The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-09-02

this House on the last night Of the session,
when we had no opportunity even 10 read
the amendments in the House. On the re.
eommendaiion of the Committee of Ways
and Mems, the House rejected all the
amendments, and the bill and amendments
thus rejected went to Committee of Con-
ference, who reported the next morning
that the Senate should recede from amend
ments covering S7l3,256 OF, and that the
House should recede from its disagreement
ss to the residue. When the reading OF
the amendments was called for, Speaker
Bsnks decided that they could not be read
and the House was brought TO vote on the
sdoption Of the conference report-and thus
without any knowledge of what they were
doing, The members voted away S3,O5S,-
$50 a Of the public money, BY 81 yeas to
81 nays. OF the eighty seven yeas, fifty
eight belonged to the Opposition.
If had the time, ] would refer to some
of the votes on the Senates amendments
to the suDdry civil bill at the present ses-
sion. For the custom house and marine
hospital amendments for the amendment
directing the payment TO the State of Maine
ct usnrious interest on money borrowed to
carry on the Aroostock war; for the amend.
ment approFriSting to Gales & Seoton,
$34O,O00 for the publication of the Ameri
can State Papers and other amendments
that might be enumerated, q decided majo.
Iity ofthe yeas cine from the Opposition
side Of the House.
The gentleman complains that our for.
eign Intercourse expenses have run up to
an enormous figure. The gentleman evi
IDENTITY does not understand the subject. 1t
will be Tecollected that awards paid under
treaties and other payments Of a like cha.
Iacter are embraced in this expenditure.
BY way OF illustration, take the year end.
ing June 80, 1S49, when the UpFropriation
for this object wns Sc, ,9OS. 1896, ~ E1ate by a
Democratic Administration, the year end
ing June 80, 1858, made under on Opposi-
tion Administration when the appropriation
was $95O,87l 80. In the former year Sc.
665,354 ~, was used to fulfill treaty stipu
Iations With the Mexican Republic, the
King OF the Two Sicilies, and the Republic
OF Peru, leaving balance of S343,G4l 90,
In the latter year only S297,l55 81 was re
CURED to pay awards, leaving balance ol
$6oS'7l5 73 tor foreign inter ccuse proper
almost double the amount used for this pur-
pose, in lo49. How will the gentleman
explain this increase under Opposition
rule? E,
Sweeping charges of extravaganza, such
ne the gentleman has indulget in, do no,
strike my mind as the most satisfactory
mode OF discussing this question. Ii the
charges are well founded, it is an exceed.
,1ngly easy matter for gentlemen to desig.
nate Inc items in the annual appropriation
that ore not justified by proper regard for
economy. Ii you are for reform present
yGur measures, let them be examined, and
II they are wise and just, ycu can RELY upon
,CIr support 10 aid in their passage. Ii
you are in earnest, you will do this; but
Entil It shall Ce dore, you cannot convince
the people OF your sincerity. Ceuse your
GenuncIatioGs, give us the details, bring for
ward your measures OF retrenctmcnt and
reform and thus turnish h practical evidence
ofyCur disposition to remedy what You con.
cider existing evils in the Administration of
the GlvcrIment and in cur systt m of leeis.
latior.
- Another question which has attracted a
laite sEare Of public attention is the proper
GisTosition TO be made oI the public lands.
~ IS undeniably true that the Opposition in
the NCrth ard Northwest, Us PARTY, are
committed to the policy of railroad grants.
In the Thirty Fourth Congress, when the
Opposition had undisputed control in this
House, the House Committee of Public
Lands reported seven bills, making grants
C OF alternate sections of land, six sections in
width on each side of the respective roads
TO the States of Iowa, Florida, Alabomo,
Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Mis-
Eissippi, covering thirteen million six hun
dred and eighty-six thousand three hundred
and four acres. A like grant was also
made to the Territory of Minnesota, which
passed the Senate by ayes 80, noes 10. Or
the ayes, tWenty-one were Democrats, nine
Republicans, and two Fillmore. "A Americans,
The ten who voted in the negative were all
Democrats. When this bill came to the
House it was amended by grant for Ala
bama, and as amended was passed by yeas
81, nays go. Of the yeas sixty were Re-
publicans, eighteen Democrats, and nine
Fillmore Americans; of the nays, twenty.
two were Republicans, twenty eight Demo.
crats, and ten Fillmore Americans. IT. had
time Would refer to the votes on such bills
on other occasions to show that the Opposi.
tion cannot be relied upon to husband the
public lands. and go to manage them that
they may be q source of re enue to the
government. In my view, such dispositions
of public lands are wrong in principle, un.
just to the old States, and of mischievous
policy. Such grants build up monopolies,
and monopolies are always Prejudicial to in.
dlvldual interests and the equul rights of all.
In lS4S, the Opposition raised the cry OF
extravaganza against the Democratic party,
and in the then existing condition of the
public mind, succeeded in obtaining pos.
session of the Government. Taylor and
Fillmore were elected to the Presidency
and Vice Presidency of the United States,
Ind entered upon the discharge OF their du-
les on the 4th Of March, l849. They came
INTO power avowing their purpose to re-
french expenditures and reform abuses
which were alleged to exist under the Ad.
of their predecessors, and the
people were induced to believe that these
,reat results would be attained. During
he administration of Mr.. Polk, the duty OF
carrying on the war with Mexico deyoived
lPon MIN, and, as necessary consequence,
ne annual expenditures were much larger
man, under other circumstances, they would
'ave been. In the four years OF his admin.
stration the expenditures amounted (exclu-
i've Of the public debi( to $l65 1881 ,026 5S
being an annual average expenditure Of
S4l.345,256 80. In the four years of Tay.
or and Fillmore the expenditures (exclu.
i've OF the public debD amounted to $780,
1913, $50 4S-being an annua! average ex.
'enditure of $4l, ,420,9l2 62. The Whia
therefore, of TAYLOR and