Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-12
Mr.. LETCIIER. / think it was passed

Mr.. LEIGllIsh. ! mink II was passed
during the last Congress.
SEVERAL MHMEERs No, no.
4 Mr.. LETCHER. Well, then, we had
,anothcr bill that passed the last Congress to
give them all these courts martial.
/ Mr.. SHERMAN, Of Ohio. ] cannot
saw what my vote on that bill was, but the
gentleman's colleague Mr.. BocooKl will
Iconyince him that have been opposed te
all this hunlbug about the suspended oa;-
ccrs Of the navy ] think they were serv-
led exactly right.
1 Mr.. LETCHEE. / win do my friend
from Ohio no injustice. I will say this. (tc
his credit, that he has been much more
consideratc in the expenditure Of money
than most members Of this House; and
while sm gsatifel. that such is the fact.
/ think that I have come right to complain
of him for arraigning others for expcndi-
lures that he voted for himself.
I Now, sir, the President Of the United
i States, in the last Congress undertook to
lchcck the expenditure Of the public money
for rivers and hatbors 1t will be recol-
Ilected by those Of US who were here, and
Those who have read the history Of the
times, that the President Of the United
States sent in veto upon those river and
harbor bills. Ny friend from Ohio, sir,
took issue with him lie was for expcn-
Iding that money. He was Tor over ruling
the Executive veto, and he was for adding
those sums to the expenditures Of that Con
Igrcss.
T. Mr. STANTON. I think the gentle
man is mistaken about the time when the
river and harbor bills were vetoed. think
it was in the Tbirty-third Congress.
| [Crics Of MOP 'tNo"1
Mr.. LETCHER. Ibelieve it was in the
last Congress, but do not care what Con
gross it was in. The gentleman and his
friends were for overriding the President
| well rccollect that when the veto came In,
a gentleman from Ohio rose in his place and
ANNOUNCED that "a revolution had commen-
ccd," but that that revolution was blood
less as yet, and he appealed to his friends
to oyerrule the presidential veto.
! But, asI understand it. my friend from
tQhio insists now that appropriations for
river and harbor improvements shall be
made at the present session Of Congress !;
land undertakes to say, in addition. that if
they are not made now, the time is coming
when power will be concentrated in the
Northwest, and when thst power will be
Iwieldcd to cocrcc this species Of legislation
for that section Of the country.
Mr.. SHERMAN. of Ohio. / said that
the time will come when the Northwest
will be able to demand Of the general gov
|ernmcnt fair share Of the disbursements
of the government for such purposes as the
|coast survey and the like Of that, and that
the same constitutional power which will
authorize the gentleman to report to US q
bill providing for the coast survey and all
that class Of expenditures will also authorize
the expenditure of public money on the lakes
Mr.. LETCHER. Why, Mr. Chairman,
if equality is all that the Northwest desires,
look at the donations Of public lands for one
purpose or another that have been made for
those States, and the value Of those dona-
tions for railroad purposes, for watcr-line
communications, education, and other pur-
poses, and you will find that when bal
ance comes to be struck, whatever may
have been given to the South, falls very far
short Of what has been given to the North
west out of this great land fund that is the
lcommon property Of al the States Of the
Union.
Why, sir, it was only during the last
Congress that millions upon millions of
acres Of the public lands were given to those
States for railroad purposes, and they have
been applied for those purposes. Large,
donations were made for school purposes,
for universities, and for various public
buildings within the Territories located in
that section Of the country, while my own
section is deprived Of any participation what
soever in those donations thus given to the
Northwestern States and Territories. But,
sir, more than that we have had various
other propositions which ! shall not now
undertake to particularizc, because have
been brought into this debate to reply sud
denly, upon the spur Of the moment, to a
very able speech, carefully prepared. by my
friend from Ohio, arraigning the admins
tration upon point after point; and | must,
therefore, only now reply to such points as
shall suggest themselves to me, rcserying
to myself the right, if an opportunity shall
occur between now and the end OF the scs
sion, to discuss this question Of government
expenditures pretty fully. 4.-.
Now, sir. my friend from Ohio complains
chat the administration has undertaken to
involve US in a Controversy with Utah, and
that it has required large expenditures Of
public money to sustain the army land to
make it effective for the service in which it
was employed in thatconncxon I had sup
posed that the: gentleman from Ohio, him
self, was in favor Of having something done
in the Territory Of Utah because, if I re-
collect Alright. this very question was made
part and parcel Of his platform il the last
presidential canvass.
Mr.. SHERMAN, Of Ohio. ! will saw
that upon this side Of the House We are all
Iopposed to the '.twin relics" Laughter.
t Mr.. LETCHER Then why arraign the
administration for cndcayoring to bring the
people to subsection to the law, which you
say ought to be respected?
! Mr.. GROW. You have not got any law.
Mr.. LETCHER. Thea why, when these
people are in open rebellion against the law,
and when the President finds it necessary
| to execute it by calling the military power
to his aid, do you arraign him, and say that
he ought to be impeachcd for On exercise of
power not warranted? I give Il as my
opinion that he has done nothing more than