The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-08

MI lWOhiH. remember distinctly
that your vote was SO, giyen on that subject
MIR. MORSE. certainly never should sus-
pect my friend from Tennessee Mr.. JosEsl Of
having voted wrong upon this question. am
very glad to have afforded him this opportunity
Of setting himself right. We all know his con-
sistency upon this subject, and however the
Journal might place him, every one knows what
his Democracy u.s. The object Of the gentle
man from Illinois Mr.. WENrwoRrHl was not
simple expression of the right of this govern
ment to undertake to improve rivers and har-
bors as means of military defence. 1t was
understood and intended to be reflection upon
the Executive, who had sent us veto message
upon this subject
Now, sir, find in July, l84s, Mr. Goggin in
Itroduced the following resolution:
"On motion of Dir. GoGGIN, the House pro-
ceeded to the order of the day, and resumed the
consideration of the report from the Committee
on Commerce, upon the memorial from the
Chicago Convention relative to the improve
ment of rivers und harbors by the general gov
ernment, and also upon other memorials upon
the same subject the veto message of the Presi-
dent of the United States at the present session
upon bill of the last Congress, providing for
the Improvement Of rivers aud harbors; and the
bill relating to tonnage duties. The question
/ ucHiS VII uStCci'B W thc bCCOiu IcSOlutiOlI IT.
companying said report, which was read, as fol-
| lows:
| "Resolued, That the interests of our national
commerce, the common defence, and general
welfare of the United States, require judcious
exercise of the foregoing power
Sand the question being put, Will the House
agree thereto?- .l
:" 1t WINS decided in the affirmative yeas Il2,
nays g."
Well, sir, under the power given by these
words general welfare" more iniquities have
been perpetrated upon this government than
under any other similar words in the English
language Under the plea of the general
welfare" of this country, all the distractions
which have convulsed this Union, and shaken
this government to is centre, have been included.
Such was the Democracy of the gentleman from
Maryland at that time, that he was found in the
small minority of fifty-three. Not even for the
-" general welfare" could he be induced to give
to Congress any such power. Well, sir, Mr..
Polk, to his eternal honor be it sid, sent back
paper which, if he had not affixed his name to
; any other document, would have rendered his
name dear to what believe to be the Democ-
racy of this country. He had the firmness to
send back to this House veto message against
this river and harbor bill, which condenses all
the arguments that are to be said upon this side
of the question.
There was an attempt then made to pass the
bill "over his head" and resolution was intro
duced, as follows:
/ "The third resolution was then read, rs fol-
lows:
60 Resolred, That the reasons assigned by the
President in his veto message of December Is,
l847, making appropriations for the improve
ment of certain harbors and rivers, are deemed
insufficient and unsatisfactory,
"And the question being put, 'Will the
House agree therefor it was decided in the af-
frmative-yeas 81, nays ID"
| Well, sir, there is a negative, pregnant with
an affirmative. They are insufficient and un-
satisfactory" If they are not, they are satifac-
tory and unanswerable; and, sir, the reasons
given are unanswerable, and they have not been
answered to this day. A vote was taken on the
passage Of that resolution, and it was decided
, in the affirmative But among the nays we find
the name of my friend the chairman of the Com
mittee on Commerce So much for his consist
ENJOY. So much for Satan rebuking SIM" SO
much for the gentleman who undertook yester-
day to read us lecture on Democracy.
Mr.. McLANE. If ny friend from Louisiana
would permit me at TITS moment before he
goes to general topics and leaves the cross-road
of my consistency, (and very cross road it is
at the best,) and will allow me, will say simply,
in explanation, that voted to sustain Mr. Folks
veto on returning the river and harbor bill, be-
cause thought his reasons satisfactory and suf-
hcient. That is why ] voted to sustain him
, His reasons were satisfactory and sufficient to
me, and | voted so. did so, l may be permitted
to say, influenced by his reasons against the ex
pedency of the measure, which seemed to render
: it desirable that the whole question ought to bt
pnotponaj unfil tho Termination of tha wor onf
until the Treasury was in a better position
!, NY friend from Louisiana will not forget an
!, sure, that portion of the message. Whateve
' other objections or reasons there NAV have been
( I shall not now notice. am combining mysel
: TO my own personal explanation. As to the re
solutions of the gentleman from Illinois, Mr.
= WENTWORTH and of the gentleman from Vir
GINA, and another set Of resolutions on the Jour
, nal, which the gentleman from Louisiana has
not yet found, introduced by Mr.. Hunt of New
York, chairman of the Committee on Commerce
voted "So" on one and all of them. And
would do it again to-day, if they were drawn In
that wide phraseology that would catch every
body; and that, in my Judgment made them re-
solutions, which ought not TO be enacted.
would vote no" on them to-day. That is my
explanation.
Mr.. BURT, (Mr. MoRsE yielding the Aoor.)
, AS gave lne penlieulan from mary iinu VT
McLANE an intmaton yesterday -
Mr.. CARTIER called the gentleman TO order
Several MEMBERS. "Oh let him 90 on"
Mr.. BURT. | wished TO say but few words
but if anybody here is unwilling, will yield the
floor. II anybody here objects, am done.
Mr.. MORSE. have never In my life refused
to yield the floor to any gentleman, and am
willing to WELD il now. But if the gentleman
from South Carolina Mr. BURTl does not de-
sire it, | will go on with my remarks.
The committee have heard the explanation OF
the chairman of the Committee on Commerce.
IL he is satisfied with his explanation am will
ing to leave the question there. IL these reso-
lutions were not sufficiently pointed, If they
were 80 vague, if they We're not sufficiently ex-
pressive of the power of this government to
make these internal improvements, it seems to
me that language cannot make them palmer
The gentleman is willing TO vote for it in the
aggregate or in the concrete in the general or
in the particular. What has induced the change
cannot say 1t may be that the duty Of the
lob,. -