The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-11
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
s,rEcn OF MIR. LETcHsR, OF VIRGINIA.

,.p,a or MIR. LETCHER, OF VIRGINIA.
ol,,,d IN as House Of Representatives. on Monday APvd Z,
D''''' = Coumiyse o5ae Whole, on the Deficiency BW;
- .h,cb general debate was closed Mr.. LsronyH,
~" ,enorted the b being entitled to the foor to make
closing speech
nh ~, ue Of the House is not at all sufficient to
un 80 4, y.nly TO various objections made to the pro
s;s Of this bill shall therefore be compelled, IN
'st measare TO confne myself to some OF the most
,minept features OF the bill and 70 present my views
a1 thn even if should be denied the privilege Of
tan nv time to others that regard az less material
I faal sir that myself and the committee with whom
act are placed here in avery embarrassing posiuon ny
,h conrse adopted in this discussion we nave been
a., mon from our own side of the House In some half
' H. r rsacbes some against all the provisions Of the
sI ers against some particular provisions OF the bill
and others against other provisions OF the D but a
;np TO concur IN the conclusion that unless the Dill,
in every provision can be mace ea"s'y acsep'"o,e
~ - ,bm he prepared to vote it down, and to leave
49, ~ y.rn,nent without the of carrying out the
nolicy which 1t has inang urated f..
NJ ssnd from Tennessee Mr.. JOINS, who opened
M IIscsion occupies the ground OF general opposition
o. ~, whole of It, He takes the ground that deficiency
% ~ ;nnroper and that they ought not to- he allowed o
aJ he and Others the side oi the House, follow
,hat M with edecafaon that they are used ny an admin
t;nn for no other purpose than to secure the adoption
Is ~, ;ss although Congress might have been originally
sed TO them He opposes it, also, another ground:
tt II contains provision which anticipates So 900 0O0
in the way of expenditures for the coming twenty months,
t Ne applied to the prosecution OF the war in Utah and
he asks whether have not strained the constitution In
introducing such provision here! maintain, sir, that
m have not strained the constitution that we have,
ter In spirit letter, violated any of its pro-
visions and that there are overwhelming considerations
f proprjety which operated the administration in
making recommendation and which ought to operate
IN this House IN adopting 1t.
For the last two three years there has been gen
ot, complaint in both Houses Of Congress- and through
t the country that the late administration had not
nprtored ts duty in allowing the Territory Of Utah to
" managed by officials entertaining the abominable
ments a principles that characterize that people and
~, have been told over and again TINT it WAS the
duty Of the administration 10 thesc officials, and
h, substitute others In their stead, to whom the admins
trao of this territorial government should be commit
led When this standardization into power these
complaints were general everywhere. They came rl
from the country they had been previously made in
Cngress One Of ita very first ac after Its Inauguration
was to consider this subject and to commission new OH
GERS who should go to Utah, and who were NOT liable ~
the same objections which charged upon those hold
iup official positions For the purpose of escO9ng these
officers to the Territory and with no view OF commenc
in any aggression whatsoever upon that people, but fo
the purpose having a hand the OF PROTECTING
them n entering upon the discharge Of their duties tn
President accompanied them by military escort OF some
thing like ceateen hundred men.
qhis sir was not matter which was anticipated wher
the last administrations went out Of power It was no
nenions for transportation for subsistence for sup
niles or for any other expenses which incident
this movement upon the part Of this administration
ese troops were sent to Utah. and they had to DO fur
nshed % matter of course Nov, sir, the adminstr;t
fion desire these troops are there aud ~ their polio,
has been endorsed by this House in reBOlnti0l whcl
has been adopted by this body that they shall have thu
means of supplying these men and they have recon-
mcned that So 900 900 shall be appropriated III advance
the purpose Of meeting the expenses Of those troops
Nov sir let us II there was not wisdom in tina
recommendation Under the last administration, by
contract entered into in February 1857 the cost OF trans
postaon to Utah $40 ~ is per one hundred pound
per one hundred miles. Upler that administration tw
million two hundred and sixty four thousand one hun
ded and thirteen pounds of military supplies we're trans
ported at these rates. The people themselves in tina
Territory, who have been engaged in merchandising
otherwise have been put to cost Of from fourteen TO II
teen cents per pound for the transportation Of supplies
that Territory qany of which transported by organ
xatons gotten up among themselves apd, Of course til
supplies could be carried for something less than supple
for the army can I've transported.
Now let ut what rates supplies can be transport
ed to Utah, to Fort Laramie, and Fort Keany