mote, but are, from the nature of their deal ings, .best able to know when specie will bp . needed, and to ptocure it with the,least diffi cufly or sacrifice. Residing, too, almost u niversally in places where the revcjui'eis re ' ccived, and. where the drafts used by (he Government for its dibbnrsmenfh must con ccntfate; they ; haye eycry opportunity to ob tain and use them in place of specie, should it be.for their interest or inconvenience.— Of the number of these drafts, and the fa cilities they may aiford, ns well as the rapid ity with which the public funds are drawn and disbursed, an idea may be formed from the fact that, of nearly, twenty, millions of dollars paid to collectors and receivers du ring thepresent year, the average amount ifi their hands at anyone time has not exceeded a mil lion and a half; and of the fifteen mil . lions received by the collector of N. York alone during, the present'year, the average amount held by him, subject to di-aft during each Week, has been less than half a million! The ease and safety of the operations of the Treasury in keeping the public money, are promoted by the application of its own drafts to the public dues. The objection ari sing from haying them too long outstanding, piglit be obviated, and they yet made (o af foid.to merchants and banks holding them an equivalent for specie, and in (hat way § rcatly lessen the amount actually required, till less inconvenience d'ill attend the re quirement of specie in purchases of public lauds. Such purchases, except when made on" speculation, arc, in general, but single transactions, rarely repeated by the same person; and it is a fact, that for the last year and a half, during which the notes of sound banks have been received, more than a moiety of these payments has been voluntarily made in specie, being a larger proportion than. . would have been required in three years un der the graduation proposed. ft is moreover a principal, than which none is better settled by.experience, that the sup ply of the precious metals will always be found adequate to the uses for which they are required. They abound in countries where no other currency isallowed.i In our own States, where small notes are excluded, gold and silver supply their place. When driven to their hiding places by bank jns pensions, a little firmness in the community soon restores 'them in a sufficient' quantity for ordinary purposes. -Postage-ami other public dues have been collected in coin, without serious inconvenience, even in States where a depreciated paper currency has ex isted for years, and this, with the, aid. of Treasury notes for a part of the time, was done without interruption during the sus pension of 1837 - . At the present moment, the receipts and disbiirsments of the Govcrn rtient are made in legal currency in the lar gest portion of the Union—no one suggests' a departure from this rule; ami if it can now be successfully carrier! out, jt will bo surely attended with even less.dififcftjty when bank notes are again redeemed in specie. Indeed 1 cannot think that a serious ob- jeclinn would any where bo raised to the re ceipt and payment of gold and'silver in mil public transactions, were it not from an ap prehension that a surplus in the Treasury might withdraw a large portion of it from circulation, and lock it up unprofitably in the public vaults. It would.not, in my o pinion, be difficult to prevent suc.h an incon venience from occurring; but the" authentic statements which I have already submitted to you in regard to (he actual amount in the public Treasury,at any one time during the period embraced in them, and the littleprob ability of adiflerent state of the Treasury for at leaft some years to come, seem to render it unnecessary to dwell upon it. Congress, moreover, as I have before observed, will in every year have an opportunity to guard a gainst it, should the occurrence of any cir cumstances lead us to apprehend injury from this source. Viewing the subject in all its aspects, I cannot believe that any period will be more auspicious Ilian the present for the adoption of all meastiics necessary to maintain the sanctity of, our own engage ments, and to aid in securing to the commu nity that abundant supply of the precious metals which adds so much to their prosperity and gives such increased stability to all their dealings. In a country so commercial as ours,:banks 1 in some fonn will probably always exist; but this serves only to render it (lie more incum bent on us, notwithstanding the discourage ments of the past, to strive in,our respective stations to'mitigate the evils they produce; pi take from them as rapidly as the obliga —tionsofpublic faith~and a careful atipn of the immediate interests of the com munity,will permit.; the unjust character of monopolies: to check so far as may be prac ticable by prudent legislation, those fen. pta tions of interest and those opportunities fori - their dangerous indulgence.wbich beset them i on cyery side, and to confine them strictly to the perfonnance of their paramount dutyf that of aiding the operations ,of commerce, rather than consulting their "own exclusive advantage. These and other salutary-re forms may, it is believed, be accomplished without the violation of any of the great principles of the social compact, the obser , vance of which is indispensable to its exist ence, 'or interfering - in any way with .the useful and profitable employment of real capital.