The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 52

                                
53
CONGRESSIONAL GLOB®.
I urged the making of appropriations by which
i impedimenta and obstacles to the navigation of
opportunity hereafter to digcuss that point; but he
-would then say, he should be able to show that, so
far from the tariff being injurious to the Western or
agricultural interests, or to the productions of
the West, if any class of the "country had re-
ceived its full measure of benefit from the tar-
iff—a protective tariff—it was the farmers of the
country, and the agricultural interests. He had,
however, detained the House longer now than he
had intended; and he would only add, in reply to
the gentleman from Missouri, that the Committee
on Commerce had no local interests or prejudices
against the improvements of the Western lakes and
rivers. He claimed, also, for himself and his con-
stituents, an interest in the lakes and rivers of the
West. The Mississippi was the river of the in-
habitants of the East, as much as of the West or
the >South; and so, too, the Lakes; and they of the
North and of the East were willing to contribute
whenever they were called upon, to aid measures
for the benefit of other parts of the country. Cer-
tainly they are far more willing than the gentleman
from South Carolina, to aid in the improvement of
Western navigation. He knew of no subject more
interesting to his constituents—the Boston citizens
and Boston merchants—than the improvement of
the navigation of the Mississippi. He could show
the gentleman from Missouri that his constituents
had
the
that river might be removed.
Why the cargoes which float down that river, the
produce of the Western fields, were exchanged for
cargoes from the Northern and the Eastern States;
and so he might speak of the commerce between
Boston and the cities of St. Louis and New Orleans.
The commerce was not all on one side, but consisted
of an exchange of commodities; and there could
not be any prejudice on the part of the population
of the North—certainly not on the part of one Rep-
resentative from the East—against the improve-
ment of the Western waters.
In respect to the question of reference now before
the House, he should vote for the select committee;
and he cheerfully acquiesced in the suggestion which
had been made, that there should be added a stand-
ing committee to take charge of the subject of the
internal policy of the country. He believed our in-
ternal commerce had become of such importance
that we might advantageously have a secretary of
the home department.
Mr. DOUGLASS was pleased that this debate had
produced one good effect—that of showing that, if
there had been doubts existing of the feeling of the
North towards the interests of the West, those
doubts could now no longer remain. When he hoard
his friend from Indiana call upon the Western val-
ley en masse to array itself against other portions of
this Union, in solid phalanx, he confessed that he
heard it with regret. He denied that the Western
interests were antagonistic to the interests of other
States; the interests of all were identified, and any
gentleman there was promoting the interest of all
when he was improving those great internal means
of communication.
He favored the proposition for a select committee
of nine, not because he had any objection to the
Committee on Commerce, or to any other standing
committee, but because the interests involved were
very important, and to some extent local in their
character; and that those interests might come fairly
and fully the House, he deemed it right and prop-
er that they should be referred to a committee that
had some knowledge of details and local information
in reference to those interests.
He would have a committee consisting of men
whose very local interests should prompt them to
be diligent in searching out for information, collect-
ing facts, and bringing them before the House. For
these reasons, he wished a select committee; and he
wished it to consist of men whose business avoca-
tions were such as would insure a full report.
When he got that report, he would be then willing
to submit the question to the House, to determine
on its merits'. All that he now wanted was, to
have a committee to present facts; and these being
collected and received, all gentlemen would be ready
to advocate such a systetn of improvement for the
West as might seem to them to be' most desirable.
Mr. WISE observed that, when this proposition
for a select committee was fiist presented, he had no
objection to it; but the remarks of the gentleman
fivhii Massachusetts [Mr. Winthrop] had forced
luni to take up the issue they presented. He stood
on sectional grounds no more than that gentleman;
but he stood on constitutional grounds; and he hoped
there were friends to a strict construction of the
Constitution as well in the North as in the South.
He had one. reply to make to the gentleman from
Indiana in relation to the tenders that had been made
of assistance to the great West. If the gentleman
supposed there was anything more in the motives
of the Administration, in recommending the West-
ern waters to the attention of Congress, than
kindly and just feelings, he was mistaken; and
if he supposed that the President now, at the
latter end of his term, intended to enter into the
scramble for the favor of the West, he was equally
mistaken. Let him say to gentlemen from the
North, the South, and the West, that the Adminis-
tration, at least, was not disposed to enter into com-
petition as to who should pour the most into the lap
of the West. The language of the message was in
the style of the old straight-jacket school of Jefferson,
and did not propose to go farther for the West than
the Constitution allowed. If either the gentleman
from South Carolina [Mr. Holmes] or Massachu-
setts [Mr. Winthrop] was disposed to pour into
the lap of the West more than the Constitution al-
lowed, he, for alone, would stand alone, and endeavor
to snatch back what his limited construction of the
Constitution showed him it was not entitled to.
When the boast was made of what section had
done the most for the West, he would point
to Virginia, the mother of States, who gave the
West her largest plantation. Virginia alone gave
to the West that mighty domain which constitutes
all her greatness; gave it without money and with-
out price; and if you of the North put up a little rail-
ing for her, or dug her a little ditch, you, in return,
taxed the axe that felled the forest, and the plough
that turned up the furrow. You taxed everything
consumed by the poor man, while you let the luxu-
ries of the rich go free. The North, it was true,
gave the West manufactures; but what a gift, and
at what a price! He would not unite in the cry to
West to turn on its mother, for the great mother of the
West was Virginia, who had impoverished herself
for its benefit, while she asked nothing m return bu
that she would preserve the Constitution.
He was a little surprised to hear one gentleman
from the West boasting that the West had now the
power, and could come in and help herself. He was
aware of it; and he was afraid that the land of poli-
ticians would now come in and take all they wanted.
