Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Mr. CLAIBORNE was against the amendment, but he hoped the resolution
would be agreed to. He was sorry any gentleman should propose an
amendment like this, purposely to defeat a motion which would tend to
relieve such sufferers as those of Georgia must be. He was not certain
whether he could vote upon constitutional grounds or not. It was a sharp
conflict between humanity to that suffering country and the
constitution. If any case could be admissible, he thought this could; it
ought to be remembered, that that part of the Union has suffered much.
Georgia was a slaughter-pen during the war, besides being continually
harassed by the hostile Indians. He thought 15,000 dollars would not be
ill-spent, as from motives of policy it would be of more advantage to
the United States from the quick return the revenue would gain. Indeed,
if constitutional, he hoped the sum would be made more than proposed.
These are your fellow-citizens who are suffering, and if not speedily
relieved, the whole interest will be involved. If in order, he would
vote that the committee rise, to enable him and, perhaps, many others,
to consult whether relief could be constitutionally granted? He said he
felt a great propensity to do it.
The question was put on the amendment and negatived--there being only 26
in favor of it.
Mr. BALDWIN said, he had doubted whether to make any observations on
this motion; not that he was insensible to the calamitous situation
which had been the cause of it, but from an apprehension that it might
be thought he was too strongly affected by it. Though it might be
disagreeable to one to give his judgment and urge his opinions, when his
own relation to the question was different from that of others, yet some
of the reflections might not be useless to those who were to determine
it. He was sure it was not a want of disposition to relieve the unhappy
sufferers that had or would draw forth an observation on this occasion,
but merely doubts as to the powers of the Federal Government in money
matters. The use of a written constitution, and of that provision in it
which declared that no money should be drawn from the Treasury but under
appropriations made by law, was very manifest from the caution which it
gave in the expenditure of public money and in laying burdens on the
people; yet he believed it impossible to obtain absolute directions from
it in every case. The objection is, that Congress is empowered to raise
money only to pay the debts and to provide for the common defence, and
the other purposes, exactly as specified in the 8th section. The
objection has often been made, but many laws have passed not exactly
specified in that section. He mentioned the private acts before alluded
to, the law for establishing light-houses, to aid navigation in the
improvement of harbors, beacons, buoys, and public piers, establishing
trading-houses with the Indians, and some others, to show that though
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