Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the First Session of the Nineteenth Congress Page: 5
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W CfONOB&BSS.'
Dec. 9, 1825.
Coflimittee on Jlgrieuliure-
[SF.NATK.
."The Senate th<>n.procecded to the consideration of the
fpllowing resolutiw, submitted by >Ir. l'INI)l ,AV:
" Resolved, That the 30th rule of the Senate beamend
cd, by adding thereto ' a Committee on Agriculture.'"
Mi1. FINBLAY said, that, when he brought forward the
subject wa former day, it was urged in opposition, that
. the subject of Agriculture was not within the scope of
that body, And that t'ney could not, therefore, legislate re
specting. it beyond the 'District of Columbia. Mr, F. said,
it was his opinion that the three great branches of domes-
tic. industry, Commerce, Manufactures, and Agriculture,
V wore all equally entitled to the care and protection of the
Government. The Senate had directed the establishment
of a Committee on Manufactures as well as on Commerce,
and he saw: no reason why Agriculture should not receive
the same attention from the Senate. It might be alleged;
that the connexion between Commerce and Agriculture
rendered a committee on the latter subject unnecessary.
To this position he thought there might be exceptions, in
legislating on Commerce, certain laws might be passed,
which might r operate to the depression of Agriculture
laws encouraging.to a great extent the importation of arti-
cles in a raw state which might come in competition with
the home inaterials which Agriculture furnished in abund-
ance. Things could not be in this state without the Agri-
culturists having a right to complain, and all their com-
phint$,would amount to nothing at all, if there were no
committee,to which their petitions could be j-eferred. All
subjects coming before the Senate that might particularly
interfere with the interests of Agriculture, ought to be re-
ferred to such a committee, who would report a modifica-
tion x f the Jaws, or suggest new ones.. Mr. j-\ concluded
by saying, he had submitted this resolution from the dic-
tates of duty, and he did not think it necessary to say any
thing- further-pn the subject.
Mr. HOLMES, of Maine, wished very much that tile
gentleman from Pennsylvania had informed them what
such a committee would have to do. Could any of them
know ,wliat its duties would consist in? Could he point
out any one thing it could report upon; any thing relating
to the raising of cotton or of cattle? What nmvov wrmM
- -V ^ - - o —~ vij'xro ^ MKT A v lauiie
to the raising of cotton or of cattle? What power would
the committee have' Was it to afford information to the
people on the subject of agriculture, or to bring in re-
ports on which Congress was to act? Mr. H. said he was
opposed to the appointment of a committee of informa-
tion; but, if the gentleman would point out any one tiling
which properly belonged to such a committee, or shew
how the committee was to act, he did not know but he
should be disposed to indulge him with his vote; but he
confessed he could, himself, think of no one thin?: it was
perhaps, raring to his. want of understanding onthe sub-
ject, but he could not see what the committee would
have to do. If he were one of that committee, and that gen-
tleman were the chairman, and could give no further in-
formation on the subject than lie had now done to the Se-
nate, he should, certainly, be greatly at a loss what to do.
• in r?ply. referred to the article of spi-
rits—foreign spirits might come in competition with do-
mestic ones, and affect the agriculturist in the grain-grow-
ing .States: a prohibition of foreign potatoes might be pro-
posed, which would also interest the agricultural interest'
ami many other questions might be mentioned which it
\voula be proper to refer to a committee on the subject
Jjijt, ^supposing- the committee had nothing- to do, then the
gentleman certainly could not imagine that any thinif of
consequence could result from the appointment of it
-Hp. W OOUR UllY, of New Hampshire, observed, that
ne should vote for the resolution now before the Senate,
notwithstanding- the strosg- opposition to it which had been
manifested. Vet he would, not have risen to offer any
reuuirjks upon its passage, but for the circumstance, that,
„ * €$PesdaJr vWed- "gainst the amendment
proposed to the Committee on Manufactures, and., con-
sequently, without. explanation, an inference might be
drawn by some of inconsistency between the two voter,
.That amendment, however, was resisted by him upon the
sole and identical principle which, in his opinion, operat-
ed with the. greatest force in favor of the present resolu-
tion—the principle of inexpediency, in refesringthe sub-
jects of manufactures, and agriculture to the same com-
mittee, and an inexpediency as great as-to continue to refer
commerce and manufactures to the same committee. A1J
the arguments, so eloquently urged on- that day by the
gentlemen from Massachusetts and New Jersey, "for"a se-
parate committee on each of the two last subjects, appli-
ed in equal vigor for a separate committee on "agriculture.
Not that he believed the interests of all these cardinal
branches of industry were not inseparably connected—}(.;■
he cordially united with the gentleman from South Caro-
lina in that particular; but it was a connection in their im-
portance to society, and in favor due from the Government;
nor that he believed they were not sisters, as happily ex-
pressed by the gentleman from Maryland—but sisters,
chiefly, in the affections of this House. They could be
received separately; and, like those sciences having one
common bond, must be examined in detail—peculiar ta-
lents could, in distinct committees, be brought to bear on
the investigation of each; and, by a proper analysis and
scrutiny of subjects of legislation, the same utility is at
tained as by a proper division of labor in the common
affairs of life. That there was no employment for such
— JWI SlUll
a committee, had been again pressed bv the ingenious
gentleman from Maine: but, in addition to the answer
given by the mover of the resolution, he would suggest,
that all questions of direct taxes on land; all internal du-
ties and excises; and all imposts, no less than questions of
foreign _and internal commerce, have a powerful, and,
often, an immediate influence on the interests of agricul-
ture. And, in a territory like ours, of between two and
three millions of square miles; with two-thirds of its po-
pulation exclusively engaged in agriculture; with annual
exports from agriculture of about forty millions; and with,
probably, fifteen millions of our duties paid, in the end,
)y the tillers of the soil, who consume, and not by the
merchants, who import—it is impossible not to find sub-
jects peculiarly proper, in some stage of their progress
through this House, to be referred to such a committee.
True it is, that the subject, as heretofore, might be re-
ferred to other committees; and it is equally true, that
all subjects, whatever, might be referred to a Committee
of the whole House. True it is, also, that the duties of
such a committee are not specifically defined; nor arc the
duties of any other committee; but depend on the express
object of the committee, and the nature of subjects com-
mg-before Congress. If those concerning agriculture arc
now small, he hoped the prosperity of it would long keep
them small. But, that her interests were daily touched,
directly or indirectly, and might be considered by reports
of other committees being referred to the committee bc--
fore any final measures are taken, will be manifest, by
adverting, not only to the - effect of the tariff, as before
named, on some kinds of produce, but to the duties on
sugar, as affecting the agriculture of that section suited
to the cane; on hemp, as affecting another section; on
woollen and cotton goods, as affecting the produce of
Other sections; tobacco, another. As a strong illustration
how agriculture may be affected by duties on articles con-
sumed merely", and not grown here, something more than
half a million in value of salt is annually imported, paying'
a duty of twenty cents per bushel, and a large proportion
of it being consumed by the farmers of the North, this
duty is a tax on^ them. The hardy yeomanry of the
country may ask, in time, to be heard on these, and simi-
lar topics: and, though groaning under no such tithes and
poor-rates as to require for relief the cumbrous system of
British torn J~v,rs: though not wont to.be so clangorous
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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 Nineteenth Congress, book, 1826; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30753/m1/7/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.