The North-Carolina standard. [volume], January 29, 1840, Image 1

About The North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1834-1850

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THOMAS LORING,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE UNION OP THE STATES VTHEY "MUST BE PRESERVED.
VOL. VI. -NO. 274.
THREE DOLLARS PER A-NNUM.
RALEIGH, N. C. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1840.
THE NORTH CAROLINA STANDARD
s published weekly, at three dollars per annum
payable yearly in advance. A subscriber fail
ing to give notice of his desire to discontinue at
the expiration of the period for which he may have
paid, will be considered as having subscribed anew,
and the paper continued, at the option'of the Editor,
until ordered to be stopped ; but no paper will be
discontinued, until all arrearages are paid.
Advertisements, not exceeding fourteen lines,
willbe inserted onetime for one dollar, and, twenty
five cents for each subsequent insertion; those of
greater lengtli in proportion. If the number of in
sertions be not marked on them, they will be con
tinued until ordered out.
Court Advertisements and Sheriffs Sales, will
be charged twenty-five per cent, higher than the
usual rates. . S,.
A deduction of 33 per cent, will be made to
those who advertise bv the year.
Letters to the Editor must come free of
postage, or they may not be attended to.
POST OFFICE, RALEIGH, Hf. C.
A List of Letters remaining in the Post Office,
31st December, 1839.
A. Marv R. Anderson, W. W. Avery 3,
James Alfri'end, John A. Averitt, Joshua Allen,
John F. & W. Allen, Joh H. Arrington.
B. Albert Benchy, Martha A. Butler, James
Burke, Mary S. Bryan, Jesse Bryan, Alsa Be
vers, John Bevers, Wesley S. Blake, James Buf
falo, John Buffaloe 2, Jos. Buffaloe, William
Durham, Otis Briggs, T. S. Beckwith & Co. 2,
Stephen R. Bledsoe, Louis Boon, John A. Back
house 2, Joseph Barlow, S. A. Baldwin, James
Boylan, Jr., G. B. Bagwell, Martha Brickill,
John Brown, W. A. Brown, Esther Ann Bridges,
John Babb, William Bell, William Blalock, B.
Buroughs, Sam'l R. Browning, Henry Benni
field, Robert Broadfoot.
C. D. Culbrith, William Oliver Clark, T.
L Clingman, Sarah Cook, Maria Cook, Wil
liam B. Cook 3, John Cope, Alexander Camp
bell, Thomas F. Christman, Mary A. Crolley,
John Chesnult 2. Cactanoda Costa, James D.
Cooley, James W. Chadivick. William Carlicke.
D. Martha A. Dowd, P. W. Dowd 2. James
Dempster, William Davis, James C. Dance, Re
becca C. Dopuy, James Davis, I. Dowlhat, Ro
bert B. Daniel.
JE. G. W. Evan?, Virginia P. Eaton, Can
dace Ellis, Soih Even-it. ,
F. James A. Fish 2, Tames G. Fletcher, I.
B. Freeman 2, Mrs. Fclton, Annelizer Felton,
Mary Furcurson, Thomas Frentress, Hinton
Franklin 2, Gillum R. Faror.
Q. Williun C. Graves, Sesikiah Goodwin,
Henry W. Gihbs 2. William A. Graham, Edwin
Grant, John B. Green 3, Francis A. Gordon,
James Gordon, M. S. Goldsborough, General
G red ell. John Griffis, Charlotte Gorman.
IT. E!iz:i IIairesr..L Elinton, Emt'l.-nc; Hun-
ter, J. Mc. G. Hunter, Isom Holden, J. Hutch
r inss, Benjnmin S. Harrison, Robird Harrison,
Mather Hart, Alvin Hamilton, Mary Hartsfield,
M. E. Hopkins, Joel Howingron, Sinthy H w
ard, Willis Hamilton, Jackson Hamilton, Mary
Milliard. Hannah Hirding, Alex. M. High 2.
Waiter Hubbard, Joseph Hall, Divid H. Hol
land, Joseph Hill, Robert Hill, Eliza M. Hill,
Thomas Howey, Anthony Nipper, Gtorge W.
Howard, llinsom Hinton, Wiley House, Wiles
Hubby.
J. Alpheus Jones,- Wesley Jones, Minton
Jones, Henry Jones, C. Jones, E. A. Jones,
Charles Jones, Robert B.Jones, Mary W. Jones 2,
Lonisa Jones, Maihew Jones 2, Hicksy Jonson.
Ransom Jonson, Simon Johnson, Margaret P.
Johnson, M. Johnson, Maria W. Johnson, Mr.
