The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-02-09
The Caucus Last Nisht.

| Pursuant TO call read by the Clerk
of tue House at the &ljournrnent y.sler.
| day, caucus composed Of members OPP
posed 10 a modification Of the tariff. AS
sembIed last nigh! in the House of R.p-
resenta,lves About fifty menher,, chief
| ly from the Southern States, WAS Present.
The whole Democratic delegation from
Illinois WAS present,as were two members
from Minnesota, one from Ohio. aud two
from New York. No member from Penn.
syvaula WAS III attendance.
Mr.. J. Cochrane. of New York, was
called 10 the CHAIR. and NJ ssrs C.van
augh, Of Minnesota, AN Rui,in, of North
Carolina, were appointed Secretaries.
Mr.. MiIIson. OF Virginia. said that lie
Was not inc!med TO be Joun! 10y the nc.
ton OF the caucus. lie thought that TIA.
House Was the proper place for settling
the question.
Mr.. Garnet, ofVrginla, offered res
Clutlon appointing committee Of five 10
take into consideration lIe sui,e ,ecl al re
trenchment and reform IN the expenJi.
'"r~7 'ot Tire Sorer"'""ut. and decIarIuy
against modification OF Tia. tariff.
Mr. Stewart, Of Maryland, said that he
was not satisfied that he could properly
attend the causus. lie WA now, sud
had always been, in favor Of iu!rcious
tarif, tor purposes oi sufficient r.Senn..
Mr.. Crawford, Of 6 .orgia, READ the call
under which the caucus lad assembled. -
All opposed To a change in the ,ariff.
were invited 10 attend, but il WAS under
stood that all Democrats were welcome,
Whatever might be their opinions on the
subject under discussion,
Mr.. Houston, Of Alabama, Vas not in.
cl'ned 10 attend An adjourned meeting oi
the caucus. Those present fully repre-
sentcd Ihe force and opinion Of those op.
posed 10 n change in the tariff
Me'sra. BarksdHIe, Of Mississippi, and
Miles, Of South Carolina, dec sred them
selves opposed to ary modification Of the
larli. They were pledged to aud III "a.
vor OF tree trade and direct taxation.
Mr. Lamar Of Mississippi, opposed a
change IN the tsnti, and thought I'll.
,'me had come when il WAS necessary for
the Democratic party TO Ske d-cided
position or the subject.
Air. Stephe' s, Of Georgia said when he
first entered Congress in lC :, the *
penSes oi the Government were only
twenty millions FER aanum. The country
: had gone through the expeGsiye Mexic.r
war, with sixLy.lnTee thousand soldier,
in the field, for tihy.thres millions, and
now, IN time OF peace, the estimates were
seventythroe millions, Many expenditure,
were wholly unnecessary, and reform wa,
'nd'Spensabiy needed. lie believed forty
millions sn abundance tor the Eations
expense, lie was therefore opposed ,c
an increase OF duties, and said the expen
diIaFss SHOULD bs broush; within .he
present receipts.
Mr.. Morris, Of Ill.,, asked the Charms Al
Of tie CoEm'ttee OF Ways and Mean,
(Mr. Phelps, Of Mo whether the com
mIItee intended to report bill for Az in
crease OF the tariff, and suggested wh.th
er II would not bs better TO prepare such
bill. aud submit il TO the ins pection o
tue caucus nj an nj DurDed meeting.
Mr.. Phelps replied that he had fou
some time desired TO introduce q bill tc
modify the tariff, fpr the purpose Of in
creasing the revenue, Lp, he had to in
torn The gentleman tha, the Committee
Of Ways and Means had come to dead
lock" and there was little hope Of the
c"mmi.tee reporting bill which would
find favor with the House.
Mr. Crawford, OF Ga, thought, from in.
formation derived ut the Treasury Depart
ment, that sufficient relief 10 The Govern
ment might be- afforded by extending the
treasury note la~ Of ass Tor one or two
years. authorizing the $40 OO0.0 900 nov
outstanding to be ys issued. lie submit
ted two resoluli9ps as substitute tor
that Of Mr. Gsrnet,, Of Va; frs;, that il
Is inesPejient to modify The t.rif; second
y, that q committee Of Ave he appointed
to report ~ an aliour ment meeting q
mode BY which the public expenditures
can be materially reduced
These resolutions were adopted sl,nos,
unanimously. Messss. Phelps, II Minneso
a. Taylor. ofNew York, TavIor, OF Louis.
lana, and others. participated iu the dis.
cussion.
We understand that the caucus adjonr-
ned until Saturday next-Washington
States