Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-10-16

Mr. Thompson. have the good fortune 70 act
with tie democratic party. but upon this question
I have befo voted against suspension of the
rules in o der that We might have del berate &C.
ton. shall COW vote for the references 70 the
committee ca Internal Improvement, to give time
for deliberate ton
But, Mr. Speaker, a solution has not toe force
of law. Il is only aa index of the feeling Of
tbs General Assembly. Tns proposition is q
jMnt resolution. The gentleman from Bradley
desired the adoption of these resolutions 10
order that they might be, referred. Me- Speaker.
these resolutions must have the joint action If
the General Assembly. II they pa the House.
they have then to 60 to the Senate. But the
House has three days to reconsider its own &C
Suppose now the House adopt these resolutions
and refer them to the Committee Ga internal I'm
proVefhent. suppose the committee should fail
TO report in three days, or report resolutious in
lieu, or finally recommend that they BE- rejected7
Our hands would be tied Or, the Houss might
prefer the resolutions that might be reported in
lieu, and thus un&o all that had been done before.
For myself, Mr. Speaker, as far as this subject Is
concerned, / see no necessity for a bill at ALL
What Is the n 0essity for the General Assembly
TO sv. By q solemn enactment, that we will not
exteRd further S ate sid The next Legislature
wHl do just a, they please. Tbs proper course Of
action Is by resolution. There is } neces;itv of
companies come up here and ask for aid let US
vote down their bill. That is the curse to pur
s1e. There is no necessity at al for toe le1isls-
uon winch the gentleman proposes If internal
Improvement conpTule5 come up aud AK for
further extension OF ims, then viii be tbs time and
occasion for members act. | shall vote for the
ference; mot but hat my mind is slresdy made
up; but / want sil members to vote understand
ingly; aid gentlemen have told me their minds
were not yet made up. 1t is not in accordance
with my iesar g. be;suse | am acting with the
majority, to exercise the po6er we may haVs in
an arbitrary manner.
Asst the remarks about manufacturing thunder
AMI the at empt of the city press to plase the
uenOcrsuc party III ialse position, care nothing
about that. l represent constituency that can
lot be ELECTED in that way. | shall vote my SEN
umeDts upon sll resolutions and bills before this
Legislature, regardless of eli such taunts whether
they come from one side or the other, or from any
source whatever. | think we should cease to
scramble for such little bunombe capital, and
have more at heart the wishes and interests of the
people.
Mr. KowIes. coucsde for the good people of
the county of Msury, that they are intelligent and
patriotic. i also coneede that they have learned
and Intelligent representatives on this floor. Blu.
sir, am not SEEK az for Buucombe cspual
MIR Thompson (interposing.) did not refer to
the gentleman from Bradley. My remarks applied
to the course Of the city press. l did not suppose
my friend had introduced his resolutions for polit-
cal capital
sary, MIR Speaker l did not consider the gentleman
as making reference 10 But when a legislative
body does any thing, it should act with some object
in view. This is a maxim Of good sense. The gen.
tleman says he is in favor of the reference 10 the
committee ON Internal improvements without in
fbn,Y+ l.
