The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-02-02
indiana Legislature joint Session.
INDIANAPOLIS. Jan e7.

/ SeHote entered ana LOOK seats; to The
rig 8 t Of the Speaker faas As'
The President of the Senate. Lienten
ant Governor Camhack, took the Chair
and having called the House to order
. saisi:s it't s5'4-
= iMembers ofthe Senate and House Of
Ige Represents tives: Eas % 39nuat@ c{
X We have met, noncompliance with the
provisions OF 4 concurrent resolution ia
listen to an address from the Hon. Dan
lei d. Pratt. our newly elected Senator
in the Congress of the United States
4 Permit meato congratulate you and
your constituents upon the wisdom
OF Your choice, and express my own
pleasure in now introducing to YOU til q
Hon DanietD Pratt J
f. Senator Pratt psoceeded to address
4 the House. rs follows: - su s9af
Ia-zs- l-if SPEECH OF MR. PRAFr. ga#
Gentlemen of The General Assembly:
Elected by you, the Representative
of thepeople. to the highe { ofii:e with
in venr gift. 1 appear before you not to
make formal address. bu. simply tn
return YOU my -cordisl thanks for this
expression Of your confidence, and for
the great honor you have conferred up {
You Will all hear me witness that
this result has not been brought around
by any self seeking or agency of mine.
While cannot hope To magnify this
! office. or even wor billy ffll il can only
promise to hiring to the discharge Of
its high trusts. purity Of purpose and
earnest zeal to serve my country. f-a
fn succeeding to, the seat of the cmi.
| Dent statesman and accomplished gen
tleman whose term will shortly expire.
and in becoming the Official mate of In
diana's representative in the Senate, who
commands SO largely the admiration and
confidence Of the country for his great
abilities and pstriotic services, l feel
painfully the want of those oualifca
tions necessary to; make me the fit suc
cessor of the one and the calleague of the
other. For you know. gentietn en-, that
| have been until very recent period. a
private citizen, exclusively devot, d to
my profession. and that nv studies and
pursuits hsve not adapted me to this
new sphere of duty
You would give little heed to mere
professions uttered now when nv heart
is so full of gratitude for this proof of
VOC confidence and too partial estimate
Of my fitness You will Judge me rather
by what l shall say aud 90 in the future.
when my voice shall help frame laws for
the country; sy The record l shall make
after entering upon the discharge of my
duties as Senator. r r.tssea 3aI
Tue verdict of. the people at the recent
national election has settled many CUES.
tiol.s left unsettled by the wal Other
questions remain rather of policy
than principle which demand for their
solution the highest skill of statesman
ship
: This is not 8 proper time however. to
do more than allude to them. While
the nation has decreed that the publie
debt, incurred i'll saving the. Union from
dissolution. and the country from anar
ci,y and ruin, must be paid in eood fa,sh.
vet the method. the time and manner Of
payment are left necessarily to leuisla-
tiye discretion. 1t devolves' upon Con.
gress to devise and employ such. meth.
ods as will least burden or into rrnps
industrial pursuits; to SO adjust the
taxes upon the capital, the ENTERPRISE
amt consu mptionbo the ci,untry as will
leas.. affect the general prosperity and
make all eqnltably share the burden
~ Aad so. too, white the voice Of the
people has enssnrset the general recon
struction9 policy OF Congress. mapv do
N"s tSAh'Ah " s'S SCttkcu Dy prudent
and patriotic legislati N to briny haclr
INTO harmontous u"lon the States lately >
in rebellion. 5tfrile country demand,
peace. order and comple.A protect, on in
those cOnmuniti g where the EN- hers IF
the rebellion remain, famed oeeasional
ly here ami there into CONSUMING mo
The aisaffec'ei must be made To su,,,n;,
abs olutclv to the law. Tnrh,l.nce dc
nrAor nd III F
erty must re slapped at everysot,az.r.g
Protection from the G ,. ernmant ia rho
equivalent which the citizen receive. or
shoui.i receive for tha .axas he nav. AMI
the military 8 .rvice2 he NV 9. and he "a
iefrau:iei, and the Gavernmen, disho,
ored, Whenever il, fl Is to. render t.,at
protection to the hl,n.iess of its citizens
at home as we'll as abroad L. IS hi
right to enjoy the blessings of life lin
erty. and th. pursuit. Of happiness. and
the Govt rnment fails in its hiyh miss ssion
and promise when it does not, secure
them everywhere within the reach OF its
power. @3H ss274 .'i'fa8 Stnl
The expenditures Of the Government
lnring the war, and since its close. have
,een large But the time has come when
he strictest economy in the administer.
ion OF our affairs should begin If there
> any one thing to which hoth of the
great parties committed and pledged
themselves during the past wear. when |
hey went before the people for til ir
uffi ages. it was to the retrenchment of |
expenses. the abolition of unnecessary
'fiiees. the strictest accountability of |
'uhiic officers. and efficiency and homes
y in every branch Of the public service. |
These pledges mus. be redeemed While
'ur people pay their bnrdensome taxes
when satisfied they are hon
stly applied. they have set their faces
ike flint against waste Of the public rev
nues BY their servants. They demand
nat all our resources from taxation he
acrediy applied to the reduction of the
nclic debt as rapidly as may be-: and