Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the First Session of the Twenty-Fifth Congress Page: 1,221
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1221
OF DEBATES IN CONGRESS.
1222
Oct. 4, 1837.]
Treasury Notes.
[H. of R.
that the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Sehgeast]
would be permitted to go on, as he had commenced, and
finish his, remarks during the morning hour, and that other
gentlemen might have the same opportunity of going on
with the discussion.
Mr. ROBERTSON, of Va., said that-the chairman of
the Committee of Ways and Means had brought forward
one of the most important questions that could possibly
have been submitted to the consideration of Congress.
Nine days were yet left of the session, and it was proposed
to confine the debate on that question to a single hour in
the morning of each of those days. Now, did the gentle-
man [Mr. Cameheieng] intend that it should be debated,
or that a vote should be taken on it without debate 1 If
* the former, then he hoped that gentleman would comply
with the motion of Mr.- Skhgf.astt to refer it to the Com-
mittee of the Whole, or consent to lay it on the table, or
to postpone it until the next session of Congress.
Mr. WISE concurred with his colleague, [Mr. Robeht-
son.] What, asked he, were we called here to do 1 To
consider and digest some plan for ordering a system of
finance for the country. There were three conflicting
plans before the country and the House for this purpose,
proceeding from three distinct parlies. The first was that
of the administration, to establish a sub-Treasury system ;
and this measure is brought forward in positive terms, and
is referred to the Committee of the Whole for considera-
tion. The other branch of the administration party, (call -
ed the conservatives,) to which, he had been told, on his
first coming here, the gentleman from New York, [Mr.
ctakk,] who had just spoken, belonged, had also pre-
sented their scheme, by the hands of one of their number,
[Mr. J. Gnuss,] his colleague. This, too, was pre-
sented in a posititive form, and had also been referred to the
Committee of the Whole. And now, Mr. W. would
ask, why, in like manner, the system of the third party
there, not by any means the most inconsiderable in point
either of numbers or intelligence, (larger in fact than either
of the others, taken severally,) why their plan alone was
brought forward by its opponents in a negative shape, and
reported against as "inexpedient?" Not only now, but
forever " inexpedient V' Why, he would ask, was that
plan alone confined to the morning hour 1 Why were
not all the plans taken together, reported together, or dis-
cussed together in the Committee of the Whole, as pre-
senting each a part of the -grand question upon finance
now before the country 1 The friends of a national bank
were waiting for " the moving of the watersthey were
not ready to bring forward their plans in a positive form ;
they had no notion of standing up for the purpose of being
knocked down.
The House has been entertained with the old story of
harpooning the monster; and the monster, like Lazarus in
his grave, "not dead, but sleeping," was again to bo
brought to life, for the purposo of once more being killed.
He had already been so often killed, that the trick is at
last too stale for repetition. This Mr. Wise described as
an attempt to raise a fallen issue.
Mr. CAMBRELENG called the gentleman to order.
He wished to know if the gentleman from Virginia was
to enjoy the exclusive privilege of speaking upon what sub-
jects he pleased, under the motion before the House.
The SPEAKER remarked that the gentleman from
Virginia had perhaps been on the verge of transgressing
the rules of order: when he should do so in reality, he
should certainly be checked by the Chair.
Mr. WISE resumed the floor. The gentleman from
Pennsylvania, who had opposed this resolution, [Mr. Ser-
geant,] would certainly not have brought forward a posi-
tive proposition in favor of the establishment of a United
States bank at this session of Congress. It had been
brought forward in a negative form by the committee. It
was a conflicting interest, and should be examined like the
rest; not an hour a day in the morning exclusively.
What, he would ask, was the object of making such a dis-
position of the subject? It was, to keep it within the
power of the party there, to be disposed of as they should
at any moment think fit, and in the most summary mode
of execution. To hold up to the country that there was
no hope to the friends of a United States bank.
The SPEAKER here reminded the gentleman from
Virginia that he was not strictly in order.
Mr. WISE suggested that it was perfectly in order to
discuss the objects for which the chairman of the Commit-
tee of Ways and Means wished to keep the question in
the House without a reference to the Committee of the
Whole.
The CHAIR assented to this proposition, and
Mr. WISE proceeded. The object of the chairman of
the committee is to strangle the issue, to make the pretence
that the friends of the establishment of a bank of the Uni-
ted States were struggling to attain that object now, and
that they had been overpowered in their attempt by a ma -
jority here. It was an instance of the manner in which
the Bank of the United States had always been treated.
Here, in the House, the resolution cannot be discussed;
in Committee of the Whole it certainly can, in all its
bearings. There it could lie debated before the country,
and there it could be shown whether the Bank of the Uni-
ted States could possibly compare, in monstrosity, with the
project now presented by the administration. There is a
large and intelligent interest in this country (whether larger
than its opposers or not, it matters not) in favor of the es-
tablishment of a national bank, and they had an equal
right to be heard, candidly, and with the same circum-
stances of deliberation as the rest—an equal right to fair
play. If tho sub-Treasury plan, and the conservative
scheme, have a free discussion by a Committee of the
Whole, that of this large and respectable interest has cer-
tainly an equal right to such discussion, and he trusted it
would have it.
Mr. BYNUM rose to address the House, when
Mr. CAMBRELENG moved for the orders of the day,
which were taken up, the House resolving itself into Com-
mittee of the Whole, (Mr. Connor in the chair.)
TREASURY NOTES.
The House wont into Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union, (Mr. Connoh in the chair,) and re-
sumed the consideration of the bill "to authorize the is-
suing of Treasury notes."
The question pending was on the substitute of Mr.
Rhett.
Mr. BIDDLE rose and said, that he felt his position at
this moment to be one requiring a word of explanation.
When, on Saturday, it was supposed the debate on this
bill would be urged forward, gentlemen, whose standing in
the House gave them an undoubted priority of claim to the
floor, felt unwilling to proceed, at the close of an exhaust-
ing week, and with no opportunity for that arrangement
which lends additional force to the strongest arguments.
He had, therefore, agreed, at tho moment, to present the
remarks he had to offer, not deeming them of sufficient im-
portance to be held over for a similar purpose. A motion
to adjourn hod prevailed ; but he now found himself, by
the courtesy of those gentlemen, still in the front rank, to
which he had assuredly no claim, and which, without this
apology, it might well be deemed presumptuous on his part
to occupy.
Had he proceeded on Saturday, the impulse of the mo-
ment (Mr. B... said) would probably have led him to ani-
madvert, at considerable length, on the singular circum-
stances under which the present bill had been introduced.
The bill first taken up was denounced as a measure of rev-
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Gales, Joseph, 1761-1841. Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the First Session of the Twenty-Fifth Congress, book, 1837; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30751/m1/31/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.