Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-08-23
THlRTY-FoURTn CONGRESS-.
THURSDAY, August

THURSDAY, August Il.
SENArE,-Thirty-eig eight members were pres
ent at the opening.
The Presidents Proclamation was read,
when the Secretary was ordered to inform the
House that the Senate was ready to proceed
| to business.
The Presidents Message was then received
and read. 1t is as follows;
Fellov Citizens Of the Senate, and House of
| Representa- ices =
In consequence of the failure of Congress, at
its recent session, to make provision for the sup
| port of the Army, it becomes imperatvely incum-
| bent on me to exercise the power which the Con-
stituton confers on the Executive for extraordi-
nary occasions, and promptly to convene the two
| Houses in order to afford them an opportunity of
reconsidering subject of such vital interest to
the peace and welfare of the Union.
With the exception of partial authority vest
| ed by law in the Secretary of War, to contract
| for supply of clothing and subsistence, the
| Army is wholly dependent on the appropriations
annually made by Congress The omission of
Congress to act IN this respect before the termi-
| nation Of the fiscal year. had already caused en-
| barrassments to the service, which were over
i come only in expectation of appropriations be-
| fore the close of the present month. Ii the re-
Quisite funds be not speedily provided, the Exc.
| cutve will no longer be able to furnish the trans
| pOrtation, the equipments, and ammunition which
| are essential to the effectiveness of a military
| force in the field. With no provision for the pay
of the troops, the contracts of enlistment would
be broken, and the Array must, in effect, be dis
| banded, the consequences of which would be so
disastrous as to demand all possible efforts to
| avert the calamity.
| 1t il not merely that the officers and enlisted
| men of the Army to be thus deprived of the
| pay and emoluments TO which they are entitled
| by standing laws, but that the construction of
arms at the public armories, the repair and con-
structon of ordnance, at the arsenals, and the
manufacture of military clothing and camp equi-
| page must be discontinued, and the persons con.
nected with this branch Of the public service thus
deprived suddenly of the employment essential
to their subsistence Nor is it merely the waste
consequent on the forced abandonment of the
seaboard Notifications, and of the interior militia
ry posts and other establishments, and the enor-
nous expense of recruiting and recognizing the
Army, and again distributing it over the vast re.
gion which it now occupies. These are evils
which may tits true, be repaid hereafter by taxes
imposed on the country, but other evils are in
volved which no expenditures, however lavish,
could repair, in comparison with which local and
personal injuries or interests sink into insignif.
canoe.
| A great part of the army is situated on the re.
mote frontier or in the deserts and mountains of
| the interior. 20 discharge large bodies of men
| in such places, without the means of regaining
| their homes, and where few, if any, could obtain
| subsistence by honest industry, would be to sub
ject them to suffering and temptation, with dis
regard of justice and right most derogatory to the
| Government. In the Territories of Washington
| and Oregon, numerous bands of Indians are in
| arms, and are waging a war of determination
| against the white inhabitants, and although our
| troops are actually carrying on the campaign, we
have no intelligence as yet OF successful result.
| On the Western plains, notwithstanding the i'm
posing display of Military force recently made
| there, and the chastisement inflicted on the re-
| bellious tribes others, far from being dismayed
| have manifested hostile intentions, and have been
| guilty of outrages, which, if not designed to pro.
| woke conflict, serve to show that the apprehen-
sion of it is insufficient wholly to restrain their
vicious propensties
strong force in the State of Texas has pro-
duced the temporary suspension of hostilities
there; but in New Mexico incessant attention
on the part of the troops is required to keep in
check the marauding tribes which infest that ter
ritory. The hostile Indians have not been re.
moved from the State OF Florida, and the with
drawal of the troops therefrom leaving that OBJ
ject unaccomplished would be most injurious to
the inhabitants and breach of the positive en-.
| gsgements of the general government. To refuse
| supplies to the Army, therefore, is to compel the
complete cessation of all its operations and prac-
ticahdisbandment, and thus to invite hordes of
| predatory savages from the Western plains and
| Rocky Mountains to spread devastation along
| frontier of more than 1000 miles in extent and
to deliver up the sparse population of vast tract
| of country to rapine and murder
Such, in substance, would be the direct and
| immediate effects of the refusal of Congress- for
| the first time i'll the history of the government
to grant Supplios-the inevitable waste of mil
| lions Of public treasure-the infection of extreme
wrong upon all persons connected with the mill
tary establishment, by SERVICE employment, or
contract-the recall of our forces from the field
the fearful sacrifice of life, and the incaleuable
destruction of property on the remote frontiers
| the striking of our national flag on the battle
| mentS of the fortresses which defend our mari.
time cities against foreign invason-the violation
| OF the public honor and good faith, and the dis
| credit of the United States in the eyes of the
| civilized world.
| l confidently trust these considerations, and
others appertaining to the domestic peace of the
country, which cannot fail to suggest themselves
to every patriotic mind, will, on reflection be du
| ly appreciated by both Houses of Congress and
| induce the enactment of the requisite provisions
of law for the support of the Army of the United
| States FRANKLIN PIERCE
WASHINGTON, Aug. 81, 1856.
MIR. Hunter submitted res olution, sus-
| pending so much of the Dist rule as requires
six days to elapse from the commencement of
session, before resuming the consideration
of any bill, &C., remaining undetermined at
the close of the last session, so far as it affects
the Army Appropriation Bill.
Mr.. Seward said, as he had 10 desire to ex-
: pedite the passage of that BILL in such way
as to interfere with the free action of the
| House, he should call for the yeas and NAYS,
and would remark that he had paired off
with Mr.. Ioombs, and should not, therefore,
| vote.
The resolution was then passed, by 50
| against 6.
resolution was adopted, continuing the
Standing Committees of last session.
The House resolution, providing for the
signature Of such bills as failed to receive tie
signature of the presiding officer of each
House Or the President of the United States,
was concurred in.
Adjourned.
HoUsE.-179 members answered to their
names.
On motion of Mr.. Campbell, of Ohio, the
Speaker was directed to appoint Standing
Committees, similar to those of the late SEES.
sion.
The Presidents message was received and
read. and referred to the Committee of WAYS
and Means. The House here took a recess for
one hour.
On the re-assembling of the House, Mr..
Campbell of Ohio, asked leave to report the
same bill which died on Monday, in conse
quenee OF the disagreeng amendments of both
Houses.
After some conversation, Mr.. Campbell of
OHIO, reported the bill. when the Committee
Of Ways and Means were called on for reports
in regular order.
Mr.. Orr raised the question that the pro-
viso proposed to change existing laws, and
therefore was not germane to the bill.
The Speaker overrued the point, and Mr..
Orr's appeal from his decision was tabled by