Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-03-20
rssA Timsiss
s.ELcu 81 HcN. JOHN LITciiEK' Or Va
Is rsL Housr OF REPRESENTATIVES.

/ f6riii IL dth u iutot'o' y. iHpOiNU"N'f o"N S
en,iBently deserving, m the hands Of the legislators
! of the nation, calm consideration and di-nassiona'c
examination. Whenever this question Lac come before
tue National Legislature, il has created severe Suae-
gle and cons. qusnt excitement; growing ou' 81 'So 'hct
that the interests of smaller classes in the community
were arreyed against the interes'a OF DINERS. WV"
constitute q majority Of The people OF 'he oo"s'
States. That contest hes been fought our on va'ipus
occasions in our history. Sometimes ric'''! "a"
percned on tho manner q. one party, so1ne'iHlss oa'ho
banner Of the other. And yet, WHENEVER 'n7 .lne
came for & re. adjustment OF the question: es'l, par!
came into the field with AZ strong u oe et.ni..a.'pm y
coctss, every inch of ground, as u u hhu "ttti osen
driven frrya ;ts position IN a previous Struggle o"Ef
has hr.n the result in the past. Such. i!nag'ne' is
10 be the rssult in :Se Present struggle, IRON some
Of the Indications that hSVe already sho"" 'he"'
selves. ,
occasion, I sha!! erdeaycr TO d. justice 10 all sections
Of ny couutry, and all c!ssses OF her people. shail
ROT seek 20 grre: here one section oil the country ="
or. Class 0: tie people eSSinst another. snail en-
deavc-, SO Gar e. il IL possible, to bring parties tcgs
Their SO that We may arrive az some ss's:lc'o'y COZ
clusiou ir regard 70 this important queston, sns.i
l.bc- 20 accomplish q g.es: practical result "::Gi
now claim. consideration st Oh. scads. L 'iiurs 70
ina present condition of the Treasury. ct the United
States, and the tes; ,uenrs CT depicting II EAhout
wapt.fuluess, sud without dersnging tie finances OF
the country.
rim. of it's passage, would not produce q sufficient
| amount of revenue for the purposes oil the Govern"
ment economically admin'sterea' mas more tnsn real
lied the expectations Of lis author and friends as 10
,hs enount az revenue that would be collected under
tia np.ratiup. The Secretary OF the Treasury III
forms us in his last annLa' report, that the surplus III
. the Treasury will be-, OH the auin OF June, 'o'', as
estimated by him, S22,3i3,2@ 81. He reports fur
thar. that, accoidiDs 10 hie estimate. the .urpius IN
,hs r...srry, on tie 3pth Ut June, 1853, will Cnouu'
10 the sum Of $i3, 9ea, 10 81. Are not facts l;ke
thscs calculated TO make an impression on the pubic
mind OF the country, aud TO aduion'si all thinkipE
=, H.. -,,., ftat q financial etrr6l ia gathering
over the land wil;rh may involve Thousands III ram
h,furs even that 3oth day of June, 1857, arrives
scms q ecided measure be net adopted 10 reouce 'e
revenue. to deplete tho Treasury ana 10 restore 10
,bs bus;nes. OF the country that specie Saich is now
LEGGED ap in the Government vaults and withdraw
from circulation7 Il this surpias shall continue 10
accumulate. what, ! ask, are TO be the etfects. when
!. shall reach the enormous aIoans OF sli'coo'uoo' IN
June, 1857
+ csIl The attention OF Inc House 20 this matter now
and 7 appeal to each and ai Oh this floor to sevc inns
c,rn,,y from q commercial revu!sion-such a. mas
never been known i'll our history on any previous oc.
"ss;o,~a r.yulsiop compared 20 which the revulsion
nj 1896 vas o snaii Gil uuimportant AFFAIR; TOT since !he
rsvu,,ior of that period our erea has exlenoeo our
;uter,.ts have multiplied oar business re'stiuns nave
really iucreased in magnitude AID Importance ana
inc re.nit of & npsncial crisis, rherefors, must DO more
serious and alarming. . appeal to al 10 20 YIN III
for the sdcpticn of sorno measure whitl VII! rsoure
,hs revenue and which will ressr3e 20 the people 'he
| right Of retaining in their own hsnde tss ps"essas vi
,he;r labor. The Government does not require LOT
! ira uss these large contributions, aid there IS no ne
| cessity for ebstrartiug 30 great an amount from 'he
pockets of tho people sno wlthdra"ing' II from ciFeu'
latiou.
Lei us look at the effect this large surplus in the
! Treasury is producing throughout the Ststec. Nari-
GUS schemes OF internal Improvement ha'a oeea iSs-
tered by the Legislatures of the tG!rty .oIe S:atetof the
| Union, and many of these Legisiatu'ee hare loaned
| 70 thoss Internal improvement companies the credl.
of the State in the shspe OF bonds, 10 enable tnam
to realize means for the purpose vt prosecuting their
works. What IL the value OF these bonds III the
market nowi WGSt y the value OF the bonds OF the
hes, and mos. sulven; OK the S,Stes? l think ! may
safely say, from mY own obSer2at.on, that there s
no. one State in the Union, which has 80 loaned lie
credit TO Improvements. companies, that Is nos re-
ceiying the par value OF ito bonds in the market
! WHY is thisi 4 shor: ;irn- hSc. |Sen tEeTe was no
| .urp,us in the Treasury, We know tEst :i!ese bonds
| would command their par value, and were adGeriy
sought after and promptly purchased. We ioand
that money iGsit3rs were at that time easy through
| ont the country; thet YOU could borrow money readi.
