Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 17 (of 20)Sumner, Charles
History
Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 17 (of 20)
Sumner, Charles
Slavery -- United States; Speeches, addresses, etc., American
“Please pardon me for this intrusion. I desire to ask, if you
are willing to indicate, what will likely be the result of your
financial bill. I think I only utter the sentiment of three
fourths of all the commercial men through our great and growing
West, when I say it should become a law, and thereby secure to
us our equal share of the national banking capital, which we
now need so much.”
This, again, is what I seek to accomplish.
* * * * *
At this stage, I hope I may have the indulgence of the Senate, if I
ask one moment’s attention to the bill of the Committee. On a former
occasion I ventured to say that it was inadequate.[219] The more I
reflect upon it, the longer this debate is continued, the more I am
impressed with its inadequacy. It does not do what should be done
by the first measure of legislation on our finances adopted by the
present Congress. It is incomplete. I wish I could stop there; but I am
obliged to go further, and say that it is not only incomplete, but it
is, in certainly one of its features, to which I shall call attention,
mischievous. I take advantage of this moment to present this point,
because it has not been mentioned before, and because at a later stage
I may not have the opportunity of doing so. It is this provision at the
end of the first section:--
“But a new apportionment shall be made as soon as practicable,
based upon the census of 1870.”
At the proper time I shall move to strike out these words, and I will
now very briefly assign my reasons.
The proposition is objectionable, first, because it is
mischievous,--and, secondly, because it is difficult, if not
impracticable, in its operation; and if I can have the attention of the
Senate, unless figures deceive me, and unless facts are at fault, I
think that the Senate must agree in my conclusion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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