WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1822-1841
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it has been practically tested; and whilst we behold the manu- facturing enterprise of the country somewhat rewarded, we at the same time see an accession made to the resources of the country. This has been the great bugbear held up to its passage; that the necessity of a direct tax would be produced, to supply the deficiency in the revenue. This is groundless and the proof is to be found in the Treasury estimates of the present year. But to conclude on this subject-I ask the question; whilst the revenue has been increased 7 1-4 per cent, does anyone give more for any articles of consumption than before the passage of that law? Certain I am, that no one can say he does.- If, then, there had not been a manufacturing establishment in the country, it must be acknowledged right to increase the revenue, if, in that in- crease, you do not extract a corresponding amount from the pocket of the consumer. At a late day of the present session, an appeal was made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in his official character, requesting an investigation of some charges that had been made against him by a member of Congress from the State of Pennsylvania, which appeared in the character of a letter, in one of the public journals of that State. A motion was submitted to appoint a; Special committee for the investigation of the subject, which, after consuming two days in discussion, was adopted. To this course I was opposed; because I did not think that Congress had any thing to do with a difference which had been made personal, by the course pursued by the Speaker him- self. The imposing situation of a Speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives, is such, that I am never willing to give my vote for the extension of his power, when I can either suspect the ex- istence of personal feelings, or that there is even a remote pos- sibility of rendering Congress a court of inquisition, or that it may become an engine of oppression to either members of the House or individuals in society, who may choose to exercise their constitutional privilege in the expression of their opinions. The courts of our country are open at all times, for the redress of grievances, and to them individuals can have recourse, where justice can be administered to the party aggrieved. There every man is presented upon a footing of equality; stripped of power and patronage-no adventitious circumstances of official char- acter, or extensive influence, can bias the mind of an impartial jury. The case is there determined upon its merits. There is no danger in this course,-the Constitution has prescrib~d it. There
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