Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-27
TIE OPPOSITION ~ CONGRESS-

They "como TO astand," upon the apprepria-
uens lor the subsistence and pay efthc Amy, &c.
and some Of them. Mr.. Odds of Ohio. particular
| ", talked about defeating the appropriations
altogether. To this, MIR. Houston tho Demo.
cratic chairman of the COMMITTEES of WAYS and
Means ,rcpliedas follows:
"peieat this bill If You please. Cut down
these appropriations. If Won choose. strike them
out. bnt Just rs surely as God rules in heaven
you will have TO pay fer it hereafter; because
you will not withdraw and dishand the army
and as long aS II Is kept up. the expense of kce-
/ plnS II must exist. Ii we shall 90 into power at
| the next Presidential election, which hope and
| believe Will he tlle case, shall have the duty
| ot paying these accommodating Expenses ami that
wish Ia avoid. The expenditure will be made aud
| 1t cannot be helped. Sir, these appropriations
would be necessary IL bring home the army
| II dishandcd If for nothing further. Talk about
! defeating tho appropriations 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 we
make by it! We have to 60 on, and to disbaud
| the army, or we have te pay for it in some shape
| or another But gentlemen forget. They say
/ that this money has been expended contrary IN
/ law. Ii shows that they have not examined into
the question nj all. desire to read section of
the law. which authorizes the expenditure ofthis
money although occupy the same ground which
did in my hours speech aud believe that the ex-
| penditureS 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 except bv
a law authorizing the same, or exceptunder an ap-
preparation adequate to its tul6hment and except
also, contracts for the subsistence and clothing of
the army and navy, and contracts by the Quar-
termaster's Department, which may be made
by the Secretaries of these departments
! "Now. sir there is the law under which this
| has been DONE
Why these army expenditures should be so
great. is explained in the following extract from
a letter, from Democratic source:
''Our forts are scattered over the country at an
immense distance from the old settlements and
from the regular roads of commerce. The trans
portation of provisions and military stores is
accomplished at Immense prices, and the
movement of troops is expensive beyond any,
thing imaginable in ordinary business transac-
| tions.
| Some effort has been made by the War Depart
ment to remedy this evil, partly by the proper Sc
lection OF sites OF our frontier posts in locations
admitting ofagricultural pursuits with proper in-
ducements to the men to try their hands in them,
and partly by the proper selection of the arms re-
CURED for frontier protection; but much remains
to be done by the reorganization of the arlny and
especially OF that most important branch of it, the
artillery. Will the committees of both Houses
not soon report bill on the subject; or are we to
wait Tor all after that till the Presidential nomina-
lions in the month of June!'
Mr.. Chandler. of Pa, in his speech in the
| House, few days ago, recalled to the recollec-
ton otthese patriotic gentlemen, the money they
had wasted in discussing the Democratic Review,
the Coalition in Massachusetts, and kindred to-
pics-and concluded by saying:
but, sir, while we are hestatihg the time is
passing, and the honor of the nation is at stake,
and bills against our Governmental not protest.
ed, at least liable to be protested-are not to be
paid because we are, by talking, delaying the pas
sage of the bills that lie before u.s. and are wasting
our time and the patti ence of the people, rather
than to proceed to the business that belongs to u.s.
1t Is not my purpose, sir, repeat it. to condemn
the speeches to which have alluded or the SEN
timents which l have examined generally
There is time and there is place for all these
things but say that this is the time nor this
| the place. Party caucuses should be held by party
calls, and in parry places; while the representa-
| tlves OF the people, clothed not only with the
power of making laws, but with the dignity of
sustaining for the people the honor of the Repub-
lie, and maintaining for themselves the respect of
the people, should in the time and in the halls of
legislation soemnize their minds to the holiness
of their missions and separate themselves from
all motives of action less than the good of the ma
ton and the honor of its councils
The intelligent correspondent of the New ork
Courier and Enquirer, writing on the same sub
ject, remarks -
at may be safely asserted, allowing the pay of
to
Houses, that half million of dollars have been
| squandered since the session opened, and without
one particle of benefit to the country. Congress
is controlled by immense Democratic ma jorites.
So far as legislation is concerned it might be said
of Mr.. Fillmore M. Dupin Il beleve) said of
Louis Philippe, "the King reigns but he does not
govern" He has no power, but to make recon-
mendations, and fortwo consecutive sessions, those
recommendations have been utterly dsregarded.
The Message and Reports which were sent to
Congress in December last, have not even to this
day, been treated with the respect of reference to
the appropriate committees. Half the session
has passed, and scarcely single measure of pub
lie importance has been touched. The rnajorities
came here with loud professions of economy and
industry and their only propositions thus far, has
been to denude the Treasury of halt million of
dollars for the benefit of party press The Com
mittee of Ways and Means made great merit of
reporting the annual appropriations earlier than
usual-the object being to exclude subsequent
supplies and they have remained untouched from
that day to this. The tariff, internal improve
ments, general land policy, projects for steam
communication, and other subjects of national mo-
ment having an important bearing on the industry,
commerce, manufactures and agriculture of the
country, have been neglected. ridiculed and repu-
dated, las wholly unworthy Of attenton; while Pre-
sdentia discussions and pretensions have absorbed
the whole time. TO the exclusion OF the public bust
and the lights of private citizens Such is the
result of four months, of the despotic domination
of party
And yet the gentlemen who do all this, boggle
at passing the appropriation bill, for paying the
soldiers of the Army, and giving them food and
clothing .-Aier. Gaz.