The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-03
In CONGRESS- OF THE u. STATES.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH /, ls4s.
In continuation.
DEFICIENCY OF APPROPRIATIONS.

DEFICIENCY OF APPROPRIATIONS
The House went into Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union, (Air HUNT in the chair) and re-
sumed the consideration of the bill provide for def
cencies in the appropriations Tor the current fiscal year
Mr. McLANE addressed the committee as follows
Mr. CHAIRMAN do not rise TO reply to the honorable
gentleman from Conn sxtcut, Mr. ROCKWELL who has
lust taken his seat To an honorable friend my left
MIR MCKAY more appropriately belongs that task and
though the gentleman from Connecticut enjoys in his
State no mean repule as hnancer, yet | do not |
think the assault he has Just made the estimates of
the Secretary Of the Treasury will prove to rest on any
surer foundation than that which served to sustain the
efforts of those the other side of the House who have
preceded him in the hitherto fruess task OF mpeaching
the accuracy OF Mr.. Walkers estimates. To those esti
mates, propose 10 direct some reflections But, before
doing So desire to refer to speech delivered in this
hall. weeks since by honorable gentleman from
Indiana, [Mr. R. w THoMPsoN] The very great aii,
tude allowed to debate IN the consideration of the bill
before the committeeman more particularly the ex
ample presented day before yesterday when the very
their aspects personal and politicaenders ali apology
for the trepass am about to commit the
indulgence of the committee.
The honorable gentleman from Indiana has been
pleased to consider his peculiar function to vndcats
the truth Of history, in SO far as he has found that histo
ry violated in the expression of my views and opinions
upon the abstract justice and necessity of this Mexican
have he says, entirely mistaken the great ques
lions of history, which involved in the origin and
msstaied these questions he finds have made my erro.
views of them subserve the party purposes of the
existing administration To his own language, he
says:
''The gentleman in my conception, entirely mista
ken the great questions Of history which involved the
questions thu, missiaed by him. snbserve what think
shall able to show, were exclusively and entirely the
himself presume, published In the "Union," con
tanned the assumpton-n order justify the President OF
the United States in The issuance Of the order of the 18th
s for hs 5 sas
cember, 1915 had communicated to Congress the fact that
General Taylor had been ordered to march the the
l He saws
in December, 1885, Congress informed that General
to the Rio Grande' y ''NA''' "''
snow, have carefully looked into the history of this
thing; have carefully examined all the public documents
upon which canlay my hands and nowhere do fnd from
emanated from the President of the United States in De-
eember 1885, OF prior to that lime. the declaration that
s a Ro ss to s the under
sage such document to be found. such political fact
the United States did Commandments Congress in Deem
be s4 that he had assigned General Taylor the
% an s a nc" nc Dc ha %
to march to the Rio Grande. The Secretary War;
Congress intelligence of the fact that General Taylor had
@ s Rio s If hs a
TO the no Grnnde-wh purpose OF ultimately occupying
of the President the report of the Secretary
War; was there any communication made to Congress that
and ordered to:march to the Rio Grande."
Sir, here is somewhat osentatious championship of
the truth OF history by my honorable friend couched it
is tue in terms OF grace and courtesy and introduced
with very gracious and complimentary expression of
respect for the and ability with which applied
myself to the work OF error and Misrepresentation,
subserve the party purposes of this administration
Sir. my honorable friend must permit me to say that
lose sight of the qualification should naturally feel for
his very hatering judgment OF ability eoquence.
deserved undeserved when he is pleased to accom-.
Pany the expression OF his judgment with such grave al
Sir. should not long possess my own sef-respect If
could msstae the history OF my country to subserve the
party purposes of this any other administration
dr. not fh1tth n 4
impute to me any intentional misstatement of this
history but | am not disposed to avoid the issue
he has raised. by an acknowledgment of error or
negligence feel, sir. the responsibility which rests
upon US all, in our deliberations here, to consider
maturely the subjects that engage attentions and
] have such respect for this House, that cannot &C
knowledge have either mistaken or misstated the his
orical facts connected with this Mexican question:
until meet with other instruction than afforded by the
speech of the honorable gentleman from Indiana. The
first issue presented by this speech s to be found in the
following words stated in the extract just read from
the pamphlet copy of his speech, which he politely
handed to me Immediately on its pubcation-,o wit:
''IN DECEMBER, lsi5. CosonEss THAT GEN
TAYLOR HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE DEFENCE OF
TRY WEST TO THE RIO GRANDE"
PROPOSE sir to repeat and reafrm this position, and
historical statement, in all its original integrity; and
shall present from the record the most positive and
affirmative proof of its accuracy eyy shall then: Sir feel
the expression to expose the very extraordinary state
ments and arguments submitted BY the gentleman from
Indiana, in reutaton of this relation of historical fact
taken almost literally from the annual report of the Sec
rotary OF War
shall think, convict my honorable friend of the sin
OF omission, In not seeing what the face of the
record and OF the OF commission, saying that he
tound the record that which the record at all
shall them further, think, satisfy him that he has
misdpprehended the record when he read it correctly
and msapp,ed it after he Inexperienced it, by offering
it efutation of statement of fact entirely differ
ent from the relation of historical fact he had en-
gagged to overurn. AS positive and affirmative proof
that accurate in the position, that in December
1s45, Congress informed that Gen. Taylor had been
assigned to the defence Of the country trest to the Rio
Grande," beg TO read from the Presidents message of
December ., 1915:
''The jurisdiction of the United States-whch at the
formation OF the federal constitution, bounded by
81 Mays the Atlantic has passed the of Florida
and been peacefully extended to the Del No,te"
"Since that time Mexico has. until recently pied
attitude OF hostility towards the United States-has been
marshallng and organizing armies issuing proclamrtons
States, either by open declaration by invading Texas
Both the Congress and convention of the people of Texas
invited this government send army into that territory
protect and defend them against the menaced attack
The tho of sxaon offered by the United
States accepted by Texas, the latter became far
such protection and defence therefore deemed proper
as precautionary to order strong squadron
the coasts of Mexico, and efficient militia
ry force tho frontier of Texas Our
ordered to take position in the country between the Nueces
and the Del Nore and repel any invasion Texan
territory which might be attempted by the Mexican forces
And also from the Secretary of Wars report, Novem
Der %, 1915, and communicated to Congress with the
message of December Q, 1si5: