The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-10-29

1
December 10Th, and General Haynes counter
proclamation. They were sent in on the 10th,
| and upon motion to refer, Mr.. Calhoun COM
meneed speech in which he was denouncing
the Proclamation, when he was interrupted by
Mr.. Forsyth, who said that il was not in order
to discuss the merits of the question on mo-
ton TO refer. Though Mr.. Calhoun explained
that he had already said he was aware of the
fact. and had only ventured upon the speech
ne as.making from hope that the PECULIAR
~ of his situation would induce the Senate to
relax the rigor of its rules somewhat in his
his favor; the Question was Immediately put
and carried.
On Monday, the 2lst January, 1883, MIR.
| Wilkins of Pennsy lvania, from the Judiciary
Committee, introduced bill further TO provide
for the collection of duties on imports, This
was the celebrated Force Bill" bill which
made no little noise at the time, and very just
| "; for it entirely altered the form of our 60
| vernment, and placed in the hands of the Pre-
sident the same power conferred upon the Com
suls of ancient Rome, when in times of i'm
mnent peril, the Senate decreed thst they
should " see that the Republic received no
injury" 1t made him, in fact, an officer above
| and superior to the organic law, and was pro-
| perly described by Mr.. Poindexter Of Miss issp-
pi, as "a bill to repeal the Constitution of the
| United States" 1t empowered the President
| to employ the land and naval forces of the
country, or the militia, to put down any armed
| - usconhfora IF ras,of;pn fho
custom-house officers in discharge of their duty
| or in any manner opposing the execution of the
revenue laws of the United States. 1t limited
| him to no expenditure, and therefore gave him
| full power over the purse and the sword.
On thu 22d, Mr.. Calhoun, by way of repel-
ling the assault as he considered this bill to
! be, of the Executive offered his well known re-
| solutions defining the powers of the General
Government. The following contains the sub.
stance Of them all.
ReSOlred, That the people of the several
| States, thus united by the constitutional COM
pact, in forming that instrument, and in creating
| general government to carry into effect the
| objects for which it was formed, delegated to
| that government, for that purpose, certain de.
finite powers, TO be exercised jointly, reserving
at the same time, each State to itself, the resi-
| duary mass of powers, TO be exercised by lis
own separate government, and that when
| ever the general government assumes the
| exercise OF powers not delegated by the
| compact, its acts are unauthorized, and are
| of no effect; and that the same government
is not made the final judge of powers de-
| legated to it, since that could make its
| discretion, and not the Constitution, the mea-
sure of its powers; but that in all other cases
| OF compact among sovereign parties, without
any common judge, each has an equal ri ht to
judge for ITSELF as we'll of the infIacton as of
| the mode and measure of redress.
| He introduced these resolutions bya speech
remarkable for that condensed and powerful
language which always distiDg uished his par
liamentary efforts. Though short, there was
| in il the material for dozen of those orations
made for Bunkum, which nobody listens to-,
and very few read. 1t is doubtful whether
the very wonderful powers of this very extra
ordinary man, were ever either before or AFTER
placed in such striking light. His enemies
| saw, at once, that they had to contend with
| one whom itwauld require the utmost exertion
| of their combined intellect to overthrow, if, in
fact even under such circumstances they could
accomplish that arduous undertaking. The ge-
neral impression, indeed, was, that Mr.. Cal
hsun s;ngly, was fair match for all the adj
| minstration forces combined, though they
reckoned among them many men of distin-
majority, it is true-but still majority, and
could carry the bill by main force. But such
victory was not worth having-it would even
tell fatally for their interests among the peo-
ple-if they should be conquered in the ar
gument. The friends of the Administration
understood this perfectly well, and as they
saw no means of remedying it, they were in
most painful dilemma. There was, indeed, one
man who could yrescue. them; but that man
had, from the first, Systematically opposed the
Administration. Could he be induced to step
forward, and lend them his powerful assist.
Mr.. Calhoun were revolutionary and deslruc-
tive, or would he turn deaf ear to the voice Of
patriotism, and retire to his tent like second
Achilles, while the war ragged around him?
Mr.. Webster having been engaged during
the whole session in the Supreme Court, had
the bill was under discussion. He seemed
perfectly Indifferent to the fate Of the bill,
though Democratic members continually soli-
cited his friends, and a member of the Cabinet
actually came to his lodgings and entreated
him to take leading part. His own mind had,
notwithstanding his apparent GOODNESS, been
already made up to that determination.
The debate upon this bill was commenced
by Mr.. Wilkins, who had introduced it, and
was answered by Mr.. Bib of Kentucky. He
was followed by Mr.. Frelinghuysen in favor
of the bill, and he was followed by Mr.. Brown
of North Carolina, and Mr.. Holmes of Maine.
Mr.. Tyler followed Mr.. Holmes on the oppo-
side of the question, and he was in turn au.
swered by Mr.. Clayton of Delaware. Mr..
Mangum next obtained the f1oor and nnoved m