Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-05-01

clearly not unconstitutional, as taking money
out of the sinking fund. He looks upon the
abstraction of that money as merely draw
back"-an equitable draw back" But my
| friend should consider it is such tremendous
draw back 1t draws back the whole thing,
and settles it perpetualy. Such q terrible
" draw back" as that, ! hope the gentleman
will not insist upon Why, we might draw
beck all the rest that is in the sinking fund
and then how is the public debt to be paid ?
This is carrying the idea of a drawback to
! length which / believe this House will not be
ready to adopt Even our legal friends who
take refuge behind the constitutional question,
without pretending to say that the act in ques
tion was wise and judicious, will he little
startled at this idea of e" drawback" F
But the gentleman has referred frequently,
in his speech, to the Supreme Court. Now,
have grown almost as tired of hearing my
friends here refer SO frequently to the Supreme
Court as | was the other day when my very
excellent friend from LycOming, (MR. ARM
STRONG, J referred so often to the Governor
1t does seem to ne little out OF place for U.s.
grave legislators, sitting here TO do our duty
as we have sworn before high heaven, to be
all the time talking o bout what the Supreme
Court will DO Why, gentlemen, | never have
thought about the Supreme Court, except when
you have brought tito my mind, any more
than | had about the Governor. | was per-
fectIy Indifferent in regard to the action of the
Supreme Court. That body doubt not
will do its duty and | trust in heaven that
we shall do ours. | shall do my duty here
without the least reference to the Supreme
Court. / shall Judge this measure upon its ex-
pediency, upon its wisdom, upon its coDstitu-
| tiOnaty without the least consideration wheth-
er my course may please or dispease the Su-
preme Court. | am a little surprised that
gentlemen are so fastidious and timid in regard
to some apprehended opinion of the Supreme
Court. | know that, while many gentlemen
here are constantly expressing their reference
| FOR that tribunal, my friend from Allegheny,
| Mr.. WILLIAMS leans little in the other di-
rection, and when he refers to the Supreme
Court ia his peculiar style, some gentlemen get
very uneasy but must say that where he
has referred to that court once, other gentle
men on the opposite side of the question have
referred to it a dozen of times Now, il does
seem to me that it would be more becoming
the dignity Of this body if we would come
forward like Legislators, like statesmen
and determine for ourselves what is wiSe
what is judicous, what is constitutional
avoiding all these side issues. | have no
| fears with regard to the Supreme Court.
do not intend to trespass upon their functions,
and | hope that they are not disposed to tres
| pass upon ours.
have been a little surprised at the sensi-
biIity manifested by my friend from Hunting
don, Mr. ScorT.) That gentleman, (who,
they tell me, is very able lawyer, and who
| tn ha Su
preme Court and the fear of it continually be.
| fore our eyes, was startled and horrorstrick,
en- at the remarks of nv friend from Alleghe,
! ny, Nh. SHANNON,) to which / propose to re-
! fer. Had he been pleading as lawyer for
! his client, he could scarcely have manifested
more sensibty and excitement | am no law
! yer have no client except the people who
sent me here and, Con spariug me, l intend
to serve them faithfully; they are all the client
| that have or desire.
Having had the terror of the Supreme
| Court held before our eyes during this whole
discussion. my friend, { Mr.. SHANNoN,) inno-
Gently, as | thought said that he would like
to have the opinion of this body on this ques-
| ton, and that he had no objection that that
! opinion should go before the Supreme Court
when that tribunal should be called upon to
determine this question This very innocent
! language so Mortified my friend from Hunting,
don, Mr.. SCoTT,) that he not only shook with
excitement, but be said that such language re-
minded him of the enraged Hebrews; aud what
| Hebrews Why, sir, that band Of men that
cried aloud for the crucifxion of our Savou:
Why sir, | see nothing so alarming in the sng
geStion that the opinion of :he people, as ex
| pressed through their representatives in this
| hall, should, if it has merit and truthfulneSs
! in il, Re considered ana weighed by that high
and honorable tribunal, the Supreme Court
see nothing startling iu such language. 1t
| did not remind me-nor do | think that when
my friend from Huntingdon, gets the excite
ment off it will remind him of those who cried
ont in that evil hour for the crucifxon of our
Saviour.
But nv time is fast drawing to close; and
before | conclude | desire to say word fur.
ther in reply to the remarks of my friend from
Philadelphia, (MR. ABBOT He says that
his measure in relation to the Sunbury and
Erie raroad-thiS twin Serpant, this lean
snake, as | have characterized it has already
gone before the Supreme Court and what
judgment do you think he says the Supreme
Court have passed upon it lie says that the
Supreme Court have pronounced that measure
eminently wise and proper. This opinion seems
to crafty that gentleman exceedingly Now,
| appeal TO my learned friend whether it is a
judiciouS course on the part of the Supreme
Court to indulge 10 such expressions of oppin-
ion with reference to the prudence and expedi-
ency of our acts of legislation. Are they au
thorized to sit in Judgment to tell us when our
determinations are wise and when they are
foolish / had supposed that tribunal author
lied only to inquire whether our acts are con-
stitutional and to give them proper judicial
construction l had snnnosed that we had