Year: 1876

! 10 be proud OF IT'S achievements il was the Amer-
can nation. IL had just expended $1,000, 900 900
! 10 render IL certain that the nation should
exist and should have Centennial The money had
been expended and 500 600 lives sacrificed that the
nation might have a Centennial He therefore put il
10 his side OF the House whether pitiful million aud
hall was besrudged TO the work OF showing the
tons Of the earth the quality OF this people and
progress in arts, in agriculture in manufactures
That was the way he tcit IN regard to H. and when
THE CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION


presents itself he would say that nation had right
10 exist II had right to show existed That ALI
was IN the constitutional question S i
pleaded very eoquently for the poor. That not
new question There had been those who looked alter
inc poor IN all ages Two thousand years ago there
had been woman wild enough waste a
oox OF ointment, and one looking on whose
name was lscario found fault with her, and said that
the box might have been sold for 800 pence and the
money given to the poor There was another verse IN
that connection about the motive which prompted the
interference behalf OF the poor but out OF regard
for his colleague Mr. Willis he would not read H.
| u,aurhtcr IIe fMr Townscnd sympathized with the
| poor and was because he sympathZed with the
poor that he wanted this nation 10 flourish and be
honored. The poor Of this country occupied position
such the poor Of other country had ever
! occupied Adam and his wife went out on
farming voyagc-emigratlng from Eden (Iaughtcr.l
! He alluded, in reply TO hr. Reagnn's remarks OF
yesterday great wealth OF Texas to the growing
prosperity OF the cotton growing States and TO the agr
cultural prosperity OF the Northern States, and could
nothing in all these evidences OF progress that
| should interfere with the Centennial He then pro-
ceedcd TO criucsc in jocuar manner the strict con-
struconlsts OF the South represented in the speech
yesterday OF Mr. Tucker OF Virginia, and summed it
all up by defining strict construconist 10 be one who,
II he wants measure, considers II constitutional and,
II he does not want IT. considers II unconstitutional
strict copstruconist reminded HIM of an Irishman in
his district who had n horse and who, when
neghbor asked him whether his horse had the CLAN
ders, replied, ''r no has the glnnders, and u
not the glanders at ALL (Roars laugher The gen
tcruan from Virginia (Mr ruckerl had put forth
proposition yesterday in substance that this was not
nation but confedcracy OF States. But his more ex-
perienced ncighbor from Indiana (Mr HolmaR) begged
OF him not TO open that question From l7sO and
hat hal hnnn
every Assembly, in every meeting Of Congress, on the
hustings and the State Legislatures. In 1850 con-
sttutIonzl majority Of the people of the country
elected Abraham Lincoln to tho Presidency and Con-
grcss, which held with Mr. Lincoln, that this
nation. An appeal had been taken from the forum OF
discussion TO the field OF iron war; and from 1861 TO
1865 brave both sides met in the terrible arb
of steel settle the question whether this
nation or not The question had been brought up ON
appeal, and had been argued on many u held from
Gettysburg TO the Cult; and, finally, Judgment had
been rendered In that gcntlemans own district (Mr
Tuckcr's) Appomattox. He wished that that gentle
had gone and read up the record before he came
20 the House, with view to reopen that discussion
and to tn ow the country into new turmoil


Mt Townsend's speech, which was delivered In
humorous conversational. story telling style, was
thoroughly enjoyed by his audience members gather
ing around him and laughing heartily at his jokes.


nm Mr. SrrSGh de% Q! Pa spoke IN % opposition TO
having he said in lugubrious tones read the burial
service OF his other colleague (Mr Cochrane and mti-
mated that the former would himself appear in the
double role of corpse and sexton at once Proceeding
then TO discuss the constutonaity OF the bi he said





was with him to decide tho question lie clamci TO be
good patriot any man on tho floor; but while he
loved MS country, her lakes her rivers her mountains
and her prairics no loved her constitution and
her institutions more. Aluding TO the sinalness
of the subscription throughout the country TO tho
Centennial fund.- he said that Congress was
asked to pass this bill, while the people
OF the Union havc said, by their refusal to sub
SCRIBE that thoy not able to subscribe Congress
asked to put this burden upon the shoulders OF the
people when they had refused TO take it. Congress
asked it when tho had refused TO furnish





said that this was but small amount, but the aggre
cato was large Tho people wcrc struggling under
national debt Of So 200 600 600 and Congress
nsked to add 81. 800 600 to tho load Tho passage of
this bill would impose upon the State OF Pennsylvania,
had already gwen 81 ZOO 900 to the enterprise
additional burden OF $50 0O0 lie refused by his
vote to impose that additional burden.