- - . : ...Institutions "so framed have existed and still exist elsewhere, giving to commercial intercourse all necessary facilities, without inflating ..or depreciating the or stimulating speculation. Thus ing their legitimate ends; they have gained the surest guarantee for their protection and encouragehaent In the good will of the com munity. Among a people so just as ours the same results could not fail to attend a course. The direct supervision of the banks belongs. frnrn (he nature of our Government, to"the‘States who authorize • the®. ■ It is to their Legislatures .that the people must mainly look for action up that subject. Bat as.the'conduct of the Federal Government in the management of its reve nue has also a powerful though less immedi ate influence upon them, it .becomes onrdu ty to see that - a proper direction is given t<i it.; While the kceping of the public revenue yin bj.separate amj ;Independent Treasury, and rif collecting if in gold and silver, will haye. a salutary influence-on.;the system of piper cre.flit with which all banka are ,con .nected, and thug aid those, that are sound and well managed, it will at the same time sensibly check such' as are otherwise, by at witliholding tho meanpof extravagance ; afforded by tho public funds, andtestraining them from excessive issues .of notes which they would be constantly called upon to re* deem. • , ' ■ * ; I am aware it has been urged thai this control may be best attained and exerted by means of a National Bank. The constitu- tional objections, which I am well, known .to entertain; would prevent me in. any event from'proposing or assenting to that remedy; but in'addition to this,, I cannot, after past experience, bring myself to think that it can any longer be extensively regarded as effec tive for such a purpose, . The history of the late National Bank through ail its mutations shows that it was not so. ' Oil the contrary, it may, lifter.a careful.consideration the subject,“be; I think, safely stated, that at every period of banking excess it took the lead; that in 1817, and 1818, in 1823, in 18Sl,.and in 1834, its"vast expansions, fol lowed 1 by distressing contractions, led to those of the State institutions. It swelled and maddened the tides of thc banking sys tem, buTseldohi allayed,”or safely directed them. At a few periods only was a Salutary control exercised, but an eager desire, on the contrary, exhibited for-profit in the first place; and if, afterwards, its measures were severe towards other institutions, it was be cause its own safety compelled it to adopt them. It did not differ from them in princi ple or in form; its measures emanated from the same spirit of gain; it felt the same temp tation to overissues; it suffered from, and was totally Unable to avert, those inevitable laws of trade, by which it was itaeTCaffccted equally with them; and at least on one occa sion, at an early day, it was saved only by extraordinary exertions from the same fate that attended the weakest.institution it pro fessed to supervise. In 1837 it failed, c qually with others, in redeeming its notes, (hough the two years allowed by its charter for that purpose had not expired, a large a uiount of wlpch remains to the present" tiiiie outstanding. It is true, that having so vast a capita), and strengthened by the use of ail •the revenues of the Government, it possess ed more power; but while it was itself, by that circumstance, freed from the control which ail banks require, its paramount ob ject and inducement were left the same—lo make the most for its stockholders, not to regulate the currency of the country.. Nor has it, as far as we are advised, been found to be greatly otherwise elsewhere. The na tional character given to thc'Bank of Eng land,has not prevented excessive fluctuations in - their currency, and it proved unable to keep off a' suspension of specie payments, which lasted for nearly a quarter of a cen tury. And why should we expect ft to be otherwise? A national Institution, though deriving its charter, from a different source than the State, banks, is yet constituted up on the same principles; is conducted by men equally exposed to temptation; and is liable to the same disasters; with the additional disadvantage that its magnitude occasions an Mtent of confusion, and distress which the mismanagement of smaller institutions could nut produce. It can scarcely be - • doubled (hat the recent suspension of the U. Stales Bank of Pennsylvania—of which the effects ate felt not in that State alone, but over half the Union—had its Origin in a course 'of business commenced white it was a national institution; and there is no good reason, for supposing that thOame conse quences would not have followed, had it still derived its powers from the General Govern ment. It is in vain, when the influences and impulses are the samc, to look for a dif ference in conduct of- results. By such cre ations, we do therefore butincrease the mass of paper credit and paper currency, without checking their attendant evils and fluctua tions. The extent of power and the effi ciency of organization which we give, so far from being beneficial, arc in practice posi tively. injurious. They strengthen the chain of dependence throughout the Union, sub ject all parts more certainly to common dis aster, und bind every bank more effectually, i'h the first instance, tw those Of our commer cial cities, and, in the end, to a foreign pow er.. In a word, I cannot but believe, that, with the full, understanding of the operations ■ of our banking system which experience has produced, public.sentiment is notless oppo sed to the creation of a National Bank for purposes connected with currency and com merce, than for those connected with the fis cal operations of the Government. Yet "(he commerce and currency of the ; country are suffering evils from the opera tions of the State banks.which can not and ought not to be overlooked. By their means, we have been flooded- with a depreciated pa per, which it, was evidently tne design of the framers of the Constitution to prevent, when they required Congress to “coin mo ney and regulate the value of foreign coins,” and when they forbade the States “to coin money, emijt.billsof credit, make any thing hut gold.and silver a. tender in payment of debts,” or “pass any law impairing the ob ; ligation of contracts?’ If they did npt guard uiore explicitly against lhe ; preserit State of things. It was because they could ndThave anticipated that the few banks (hen existing wereio swell tojm extent which would ex pel to so greatn degree the gold and silver, for which they had provided, from the chan nels of circulation, and fill them with a cur rency that defeats the objects they had in view. The remedy fm'this must cliiefly rest with the States from whose legislation it lias sprung. No good that might accrue in a particular case from the exercise of powers, notiobviousiy conferred on the General Go vernment, would authorize its ipterfcrence, or justify a course that, might, iri thfe slight est degree, increase, at the expense of the States, the power of th.e Federal authorities —nor do I doubt that, the States will apply the reihedy. . Within-tlie last few years, e vents have .appealed to them too strongly to be disregarded. They-have seen, that the Constitution, though .theoretically-adhered to,; is subverted in practice; that while on the statute books there is no legal tender but gold and silver, no law impairihg the-obli gations of contracts, yet that, in-tobint of fact, the -privileges conferred on banking corporations have-iniido-their notes the cur-, reticy yf ‘ the- country;\that' the obligations imposqd by these are “violated under tlie impulses, ofinterest or convenience; "and that the number and power of-the persons connected with these corporations; or placed under their.influence; give them a fearful weight when their interest is in opposition to the spirit of aUd lawa. To the people it is immaterial whetHerCthese results are produced by open- violatiotia'oF the latter, or by,"the working of a ! system 5 of which the result is the same.' An inflexible execution even of the csisting i statutes of most of the States, would redress mainy evils How endured; would effectually.show- the banks the dangers of mismanagement which impunity encourages-.them to.,repeat; and would teach all corporations the useful les son that they are 'the subjects'of the'lawand the servants ofi.the people. What; is still wanting to effect these objects must be sought in additional legislation; hr, if that be inad-' equate,.in such further constitutional grants or restrictions as may'bring us back into the path from which we have so widely wander ed. . • In the meantime, it ia: the duty of the Ge neral Government to co-operate. with tiie States, by a wise exercise of its constitution* nl powers, and the enforcement of its exist ing laws. The extent to which it may do so by further enactments, I have already ad verted to, .and the wisdom of Congress may yet enlarge them. Out, abovc all, it is in cumbentopon us to hold erect the princi ples of morality and law, constantly execut ing our own contracts in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, and thus serving as a rallying point by which onr whole country may be brought back to that safe and honored standards ' Our people will .not long be insensible to the extent of the burdens entailed upon them by the_ false system that has been operating on their sanguine, energetic, and industri ous character; nor to the means necessary to extricate thqmselves from these embarrass ments. The weight which presses upon a large portion of the people and the States,,is an enormous debt, foreign and ’domestic!.— The foreign debt of our States, corporations, and men' of business, can scarcely be less than-two hundred millions of dollars, re quiring lUore than ten millions of dollars a year to„pny the interest. This sum has to be paid out of the exports of the country, and must of necessity cut off imports to that extent, or'plunge the country more deeply in debt from year to year; It is easy to see that tiie increase of this foreign, debt must augment ihe annual demand on -the exports to pay the interest, and to tiie same extent diminish'the imports; and in proportion to the enlargement of the foreign debt, and the consequent increase of interest, must be the decrease of the import trade. In lieu of the comforts which it now brings us, wc might have our gigantic banking' institutions, and splendid. b.Ut, in many.instances,'profitless, railroads and canals, absorbing to a great extent, in interest upon thp capital borrow ed'to construct tliem, the surplus fruits of national industry for years to conic, and se curing, to posterity no adequate return for the comforts which the labors of their, hands might otherwise have secured. It is not by the increase of this debt that relief is to be sought; but in its diminution. ‘ Upon .this point, there is, I am happy to any, hope be fore us; not so much in the return of confi dence abroad, which will enable the States to borrow more nioney, as in change of pub lic feeling at bpme,'which prompts our peo ple to pause in their career, and