Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-28

| 1fO l, p. oO.
rne War department, a,!oped The suggestions
mace by he haIalanl General, and prepared AM
sent o The Military Commi.'re ii the Senate a
bii 10 authorize The Pfesiden, 10 call on, lwcny
thousand volunteers, Ter the further prosecution
OF The war with Mexico, with Inc substance OF
the law alluded 10 As one OF lie sections. Fu, The
benefit OF The volunteers, the committee in the
Scna!e-composed OF Mess!s Cass, Benton, Crit
ien:en Davis OF Mississippi, Dix, Badger, aud
Rusk-unaninou.ly decided 10 rcpoE this section
as separate bill, and thus obtain for that mea.
sure more SPECIFY action than was anticipated Tor
| Tue bill II which Il was component PAT. On
| Inc motion Of the gallant Col DaYs-lhan Nhnnl
no man has shown stronger attachment 10 The
vo!unceIs-the committee changed tie phraseol-
osy, SO a, in tscir opinion, 10 render the conii'
lion Of The volunteers ia lie matter Of clothing
less Identical with that o. the regular army, and
g. avoit the construction that wa afterwards tenn
porarily placed upon il; aud the section, thus
mortified was reported by a member .! The Mil
iary Committee 10 The Senate, which en- the q
ia? oil January last passed ]. without division
or amenlm:n,. (Sec letter d Coz. JEFF, on Da-
Wis, II 'hc Senate, 10 William C H. Walde Of
New York city, Ilne IS, 1881 This shows
| &c fly, that il was thoroughly investigated ard
iuliY understood in The Senate.
Now for the action Of the House. The bill
was sent 10 il, and the gentleman from Penn
sylyana says it was stated To be bill for The
benefit of volunteers; and il passed at once,
without qmry or opposition" Is this true;
On the contrary The journals congic, the gentle.
man Of most papable AMI unjnsliiable error.
No man should prefer such an accusation with
out at least endeayoring TO ascertain the facts;
but what are we authorized 10 say of an honor
| able member, who ought 10 he conycrsant with
the proceedings Of the House, who makes such
an unfounded assertion in order TO shelter him
self, and condemn the "old volun,eera have
no doubt might easily select an epilhet from
the gentcman's own vocabulary which would be
appropriate to the present occasions; but if he IS
not callous 10 the higher and more ennobling
impulses of the human heart, his punishment
will be severe enough when nc reflects soberly
upon the injustice he has attempted to do
What were the proceedings of the House upon
this bill; II was referred 10 the Military Com
mitlee, composed of Messrs Bolts, Burt, Viii
son, Haralson, Dickey, Boyd, Marvin, Haskell
and Fisher (siS Wings and three Democrats
not one Of whom was hostile to the volunteers.
On the 10Th of January they, through their
Chairman, (Mr BoTTs,) reported IT back 10 the
House, without amendment, and recommended
its passage, in which recommendation the House
Immediately concurred, and the gentleman him.
self voted for it, Where was his profcsscd at.
tactment for the volunteers, then; Why did he
vote for bill which, in his opinion, was shame
FIJI AM uai,st' Ignorance of its contents does
not excuse him, nor does it. in the slightest de-
gree, mitigate his offence.
As soon as The order of the Adjutant General
(of which the gentleman complaius) was known,
Colonel Davis brought it TO the notice OF the
Military Committee Of the Senate; and General
Cass. and all the members Of the committee, dc.
clared that no such result was intended. or be-
licyed to be deduciblc from the terms of the act.
Colonel Davis was thcreupon deputed TO make
this known to the department, and afterwards
the order was changed, and The true spirit and
meaning of the law was carried into effect
Now, Sir, this brief history shows the parti
cpa,ion Of General Cass in this matter; and is
there another Wing on this floor so regardless Of
a proper sense OF honor as 10 attempt TO distort
these facts, 50 as TO bring down odium and cen
sure upon gallant old SOLDIER II there be
such AMONGST us know him not. See what two
high minded and honorable men say of it. Gel.
pS,,, Or she Senate, in his letter, says:
=" ur ee" Ill, Which was reported from the
Military Committee Of the Senate during the
presen, session to provide clothing for volunteers
in The service OF the United States, IS IN every
sense unjust ~
Ad,u,ant General Jones, tan honest Wing,
who in the discharge OF his official duties knows
no paity.) saws in 4 letter to Governor felch
and myself
III IS certainly unjust to attribute to General
Coss any agency in constituting tho last act OF
Congress in any way preudica to the volun-
,eers; and | may add, | well know that his
views are always liberal, and that he would be
,he last 10 advocate any measure which had for
il, object The rduction Of their pay and aiiowaa
cei" !.
