Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-01-04
REMARKS OF MIR. BRANCH,
OF NoRrH-cARoLINA,


Deferred in the House Of Representatives. December
oath, 1859, on the dstsat Of the Postc6ice Appro-
priution bill
Mr. Branch. It was my fortune, during the last
session of Congress- to be on the committee OF con-
ference that had charge of the dsagreeng votes Of
the two houses on the Post Office bill. The COM
mittee, on the part of the House, was composed OF
the gentleman from Virginia-the Governor elect
of that State-(Mr. Letcher,) the honorable gentle
man from Pennsylvania, Mr.. Grow and myself;
and may say to the House that nothing could have
surprised me more than to hear, the daNRbetore
yesterday, the loud lamentation that was made by
the gentleman from Pennsylvania over the loss OF
that BILL and 5Re present unhappy fate OF the mail
My friend from Virginia has stated very well
large part of the history of that bill had an OPT
portunity of having some peculiar knowledge on the
subject; and | say here, in the presence OF the
House, in the presence of the gentleman from Penn
sylvania himself, and where it may be known and
heard by tae mail contractors of the country, that
that gentleman. and he alone, is responsible for the
defeat of the bill making appropriations for the sup.
port of the Post Office Department for the present
year. The gentleman from Virginia has caused to
be read resolution offered by the gentleman from
Pennsylvania by which, when We received that APP
preparation bill from the Senate he proposed to send
it back, and he and his party succeeded in sending
it back into the teeth of the Senate The pretense
on which that resolution was passed
Mr. Grow. l suppose the gentleman does not
mean exactly 10 say that the Senate sent us any bill?
1t was our own bill that was returned.
Mr. Branch. Yes. We passed bill making ap-'
preparations for the support Of the Post Office De-
partmcnt. That bill went to the Senate The
Senate in the exercise of its constitutional powers
and rights, amended that bill in many particulars;
and, among other things, inserted proviso for the
increase of the rates of postage. When the bill
and amendments came before the House, the honor
able gentleman from Pennsylvania offered the reso
luton that has been read. The ground on which it
was proposed to return the bill was that the Senate
had transcribed its constitutional powers in insert
ing proviso which the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania construed to he provision for raising revenue
Now, Mr.. Clerk, without intending to inpeach the
motives of the gentleman from Penhsy lvania, say,
and think can show, that that was not the real
motive which the honorable gentleman had in offer
ing that resolution undertake to say, and think
| can show, that the object which he had in view
was to defeat the BILL in order to compel the Presl-
dent of the United States to call Congress together
in extra session. so that he and his friends might at
earlier day than they otherwise could get control
of the organization of the House.
Mr. Grow. Mr. Clerk
Mr. Branch. Let me complete my statement.
Mr. Smith, of Virginia. wish it una(4tood that
would rather hear the gentleman from Pennsylva-
MIA speak in his own time. | do not want to pub
fish his remarks. 1t is enough for me to publish
my own. Let the gentleman from North Carolina
60
Mr. Branch. think can show that the real OBJ
iect of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and of his
friends on this floor was to defeat the Post Office
appropriation BILL in order that the President of the
United States might be obliged to call Congress to-
gether, and that they might thereby, at an early
day. get control of the organization of the House.
And why do think so? Why do say that the
charge of the Scnates having transcribed its const
tutional power was a pretense? say so because
the resolution passed by the Senate Of the United
States sent to this House in response to that which
has been read indicated clearly that the Senate
would not insist on its amendment increasing the
postage. Here is the resolution It was offered by
a Senator, whose name and fame are as intimately
connected with the Senate, as the name and fame Of
any other member of that body Mr. Crittendcn,
of Kentucky offered the following resolution; which
was passed:
THE House of Representatives having commu-
nicated to the Senate resolution in the following
words, to wit:
Reso1red, That House bill (No. S72) making ap-
preparations for defraying the expenses of the Post
Office Department for the year ending 3Oth June,
1860, with the Senate amendments thereto, be re-
turned to the Senate, as section thirteen of said
amendments is in the nature of a revenue bill.
r. fred by the Senate Of the United States That
the Senate and House being, Of right, equally CON
petcnt each to Judge of the propriety and cehstltu
ionality of its own action the Senate bis exercised
said right in its action on the ame-'ments sent TO
the House. leaving to the Housc IFS right to adopt or
reject each of said amend'.ents at its pleasure.
Resolred That this resolution be communicated
to the House of representatives and that the bill
and ameni,me-,s aforesaid be transmitted there