Johnson.
K. L. A. Kyle, Mary W. Knox, William D.
Kenner, Philip Koonce, Harrison Kirkham,
Jno. Keatley, John Keatley 2.
Jj. Moses Lassiter, Alfred W. Lewis 2, Cath
arine A. Lewis, William Loughey, Simon A.
Lichtenhan, A. J. Loftis, John Layn, Mary Van
deline Lindeman, Claton Lea, William Leach,
William Lashley, John J. Lee, John Little, Jane
W. Liggon, Joseph Langster, Anderson Lucas,
Littleton Leachman, Damn's Leavey, John A.
Leach.
M. Edward W. Monffort 2. Caroline A. Mc
donald, Mary McComick, Wm. McCargo, Jno.
McKinsey, Rutha Morris, Abrihan McQueen,
Geo. C. Mendenhall, Wm. J. McLiy, Mary Ann
Murrell. Fany Murdin, Mrs. Miller, J. Julias
Martin, John Merrit, Chaley Moore, John C.
Moore, 'Jesse Moore, Mary Mase, Ann Myatt,
Cherry Melone, William B. Meares, Alfred
Mitchel. John Mitchell.
N. Delier Nichols, George Nance, Augus
tin Norten, David Outtaw 2, Ex-Gov'nor Owen.
P. Jonathan Pruden, Jno. Primrose, Turner
Pullen, Elizabeth Pullen, Feureba Pilkinton,
Henry Phelps, George K. Pickering 2. Penel
ope L Paine, Gill Patrick, 3ohn Pore, Lucy A
Pullum, Mary E. Porter, Nancy Patton, Nancy
Payton, Rubin Perry, Clary Perry. William A.
Patterson, Mikel Penny, William Parish.
R. Benjamin Rogers, James M. Rogers,
James W. Rogers. William S. Rogers 2, Wil
liam W. Roland 2, N. G. Rand, S. S. Rea7es,
James Rowland, J. S. Randolph, Ausborne Ran
dolph, Thomas Ruffin, Mary Revels, William
Robards. Delia Revels, John Rourke, John W.
Rice, Wiley Robertson, WTilliam F. Robertson
Sarah Jane Robertson, Robert Rodrick, Judge
Ruffin, Mary H. Ruffin, Charles Raborn, J. Ro
gers, Jonn Rucker, Berry Richerson, Wiley
Rowlang.
S. Jas. Stephenson, N. L. B. Stithh, Jerry
Starkey, Littleberry Sauls, Robert Sneed, Adaline
L. Soloman 3, William M. Snellings, Britton
Sugg, Polly Smith, Edward Stanley, Fahius
Stanly, Re. Daniel Stratton. Sim'l B. Spruill,
Francis M. A. Stuart 2, J. William Stuart, Ste
phen Stephenson, John Schell, John Singletary,
James Shaw, William Stothart, B. Smith, Sarah
Saunders, R. T. Saunders, Phhe Spain, R. W.
Stone, S. W. Stoddard, Christopher Smith, Lucy
A. Soloman 3.
T. Wm. Trusty, R. Tyler, William Terry,
James S. Thompson, Geo. Thompson, Alfred
Towns 2, James S. Terrell, Willis J. Turner,
Lewis Taylor.
U. Q-iinton Utley.
IV. William Walls, Lunchfood Wornear,
William T. Winslow, Jas. Woodard, James
"Weathers, Mary Wilkin, George West, Au
gustus H. West 3, Samuel Walton 2, William
Walton, Hiram Woobard, Jordan Wright, Philo
White, Ann White, Emma C. White, Ruffin
W7illiams, S. M. Wheatpn, Gaston H. Wilder,
Matild Wedding, Shadrack Wedding 2, George
Waterson, John Wall, Sally Weaver, George
Weaver, Mary Washington.
Y. Mathew A. Yates, Thomas Young.
Persons calling for any of the, above Let
ters will please say they are advertised.
THOS. G. SCOTT, P. M.
Jan: 29. 273-3t.
RE1UAKKS OF MR. BYNIWI,
Of North .Carolina,
In the House vf Representatives Dec. 24, 1839
On the resolution of Mr. Dawson of Georgia,
to suspend the order of the House to go intd
an election of Printer to the House of Repre
sentatives for the Twenty-sixth Congress.
Mr. Bynum said, inhe Hause would go into
an election of Printer at this time, he would for
bear making any remarks. If not, he would go
on and say what he was about to say. Cries of
" Go on." Sir, said Mr. B. if the American peo
ple could have been assembled in this hall, and
could have witnessed the proceedings of this
House for the last three weeks, they, with the
change of a single name, would have exclaimed,
in the language of the Roman Orator, " Quous
que tandem abutere, Calilina, patientia? nostra
quamdiu nosetiam furor isle luus noseludet?" c.
