The Empire County argus., 1854-10-14

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ed by Congress at the last session. offers in the
Treasury Department for building Mint in COM
pliance with the law, and for the amount provided
for under that law.
By the wisdom of somebody or the otber-I do
not know who but ! should suppose the whole
House and Senate, from the amount of wisdom ex--
hibited have been concerned-a section is now
offered which, in effect. repeals the Mint BILL and
undoes all that was done at the last session; and
goes on further to provide that the then appropri-
alton shall be squandercd for objects wholly useless
and not at all desired by the country. This section
gives to the Secretary of the Treasury the unlim-
tied and irresponsible power of making contracts
it puts into his hands, without any sort of guard or
whatever, the right to rent to purchase,
or to lease an assay office the very thing we have
been wanting to get rid Of the very strongest agent
of all for perpetrating against us the wrongs Of
which we have been complaining all the time He
is to lease purchase an assay office; and it is to
be done out of so much of tie 100000 originally
given for Mint may be necessary for the pur-
pose. | do not want to reflect on any body; do
not want to say any thing do not know and Cod
knows never said here all did know on any ques-
ton vet, and will not do it now, because 1 hope
that this amendment will be stricken out But
will make bet against all the odds that gam
blers conscience would permit him to take, that
there will not be cent of this $500 900 left after
this renting leasing, purchasing is completed
have examined these subjects tolerably closely,
and | happen to find out good many things that
you gentlemen cannot in the nature of things find
out and hope then, when do make significant
hints like the one now deliberately mean to make
you will give me credit for knowing more than
saw or perhaps more than it would be prudent to
say. | will be responsible before my people for
what | say and what do. and if you will vote this
thing down, and say that said so, have political
reputation and political hopes enough at home to
make it pledge of some moment which give to
this House, that, if you do that, you will do what
is right
Mr.. Carter--We will do it. Make your motion
Cries all over the Ilall--"Make your motion !"
~ lou are right!'1
Mr. Marshall i read from the Senate amend
ments part of the Objectionable provisions That
no contract be made for the erection and establish
ment of said Mint until the further order of Con-
gressn Now. were two years in getting tho
concern through that we did. In the course of hu-
man events and in the development of the effcien-
CIV of the House, would like to know when Con-
gress is going to take any further action on the
subject? Why. our grandchildren will not live to
see a Mint in California! Four years would be
the shortest time in which it would be possible, in
the nature of things, and the rules of the House.
Four years will be the very shortest time But are
we all this time to have that assay office which has
been cursed by every man not protesting Chris
tan for the last three years Laughter. Are
We to have that assay Office. taking two and three
pU,
putting his gold into shape that he will not lose
the whole of it in carrying it in buckskn bag all
over the country X = This National Iegis-
lature ought to understand and act on the subject
They ought to stop this connected and sustained
series of frauds which have been perpctrated in
one form the other. ever since gold first dis
covered there. Well. this section settles the cues
ton and makes it hopeless for four or five years.
and the assay office will be fixed fact in the his
tory Of California; and the robbery of its people
part Of the history of the action of Congress.
In the committee of conference which met on the
disagreement, you remember the House Committee
receded and reported back the amendment as it
stood before You also doubtless remember that
the House, convinced that the scheme was one of
infamous fraud. rejected it again by as large vote
as before. You remember, also, that in the second
committee of conference the Senate came to the
same conclusion. and yielded-and you were for
a time bafled. The following amendment was re-
ported back by the joint committee, and passed:
SEC 6. Aid be It fulMer enacted That the time
for receiving bids under the act of Sd of July 1882
for the erection of mint in California be extended
to the Ist of April 1853 and that the sum of $780,
600 appropriated by said act. or so much thereofas
may be necessary shall be applied only to the erec
ton and putting in operation Mint in California,
and not to the purchase of any building for that
purpose"
| need not tell you that the object of this amend
ment which expressly forbds the purchase fany
building for the mint, and requires plainly as
words can convey anything, the exclusive applica-
ton of the fund to the erection and putting in OPP
eration mint, was to guard against another fraud
which was contemplated You know very well
that the owners of the assay Office wanted to sell
their building for mint, and every body knew that
it would be an execrable swindle if they did. This
law was passed to cut off this PLAN but, directly
in the face of the law in violation Of its very letter.
and believe though am not prepared to prove
it, through your influence, the assay Office pur-
chased, and at price which is absurd on any hy-
pothess of honesty in the transaction In this bu-
siness you have been more imprudent but not gull
tier than many Others which have not space to
discuss. But this establishes your political consis-
tency. 1t proves that even the generous confidence
which this people have reposed in you has not been
sufficient to excite correlative good faith-that
the habit of treachery continued through life has
become constitutional.
| have recently read many euloges upon your
character. | have not been surprised at the COM
pliments to your energy and application to busi-
ness for these you have well earned But was sur
prised at the attempt to distinguish you from the
class of politicians to which you pre-emnently be-
long, of which you are the incarnation-I mean the
selfish, corrupt and unnrncipled. The country
knows that OF all the clques in San Francisco, yours
has the the least sympathy with the country The
experience of half the public in California fur.
nishes proof that you fathless to your engage,
ments false to your personal obligatians- tho
recorded history of the country proves you to be i'm
public life dishonest and unsafe The cOuntrv-