sense of the House in reference TO the principles
contained in the resolutions. put il 10 the gentle
man, what is the purpose Of this reference?-tO re-
port upon them?-IO consider them? l understand,
with all Difference 10 the opinions of the gentleman
from Maury MIR ThOmpson) that the object Of re-
ference is TO arrange and perfect the Obect-matter
of the bill or resolution, and report il back with
amendments, if ii need amendment if not report it
in its original shape. But Mr. Speaker, this is not
q bill. Ii is simply two resolutions, introduced as
before said many times, for the purpose of ascertain
ing the sense of the House upon the subjects en-
braced in them. Why were these resolutions intro
duced2 We were told the bonds of Tennessee were
going down, down. That they were haWked about
in the great eastern market, and could find no pur-
chaser Do not gentlemen know that thousands
upon thousands of bonds remain yet be issued as
the lew now stands? Do not gentlemen also know
that the issuance of bonds should be stopped! or
that if it is hot stopped the credit of the State will
lions to put stop TO these ssues-tO say TO the
world, that the General Assembly had resolved
to devise to pay off the present indebt-
edness of the State, and go no further into debt
say, will pay off our present obligations, but we
will 60 no further. Every gentleman who has spoken
on the subject says he is not prepared increase the
Indebtedness Of the State Then he is prepared to
vote the only question involved in these resolu-
tiOns. Why then delay! For when the resolutions
are scanned nothing more will be found in them but
that solitary principle. Are We not prepared then
for the vote! believe that We are But if we were
not prepared would very willingly add to those in
structions Of the committee that they should report
them back with amendments, or with bill embra-
cling principles totally different if they should deem
it expedient. But Mr.. Speaker, shall now vote
against the reference and against every proposition
and motion the object of which is defeat an express
sion Of the House this great question of stopping
the issuance of State bonds believe the sense of
the House and the people of Tennessee are with me-
Mr. Stanton had voted against the resolution of the
gentleman from Montgomery, because he thought the
proposition was premature, and too abrupt q change
not that he was opposed to a change of policy
His views were fully expressed in the resolution
which he had offered by way Of substitute for those
now under consideration. He was unwilling to
change the existing State policy, until all the eOun-
ties of the State shall have been equalzed as near as
may be- with reference to the distribution of State
aid for works of internal improvement. He had
promised his constituent TO introduce bill for
Turnpike road very much needed in jackson county.
he hoped this resolution would be referred and that
his resolution also might be allowed to 90 to the
same committee 1t was now in the possession of
the Clerk and for the purpose of such reference he
intended to seek an opportunity to offer it as an
independent proposition.
Mr. Kendrick: Mr. Speaker, without referring to
the general course of this debate, wish TO refer to
the intimatiOn thrown out by the gentleman from
Maury, mir Thompson) that a city paper had at
tempted to make capital out of these proceedings for
the minority portion of this House. You will re-
collect, Mr. Speaker, that by the admission of the
gentleman from Bradley, (Alr ROwles) the resou-
lions Of Mr. DaVie had incorporated in them the same
principles with those of his own resolutions only
his were a little more specific You will recollect
also that the senior member from Lincoln Ar David
sony took this position that it seemed to be the dis
position of the democratic party of this House not
only TO elect all the officers of the House and all the
State officers but 10 of all legislation that might
come from this side, or al least to cut off all the
credit that light attach TO this side. Then sir af-
ter this admission, think with bad grace
for any gentleman from that side of the House to
say that the newspapers of this city are trying to
make buncomb capital against them; although do
suppose that such the object of the paper al
luded to, am | employed TO defend that paper
am proud to say this occasion, however there
are Democrats the other side of the House. des-
irOus Of giving full justice, though we are weak
and cannot effect the objects of legislation which we
wish l say this out of no disrespect toward my
friend from Maury, Mr. ThompsOnl. 1t may do to
talk about bunconb; but there are gentlemen who
take certain positions before the people, and when
they take such positions they should carry them out
in the Legislature. l expect to stand by my prin-
ciples long the American flag waves; and say,
if the Democracy intend to down every resolu-
ton and every bill that shall from this side of
the House, that it seems to me, it will become the
duty of every American member, finding himself as
well as his principles repudiated to Withdraw from
the Hail. resign, and leave it wholly in the hands of
the Democracy say what shall be the legislation of
the State otherwise, if everything istO be passed by
party vote and every subject is to have party or
gination ii may be that may have to call ON some
good Democratic friend oiatroduce some local meas
ure for me. But, Mr. Speaker, prefer to hope for
better things that there will be found more charity
the opposite side Of the House. than to lave such
a record as this ! am glad the gentleman from
Maury is with me the question of reference.
shall vote with him in fvOr Of this notion in order
that the House and the country may have time to in
vestigate and more fully understand the subject in
vOved
Mr. DAVIDSON did not rise 10 discuss questions of