He said it had been twenty yeajs since he read
this, and he might have erred ,in the quotation,
but it was applicable to the occasion. This was
the language of Cicero, when speaking of the
Catalinean conspiracy. If the American peo
ple had been present in our galleries since the
commencement of our session, they might vary
this quotation, and say, how long, O! Whig
men, will you continue to abuse our patience?
How long shall your madness outbrave our jus
tice, and continue to insult our understandings,
and procrastinate this idle debate, at an expense
of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Go
vernment; at the sacrifice of every interest that
is near and dear to us as American freemen.
Why, sir. I would be willing to stake all I have
in this world, ay, sir, I would be willing to stake
my salvation, that there has been more money
spent by the party which professes to desire a
retrenchment in the expenses of the public print
ing, iu idle, unnecessary deb ite, and in motions
after motions to delay, procrastinate, and embar
rass the business of this House this session, than
the whole profits of the printing of Congress
will be in the next five years. These debates
have already cost the people of this country
more than S 100,000, if not 8500,000. -We are
here in the fourth week of the session of the
Twenty-sixth Congress, and there has not yet
been the first step taken towards proceeding to
the discharge of the high duties for which we
assembled. The House has as yet been but par
tially organized. We have not yet elected a
Printer, and the standing committees hive not
'yet been appointed j and, sir. Whose fault is it
that this has not been clone? What party in
this House has prevented the action and organi
zation of the body ? What is it that has been
slrogghng, day alter day, to slave pthe action
of this House upon the matters which the ma
jority desired to decide? And who is it that
has introduced propositions time and again,
which the Elvuse had previously decided, and
called upon the House again to dt-cide these
questions? These questions will all be exam
ined into by the people, and they will be able
to point to the party winch has occasioned all
this delay and embairassment to the busimss of
the nation. Uj gentlemen suppose that the peo
ple are to be duped and misled? Do they sup
pose that the freemen of this country are too ig
norant to discover who it is that has piled mo
tion upon motion in this House, in order and out
of order, and consumed week after week in use
less debate, when the business of the country
was left untouched, and the public s?rvico suf
fering? Do gentlemen suppose that by their
superior talents they can dupe and impose
upon the people of this country -by their cry
of retrenchment, while they are thus squandering
the public money in worse than useless debate,
and leaving the public business untouched?
Does the gentleman from Ohio, the gentleman
from the Chilicothe district, I mean Mr. Bond,
suppose that the people of this country arejso
easily imposed upon? Sir, even the people of
that unfortunate district cannot be imposed upon
by that gentleman longer, for the Administration
is fast gaining ground even there; and if the
people of that district cannot be longer imposed
upon, how can the gentleman expect to deceive
the people at large? No gentleman of under
standing can take a serious view of this whole
transaction, and compare it with what has here
tofore taken place, without pronouncing it one of
the most farcial and ludicrous exhibitions ever
attempted to be played off on the American peo
ple. I am not here permitted to speak of the
motives of gentlemen, because it is not in order ;
but if it was, I mijjht say that we would:
hear none of this cry of retrenchment, if the elec
tion of this officer was to benefit a certain press,
owned by a monster Bank, which is owned, in a
great degree, by foreign capitalists, and which
has always been hostile to the interests and
rights of the people of this country. The course
of honorable gentlemen might be very different
on this occasion, if we are to judge from what
has transpired on a previous occasion of a simi
lar nature. It has been agin and again decided
by the American people, that this British Bank
was of the most deadly hostility to the rights
and the liberties of the people of this country;
and the people have elected a majority of Repre
sentatives to this House at every session for ma
ny years, who -rere opposed to this B ink, yet,
for the last two years, that B ink has had the bene
fit of the public printing of thi3 House, through
its agents, Messrs. G lies and Seaton. In fact,
strange as it may appear, the Bank of the United
States was the Printer of this House for the
last two years ; and no man could deny this as
sertion, so far a3 its emoluments are concerned.
