually for the purpose o hquldaung the debt
Irad States which to be applied before the other
neud,nres were met Now, while that debt was in the
- - henq paid-while the Government OF the United
s,e dscharging millions of the public debt annual
A. yas al that me and during that process, that these
I,,onri,tions were made and made, have already
I'D with reference the esiduum that should remain in the
Treasury Of United States after meeting the appropriations
,.a hv law Now, well remember that while this process
was going forward the prevailing opinion in this House
hat whenever the public debt OF The country should be paid
rbe sinking fund of ten million dollars, which would then be
dengaged would necessarily be appropriated TO some oher
object II was supposed that the great interests OF the coun
try-ha its industry would not be at great charge as
that this ten million dollars annually raised for that purpose
houd al once be closed up 1t true the friends OF internal
forward 10 the 4aen valuable should be
be discharged as 70 supposed that the of the
would remain the same, and was supposed that this
fen millions dollars would be spent IN increasing the civil
and military and naval expenses of the country unless were
apped 10 this great system of internal Improvements. That
il would be spent somewhere very evident and It was
question among the friends Of internal improvements whether,
when that debt paid the sinking fund should be PAID out
70 the people Of this country Tor the labor and materials ne
cessary these great public works. or whether there should
be the place of increase In the ordinary ex-
pendtures Of the Government.
Now it happened that just at the moment when this
national deb. paid off, the Executive Of the United States
Thought propera the very instant when the nation had
greater ability than had had beorethe Executive OF
the United States thought proper TO lay his hand upon that
branch Of appropriations and TO arrest it. And, SIR what iol-
lowed when that veo which alluded to in the present mes
sage OF the President of the United States sent to the
House Il was al time when this Government in the
receipt Of large surplus The result Of omng to
make any disposition Of this sinking fund was, in the hst
place largely swell the expenditures and extravaganza OF
the Government itself That the first result Thenext
consequence was that in the OF two three
accumulation of about forty millions OF surplus was found to
be IN the Treasury of the ntcd States locked up Forty
millions of dollars, which to bring about state of
element this country, of specuation of financial derange
ren that finally terminated in convuson which shook
merely the Government OF this country bat all its industrial
interests their very centre Now, suppose instead Of the
accumulation Of this forty millions Of dollars in the Treasury
Of the United Statewhich loaned out literally all
the country, going 10 inae and expand Its cuency and
swell its businesssuppose that ten millions of dollars had
been annually appropriated to the improvement OF rivers
and harhors that had been paid this the
" toing millions, TO the language of the President
for their labor and the materials that would have been
say for these great public works. what would have been the
consequence 1t would have relieved your Treasury from
this penalty; would not has been argued by the Pres
dent OF the United Statesit would have svoved this
country debt would have saved the country from the
CONFUSION that followed Sir that would have been the
effect of permitting that system, which then wisely estab
lshcd, have taken its But, sir instead of that in
stead of these being appropriated in that mode spread
ing their benefits the country, enagng the Of
all know where went to, and what the consequence
Now in reference that declaration ofhe President Of the
United States that by the veto of the then President of the
United States and the arresng the then contemplated
OF internal improvements, the country saved from being
involved IN such debt he has estimaed-a declaration
coming from authority high and respectable that OF the
President OF the United States calculated among the honest
people OF this country to create prejudice not merely against
the system OF internal improvements but against those who
then contemplated the appropriation of portion Of the
nues OF this country for that purpose. Mainly this
lsaid Mr. b. before that false impression shall go tie
country do desire take notice oft and say there not
there party 10 this House who contemplated
carry out the system of internal improvements by borrowing
money and punging the country into debt know of
gentleman this 1oor who has been more uniform friend
OF internal improvements than myself and vet never have
the day when would have voted appropriations for this
system ha, would have added the debt o the United States
or rather have never seen the day when would have raised
loan for the purpose Of carrying internal Improvements
Nor do believe there any such party Ny view Of tn
system oil internal impro this would keep up th
military naval, and civil establishments of the county
there any surplus remaining would devote
Improvements. And mean hsbos the seaboard wei
the akes Improvements the exterior we'll th
interior would devote il u those purposes that would facl
late nterco nmuncaon that would build the trade Of th
country merely among ourselves but with foreign
And, all tie argument which is elaborated by the Pre-
sIdent OF the United States who congraiuates,
congratulate, the country having escaped from being
VOWED in deb. that would have been discharged-
oil error, all deluson And il from the fact iha
the President of the United cannot have given th
history OF this subject that investigation which requires
Mr.. v repeated the wish, concluding that this Inessag
should 80 to the Committee Commerce before print
ed and when printed that the message itself and th
reply to should 60 together TO the people Of this
try 50 that there might be pay and that all who real
nave opportunity sec both sides Of this question bcioh
they formed their opinion upon it,.
Mr.. HARALSON did rise to reply to the remarks o
the gentleman from Ohio for II he understood that gentleman
correctly any discussion Of this subject This hour would ht
out OF place They necessarily very much 10 the dark
for no gentleman could fully understand the psons taken
the message, and consequently could properly make them
the subject Of discussion his House But the proposition
the gentleman from Ohio was after he had replied a, length
portions of that message that they should taen,
wait and permit the reply go forth before they the mes
sage ITSELF He not apprzed Of tie OF legislation
usual TO take with messages Of this description but
would 10 him that another motion other than that c
had been made would be the proper under the circum
stances in which they placed If he understood th
aght message from the President Of the United State
giving his why he bad refused his 10 bin of
last session Of Congress; and in the first place. any discus
sion Of before they had had opportunity 10 read and
derstand would be of place. II seemed to him, there
FORE that the motion should be TO lay upon the table
print IT, That would be the proper motion to make th
OCCASION and not TO allow reply to forth before the
sage itself had been published the country aud undersoo
by the House. l. could be concealed that its content
would be examined from day to day. and that replies woul
be made TO g the advocates Of internal improvements
this foor Already evidence had been furnished Of the reld
ness OF gentlemen 10 place themselves in opposition the 20
suons assumed ~ Tho message, and perhaps he should
wrong IN saying that there would b. fifty replies on th
foor whence tey would every corner Of tn
iand Why then, need they withhold the message until