Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-01-04
REMARKS OF MIR. BRANCH,
OF NoRTH-CARoLINA,

2ftH, lS0J, on ne deJcdC ~ "o OStUv'"0 ~iPI'0-
priati0n bill
Mr. Branch 1t was my fortune during the last
session of Congress, to be on the committee OF con-
ference that had charge of the disagreelng 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 Eirg inia-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 day before
yesterday, the loud lamentation that was made by
the gentleman from Pennsylvania over the loss OF
that BILL and the present unhappy fate of the mail
contractors of the country.
Nv friend from Virginia has stated very well
large part Of the history of that bill. had an OPP
portunity of having some peculiar knowledge OH the
subject; and | say here, in the presence OF the
House. in the presence of the gentleman from Penn
sylvana himself and where it may be known and
heard by tnc 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 ill sending
it back into the teeth of the Senate The pretcnse
OH which that resolution was passed.
Mr. Grow. | suppose the gentleman docs not
1t was our own bill that returned
Mr. Branch. Yes. We passed bill making APP
preparations for the support of the Post Office De
partment. 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 Tor the
increase of the rates Of postage. When the bill
and amendments came before the House, the honor
able gentleman from Pennsylvania offered the rcSO
luton that has been read. The ground on which 1t
was proposed to return the bill was that the Senate
had transcribed its constitutional powers in insert
ing proviSO which the gentleman from PcnnSyl-
wanna construed to be provision for raising revenue
Now, Mr.. Clerk, without intending to mpeach the
motives Of the gentleman from Pennsylvania say,
and think | can show, that that was not the real
motive which tn" honorable gentleman had IN offer
inr 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 PrcSl-
dent of the United States to call Congress together
in extra session. so that he and his friends mi h at
an 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 understood that
| would rather hear the gentleman from PcnnSylva-
ria speak in his own time. do not want to pub
liSh his remarks. 1t is enough for me to publish
my own. Let the gentleman from NOrth-CarOlina
90 on.
Mr. Branch. | think can show that the real OBJ
cct of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and of his
friends this floor, 20 defeat the Post Office
appropriation bill in order that the President of the
United States might be obliged to call Congress to-
gethcr, 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 Senate having transcribed its conSti
tutional bower was a p!etcn>c? | 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 "n lis amendment increasing the
postage. Here is the resolution 1t 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. Crittcndcn,
of Kentucky, offered the following resolution; which
was passed:
The House of Representatives having commu-
nicatcd to the Senate resolution in the following
words. to wit:
RtsoIred That House bill Go. ST2) making APP
preparations for drfaying the expenses of the Post
Office Department for the year ending 30th June,
1850, with the Senate amendments thereto be re-
turned to the Senate. section thirteen of said
amendments is in the nature Of revenue hill
Rcsolrd by h~ Senate Of tie tRfCi Suites, That
the Senate and House being of right, equally
pctent each to Judge of the praprcty and cOnStitu
tonality of its action, the Senate has exercised
said right in its action the amendments sent to
the House. lcavngto the Iou>c its right to adopt
reject each Of said amendments at its pleasure.
R,soIred That this resolution be communicated
to the House Of Representatives and that the bill
and amendments aforesaid be transmitted there
with"
Now, say that this resolution, on the face of it,
conveyed the information to the House that all the
Senate asked of it that the House should not
cast an insult the Senate should not throw this
bill back into their teeth, hut should relieve them of
the parliamentary di>co'wtcSy which, every man
knows, was implied in the resolution which the hon
urahle gentleman from Pennsylvania had offered,
and which the IouS" had adopted If the gentle
man from Pennsylvania had been anxious to pass
the bill for the support of the Post Office Depart
mcnt and to the mail contractors from ruin, he
had notice in the very tcruS Of the resolution that
all he had to do was to take up the amendments
and let the House disagree to that which proposed
increase the rates of postage. The Senate would
have rccctcd from it, and the bill would have been
passed.
M Grow. Did not the House afterwards by
unanimous vote, pass new bill making apprOpria
tiOnSNfOr the Post Office Department. and send it to
the Senate?
Mr. Branch. | repeat that the honorable gentle
man from Pennsylvania had notice in the resolution
of the Senate that all the Senate objected to the
insult implied in the action of the House. If the
House had taken up the amendments and disagreed
to the increasing the rates OF postage, the Sen
ate would have rcccded, and would have passed the
bill in the form acceptable to tie House.
do not intend to divulge anything that occurred
in the committee of conference; but assert here,
that the honorable gentleman from Pcnna. knew
then, and knows now, that if the House had taken
up the bill and disagreed TO that amendment, the
Senate would have reccded from it unanimously. |
assert that with knowledge Of that fact with the
knowledge that if would only pursue that
course, the bill would become law; the gentleman
from Pennsylvania persisted in refusing to adopt
that course, and insisted compelling the Senate
to swallow an insult or to reject the BILL assert
it here, in the presence of the gentleman, and
challenge contradiction, that the gentleman knew
that all the Senate asked was that the House would
take up the bill and disagree to the Senate's amend
ment, and then the Senate ready TO reccde from
that amendment.