Sir, the people have been humbugged too
much on this suhiect to- borrow a favorite ex
pression from the Opposition and it is time that
they knew the whole iruth in relation to this mat
ter. When the election of a public Printer was
about to take place two years ago, the United
States Bank was not strong enough to obtain the
work without other aid, and a combination -was
entered into here to secure to it the benefit of this
election. In the first place, a resolution was
submitted by a gentleman, whose name I- will
not mention, as my relations with that gentle
man are of a delicate character, showing the
combination on its face". -.The resolution was as
follows :
"Resolved, .That the Clerk of the House be,
and he is hereby, authorized to employ the editors
of the Intelligencer, and the editor of the Madiso
nian, equally, to execute the printing of the House
upon the joint resolution of 1819, until the first
Monday in December next." ,
This was a direct proposition, but it could not
be carried, because some gentlerhen were afraid
they might be called to accounthy their constitu
ents for voting for such a proposition ; yet pre
cisely the same proposition was carried by a se
cret agreement between these parties, as every
body thought at the time. The Whigs and
Conservatives, at that time, in consequence of
this agreement, united upon one Thomas Allen,
and he was elected, nominally, public Printer
for that Congress. I stated to this House then,
that it would require an outlay of some thirty or
forty thousand dollars to prepare a printing es
tablishment to do the printing of this House;
and 1 stated further, that Mr. Allen, being a
young man just commencing business, was una
ble to purchase an establishment to do this
printing, and it was a ridiculous proposition to
elect him principal Printer for the House. He,
however was elected, and the people were de
ceived. The people understood that a certain
Thomas AllfD was elected, and was to do the
printing of Congress. Well, did he do it? No,
sir; he never did the first page of printing for
this House, virtually. It was all done by Mes
srs. Gales and Seaton, with an establishment
notoriously belonging, to the United States
Bank. These gentlemen could not be elected,
because certain gentlemen could not vote for them
and represent the wishes of their constiutnts;
yet by an agreement, or, as the old story is, by
whipping the devil around the stump, they en
joyed the benefit of the printing of the last Con
gress , while the people were induced to be
lieve that Mr Allen alone enjoyed the benefits
and profits arising from - the printing of that
Congress. Yes, sir, the whole history of that
transaction is without a parallel in the proceed
ings of any legislative body "in this nation, if not
in the world. A bargain, proposed, consumma
ted,, and executed here in this body, to effect the
grossest imposition on ihe American peoplethat
had ever been attempted before to be perpetrated
in this country ; by which means the Bank "of
the United States was made virtually the Prin
ter to the American Congress, with all its for
eicn affinities and hostilities to the free institu
tions of our country; and this, too, done by a
party who have the boldness, I had like to have
said effrontery, to stand up here now, and speak
6f corruption.
Are gentlemen so deluded as to think for a
moment that these things are incomprehensible
to the people, or that the great mass of the peo
ple tvive not mind enough to retain a just recol
lection of the history of these tranactions? And
is it to act over this disreputnble transaction to
elect the Bank of the United States printer of
this Congress, that this most extraordinary
course has been resorted to by the Opposition to
embarrass and delay the indispensable business
of this country.
I shall no w read a fev extracts from the jour
nals of the proceedings of the House in relation
to that flection, for the benefit of the gentlemen
from Ohio, and some other gentleman on this
floor. If I understand the motion now before
the House correcilj', it is a motion of the hon
orable gentleman from Georgu Mr. Diwson
to suspend the election of a public Printer at the
present time, for the purpose of instituting an in
quiry in relation to the prices of printing; and
I intend to jfhoiv what that gentleman's course
A-as at the last session, when a similar motion
was made. On the second day of the extra ses
sion of Coirgress, two years ago, "Mr. Patton
of Virsinia moved a resolution that the House
proceed to the election of a public Printer for
the Twenty sixth Congress, wjiich was agreed
to. The House then proceeded to ballot, and
after five or six ballots were taken, it was found
that there was no election. The House then
adjourned to the next day (Wednesday,) when
Mr. Bronson, a gentleman whose Democracy
had never been doubted in this House, moved
the following resolution.
" That the further balloting under the resolution
of the preceding day should be suspended until
the third Monday in December, and that the Clerk
be directed to employ some person or persons to do
the necessary printing of the House on the same
terms it had been doue at former sessions."
A motion was made by Mr. Grennell to lay
Mr. Bronson's resolution on the table, and very
fortunately the yeas-and nays happen to be recor
ded on tha,t subject; and how do they stand?
Why, sir, we find recorded, in favor of laying
this resolution on the table, Mr. B. reading
from the journal, the names of Messrs. Adams,
Allen, Aycrigg, Bond, Hoffman, Mason of Ohio,
Dawson, &c. It went through the wholo Whig
alphabet, from John Gluincy Adams to Thomas
Jone3 Yorke. Now, sir, (said Mr. B.) the re
solution that I have just read, introduced by
Mr. Bronson, a member from New York, was
in substance identically such a resolution as is
how proposed by the honorable member from
Georgia, Mr. Dawson, whose patriotism has
been so inflamed upon this occasion, and which
has been advocated with so much warmth by his
honorable friend from Ohio, Mr. Bond. nyainst
which stands recorded the names, for all time to
come, of these two most honorable and consistent
gentlemen. But, sir, why should they alone be
rebuked, when their names are accompanied
with nine-tenths of their party.