What chance, then, was there for the Constitution,
while this squabble for Western favor was going on.
The power of the old States was gone long ago; and
the new ones must now take the lead. After a few
more remarks from Mr. W.—
On motion by Mr. WELLER, the committee rose
and reported progress.
xMr. VANCE offered a resolution to refer all the
memorials, bills, &c., of the last session, that were
before the Committee of Claims, and favorably re-
ported on, to the same committee.
The CHAIR said that the resolution of the gen-
tleman was not in order.
Mr. DUNCAN gave notice that he should, to-
morrow, ask leave to bring in a bill to provide for
holding the election for President and Vice President
of the United States on the same day m all the States;
also, to provide for the election of members of Con-
gress 011 the same day in all the States.
Mr. VANCE moved a suspension of the rules, to
enable him to offer his resolution above referred to;
which motion was rejected.
The House then adjourned.
The following petitions were presented under a
rule of the House, and appropriately referred:
By Mr. ANDERSON: A petition of citizens
of the county of West Chester, New York, praying
for an appropriation for the improvement of the har-
bor of Port Chester, in said county; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Commerce.
By Mr. CROSS: A petition of citizens of Se-
vier county, Arkansas, praying for the establishment
of a post route from Fill ton to Fort Towson. A pe-
tition of the citizens of Hot Spring and Sevier coun-
ties, for the establishment of a post route from
Mount Ida to Ultimathule, in the same State. And
a memorial of the Legislature of Arkansas, praying
the passage of a law authorizing a relinquishment of
the 16th sections of the public lands in the said
State, and the location of other land in lieu thereof,
for the use of schools; and praying, also, a donation
of four sections of land, including the hot springs of
said State.
By Mr. PRESTON KING; The petition of Sam-
uel Fuller, for reimmeratioa for losses sustained
during the last war, &c.; which petition, with the
papers on file relating thereto, was referred to the
Committee of Claims.
By Mr. BRODHEAD: The petition of Mrs. Sa-
lome Meyers, of Pennsylvania, for compensation on
account of the revolutionary services of her late hus-
band, Peter Meyers: referred to the Committee on
Revolutionary Claims.
By Mr. BIDLACK: The petition and documents
of Ann M. Dornbach, a widow of a soldier of the
Revolution, asking for relief: referred to the appro-
priate committee. The documents of Reuben Tay-
lor, a soldier of the Revolution: referred to the Com-
mittee on Pensions.
By Mr. WHITE: The petition of Susannah Car-
penter: referred to the Committee on Revolutionary
Pensions.
By Mr. TIBBATTS: A petition of Philip R.
Rice, of Kentucky, praying to be paid the value of
a vessel impressed into the service of the United
States in the revolutionary war, and lost. A peti-
tion of Alexander Connelly, late postmaster of Cov-
ington, Kentucky, praying for the passage of a law
to refund to him certain moneys collected of him by
the Post Office Department.
By Mr. STEENROD: The petition of 106 citi-
zens of Belmont county, Ohio, requesting an appro-
priation to erect a bridge over the Ohio river at
the city of Wheeling. Also, the petition of 257
citizens of Wheeling, Virginia, on tl e. same sub-
ject: referred to the Committee on Roads and Ca-
nals.
IN SENATE.
Wednesday, December 20, 1843.
The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate a re-
port from the Secretary of State, made agreeably to
the act of August 16, 1842, accompanied by an ac-
count of such changes and modifications! n the com-
mercial systems of other nations, by treaties, duties
on imports, and other regulations, as have come to
the knowledge of the department since the last annu-
al report.
On motion by Mr. HUNTINGTON, it was or-
dered to lie on the table, and a motion to print was
referred to the Committee on Printing.
Mr. HUNTINGTON presented to the Senate a
memorial from Henry W. Edwards and others, of
the State of Connecticut, praying to be indemnified
for spoliations committed by the French prior to
1800; refer to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Mr. FAIRFIELD presented a like memorial from
Thomas W. Cutts and twenty-nine others, of Saco,
Maine; which received the same reference.
On motion by Mr. WOODBURY, it was ordered
that the memorial of Captain W. A. Weaver, pray-
ing compensation for his services in superintending
and compiling the statistical returns of the Sixth
Census, be taken from the files and referred to the
Committee on Claims.
On motion by Mr. WOODBURY, it was
ordered that the petition of James Rundlet, pray-
ing for remuneration for losses by the depreciation
of the funds paid to him by the Government for sup-
glies furnished during the late war with Great
Iritain, be taken from the files of the Senate and re-
ferred to the Committee on Claims.
On motion by Mr. BREESE, it was or-
dered that the petition of the citizens of Racine,
Wisconsin Territory, oil the subject of a post route
from Chicago, via Independence Grove and Burton,
Lake county, Illinois, t,o Burlington, Racine county,
Illinois, and the papers accompanying the same, be
taken from the files of the Senate and referred to
the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
Mr. MILLER presented a memorial from the
president and directors of the Bank of Washington,
praying for an extension of their charter: referred to
the Committee on the District of Columbia.
Mr. STURGEON presented a petition from
John Washington, of Fayette county, Pennsylva-
nia, a descendant of the family of General George
Washington, asking for a pension; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Revolutionary Claims.
Mr. BREESE, on leave, introduced a bill for the
relief of Pierre Menard and others; which was read
twice, and referred to the Committee on Revolu-
tionary Claims.
Mr. CRITTENDEN presented the petition of
George Harrison and others, praying the settlement
of a claim against the Government: referred to the
Committee on Claims.
Mr. HUNTINGTON, from the Committee on