Mr.. FELroy dcm.) of Ga, opposed the BILL but said
that his opposition was influenced by no vote IN the
House on the question Of amnesty II the House had
proper pcrpctuate awrong that was no reason
why he should vote against his convictions His
opposition TO the bill was not opposition TO tho
Centennial Exhibition He wished success to the
Exhibition and he trusted that 1t would be the
of sending the ends of the earth the story of
American genius aud the triumph OF American indus
But particularly he desired that il would be
the OF ratcrnizng the long estranged sections
OF the country. He also desired that when the Euro
pean and Asauc nations gathered next summer IN
Philadelphia they would learn one grani truththat
here was the best government on Garth How could
this lesson be taught? IL by showing shat hero
great enterprises carried without the co-opcra
lion OF the government Tho passage of this bill would
be in the very teeth Of that lesson lie was also op
posed the bill because in direct conflict with
The resolution adopted by the House the motion of
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr Iiolman( He re-
gardcd that vote contract bet ween Representatives
and their constucns-a contract ratified by universal
approval To vote for this bill would be, in
his opinion violation Of that contract. IL had been
too long the custom TO at the constitution
something obsolete, but while it had lain like the dry
bones OF Ezekiel, the people had moro breathcd
upon those bones and would not be long until bone
would be coming bone and the principle of that
Old constitution would arise living army TO do battle
moro for human freedom. (Applause.l


Mr.. JOKES, (dcm.) oi KY, spoke support OF the
bill as measure IN the interest of peace and amy.


Mr.. COOK, tdcm) OF Ca spoke against the bill, and
argued that should be just before they
generous the 500 900 Of taxation wrested from
the South the should be restored before the
passage of this bill


SPEECH or MR. pkSKs


Mr.. BANKS, (iud.l OF Mass, addressed the
mittcc. lie said that beng a member of the Select
Committee which reported tho BILL 1t might be ex-
pccted that he should make suggestions in regard
to Its necessity, propriety and constitutionaty. He
might say without exaggcraton that he had never
heard in Congress abler eloquent speeches
than he had heard against the bill But nevertheless,
they had not disturbed him, and If the measure were
to back to the committee for reconsideration no
should do exactly as he had done, and vote that n
not only proper measure, constitutional in
ITSELF but measure OF absolute necessity.
1t impossible for Congress TO fail to pass It. Tho
United States would be represented at Philadelphia,
and IT impossible for Congress not TO be willing TO
make an appropriation for tho purpose The century
had been the greatest that had ever been witnessed In
tho history Of man. more important in its results,
moro far reaehins IN It's Influences, more august and
sublime results than any ohor period in the
uar history OF This century to be cclc-
brated by the American people in their way and
In their own character lie admitted that IL had BEEN


vcnturcsome step Tor the United States government
TO ask other nations assist this great celebration
On the taco Of the earth there government but
this that stood the principle OF the right OF the peo
pie organizc and direct and TO control their
ernmcnL


Everywhere else, in all other quarters OF the world
more less distinctly, less absolutely, tho
foundation OF government that OF divine right of
hereditary rulers. When this government applied to
tue thirty eight or forty treaty making Powers repre-
senting the opposite principle TO that IN which the
American people had confidence, TO take part In the
celebration OF the great day which had made successful
that opposite principle and asked them 10 make in the
ewes Of the world and OF their subjects holy and
sacred day OF IT. IL took great responsibility. Con
gross responsible for it, the President had acted
on his Instructions from Congress lie had made


TnK NATIONS


of thc .nd thcv ha,I answ,rcd THIRTY.