The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-24

c'uucu 'tueSe IcindThS anu oihcis VI q eliiildI
tenor, his political friend, Mr.. HousToN, the
Democratic chairman Of the Committee of
Ways and Means in the House, rose to reply:
"Mr. housToN. Now. after hearing the speech
OF the gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Olds,) do
not see how in the world he can vote against this
appropriation He says that, at one time, some
distinguished gentleman upon the other side OF
the House said he would not vote supplies though
the enemy were battering down the walls OF the
Capitol At another time, another distinguished
gentleman, upon the other side OF the House,
said that he would notvoe supplies for our troops
in Mexico, but that the Mexicans might swell
come them to hospitable graves &c. He aud
denounced those things outrages upon the
country, and upon common decency and pro-
priety. All the people believed US. Now, ! ask
him, if he is disposed to follow bad example?
: Is he disposed to follow example which this
whole country, with united voice, and which
almost all the Wings and Democrats pronounced
: to be an outrage upon common decencyS"
1t was obviously rather tight upon the doctor,
Wing as he had been, to be thus lectured by his
Democratic colleague, and DIR. OLDs changed
has mind, just as he had about his politics.
lie had said, about twenty minutes before, that
he proposed to vote against the bill upon "prin-
ciple" His principle" lasted him just about
twenty minutes, observatory time. Thrown
off his centre by the avalanche descent Of his
friend, the chairman, the doctor came to his
bearings at once:
"Mr. OLDs, (interrupting.) wish to make
single remark. If they had the manliness to take
the responsibility, then Mould uote them oil the
supplies they asked
Here's "principle" for you-the "princi
pie" under whose coercion DIR. OLDs was
compelled to withhold his vote! But we think
1t best that these gentlemen of the Opposition
should tear each other to pieces-we have no
disposition to engage in such fierce encounters
as these Democrats delight in-witness Young
America bouncing upon the Old Fogies. We
will therefore take our leave, and introduce
MIR. HoUsToN, to lecture his brother in the
DEMOCRATIC faith
Mr. Houston. will not reply to that as do
not wish to lose time The gentleman says, If
they will take the responsibility believe that
they have, and it is not manly for them to shrink
from it. He says. if they will take that RESPONSE
bility, he will vote the supplies. ask him. then
what propriety there is in voting against the sup
plies because they say, am, or am not, respon-
sible Sir, there is no principle in that If the
supplies are necessary, the cowardly conduct Of
every man who disavows responsibility, as he
charges it, and as believe it, should not control
him in the vote which he in his conscience be-
lieves is a wrong If supplies are necessary,
their responsibility responsibility does not
change the principle of the necessity of the sup
plies. That is the position occupy.
"Another thing want to say here. Defeat this
bill, if you please. Cut do,pn these appropria.
lions. If you choose, strike them out. But, just
as surely God rules in heaven, you pciH haze to
pay for ii hereafter; because you will not with
draw and disband the army and, as long as it is
kept up, the expense of keeping it must exist If
We shall go into power at the next Presidential
election, which hope and believe will be the case
we shall have the duty of paying those accumu-
atng expenses, and that wish to avoid. The
expenditures toiA be made and il cannot be helped
Sir, these appropriations would be necessary
even to bring home the army, if disbanded, if
for nothing further. Talk about defeating the APP
preparation, when you cannot bring the army
home without an appropriation Of some sort, and
that, too, of considerable amount. Then, defeat
the appropriation, and what do make by ii?
We have TO go on, and disband the army, or
We have to pay for it in some shape or another.
But gentlemen forget. They say that this
ney has been expended contrary to law. 1t shows
that they have not examined into the question at
all. desire to read a section OF the law, which
authorizes the expenditure Of this money, al.
though occupy the same ground which did in
my hours speech, and believe that the expen-
ditures have been enormous, improper, and
amounting to abuse. But here is the law, ap-
proved March ]. 1920:
"'No contract shall hereafter be made by the
Secretary Of State, or Of the Treasury, or Of the
Department OF War, or Of the Navy, excep. I'M
der law authorizing the same, or except under
an Appropriation adequate to its fulflmcnt, and
except, also, contracts for the subsistence and
clothing of the army and navy, and contracts by
the Quartermastcr's Department. which may be
made by the Secretaries of these Departments
"Now, sir, there s the law under which this has
been done" Here the hammer fell