Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the First Session of the Twenty-Third Congress Page: 2,895
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2895
GALES & BEATON'S REGISTER
2898
H. op R.]
Sundry Memoriah, &c.
[March 5, 1834.
of the city of Augusta and its vicinity, praying that the
former relations between the Government of the United
States and the Bank of the United States might be re-
stored; the engagements of the Government with the
bank, in relation to the safe-keeping of the,public funds,
fulfilled; and the bank itself rechartered, or a substitute
provided.
Mr,. W. said, as the rule confining the presentation of
petitions to Monday had been suspended under an im-
plied understanding that no discussion should take place,
he would confine himself, as strictly as ppssible, to a
statement of the contents of the memorial.
He asked, however, to be permitted to state, that the
city of Augusta, situated on the right bank of the Savan-
nah river, at the head of steamboat navigation, is one of
the most commercial inland towns in the Union. Its
population is probably not more that seven thousand, but
the value of the cotton brought to that market, for seve-
ral years back, had not fallen short of five millions of dol-
lars annually, or about one-twelfth part of the whole do-
mestic exports of the United States. The quantity dur-
ing the present year is estimated, upon good authority,
in a recent memorial to the General Post Office Depart-
ment, at one hundred and eighty thousand bales; and the
value thereof, and of the return cargoes of merchandise,
at fifteen millions of dollars.
The memorialists being his immediate townsmen, and
most of them personal acquaintances, it became him to
say a word or two respecting them. Among the signers
of this memorial were to be found merchants of high
character for intelligence and probity; respectable plant-
ers, lawyers, and physicians; and honest, industrious,
and sagacious mechanics. v
None of them were capable of attempting to deceive
others, or likely to be themselves deceived, concerning
the effect of the recent measures of the Executive on
the trade and currency of the country.
The first name upon the list is that of the mayor of the
city; a gentleman universally esteemed and beloved; a
citizen of whose public spirit, enterprise, integrity, and
benevolence any country might well be proud. The
chairman of the public meeting which led to the memo-
rial is a distinguished advocate, at the head of his profes-
sion in that place, often elevated by the voice of his fel-
low-citizens to posts of trust and honor, and bearing a
high military commission during the late war.
By far the larger number of the memorialists were, he
believed, what is called "Union men." They were of
that party in the State most opposed to " nullification,"
and heretofore supporting-, with tiie greatest zeal, the
measures of the President. But the meeting had been
called, and the memorial was framed and signed, with-
out reference to party distinctions; and he found the
signatures of some gentlemen of different political prin-
ciples.
He hazarded nothing, however, in saying, with respect
to all, that a more independent, honorable, and enlight-
ened body of memorialists was not to be found among
any equal number of citizens who had ever brought their
grievances to the knowledge of that House.
Few or none of them could be considered political agi-
tators; and the greater part seldom interested themselves
in public affairs, beyond the performance of those duties
incumbent on all good citizens.
The language of their memorial is temperate and re-
spectful. It exhibits the deliberate opinions of freemen,
expressed plainly and briefly, but with dignity and cour-
tesy. It contains no phrase which Americans of the
most scrupulous delicacy need hesitate to use, when
speaking of their public agents, their institutions, or fel-
low-citizens.
He could not better sum up the conviction they ex-
pressed than in the brief and energetic language of the
gentleman who had transmitted the memorial to him—the
chairman of the committee appointed for that purpose;
" Depend upon it, sir, the war of our National Govern-
ment against our National Bank is carried on at the ex-
pense of millions to the people."
Mr. WAYNE said that he rose not to complain of the
remarks which had fallen from his colleague^ all that he
had stated was, no doubt, perfectly correct; and the man-
ner in which he had presented the memorial was per-
fectly decorous and unexceptionable. But, as this was
probably the first in a series of petitions from his own
State, and as he understood that the whole delegation
were to be furnished with copies, he thought it right to
express at once his conviction that it would be wholly out
of his power to contribute any aid towards effecting the
object here prayed for. From numerous letters received
from all parts of the State, as well as from the aspect of
the papers published there, he was led to believe that
the sentiments expressed in this petition were far from
being those of a majority of the citizens of Georgia. The
memorialists, no doubt very honestly, expressed their *
own views and opinions; but he fully expected that, be-
fore many days, the House would see memorials from this
very city of Augusta, the number of the signers to which
would convince gentlemen that this paper did not ex-
press the opinion of a majority of the citizens of that
place. As it would be contrary to the general under-
standing under which the rules had been suspended to
enter into any debate, he should content himself with
this declaration of what his own opinion was, and what
his course would be. He desired that those, of whom his
colleague and himself were in common the Represent-
atives, should at once be fully apprized of where he
stood.
The memorial, on the motion of Mr. "WILDE, was then
read, and ordered to be printed, and the further consider-
ation of it postponed until that day week, when the re-
port of the Committee of Ways and Means comes up.
LOUISVILLE (KENTUCKY) MEMORIAL.
Mr. POPE presented two memorials, signed by up"
wards of a thousand inhabitants of Louisville, in the State
of Kentucky, complaining of great pecuniary distress and
commercial embarrassment, ascribing it to the removal of
the deposites, and praying Congress to adopt such meas-
ures of relief as its wisdom might suggest; and, also, to
pass an act rechartering the Bank of tiie United States,
with modifications.
Mr. P. observed that he recognised among the signa-
tures to the memorial the names of many active, industri-
ous, enterprising, and highly intelligent merchants, me-
chanics, manufacturers, and professional gentlemen of
Louisville—gentlemen whose opinions were entitled to
great respect and consideration, either in Congress or
elsewhere; and to whose better judgments he would wil-
lingly defer on any occasion, if the act did not, in his own
opinion, involve the sacrifice of vital interests. He moved
that the memorials be read, laid upon the table, and
printed. Agreed to.
PROCEEDINGS AT MADISON, INDIANA.
Mr. CAIUi rose to present certain proceedings. lie
remarked that he held in his hand the proceedings of a
meeting holden in the town of Madison, in the State of
Indiana, on the 7th of February, 1834, in pursuance to
previous notice given, for the purpose of taking into con-
sideration the embarrassed state of the country, and the
derangement of the currency.
Mr. C. remarked that he had not been furnished -with
a copy of these proceedings in the usual manner in which
proceedings of the like kind are generally received; that
they had been sent to him by the persons who acted as se-
cretaries to said meeting, in a newspaper published in the
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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-Third Congress, book, 1834; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30766/m1/58/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.