Yes. sir, the resolution of Mr. Bronson, iden
tically the same in substance as Mr. Dawson's,
was voted down by a unanimous vvuig vce ,
but Mr. Dawson's is now, by the same party, to
be voted up, under similar, jf not" precisely the
same, circumstances ; displaying an inconsis
tency, the inevitable result of all parties that act
without the least regard to principle. 1 nese
things should not be. No party can or should
long endure, th t would thus attempt" to practise
on the credulity of mankind.
At that time, the Whig and Conservative pat
ties in this House were thirsting for some of
the spoils, as they now carl it, and voted to get
rid of every resolution or proposition to suspend
the election of a public Printer for any period.
Now, however, the times are changed, and gen-
Offered by Mr. Wise-of Virginia. See the jour
nals of the Extra session of 1837.
tlemen necessarily, change their action with
them. If these gentlemen had the same pros
pect, by any combination, of electing their Prin
ter, which they had at the last Congress, they
would be the l.tst men to postpone or thwart an
election of public Printer; but "now that there
was a probability that another Printer would be
elected, they used every means within their power
to slave off the question by distracting ana em
barrassing the business of the House by every
means that ingenuity could invent. But, sir,
there was another favorite proposition of these
Gentlemen, submitted at the time Mr. Bronson's
resolution was under consideration. Mf. Pick
ens at that-time moved an Amendment, "that
the printing of the House be given out by con
tract," and on this proposition the names of the
gentleman from Massachuseltss, Mr. Adams,
and oi the gentleman from" New York, Mr.
Hoffman, were recorded in the negative, and
others, now of the Opposi-ion.
fMr. HvfffliHn explained that he had voted a-
gainst the amendment because he believe'd then '
as he now believed, that the House could not
give out their printing by contract until the re
solution of 1819 was repealed.
JSv. Bynum. The gentleman's explanation is
perfectly -satisfactory ; but how was it with re
gard to some ten or a dozen of his friends who
voted in the same way whh Mr. John, C. Clark
at their head ? I admit that a majority of the
Administration pajty voted with these gentlemen,
and they did so because they believed it impracticable-to
enter into an investigation of so im
portant a matter, while they were in the act of
balloting for a Printer, and when the important
business for which they had been called togeth
er was pressing upon them. This was a matter
which required time and careful scrutiny, and
the House was then unprepared to go into it,
as it is now unprepared to do so. It was im
possible for the House now, after it had spent
a month of the session in idle, useless de
bate, to go into this mailer and put off the im
portant business of the country for another
month; and if gentlemen are serious in regard
to this matter, let them wait until the Hue is
organized in the regular and usual "way, and the
elections gone through with, and then introduce
this matter in the shape of a resolution or bill
direct. It is a question which requires time for
investigation and reflection. I myself am not
now prepared to say how I should vote on this
question when it is properly brought up. Several
years 9go, I voted for Mr. Pic ken's resolution.
I offered a similar one the other day, and I did
it as a kind of peace offering. I would now, af
ter the election is gone into, and carried ojt, re
new that resolution honestly and in good faith.
As at present impressed, I think I should vote
for a separation .of the Government from the po
litical press; but I have not examined the mat
ter sufficiently in detail to enable me to spek
positively on the subject. But I want a coo!,
deliberate, and honest investigation ,pf the sub
ject; and if it can be discovered, that good
result from a separation of the Government from
the political, press, I will go for it. 'But, siril
do not desire to intermix trifling with scrious
matters, because, not having the talents of some
gentlemen oniVjis floor, I am unable effectually
to mystify thei? questions before the public and
the world; and if I was to attempt to do so, I
should be exposed ns I ought to be, to the indig
nant frowns of an honest people. Sir, my con
stituents are too honest and discerning to tolerate
for a moment such an attempt.
I shall now say a few words in reply to the
gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Bond. with regard
to the petition of Francis P. Blair. On that sub
ject, too, it am 1 not egregiously mistaken, 1
think I shall ne able to show the most reckless
wmt of all regard for consistency, I will not say
principle, by that honoruble member nnd his
consistency loving parsy. I will show that the
latter part of the resolution, now proposed by fhe
honorable member from Georgia, was then en
tertained, growing out of the petition of Mr.
