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

DEBATES OF CONGRESS. 643 MARCH, 1835.] Fortification Bill-Extra Appropriation. [SENATE. Qbject being to make two others. The first one him at once to come to an understanding with was, that the argument addressed to that Sen- the honorable member. lie desired to know ate by the Senator from Alabama was precisely, whether he meant any thing by those remarks. in so many words, the argument that was once He felt that his public situation entitled him to addressed to the Senate and people of Rome, as a direct answer; and he asked the honorable a reason for the appointment of a Dictator, member, therefore, to say, explicitly, whether namely: that, in times of excitement and diffi- he had intended to insinuate, in any manner or culty, it was absolutely necessary that the degree, that his (Mr. W.'s) conduct, during that whole powers of the Government should be war, manifested any want of disposition to repel placed in the hands of one man! Give the the public enemy? Chief Magistrate this appropriation, (said Mr. Mr. WRIGHT said, in reply, that it was not till L.,) and you establish the office of Dictator. after that period that he had become acquainted Mr. WRIGHT hoped the Senate would not with the Senator from Massachusetts, in his adhere to their disagreement. He felt himself public character, and therefore could have had bound to state that he did not know but that no such intention. he had heard of the constitution being broken The question was taken on adhering, and down, destroyed, and the liberties of the coun- decided as follows: try overthrown, so frequently in that Senate, as YEAs.-Messrs. Bell, Bibb, Calhoun, Clay, Clayto render him callous to the real state of things. ton, Ewing, Frelinghu, Goldsborou, endricks, For the last sixteen months those fears and fore: ton, Ewing, Frelinghuysen, Goldsborough, Hendricks, For the last sixteen months those fears and foreKent, Knight, Leigh, Mangum, Moore, Naudain, bodings had been so strongly and often ex- Poindexter, Porter, Prentiss, Preston, Robbins, Silspressed on that floor, that they had been forci- bee, Smith, Southard, Swift, Tomlinson, Tyler, Wagbly impressed upon him; yet, he must say that gaman, Webster, White-29. he was incapable of perceiving a particle of NAYs. —Messrs. Benton, Brown, Buchanan, Cuththeir effects. No evidence had he seen of then; bert, Grundy, Hill, Kane, King of Alabama, King of nor could he now partake of the alarm which Georgia, Linn, McKean, Ruggles, Robinson, Shepley, some gentlemen pretended to feel, when he saw Tallmadge, Tipton, Wright-17. that the asseverations made at this time came The House further insisted, and asked a confrom the same source. What had the Senate ference; which being immediately granted by now before it? A bill from the House of Rep- the Senate, Messrs. WEBSTER, FRELINGHUYSEN resentatives-from the immediate representa- and WRIGHT, were appointed conferees on the tives of the people, proposing to provide for the part of the Senate. defence of the country. What had honorable Shortly afterwards, Mr. WEBSTER reported Senators debated? The danger of executive that the committee of conference had agreed, power. Were, he would ask, those representa- in lieu of the amendment of the House, to tives sitting at the other end of that Capitolthe recommend the adoption of the following appromost likely to contribute to that danger? Was priations: that the source from which Senators were com- peled tolookfor danger inthatrespect? Such "As an additional appropriatioa for arming the panideallehadto fneveor danger in th respect Suchfortifications of the United States, three hundred an idea had never occurred to his mind. Under thousand dollars. what circumstances did the members of the thousand dollars. what circumstances did the members of the "As an additional appropriation for the repairs other body present the appropriation? He and equipment of the ships of war of the United believed, and he spoke on good authority, that States, five hundred thousand dollars." our minister at the court of France had informed this Government that it was problematical that Th e House having possession of the bill and the French might strike the first blow against papers, the Senate could not act on the report us, by detaining our fleet now in the Mediterra- until it heard from the other House. nean. Congress were on the point of adjourn- After waiting some time, on motion of Mr. ing; and, being in possession of such advices WEBSTER the Senate adopted the following from our minister, they had thought proper to resolution: act as they had done in regard to this appropri- Resolved, That a message be sent to the honorable ation. And he would inquire, by what notion the House of Representatives, respectfully to remind it was that the Senate were to be impressed the House of the report of the committee of conferwith the danger of putting this power into the ence appointed on the disagreeing votes of the two hands of the Executive-that ourlibertieswere Houses on the amendment of the House to the to be destroyed and the constitution trampled fortiamendmentions of the Senate to the bill respecting thes. upon? Ay, in making an appropriation for the fortifications of the United States. defence and safety of the country from a foreign The Senate then waited still a good while enemy? longer, and not hearing, sent still another mesMr. WEBSTER said he had heard the gentle- sage, informing the House that they, the Senate, man from New York make an allusion to a had no further business before them. No particular part of the country, during the war answer coming to this message, the Senate, after with England, as being more fearful of domestic waiting a considerable time longer, and hearing than of foreign enemies. It was necessary for nothing from the bill, adjourned, sine dine.

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 643
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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

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