The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-16
WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY Is. 1853

alor from Calii0snia and myself Two years ago did
lhnk that California WAS entitled TO that civil fund
OF right and tho Senate must likewise have thought
as they rejected the proposition 10 pay that fund.
Well, sir this fund during The existence OF the gov
eminent dc faeto used BY that government, aud ap
Piled 10 various purposes part OF IT, as the senator from
California has this morning explained 70 deifay the *
penses OF the convention, aud part oil ~ 70 relieve me
overland emig ration who hungry destitute ana sui
iering But then there much larger pofon oil II
which appropriated TO the military ana naval eA.
penses think several hundred Thousand dollars were
appropriated for the erection OF buildings al benlcia
Certain is that large amounts were appropriated 70
military and naval purposes the Pacihe coast And
apprehend, though cannot safely state NE iact posi-
lively that when the of General Riley come to
be settled II will be found that there rs very small
| amount in his hands-not much more than sufficient
probably pay the allowances which that bill gives 10
him and other officers concerned IN the collection OF
these duties have no idea that there will be fund
sufficient TO amount 10 three hundred thousand dollars
and III the bill which was reported here TWO years ago.
which passed this body then, and which passed again
last session. the provision not TO pay California out
OF this civil fund but out OF the treasury OF The United
States,
supposed myself that that payment of $500 900
was by way OF compromise TO California Tor her claim
TO The civil fund. never voted for il with that under
standing because denied the night OF California TO that
civil fund, any part of il and the reason why il
inserted in that bill, and why the Senate passed it, sup
pose, was that California had not gone through the pro-
which other Territories OF the United States had
passed through. Territories commonly came through
period OF puplage, during which the United States
supplied all their expenditures The general government
generally provided them with money to erect public
buildings, furnished them with State library and for
various other purposes For none OF these purposes had
any appropriations been made 10 California which, IN.
der anomalous state OF things, sprang suddenly into
the Union fulgrown sister lnasmuch as she had not
the advantage, therefore, which every other Territory
had, OF the appropriations for the purposes have ndi-
Gated, the committee thought they would make that al
lowance which they would have made II California had
gone through the ordinary period OF pupi!age That be.
Ilieve, was the only reason Tor the appropriations
| Mr.. BORLAND | wish to make suggestion,
with the permission OF the senator from Mary
all these expenses which have been paid TO any one OF
the Territories during their pupase by the general gov
eminent will not be found to be equal by great deal,
to the amount allowed already 10 California.
| Mr. PEARCE That is very true, and It was SO sta
ton of things prevailing in California and you could not
supply what had been supplied to the other Territories
with anything Nike the same amount OF appropriation
The scale OF prices five six times greater, ana
therefore, In order 10 do equal justice, 1t was necessary
to make the sum much larger.
! Mr. BORLAND: At any rate. we paid all the ex
penses OF California, whereas in the States which have
heretofore been Territories for any length OF time we
have only paid small portion OF their expenses. And
as 70 expense OF erecting the pubic buildings ana all mat
think about ten sections OF land is all that the earlier
Territories received The main body OF the expenses at
tending the administration of public affairs in the Terri
tories has been paid by the Territories themselves, and
/ a very small portion by the federal government.
i Mr. GWlN. The senator from Maryland [Mr. PEARcEl
is mistaken in regard to fact; and that is that a
large portion OF this fund paid out for naval and
military purposes II they paid out for those pur-
poses they were paid out in accordance with approprla
tons then or subsequently made. There is no doubt
they used this fund in the absence OF other funds tu
the civil fund used for those purposes IN ac
cordance with the acis OF Congress at ALL They were
paid out OF the general fund for the deences oil the Uni
ted Staesfor the army and navy; and they were never
used under this de faco government AT all II is not pre-
tended that they and Gen Riley does not render
an account OF dollar 80 expended All this money was
loaned TO the quaermaser of the United States, and re-
ceps taken Tor IT. amounting to seven or eight hundred
thousand dollars
/ Now, wan, one thing to be borne in mnd--I am not
vpu In IN kp "A he
very often kills bills, and don't want 10 kill thisthe
whole OF this fund collected without the slightest
shadow OF authority OF law Ii was military exac,on.
The merchants who imported goods into California were
notified that their ships would be sunk unless they paid
the duties The citizens OF the country had therefore,
no alternative but TO revolt submit 10 this
exacton The ships having provisions for the support
OF the people were threatened with destruction II they
did not submit TO the exacton.
| But the senator from Arkansas MI BoRLAHDl talks
about what California has received. Sir have sub
mited 10 the Senate official statement OF the Comp
roler OF the Treasury, showing that the expenses of the
State government from the time OF It's organization up 10
The date OF It's admission into the Union S437 900
and urged al the time VIXEN the subject before the
Senate and II was proposed 10 give what consid
cred 10 be our expenses IN that anomalous condition of
things, that we should be allowed what the official
statement OF the Comptroller OF the Treasury declared
those expenses TO be- The expenses S437 0oo and
here is an appropriation OF $500, 900 TO meet them Cali
itorna has paid into the treasury of the United States
three millions OF dollars, and yet the Senate refuses
10 give us tins 100000 back which justly belongs to
But Will not go into this question. have mere
ly made this statement and do not intend TO discuss
| it further.
] Mr. RUSK. desire 10 say few words. AS soon as
California was acquired the citizens OF the United States
had right TO 60 there and reside there's they had right,
too 10 territorial government al the expense of this gov
eminent Everybody knows that they did not have that
territorial government Political divisions here prevented
that government from being given them. Was that their
4 fault They belonged TO the United States, and think
1t was not fault OF theirs that the United States have
derived benefit from the exerons OF those hardy pioneers
who went there and settled the country You furnished
them with no government; they went there upon their
own responsibility, Drawing the tolls and dangers incident
to IT. and met the difficulties OF getting there and their
exeTons labor, and industry, have contributed to your
general prosperity throughout the United States II this
be not merit II is certainly not demet You furnish
ed them with no government Tor the protection oil life
and property. That not their fault. You certainly
cannot punish them for political divisions here il would
be extremely upJast TO do that But you turned n and
taxed the necessities OF life for these very from
whose exeItons you eapng such large national bene
hts. You have no law upon your statute book author
zing that-none al all Still you have collected there
upwards OF 81 100000, | believe. You kept these peo-
pie without any government at all for length OF time,
and they forced at their expense to form gov
eminent And after that hal been DONE they were kept
out here Tor length OF hme-and voted against their
admission at lastand this accumulation of expenses fell
upon them After you had taxed them and paid ex-
penses OF their government-iaxed them without law
and paid the money INTO the treasury OF the United States
you then forward and say that because they are
now prosperous, and because II is line country and
all that of thjnp-because they have conlribu-