Blair, and a motion for a select committee, for a
reference of the whole matter, was resisted al
most unanimously by the selfsame party; and
I think that the journals will show that these
same crentlenien then resisted the reference of
this identical proposition to a select committee of
this House. He would read the resolution as it
was finally referred :
" Resolved, That so much of the memorial of
Francis P. Blair, as invites scrutiny of all his
accounts for work executed for Congress and
the public offices, be referred to a select com
mittee, with instructions to inquire into the man
ner in which the public printing for Congress
and the Executive Departments has been ex
ecuted; whether the same has been dune con
formably to law, and whether any, and what,
change can be mide (or the public good."
That subject came before this House, not in
a questionable shape, as the gentleman from
Ohio would have it, but in the shape of a peti
tion; and the humblest American free citizen,
he trusted, would ever have the right to petition
this body for a redress of grievances, and to ask
for such measures of legislation as would do
them justice if they wereivroned. And would
the gentleman from Ohio spurn the right of peti
tion on this floor, in the capitol of this free Re-,
public, and in defence of onesself for personal
wrongs ? But to the votes upon the presenta-
tiou of this memorial of Mr. Blair. A motion
was made by the gentleman from N. Carolina
Mr. Mc Kay to refer this memorial, together
with a resolution to go into an examination of
the whole matter of public printing, and although
the yeas and nays were not called on that ques
tion, all gtntlemen on this floor that were here
then, knew that the Whigs voted against this
reference. The question was afterwards taken
by yeas nd nays directly on the reference of
this petition to a select committee: we find the
Democratic, members voting for the reference,
a'nd the Whig members against it. Yes, sir,
we find recorded in the negative on this question,
Mr. B. here read from the journals the names
of "Messrs. Adams, Allen, Bond, Dawson,"
&c. This was the course of these gentlemen at
the last session, who are now so anxious for an
examination into the subject of the printing of
the House, and so desirous to have it given out
by contract. Oh, consistency, " what a jewel !"
With regard to this matter of giving out the
printing by contract, I beg gentlemen to recol
lecftrris one fact, that there are but two estab
lishments in this city at -present which could
possibly do the printing of this House. It re
quired, as he had heen informed, an expenditure
of some thirty or forty thousand dollars, to pre
pare a printing establfshment to do the printing
of the House, and rip establishment can do the
printing for the House but one of the two exten
sive establishments in this city; either it must
be done by Messrs. Blair and Rives.or.-by Mes
srs. Gales and Seaton, and he hoped in God the
rsank of the United States would not again have
the benefit of the printing of this House. It was
idle to talk in good faith of electing ethers at
this time, whatever might "be our feelings of
friendship towards them.
If gentlemen were disposed to go into this in
vestigation in good faith, after the House was
organised, he was willing to go with them ; but
when he found thenvturning and twisting about
as they had been, he was unwilling to trust them.
Their course has been so refractory, a,nd imprac
ticable, not to say factious, thatI cannot now
think of acting with them. Tbejrt efforts all
seem to have been to resist the majority of the
House, and set at nought the well esiablished
principle in ibis country that the, majority shsll.
rule.' The principle that the majority shall rule
is a well established principle in this country ;
and I warn gentlemen not to carry loo far their
violent resistance to this principle. Sir, if gen
tlemen carry out their resistanceto this principle
too far, they will find that the people will rise in
their strength, nnd resist them. The people will
not, and cannot much longer bear this resi.-tance
of the express will of the majority of the nation,
as we have daily witnessed. But why this slrug-
1 C . at . 1 . f T T X- A
git: lor wits existence oi me unitea st;ues biink i
Does the party with which it is identified depend
upon this election of Printer of the House o
Representatives to sustain their dying, sinking
fortunes. No, no, gentlemen, this would avail
you but little; year doom is fixed.
