Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-02-04
THE THIRTY MILLION BILL.

SPEECH OF THE HON. wM. II. SEWARD IN rnE SEN
ATE OF THE UNITED STATES, JAN. 81, 1859.
Mr.. President, the bills which engage the
attention of Congress generally originate
either IN the Senate or in the House Of Rep
escn.atives. But this measure is ushcred
into our presence by message from the FIX
ecutve palace. 1t is therefore, in its origin
an Executive measure Its nature cores
ponds to its parcntagc. 1t proposes to relax
constitutional and legislative restraints upon
the Executive power, and to transfer control
over the Treasury, together with the power
of negotiation in foreign affairs. from Con
gress and from the Senate TO the President
of the United States. 1t is not an Isolated
Executive measure of this kind, but it is one
Of series of such measures which the Pres
idcnt of the United State has introduced ut
the present session in the same way. Ono OF
the series proposes that Congress shall au-
thorize the President to move the Army and
the Navy of the United States into adjacent
States of the Republic of Mexico AID cstab-
fish n protectorate there. Another asks our
consent to invest the President Of the United
States with power to make war in his own
discretion and at his own pleasure against
all, or nearly all, the Spanish American
States on this co tincnt.
A measure thus disparagng to the intel
lgence of the national Legislature, meas
ure so dangerous to the civil and religious
liberties of the American people, it must
be expected, will receive at the hands of
Congress careful scrutiny. 1t is not my
purpose, at this time, to bestow that scruti-
ny, in It's full extent. upon the bill which
has been reported in accordance with the
recommendation of the President of the
I 4 tt,.1t 80,
some of the considerations which have
brought me to the conviction that this bill.
under no circumstances, ought to receive the
favor of Congress.
The hill has a financial aspect. 1t has
also broad political character. In regard
to the financial aspect call the attention Of
the Senate to the fact that the bill proposes
to appropriate now, at this time, out Of the
| Treasury of the United States $50 900 900
| to be placed under the control of the Prcsi-
dent of the Unitcl States, to he paid by
| him t. SPAN. whenever she shall have con-
scntcd to accept any treaty which he may
| maze with her, for the ccsson Of Cuba to
| the United States. without waiting for a
ratification Of that treaty by the Senate of
the United States. This appropriation Of
| $50 900 900 necessarily involves now a
| pledge, guarantee, virtually a grant, or
appropriation Of 50 many more millions Of
dollars as the President of the United States,
without any recourse to the Senate or to
| Congress, and consulting only his own mere
ambition. caprice or pleasure, shall agree to
give for that island, and this last amount
is altogether unlimited.
The bill contains no limitation, and the
| President recommends no Imitation 1t is a
| bill then for Just s. many millions rs the
| DrnsIppt choose n write in tlp tr,gt.-
What will be the number Of those millions
| The report of the majority of the Committee
says that it will probably be Sl25 900, 0O0.
| This calculation Is based upon the fact that
| Spain refused 800 100000 ten years ago.
| and that Cuba has increased in value S2j =
| 600 900, according to the estimate of the ma
| joritv of the Committee. This estimate is in
| conclusive, and therefore. unsatisfactory
| The amount which Spain will ask, if we sup
pose her to accede to this treaty. will be all
that she can get, and the amount which tho
President will give, if it be his purpose to
acquire the Island of Cuba at all events and
under all hazards. WILL he the least that
| Spain will consent to take. 1t NAV then
| Just as well and as accurately be estimated
that the sum to he written in the treaty will
be 5000 900 900 or $3.50 900 600 or $500
600 900, as that it SHALL DULY Sl2j 900 900.
1t will assume that it authorizes the Pre-
| sident to contract debt to Snain. without
AGAIN consulting CONGRESS- ar the senate Of
the L s for tho snm of $3.50 coo 00o
This nronosition comes Mt a time when orr
evcnncs are reduced to $50 900. 900. and
there is confessed deficiency for the year of
| $50 900 900. 1t is immaterial whether we
borrow the $50 900 900 to pay to Spain, a
| the bill proposes, or whether we pay it ont
If tho rnceints If tho revenues an,vinr int.
the Treasury and borrow tho money n
sun,lv tho nl,cn of vbot ,yo fms oLstr,ct
II nrtnosos notb;n, lass tbon ~ o,,hor;,o ,br
| pros;dnnt of tho Tnitod Stotos IN create ot
oncc AMI ohsoln,eIy - doht Of s2o Goa oao
and ;ndiractI,. a r,rtbor AL, &C : onn ono 900
| i, addition ,c n dof.it which is virtuolv an
ov;st;rg doht AGAINST the Treasury of : 20 600
Ooo k;ps SEQ 900. 900 OF new debt certain
and 800 900 900 contingent. This added to
an already funded debt of 500 900 900 will
raise the national debt to $3.50 600 .0GO.
| This is to be done under extraordinary cir
cumstances We have ut this moment no f.
| nanclal systcm-no system of revenue. We
have, indeed a tariff law which brought last
wear INTO the Treasury over $40 eco 600
| and this wear is expectcl to bring in $50
| 600 600 hut n revenue law which leaves AN
annual deficit cannot be said to constitute
| n fiscal system. CONGRESS. after heinz m
session now nearly two months, has utterly
failed To devise any kind of revenue system
whatever. Nor hn, the executive Admins
tration submitted 10 Congress- any system
far tbis emergency. This Statement is strict
| ly true. if you consider that the President
recommends one system in his Annual Mess.
ace. and that the Secretary of the treasury.
his own rrsnonsible minister of finance. sub
mits 10 us another and widely different one.
| This great increase of the hubble debt we
ore asked TO make M the very hour when. in
comnliancc with the Executive recommends
tons. we are proposinr to authorize him to
build the Pacific Railroad. at a cost Of not
loss than Sl1j 600 600 nure. and .iu,,ltana-
ous with this. in the sam, ,n.s.a,,c. W. IRE