Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-02-05

are proposing to authorize him to build the Pa
ciic Railroad, at cost of not'l less than Sl25,-
900 900 more and simultaneously with this, in
the same Message, we are also asked to author
ize the President to move the Army into Mex
leo, which can cost nothing less than Sl00,000-
600 more, and ut the same time, in pursuance
of recommendations of the same weight andau-
thority, we are asked to authorize him to en-
ploy the Army and the Navy against just so
many Spanish-American States on this cont-
tinent as he shall choose, which can require
nothing less than 800 000,0 600 more so, with
out any financial system at all, we are to have
great debt created by this Congress of the Unit
ed States, on the recommendation and applica-
ton of the President to strengthen the arm of
the Executive, while weakening the power and the
constitutional force of the Senate, and the House
of Representatives a debt of $500, 100000.
The honorable Senator from Rhode Island
| (Mr. Simmons) the other day spoke in glowing
terms, and showed that, with the small debt that
we now have, a nominal debt, we can go into
the market, and with five per cent stock bor-
row money at premium, or, perhaps, borrow
money on four per cent stock anywhere in the
| markets of the world. That is because we are
| novices, inexperienced, untried, and unknown
in the money market, except for paying such
| small debts as we have made. But, Sir, when
we shall have shown that we can increase our
debt in forty days, for that is the period which
remains of this session, from $60,000,000 to
! S500,000, 900, / beg leave to express the opin-
ion that the rate of interest will be found to rise
in proportion to the liberaity with which we
| propose to borrow. In that case you will find
your revunue derived from all sources scarcely
more than enough to pay the interest of the debt
which you shall thus have created, leaving no
funGs whatever for carrying on the ordinary op-
crations of the Government
x,..l,N 1... Al
picture, because the bill appropriates only $780,
100000, and not the whole S2j0,O00,00O which
/ have supposed. Nevertheless, Sir, it appro-
ates the whole amount which the President shall
write in the treaty. We give him blank draft
on the Treasury, and authorize him to fill up
the amount for himself. | have supposed he
will fill up with $3.50, 100000. But am told
that we can retreat from this contract with Spain
if we find it too expensive, and abandon the
measure without paying the additional sum
which the President may write in the treaty.
Slowly and carefully, Mr.. President let us con-
slider. Certainly, we cannot retreat from it
without forfeitng the S30000,O0O which will
have been paid. That condition will operate as
a constraint upon Congress to appropriate all
the remaining millions which the President may
stipuate, and it will equally operate as con-
straint upon the Senate to ratify the treaty,
whatever sum may be stipulated byits provisions
Again, Sir, no one can suppose that the Pres
ident would pay the ?30,000,000 in advance to
Spain, without securing possession OF the Island
of Cuba. When he has once obtained the Is
: land of Cuba, and paid S30,O00,0O0 as an ad-
vance upon the consideration money Of the pur-
chase the treaty will be a contract executed, and
Spain and the whole world would laugh with
derision ut the pretense that We could rcscnd
the contract and repudatc the remaining deb,
on the ground that we had then looked into oul
/ Constitution and had found that We had violat
cd it in passing the law by which we had au
thorized the President to make the improviden
bargain.
) Sir, this is plan of financial management tC
) which | am stranger. 1t is the province o
the Congress of the United States to take car,
| of the public Treasury, and to see that every
a3B5 Shat il rSGfEsa S 1 EGm9as % there until b!
l each bill enduring for only two years, the money
is expended by agents, under their own direc
tion and authority for objects appointed, ixe,
c and certain. The effect of this measure is t.
z surrender the control over large portion of TIN
, natonaltrea and resources, practically, owe
all that is valuable in the Treasury, to the Pres
a ident of the United States, without retaining
any effective security for his wise and faithful
e administration of it.
c 1have said that the bill has also n politica
C aspect. 1t proposes to bring into the Unitet
I States a foreign country, 700 miles long, ant
, 20 miles wide containing 100000 human be
i ings, subjects of government, occupying prac
tlcaly every foot upon its sidewalks in its cities
o and every acre of mountain and plain and val
: ley in the rural districts of that island pop
ulation different entirely from the citizens of tn
D United States-dfferent in language differen
, in race, different in habits, different in manners
y different in customs, and radically different il
e religion; a population that will, practically, for
= ever hold the power to exclude all American i'm
n migration, at least, 20 exclude it as efectuall
c as the old States of Europe exclude our migra
S ton there and as effectually as our old-estab
lished States practically exclude immigration
+ from outside of their borders. This population
Il then, is to be the ruling population of that is
It land. What rights will citizens of the Unite
II States enjoy there? The 100000 souls ar
t divided. One half whites, 100000 free blacks
II and 400, 900 slaves. What institutions of jus
is tice, of freedom, of religion and public worsh
) will obtain or remain there? l need to know
l. If were willing to leave these great question
e to the President of the United States, have n
is right to do so. | have a voice, one of the g.
= voices, to determine whether such countr
ii shall be brought into the United States, and o
e what terms and conditions. Joined with m
e colleague, we have one of 80 voices on thes
: mighty questions The power to speak invo
Nes u ConhtltutlOnui rcSpOuslDlnly 10 express I'll
il voice of the State of New-York upon such
d measure, and on all its important details, befor
t it shall be adopted.
: l have already shown that the consent of tn
l. Senate to the passage of this bill will operat
as u constraint upon the Senate to ratify wha
1t ever treaty the President shall make hereafte
l. If this be true land no one Think can contrc
ID vert it, then am asked to resign consttr
> tional Senatorial power, to the President Of tn
'e United States, and to shift from my own shoult
s. ers to his constitutional responsibility.
" To do this is derogation of the independents
re Of the constitutional power of the Senate of tn
" United States, and practical subversion of tn
" constitutional check, which requires that ever
treaty shall receive the votes of two-thirds
le this body, or be absolutely void. Itpracticafl
&c delegates to bare majority of the Senate, an
n to a majority of the House of Representative
4 the treaty-making power of this great empire
lg Sir if there ever was an occasion on which
& should adhere tenaciously to this right, and il
= sist upon retaining this power, it would be
ly such a case as this. want to see the treat
a. which shall bring the Island of Cuba into IL
10 I tbo L.