bir, there is another matter which I desire to
notice. An appeal has been made to a party in
this House, called the Nulhflers. The Whigs
are now under the nece ssity of appealing to th.it
party, and their cry is, "help us, Cassius, or we
sink." Sir, I make no appeal to any high mind
ed and honorable men, as I know the members
of this party of Nuilifiers to be, for 1 know they
will treat with scorn and contempt all such an- i
peals to them. I know them to be a high mind- i
ed and honorable set of m?n, and all these ap
peals are out insults to their understanding 1
know the character of the constituents that they
represent, nnd their feelings would revolt at the
idea of giving countenance to such appeals ; they
know their doty, and will dare do it. The gen
tlemen from Ohio has said that the petition of
Mr. Biair came into this House in a very ques
tionable shape. In reply to this, I may say that
this proposition of the Opposition his" come into
this House in a very questionable shape. Let
us, sir, go. into a historv of this -thing. Wh;tt
has been the history of this country for the last
twoyeSrs? Have we not heard it proclaimed
in every quarter of this Union, that the party
denominated the Whig party, have been antici
pating a triumphant victory? Sir, have we not
seen, that for several yoars that parly had a tri
umphant majority in the b'Miate of the United
Slates; yet during all that time they never
brought forward nnv of those measures of re
trenchment and reform in this department just
now attacked by the p.irly here. Sir, why did
they not support these measures two years ago,
when they were brought to the notice of this
House? Why, they did not support them, be
cause they all knew that, by n union of the
Whigs and Conservatives, their paity would
have a majority in this House, and they could
elect their favorite public Printer. If there was
now the same chance of electing the U. St.-.tes
Batik, through its agents Messrs. Gales and
Seaton, Printer of this House, you would not
hear, doubtless, the first whisper from them of
retrenchment and reform inthis department, if
we are to judge from their conduct for the last
two years. If there was a chance, by Any com
binalion that they could pffect, to elect their can
didates, all this loud voi'iferaiion would be hush
ed up, and you would hean no more from them
of retrenchment inJhe expenditures with regard
io the pub'ic printing. I judge so, sir, from what
hns taken p! ice here, before our eyes, within
the last two ye;irs.
Sir, I call the attention of the American
people to the condition of this Congress and
to the proceedings which have taken place
here during the present session. Let the peo
ple examine for themselves, and see who it is that
has delayed the business of Congress by a thou
sand little motions to stave off the public busi
ness. Let the people examine, and see who
it is that has m.ide motion after motion for ad
journment, and repealed motions that had been
again and agmn decided, and kept the House
until' the fourih week of the session without
being organized. Let them scrutinize the jour
nals of the present session up io this lime;
let them see that nineteen-twentieths of such
motions have been rmde by these economical,
time-saving geutiemen.
My friend from Georgia Mr. Dawson had
made this motion to postpone the election of
a Printer, for the purpose of going into an
investigation in regard to a retrenchment in
the expenses of printing.' My friend was a
member of the lasl Congress, end wras silent
as the tomb upon this subject then. Now, I
am not disposed to impeach his motives; but
the world might sny that he was silent last
year because his friends were receiving the
benefits of this printing, and he" comes for
ward for retrenchment this year, because his
friends were not likely to obtain ir I hope
such are not the facts, but they will look so
to all impartial men.
Sir, why- do gentlemen endeavor thus to
procrastinate debate, and stave off the busi
ness of the country ? Have they not yet been
sufficiently rebuked; and that, too, by their
own friends, for such a wanton course? Have
not honorable and high minded men of their
own party become disgusted with their course,
nnd declared on the floor that the' would
not act with them, if they endeavored longer
thus to stave off questions ? Did not the gen
tleman from Alabama, Mr. Cracb, and the
gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Alford, rise in
their places and tell their party, that they would
no longer act with them if they did not come to
an election of a Speaker? Has not the gentle
man from Georgia made a similar declaration
at a subsequent period ? And are gentlemen
waiting for another rebuke of this kind, from
their own friends, before they proceed to the
election of a Printer ? They have been told
that they were not sent here to act as a fac
tion, and, I beliere, by one of their own par
ty; and will they, in the "Jace b( the "disgusjt .
of their own pari', continue such a course? .;
The genlh man from Ohio Mr. Bond has re-
ferred to the character of tlie memorial again. ;
sent in by Mr. Blair; but h'e had very j'jjdi
ciously kept out of sight .ihe most impoif jvf;t
ilem of that memorial. Mt'Ssrs.'Blair and lii.s .
had paid every doITar of the money in whicy.'
Mr. Blair was held as security for Mr-Crockett,
the Kentucky postmaster, and the memo
rial prayed for an examination into the mut
ter, wkh a view of odjusting.it. ' The memo
rialist fid not ask that the money which had
been paid should be paid back by the Gov
ernment to him ; but as theYe were certain
funds coining to this postmaster frcm the Govt
ernrnent, in the shape of a pension,' the me
morialist desired th-t this .money, should bs
retained, as an offset to the money which he
had paid, if it could b?" done consistently with. ,
law. . . . ;' '""
Mep Mr. Bond "rose to exph?n.