Sir. / close this part Of my remarks with
commendn. the course of the latter gentleman,
one of his Own party, to the attention OF the
member from Pennsylvania, and advise him
hereafter TO initiate it,
Tbc gentleman from Pennsylvania charges
,bat lie expenses OF the government under Mr.
polk have Jun up 10 S6o ,0G0,O0o year; intend,
inc 10 convey the idea lha; such has heen, ana
wo;ll be, The annual expenditures o! The govern.
mont under the present administration. NOW,
cir wha, are ne facts? The expenditures Tor
~ zeal wear ending June 80, lSi5 were, c1ciu-
s;ye 81 The public dehi, only S2l S95, 1863 81; these
), ,sa5-46. $50 1889 SO; those OF ISl6-47,
during he war S53 S1l 5si9 81 and now ma me
war is over, they will no probably exceed 80
600 600 annual. How ca II be possih'c thfn,
thai lie should sfayely state TO ms lions " m
n,h,r porion ii his remarks, that the President
sna ~ nar,y conhi lake sixty millions ut dollars
yoy into Meyico2" Dies he n1i know iEiai
n. ordinary expenditures oil The government d'.-
,;,o , war could not be l.ss than 10 ,OaUU U",
and that OF The balance Of the Iarscsi affropIia'
ian made, 1853 sol 569 81 al least one.ihIIc,
anJ ,srbans one ialf was * pcadel in his coun.
,rvq This can he ascct,aincd 10 common ccr-
,antv hy application 10 The proper sources o. M
t,rma,ion; bn, my estimate | believe closely ap.
n,nyimates 10 the true amounts expended mere
and there.
Asain he says, "Mr. Polk had found some -
mn 900 dollars oi debt, and Dad now run Y up -
l00 600 900 dollars or OYER" Now, siF, u ~"
correctly informed The national qen a. IN VIZ ,sts
o;ra,ion al the fiscal year ending Jun: 81 1919,
a,d No, exceed but traction over 65 ,OoO, 0ou anu
=. no Il; Ouu COO loan, Go one cent ha. neeh eI
| ,,nlsd and il is altogether probable 'has VIII
LIVER nearly iii not alll the contingencies 81 inc
mo-, gnt why does the gentleman Object 81
,,ranoly IN national debi} Is il mol Inc opinion
:, NE marry ,hat INA iona debt IS 4 national
hiess;nn1, We certainly should Judge So, non,
mir LEGISLATIVE conduct and from me ehaehoy "
their measures ,,n;, hoe made
i 2na1Ust ms
s""i' ,',,,nIc, III coIlcc ion districts, and mas
RIM paraliei between IN. Eccei2s and expsnd,'
- ,h,.o 4,sricis To which desire 10 ADVERT
M. cbo 100 was male against Mr. Van bufcn
;.:s,r.,,p in the famous canvass 0! ioio;
a. ,,.cn ~ wings got into power, they appear
a.. f,rgo,,e,. that il had been mentioned du
!? , % -, canpaen; for, 50 lar as can learn, they
.,;sr,2,e! 10 remedy the evil, III II was a
~, IN, nsr.ni.led it TO remain untouched ihls
.aq, or one OF !wo things either that they dd MOI
see The corruption 10 the system o. M, no,
- bn'ore The election, or they were "'is'ae
d, a" give j, conn,enance to subscrve parry pn n,
~. The collection districts TO which INC
ao soil aiod-i were all, believe, IN eSls
,ence al that time, aaf perhaps ina! ssn.,s,,a,
''ond give some good reason Tor their leteh''on
Taos. who MAKE this charge appear mol 10 =! d
aware Of the tact hat some Of oar coIIssioa us
,,;c,, in which bat lille revenue IS collected, ar
;mponanl to The government in protecting Inc fe
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