Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

10 ABRIDGMENT OF THE SENATE.] Report from the Secretary of the Treasury. [DECEMBER, 1832. its resources, or lessening the accommodations which which induced the framers of the constitution to it affords in the secure and rapid transportation of withhold from the General Government the power the mail. to regulate the great mass of the business and conI beg leave to call the attention of Congress to cerns of the people, have been fully justified by exthe views heretofore expressed in relation to the perience; and that it cannot now be doubted that mode of choosing the President and Vice President the genius of our institutions prescribes simplicity of the United States, and to those respecting the and economy as the characteristics of the reform tenure of office generally. Still impressed with the which is yet to be effected in the present and future justness of those views, and with the belief that execution of the functions bestowed upon us by the the modifications suggested on those subjects, if constitution. adopted, will contribute to the prosperity and har- Limited to a general superintending power to mony of the country, I earnestly recommend them maintain peace at home and abroad, and to preto your consideration at this time. scribe laws on a few subjects of general interest, I have heretofore pointed out the defects in the not calculated to restrict human liberty, but to enlaw for punishing official frauds, especially within force human rights, this Government will find its the District of Columbia. It has been found almost strength and its glory in the faithful discharge of impossible to bring notorious culprits to punish- these plain and simple duties. Relieved by its proment; and according to a decision of the Court tecting shield from the fear of war, and the apprefor this District, a prosecution is barred by a lapse hension of oppression, the free enterprise of our of two years after the fraud has been committed. citizens, aided by the State sovereignties, will work It may happen again, as it has already happened, out improvements and ameliorations, which cannot that, during the whole two years, all the evidences fail to demonstrate that the great truth, that the of the fraud may be in the possession of the cul- people can govern themselves, is not only realized prit himself. However proper the limitation may in our example, but that it is done by a machinery be in relation to private citizens, it would seem that in Government so simple and economical as scarceit ought not to commence running in favor of pub- ly to be felt. That the Almighty Ruler of the Unilic officers until they go out of office.. verse may so direct our deliberations, and overrule The Judiciary system of the United States re- our acts, as to make us instrumental in securing a mains imperfect. Of the nine Western and South- result so dear to mankind, is my most earnest and western States, three only enjoy the benefits of a sincere prayer., Circuit Court. Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, are ANDREW JACKSON. embraced in the general system; but Indiana, Illi- December 4, 1832. nois, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, have only District Courts. If the existing system Five thousand copies of the above Message be a good one, why should it not be extended? If were ordered to be printed. it be a bad one, why is it suffered to exist? The new States were promised equal rights and privi- THuRSDAY, December 6. leges when they came into the Union, and such are the guarantees of the constitution. Nothing can The President laid before the Senate a combe more obvious, than the obligation of the Gene- munication from the Secretary of the Treasury, ral Government to place all the States on the same containing the Treasury report of the state of footing in relation to the administration of justice, the finances, for the year 1832; which was orand I trust this duty will be neglected no longer. dered to be printed.* On many of the subjects to which your attention is invited in this communication, it is a source of gratification to reflect that the steps to be now * Report of LOUIS McLt E, Esq., Secretary nof the adopted are uninfluenced by the embarrassments Treasury, n the Finances. Extracts entailed upon the country by the wars through I. TiEE PUBLIC DEBT. which it has passed. In regard to most of our "After the first of January next, no part of the public debt, great interests, we may consider ourselves as just except the remaining fragments of the unfunded debt, of which only small portions are occasionally presented, will starting in our career, and, after a salutary experi- be redeemable before the following year: and, though there ence, about to fix upon a permanent basis the pol- will be in the Treasury, during the year, ample means to icy best calculated to promote the happiness of the discharge the whole debt, they can be applied only to the people, and facilitate their progress towards the puhast, if the Bstock shares hmad rkbeten sold, and the proceeds apmost complete enjoyment of civil liberty. On an plied to this object, the entire debt might, in this manner, occasion so interesting and important in our his- have been extinguished within the present year. But it is, tory, and of such anxious concern to the friends of nevertheless, pleasing to reflect, that, after the present year, tory, and of such anxious concern to the friends of it may be considered as only a nominal debt; as the Bank freedom throughout the world, it is our imperious shares, which have been actually paid for within the last duty to lay aside all selfish and local considera- four years, by the redemption of the stock subscribed for tions, and be guided by a lofty spirit of devotion them, are greater in value than the whole amount of that debt: and the debt itself ceases to be a burthen, inasmuch to the great principles on which our institutions are as the dividends derived from the Bank shares yield more to founded. the Treasury than will be required to pay the interest. The That this Government may be so administered as debt may, therefore, be considered as substantially extinguished after the first of January next; which is earlier to preserve its efficiency in promoting and securing than was looked for under the most prosperous and econom-lier these general objects, should be the only aim of ical administration of our affairs that could have been anour ambition; and we cannot, therefore, too care- ticipated. It will, nevertheless, be gratifying to the national examine its structure, in order that e may pride, that every thing having even the appearance of debt fully examine its structure, in order that we may should cease; and measures will therefore be adopted to not mistake its powers, or assume those which the invite the early presentation of all the outstanding stocks, people have reserved to themselves, or have pre- that they may be paid off as fast as the means are received, ferred to assign to other agents. EWe should bear willand the evidences of the public debt finally cancelled. It ferred to assign to other agents. We should bear will be a proud day for the American people, when, to all constantly in mind the fact, that the considerations these honorable characteristics, which have rendered their