, 1864-07-09

Iet never will come,
To the loved ones at home,
Who watch for him still,
The Soldier who died.
TEE SPEECH Of 11ON- e. h.
WAS17BURNE ON EN-.
pENDlTURE.
Necessity oTRr.etle.nS Eeonomy-Thc
TcndencT TO ProdlGf1att5.
4 few days before the adjournment Of
Congress bill was before the House;strone-
II pressed BY Thad. Stevens, amending the
charter Of the Pacific Railway, granting the
Company more lands and bonds. Mr., Wash.
hu1ne stoutly opposed the bill, and on the
subject Of the tendency 10 extrasagant ex-
penditures Of public money, said:
MR. SPEAKER: propose to say few
our consideration. Those gentlemen who
are familiar with my course In this Con-
grcss will not be surprised II shall advance
objections to some Of the provisions in this
bill It has bean either my misfortune or
my fortune to differ with the majority OF the
Houee In almost Ill questions Of ..haracter
kindred to this. hare been on different
line Of legislation to the majority. Recog-
nizipg the character Of the stupendone
struggle in which we hnve been engaged,
ton mag have to be exhausted to secure the
suppression Of this hideous and red-handed
rebellion, have felt that all the energies
and al the resources Of the people should be-
devoted to that object-that ail matters Of
secondary importance should be subordina-
ted to that great copsummation- I am
and nothing 6ut ny coantry. ] io; I am
m and it's ~ po1er " Wiz the ats vi sranasp1 snaei
and peace restored, and our country and
Government intact, want to witness no
ruin Of our national finances, and no national
bankruptcy; but hope to see the credit Of
contest with traitors, with its power aug
mented and its glory still further ADVANCED.
while have been for every appropriation
necessary to carry On the war, I have been
equally against other appropriations not nec-
eesaEy to TINT object. havc believed there
never wns time when the faithful represen- @
tatiFe OF the people should more risilantly
Guard the public Treasury than ut present.
While the people must be overburdcned BY
necessary taxatton to curry on the war, by
no vote Of mice shall anything be added to
the fearful weight of taxation for objects
my judgment, 1t is no light thiag for US here
to vote away the peoples money aud impose
further and lasting obligations on our con
st1tuents. In the unheard-of appropriation
re arc every day making, We become accus.
TONED to reckless voting. Millions are now
rebellion broke ont. 1t is said that In arms
the laws are client, and think It mar be
added that In time Of war the voice
Of reason and the voice Of remon-
strance may become silent. When the
rally engrossed in the events which are now
challenging the attention Of the civilized
world when every breeze bears to us the
sound Of victory or disaster; when the land
is h11ed with suffering and sorrow and an
EulEh when SO many noble men are surren-
derdng mp their precious lives on the battle
nt!d when 60 many sick and wounded and
MANNED soldiers and sailors are Ia all our hos
pita1s, illustrating the ghastly horrors of
war, 1t is no wonder that the public atten-
tion is so fixed upon matters Of such over
Rlelming and transccndent intereat that it
is hard to divert to any other channel. It is
therefore the tin3e for bad men. to scheme,
and unpIinclpled men to plot; for men who
are callons to all the obligations of patriot
Ism or honor, Who would see the grand old
ship tf State burned to the WATERS edge, pro-
yi6ed they could plunder her before she went
doWn--men who follow in the wake Of pow
or, ard
siuook the pregnant hinges of the kuee
Thtre thrift may follow isrning."
Sir, I have no faith in the noisy patriot-
ism Of ehoddy contractors, and none in the
mtn who in these times Of trial aud tributa-
tion through which our country is passing
are schelning and plotting to fill their own
pockets while the nation is verging towards
baDE1u;,tcy. The sublime and unaeltish
patriotism OF our people, who stand like
wall Of adamaut behind the Government in
it's support, people suffering, bleeding, dy-
ing Tor their country, is in magnificent con-
trast to the Haunting counterfeit every where
1lnt N. S-,,1-.. +t,se har 1,r4 1;4t4. - !,
With the real question before us, except as
IN explanation of the reasons why I feel
ca lied upon to scrntfnize all legislation of
this kind, regardless Of the plausible guise
in which it may be presented to MS country
members. What Is the bill before Us I
want to inquire Of honorable members Of
this Honsc what is it PROPOSED We shall
enact into law? What rights VI our con
stituents aTe We called upon to vote aYaY to-
day, and what additional obligations, If uny.
are we to load them down with in the passage
Of this hill? OF course it is to be presumed
that We are all fam{'iar with the Vastly i'm
portant subject upon which we are called
upon to pass. In the course I am to tuke In |
this mattcr am not to be misunderstood,
and presume other gentlemen do not Tisth |
to be misunderstood. The subject of a Pacific |
railroad Is one Of great interest to the public.
l am the oldest friend Of the measure On this |
floor. A.! haye been Its consistent friend ever
for 1t In every shape In which 1t has been |
presented. 1t has been plank In the plat
form Of The purity % which hare the honur !
to belong. The great work Of uniting the |
Atlantic coast with the Pacific sens, and |
binding the patriotic, loyal and cnterprising
side, have always considered us
worthy Of great nation like ours
and Of the times in which we live. |
But as Representative it Is ny duty to look |
well to the means by which the object is to |
be accomplished. Because I an in favor Of |
builainE road, it does not follow that / am |
to squander the means of-the Government |
without any security that the work will be |
done. The interests involved are of such |
magnitude Us to demand the I
most rigilant watchfnlncss on the part of the
Government, md If We here fall to guard |
them re fail In great duty to the country.
Ii VT do lot place the guards that arc nee
essary for protection Of the Government, the
Y hole work will be exposed to successful at-
tacks, and the object OF the whole campaign
may tail after Involving us in ruinous ex-
pense.
section Of the existing law provides for the /
repay mcnt Of the bonds issued to the compa-
ny, aud declares that the issue and delivery
Of them to the company shall fpso tacso con
stitnte fri mortgage On the whole line Of |
road and telegraph, TO- sether with the rolling
STOCK. 1ule was the security winch Non-
sress had right to demand Of any company |
hat should be oryan,zed. II was Its duty to
require 1t, unless It was intended to surren-
ler up everything mud place the most gigan-
tic interests ut the feet Of the company with
out control and without challenge. We do
1ated, a6 have before stated, millions upon
Millions of acres OF the public lands for this
purpose; then We agreed to give our bonds
or the amount, with the interest thereon, Of
590, ,000, ,0C0, and If Congress had required lees
han first mortgage as its Security, it Would
n my Judgment hare been derelict In duty
o tie country, whose interests in this re-
,urd 1t can alone protect. What is now
proposed by this amendment: I demand
hat gentlemen shall look ut it; let the mir
or be held up to nature, Nothing less than
he Government, with its liability OF a hun
lred millions, shall Eelinquisl its first mort
,nge and subordinate it's lien to the Hens Of
III the companies created for building the
cad The bonds Of the United States are to
'e Issued to the Company, and the Govern
nent is to haye no prior lien for its security;
nut by this provision the Company repre-
entfng as 1t may but one per cent or little
,yer Of the amount TINT the Government Is
liable for, is to subordinate that Government
% Its own interests, rasse money on t1e Be.
:urity Of tho means that the Government has
furnished, give first mortgage for the Sc
.Erity Of that money, and leave the United
3fNtNE Aa A ERnnnH tnorf oh1;ra1 Tn nav !