If gentlemen were disposed to debate this pro
position, and would fix a day for proceeding to
the business of the co :.itry, we would meet them
in an argument of the question. But I hope
they will agree to let us proceed with the busi
ness of the country as speecily as possible. Let
the House come, 1 ehtrat it, to a voie on this
question, nnd let somtbody be elected Printer of
the House. If the United States Bank was tho
strongest candidate, let it be elected; if not, let it
be given to Messrs. Blair and Rives: but I hope
the country will never be duped, as it was duped
at the last election, by the election of a man who
never did and never could do the public printing.
In every part of ihe country, sir, we learn that
the public business is suffering for the want of the
action of this House.
Sir, gentlemen, in my hu:ible apprehension,
mistake themselves, if they ihink they can effect
any thing more, by keeping up this game of con
fusion, disorder, and procrastination, than a
most unprofitable consumption of the time of this
House, and an enormous waste of the treasures
of the pc-ople- If there is any doubting charac
ter in this House that the party is after, I should
like to know him; bttter that he were not here.
I hope lhere is none such in the party to which
I have the honor to belong and I kuow of none
in the other. No, sir, there are none amongst
them; they keep their party too well drilled fur
that. Or can it be with a hope of some new
combinations being formed, that ihis election is
thus fought off with such pertinacity? It is
time, sir, thit every eye in this nation should be
called to the proceedings of this House, that
have transpired within the hist four weeks, to
judge how far tlrey have been disreputable to
the character of our Government, and how far
they have been calculated to impair the confi
dence of mankind in ihe excellency of the free
form of our Republican institutions. Sir, no in
telligent patriot can contemplate such scenes,
without alarming apprehensions for the down
ward course of this glorious and mighty Repub
lic. - . -
Gentlemen, in this hurricane of excitement,
ennnnt be aware of what they are and have been
doing, in their continued efforts on this floor to
resist the sovereign will of this great people, ns
expressed through their Representatives here.
I implore gentlemen to reflect, that w hen we re
fuse obedience to the sovereign will of a majori
ty of the freemen of this country, the next step
lobe taken, is to decide our controversies by the
strength and supremacy of arms, to which their
course here is continually inviting us. Arc they
prepared for ihis, in this early state of the Re
public ? Have they lost, so early in the history
of our country, all confidence in the decisions of
a majority of our people, or does their thirst for
power blind them to the train of calamities that
would await us? Are they willing lo return, or to
force others to fly to that arbiter of violence and
arms, to adjust a mere difference of opinion in
relation to political principles, a thing that the
wisdom ofour fathers was so studious to avoid,
on anjr nnd every occasion ? Do honorable gen
tlemen here believe for a moment that the free
people of this country are So benighted as to tol
erate such a course, or-that they have art and
talents enough to conceal their conduct on these
subjects here, from them on their return amongst
them? WTill there not .be thr.se amongst them,
the people, who will point to the journals of this
Congress for the last four weeks to show the
ntfmber of motions lo adjourn made by one par
ty of this House, besides mhers r-f tqual, if not
of a rnore, frivolous nature ? And are they igno
rant how n just, not a factious, people will ap
preciate such conduct? Sir, I would say to
them, in this wild, maddened career.it is lime, if
they have not given up all future hopes, to pause
in the future prosecution of this reckless course,
and respect more the just understanding of their
countrymen.
As often as they have deceived themselves in
undervaluing the intelligence cf the people, it
does seem that the lessons ta-ight them within a
few years arid months sine, should induce them,
to heed a language that has been so often spo
ken to them by whole Slates of this Union; or
is it that voice, in the day of their poliiicnl
mania, that they arp mostly disposed to treat
with disdain and contempt? Sir, I would in
voke gentlemen once more to discard these idle
dreams of embarrassing: the business of the coun
try here for political effect abroad, and let us go
to work and discharge the duties we owe as Re
presentaiives that we owe to our constituents,
ourselves, and the-country ; erery department of
the. Government requires it the necessities, of
the naiion demand it.
In a very severe winter, in which wood began
to be scarce in Boston, Governor Winthrop re
ceived private information that a neighbor was
wont to help himself from the pile at bis door.
Does he? said the Governor, 'call him to mo
nnd I will taken course with him that shall
cure him of Stealing.' The man nppeired, and
the Governer nddrpssed him thus: Friend, it
is a cold winter, and I hear yon are meanly pro
vidd with wood : you are welcome to help your
self at my pile till winter is over.' And then
merrily asked his friend whether he had not put
a stop to the man's stealing ?
Put out your tongue n little further,' said a
physician to a female patient, 'a little further,
ma'm, if you please- a little further still.' Why,
Doctor, do you think there is no end to. a wo-'
man's tongue? cried the' fair invalid.
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