The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-10

ordered; and being taken, resulcuye"o of "oy
1874.
So the motion was disagreed to.
The question recurring upon the motion to recomm
Mr. G. w JONES said that he did not see any neces-
si,y for another reference OF the subject All the facts
were before the House that could possibly be elected by
ecommittal. and he therefore demanded the previous
question; which demand was seconded, and the man
Question was ordered "to be now put"
The question stated first upon the amendment by
burg, and Potomac Railroad and Steamboat Company
should, upon the renewal OF their contract pay to the
Chesapeake Bay Company an equitable equivalent for
the withdrawal OF the contract with the latter company
The yeas and nays were demanded and ordered, and
being taken, resued-yeas 81, nays &C.
The SPEAKER voted in the negative, and the amend
ment was therefore lost by tie
The question was then taken upon concurrng with the
committee in the following amendment which was con-
cured in--yeas l0l nays 9l-viz:
Provided That nothing in this resolution shall be so con-
susd require increase OF expenditure In the fos
Office Department.
The question recurring upon ordering the joint resou
abe negative.
So the Joint resolution was lost
THE PRESIDENTS ANNUAL MESSAGE.
On motion of Mr. VINTON, the House resolved itself
into Committee OF the Whole the state of the Unon
(Mr r. INCERs0LL in the char,) and resumed the con-
sideraon Of the resolutions heretofore submitted refer
ring the Presidents annual message to the various stand
ing and special committees.
Mr. McCLERNAND having the floor, addressed the
House as follows
Mr. CHAIRMAN: 1t is DUE perhaps, to the committee,
that should renew the apology now, which felt con-
strained to offer the other day when appealed to the
committee to adjourn this question temporarily, to enable
me to speak upon under more favorable circumstances
Certainly sir, upon other ground than that OF physical
ndispostion would have venured far from my hum
Bile course here to have asked great concession
In return gentlemen, Tor your kindness and considera
ton, can only offer you the humble tribute of my
thanks and gratitude, which beg you to accept
These, Mr. Chairman, are critical and portcntous
ames accidental conuncture threatens the success Of
the cherished principles of democracy and all who are
friendly to the present republican administration are i'm
= Had IN forth
Its defence All who profess to be democrats should
prove their faith by their works. For one, sir |
propose to do this and. that may do 1t with the
success, shall indulge in somewhat extensive range
of debate.
First sir it is my purpose to review the great measures
At distinguished the internal domestic policy of the
present executive administration, and in like manner
some future occasion, its external or foreign policies
Recay tue JUSTICE Of our cause IN the existing war with
the conduct OF our government on the most important
events of modern times
Proceeding, sir to the first and present branch
of my pregnant theme, will be allowed to premise that
great and fundamental changes have occurred in the ad
mnistraton Of the government within few years past
Upon the accession OF the democratic party to the control
of Congress ls43 and 1884, they found the policy lately
before established by the federasts in full operation.
True President Tyler directed by divine power,
States Bank but other measures little less mischie-
vous survived to affct the country The mandamus
question Of the policy and power of this government to
engage in schemes OF internal improvement remained to
be settled; the black tariff to be replaced by revenue
tariff the constitutional treasury to be estored and the
graduation principles if possible engrated upon the pres
ent land system In short, thorough work Of reform
s wof
Upon the meeting of the entyeighth Congress in
1s43 and 1914 the members of the House of Representa-
tives found themselves much embarrassed by serious
and important question that stood in the way of the very
organization OF the body. which forced them to choose
between dsregarding what purpored to be law, and
eeedings of the body. This the work of the
damus act, which deserves to be explained The const
futon declares that The tines places and manner Of
be prescribed in each State by the legislature thereof but
the Congress may at any me by law make or alter such
regulations except the places of choosing senator's
This provision of the constitution is of plain and OBJ
vous import but federal Congress not content to
obey it Rendered arrogant by the possession of ilgo
ten power they assumed the actaoria authority to de-
Inand of the States to make such regulations" as the
constitution left only to Congress to make-in other
words, they assumed to do indirectly what they
afraid to do directly. They passed law requiring Of
such of the States elected representatives by general
ticket to do so, and elect by districts" The
Hampshire, Georgia. Mississippi, and Missouri-four
democratic States-to abandon the mode of electng by
general ticket and to elect by districts And the i'm
mediate effect of the law would have been TO ex-
clude the representatives from those States, almost
all of whom democrats, from seat in the
House. Such, sir, would have been, the effect OF
the law Well, what the result The States
compromised by the usurpahon dsrcgaded .he law and
democratic Congress- true in their devotion to the con.
ettulol ana 10 stare rights, TPpcaleh iHey repeated
1t for reasons any one OF wfich would have
been sufficient to justify the act II was unconstitutional,
because it affirmed subordinaon of the States to fed
eral authority unknown to the observation-disclosures, by
sort OF legislative achymy, converted one power into
two-the power OF Congress to do particular act into
compound power to require the States to do the same act
1t was nexpedient because it was designed to take I'M
mediate effect which would have caused several OF the
States to incur the expense and trouble of holding ex
ira sessions OF their legislatures give the mandate e
feet 1t was wrong because its motive and its object
to constitute miserable patry, party triumph And for
that and other reasons was expunged from the statute
book; and thus the way opened to the great and
brilliant political reformatons which have followed I'M
der Mr. Folks administration
The first OF these, Mr. Chairman, to which shall give
my attention, that which recent and present circim
stances to demand should be first noiced- refer
the bold and patriotic stand taken by the President up
on the subject OF internal improvements by this govern
men under existing circumstances shall speak first to
this subject because justice to truth and the President de-
mand that the attacks made upon both should be mme
datelv repealed Well, sir, what then has been the
course of the President upon this peplexing question
Upon succeeding to the presidency, like President jack
he found himself much embarrassed by Its inherent
difficulties; which difficulties have been greatly agra
waited by the conflicting legislation of Congress upon the
suhect 1t is fact, that for than thirty years al
ter the organization of the present government, no act
passed by Congress approprafng public money Tor
and harbor improvements appears that our pre-
decessors accorded this to belong TO the States pc
Cularly Warned by the experience OF other nations,
they held that an absolute money power was absolute