WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1852
363
[Same day. Further remarks on the Lighthouse Bill.] I have great respect for the opinions of the Senator from South Carolina. Amongst others, he has given us one assurance that the bill is defective. He has examined it thoroughly, and has perused the authority upon which it is based, and he says it is defective. Now, we ought not hastily to commence an· importc:1.nt system, which is acknowledged to be defective, which is to lead to a great expenditure of money. We should make it perfect. The fact that a board of officers, competent for the pur- pose, should have reported in favor of the measure, commends it to my respect and investigation, but not to my support, or to its adoption in the Senate. I entertain due respect for the opin- ions of others; but if we are to constitute boards for the shap- ing out of subjects for this body to adopt, we had better, in the first place, and to save trouble, invest them with power to declare them as edicts, and we become the register-power alone. If we have a right to do anything, we have a right to investigate the measures recommended by boards. I must confess, that, in many instances, the reports of boards do not commend subjects to my favorable consideration, much respect as I have for the gentle- men composing them. I am not always disposed to adopt their reports, because their opinions may be moulded by what is called outside pressure here. It is but this moment that the civil and diplomatic bill was finally passed in the House of Representatives by a single vote, owing, perhaps, to an obnoxious amendment, introduced into it upon my motion. That seems to me to auger something to the Senate. That that bill should be passed by one single vote, and that, the casting vote of the Speaker, speaks something of a most extraordinary character. As the honorable Senator from Florida has said, we shall have ample opportunity for investigating this enormous volume be- tween this and the next meeting of Congress, or during the next session; and then, we will be enabled to vote understandingly upon the subject, instead of adopting it now; when I will ven- ture to say not two Senators of this body.have had the opportunity of comparing the testimony collected by these gentlemen and en- dorsed by their opinion, with the evidence registered in the Fifth Auditor's Office. For this reason I cannot vote for the measure, but will vote for the amendment of the committee. 1 Cong1·essional Globe, Part III, 1851-1852, 1st Sess., 32d Cong., pp, 2461, 2462, 2463.
Powered by FlippingBook