| " in almost all places tina; the banks icurished, and
| we're able 20 accommodate their ;riends. Bat since
this accu nulation in the Treasury, and the c@,ise-
ouent withdrawal Of specie from circulafioI, ne Ind
the banks themselves 20 embarrassed that, even IN
: the State which l have the honor in part 10 repr-'eE'
| here, shsy prefer InFk ng their discounts 10 ;hSse We"
will agree tO pay in some one OF the cities q! Bsi'i-
| more. Philedeip,.ia aud New YORK, IN oraei ~ pro
feet themselves froai anticipated dangers aud we'll
! grounded apprehension OF seric2s diiiicuities IN ni"no
; tary affairs. THIS provident asTs OF The part ut
The banks shOnid sdmonish the peGHlo Fat the
storm if iiopending, and prepare thein 10 Withstand
its fury.
say that these facts show that there is an un-
! healthy condition in TIC inoEetary Affairs OF the
! country. which we, the Representatives OF tho peo.
| p.@. ought to seek in some way TO correct and relieve.
T.. here any better mode that can suGgcst i,seli 10
| ,ic mind o. any Eleu amongst; u', than 10 dePiets t;,t
/ Treasury 20 collect no ;aore from tue people shan i
ahsOlaieiy necessary 10 -aAS.7 he Governna.nt to
carry on its operations on an eoGI2ui!cal scale =
a IL. ,.i . 80. raan hos and i,It. spSrO and
truth
The United States proieas 10 leGisiate for the ben
/, eft o: the many, or ia other So:es, TO do justice:
ali. This is all that ever is desired o. ;ne many. or
| could ever be for heir bennett. Justice 20 nc only
righteous Object of all legitimate Governments"
Are you iegislatiEg for the "bensht Of the many
| by adopting the bill of the majority Of the Commit
| tee OF Ways and Means' Are you doing Justice to
| ail7' Are you SECURING the righteous Ctj-cl' u!
Legitimate Government" The prcas2t tariff ABB
s.-scts from tue pockets Of III. csTicu'tuT:s'c. ,me Ia
borers, the rnechenics, ID. artisans. aud Others vino
make up society, what the Government does not
ueed to defray lie expenses il w!;nora"s that money
from circula;iou; il denies 10 them the r;2ht 20 use i,
for their own prof:, and for the increase Of their own
worldly estate, and this' for 70 ueeciul governmental
a.racse. Whenever a Government goes beyond the
point necessary to meet ia Willis on al economical!
| scale, j. becomes n,juat and oppressive 10 The people;
| and the sooner got Sc. about 10 correct lhe evil, the
sooner you will restors the Government 20 lis original
! principles, sud to the great End which i Tss designed
to securr. Justice is the only righteous cSjeci OF ali
| legitimate government. desire 10 sec this righteous
uhiec, carried on! by protecting every inan II! this
broad and in ;ae Enjoyment OF lte avails Of his labor,
| and relieving hin fre.a every Sa:deu which may be
| unnecessarily Imposed upon :!il2.
lay down The proportion ttst 81 tariffs, arranged
for the pm poss Of protecting dvrsesttc zi7n.Jdetnres,
do, i'll raet, take from one Innn OF elias, Of inen "a tine
community the procesds C. his or their labor, and
APPLY those proceeds 10 the benefit Of other parties
Without compensation to tie party whose property is
/ thu. taken from him by governmental power.
maiutslu that this proposition is iueoniyoyerlible. ]
4 maintain, further, that while this GoveInnes: aae
ihe right to arrScye its scale OF dutiss, for the pur.
| BOSS OF supplying its Treasury with 30 much as may
\ be necessary to carry or lie operations economically,
it has 10 right, in laying those duties. 20 look to any
o,he, object than the acquisition of nesc:u: revenue;
that gheuevyr il undertakes to lay them, not with
An eve to revenue, bat with an eye TO protecting any
1ns class Of the community, eiincf manufactures. o.
others, il does 50 In violation of lite obligation TO TIE
,pauy 1t robs tho IN .iori'y FOR the purpose OF pa
| cling money in the pockets Of the minority therefore
/ IL Ia not in consonrncs with the si:r:; ur With the
terms of the Constitution, but u utterly subvereiye
| of every principle OF Justice and fairness IN legisla-
tiou. Equality is the great principle With us, and IN
| di,po.,nc O: The burdens Of the Government, these
! burdens should be 30 distributed that they may fall
"a nearly equal as possible 90 a. classes OF the COM
| muuitS. and on all the Interests oi tis community.
A wise, 6 good, oud q CREST statesman III my own
bsiov,d Conference.-The, who filled various imperfect
! pos;;ious within the gt; of h-r people, az Governor,
I Senator IN Congress, ine.aEer o! this House, aud
| others of IssB importance, and sb!r and faithfully DIS
charged inc duties vi ALL ailuds 20 Governor
| Gies-iaid down thess doctrines in regard to Gov
errnent, is powers and re duties. ! ask for theh
tbs attention of the committee:
"it should never be forgotten shst government 1t
self Is an evil, but to q certain eItent q necessary
one. Beyond that necessary extent every ;:ore.
; ment OF the Government is IN cerogatton OF COMMON
right, aId t.coraes & common curse 20 tie people,
| Every enactment, is ia derogation OF common right;
and every enactment beyond the necessary limits OF
! governmental powers is an act Of despot:sm. lite a
usurpation of the rights of the people
Again, Mr.. Giies says, speaking OF ths rights eur.
rendered eod the rights retained by him wien man
| in his individual character went into & state OF gov
erument:
,"Whence, then, tbs derivation Of the governmental