Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-02-16

ly defeated it, and the labor of weeks was lost
 Mir. FRAZER, interrupting. I voted for the bill
 Mir. THOMPSON. There were but three of the opposition who voted for the bill Then in view of the fact that whatever is done zoe must do it-that we must rely solely upon our selves, let us unite as democrats, upon some good and wholesome measures and put them through.
 MT. DAVE, interrupting If this Senate bill were the law of the land, would it not wind up every bank in the State?
 | Mir. THOMPSON. It would wind up every dishonest bank--every bank that is unwilling to meet it's liabilities
 MT. BRAZELTON. (To Mr. T.) Do you believe the banks have forfeited their chartes by suspension?
 Mir. THOMPSON do.
 Mir. BRAZELTON Are you willing by your vote to sanction the bill of Mr. Polk? Mir. THOMPSON. Yes sir am. I voted for every provision of it, section by seclon- voted for it to the last-believe now it is the best bill on the subject I ever saw, but it could not pass-was voted down by large majority; and l am now satisfied, the only hope of our doing anything is to vote for the Senates bill This is not my choice--but the best--the hardest bill we can pass
 Mir. BRAZELTON. Does not that bill ad- init of the revival and continuance of the banks? and does not your support of it amount to this That you are willing to restore and continue | these banks, which you have denounced as set of swindling concerns?
 Mir. THOMPSON. It amounts to no such thing By long custom and habit, the interests of the people have become so interwoven with the banks, that we cannot destroy them at once without material injury to the people; and 1t is on this account would vote to allow them to live out their chartered length of life, on their accepting of certain all-important restrictions
 But, 10 my party friends: 1 have never be- lleved for one moment that we could by legis- lative action here make bad money good or uncurrent money go at par-that is impossible But the wheels of commerce are standing still business of all kinds stagnant and the inquiry Is coming up from every quarter of the country, w hat Is the Legislature going to do with the banks?-and let us not answer their question by asking that other most humiliating one, What are the banks going to do with the Legislature? Let us do something. We are in the majority here--the country knows this, and will hold our party responsible for our action here The opposition, too, knows this and are determined to throw the whole responsibility upon us although representing upon this floor constitu- encles who are as deeply interested in our action as are our own constituents. They not only re- fuse to share with us the responsibilities of leg- islation upon this all important subject but throw every possible. obstacle in our way; vote on amendments which create dsaf1ectom in our own ranks, and then, upon the test vote as a unit, they vote aganst all bills and hope by uniting with few democrats, to defeat all ac. ton, thus leave the people to the mercy of the banks. This is their party -poicy-tactics that are to tell Ill the canvass for the next General Assembly,
 Let us, then, in view of these facts, harmo- nlze our conflicting views as far as we can.-- Let us come up as one man, and pass the best bill we can get; perhaps this Senate bill does not in every particular meet the views of any one man upon this hoor but then we must com promise our views, and vote for it, as being the best bill that can command majority vote upon this floor. h voting for this bill, I yield as many of my individual views as does any other man. The opponents of this bill will use every endeavor to defeat it. But let us sit in our places until F o'clock to night, or until this Senate bill passes or is rejected. Let us plant ourselves squarely and firmly upon the side of the people, so that even our adversaries seeing the integrity oi our purpose, may relent and come over and helpu to escape the opprobrum of ad burning without any legislation whatever upon the subject of banks, when the country so loudly calls for 1t. It seems to be the object of the opposers of this bill to keep up the discus sion on it during this day and Monday, so that lt cannot possibly become law before our all journment on Tuesday. Srs, let us, when we adjourn and go home to our constituents, be able to say to them, that we have done some thng-lttle it is true, but that little in the right direction. We have endeavored to carry out the recommendation of our patriotic Governor, and what little we have done, we accomplished m spite of the opposition, though they did sue ceed In defeating us upon bill after bill let us do the best we can under the circumstances This bill IS but faint stagger towards metallic currency but let Us make that stagger for as- suredly 1t Is in the right direction Mr. Speaker, l am DOW about to make motion, which never made before, I believe, and for which have voted twice during this session, and I make It now only because see 1t is necessary to de- feat the effort which 1 see is being made to prevent any action of the House upon this bill by protracted debate. In order that we may be able to pass the bill upon its second reading to- day, move the previous question upon the motion to reconsider the vote adopting the bill of the senior gentleman from Shelby. (Mr. Dun lap) Ill lieu of the SenateS bill
 The demand for the previous question was sustained by the Iouse--yeas 33, nays 28--the vote by which Mr. Dunlap's bill in lieu was adopted was reconsidered, and the Senate's bill (o2) to enforce the resumption of specie pay ments by the suspended banks, etc, was passed the second reading, by yeas 35, nays 10