think of-the means by which debts are to be paid before they are contracted. If we would escape embarrassment, public and private; we must cense to-run in debt, except for objects of necessity, or such as will yield a certain re turn. Let the faith, of the States, corpora tions, and individuals, already pledged, be kept withrthe most punctilious regard. It is due to our national character, as well as to justice, that this should on the part of each bo a fixed principle of conduct. But it be hooves, us all to be more chary in pledging it hereafter. By ceasing to run in debt, and applying the surplus of our crops and in comes to the discharge of existing obliga tions, .buying less and selling more, aqd managing all affairs, public and private, with strict economy and frugality, we-shal l see our country soon recover from a temporary, depression, arising not from natural and per manent causes, but from those I haveenum- eraled, ami advance with renewed vigor in her career of prosperity. Fortunattily for us at this moment, when 1 the balance of trade is greatly against us and the difficulty of meeting it enhanced by the disturbed stale of our money affairs, the bounties of Providence have come to relieve us*from the consequences, of past errors. . A faithful application of the immense results of the labors of the last season will afford par tial relief for the present, and perseverance in thC'Same. course will, in due season, ac complish the rest. We have had full expe ricnce. in times past. of the extraQi dinary ig sults which can, in' this respect* be brought about in a short period, by the united and well directed efforts of a community like burs. Our surplus the energyand in dustry of our population, qhd the wonderful advantages which Providence lias bestowed upon our country, in'its climate its various productions, indispensible to other, nations, will,.in due time, afford abundant means to perfect the most useful of those objects*" for which‘the States have been [dunging them-' selves of late in embarrassment and debt; without imposing on ourselves or our chil dren such fearful burdens. But Jet it be indelibly engraved qn our minds'that relief is not to be found in expe dients. Indebtedness cannot be lessened by borrowing more .money,, or by changing the form of the debt. The balance of trade is not to be turned-in bur. favor by creating new demands upon us abroad. Our currency can not be improved by the creation of new banks or more issues'from those , which now exist. Although these devices sometimes appear to give temporary relief, they almost invariably aggravate:the(evil;in the end. ■ It is only by retrenchment and reform, by curtailing pub lic and private expenditures; by-paying our debts, and by reforming our bankihg system, that we are Inexperteffecitual, relief, i secu rity for the ijitare.'and anlenduripgprosper ity.' In shaping the institutions.and- policy ■asdar.asit Can vytb its limited powers;these, bihjtertant.ends, you. may rely on ray most cordial co-operation. - 'i" ‘ - i 1 That there' should- have' been, in the pro gress of repentevents; doubts in many'quarr terS, nml in somc a heated opposition to ov erycliangOj/caniiot surprise-us. -i'-V .. Dtfubts are properfy attended-on'all reform; and it is peculiarly in the nature of such abu ses as weare now encountering,'to seek to perpetuate their power, by means of the inf nueiice they have been permittedto acquire. It is'their resijlf, if nottheirobiect, to .gain forthe few.an’ascendency oyertne, iiiaiiy, by EEcuringto thpiiiH monopoiyofthe currency; pip'nvpd;unr4jirpugh<tvhich (iihst of, iliowahts of mankind aresupplied-to produce through out society a chain of dependence which leads all classes to look 40 privileged associations (or the means of speculation and extrava gance—to nourish, in preference to tlie'manly virtues that give dignity to human nature, a craving desire for luxurious enjoyment; and sudden wealth, which renders those who seek them dependent on those who supply them— to substitute for republican simplicity and economical habits a sickly appetite fo.r effem inate, indulgence, and' an imitation of that reckless extravagance which enipnverished and,enslaved' the industrious people of for eign lands; and at last, to fix upon us, instead ofthuse equal political rights, the acquisition of which was alike the object and supposed reward of our revolutionary struggle,'a sys tem of exclusive privileges conferred by par tial legislation. To remove the influences which had thus gradually grown up among us—to deprive them of their deceptive ad vantages—to test them by the light of wis dom and truth—to oppose the force which they concentrate in their' support—all this [ was necessarily the work of time, even a mong a people so enlightened arid pure as that of the United States. ■ , In most other countries, perhaps, it could only he accomplished through that series of revolutionary movements,' which are ton of ten found necessary to effect any great and radical reform; hut it is the crowning merit of our institutions, that they create and nourish in the vast majorityiol bur people, a disposition and a power peaceably to remedy abuses which have ilsewhcre caused the effusion of fivers of blood, and the sacrifice of thousands of the human race. The result thus far is most honorable to the self denial, the intelligence, and the patriotism of our citizens; it justifies the confident hope that they will carry through the reform which has been so well begun, and that they will go still farther Ilian they have yctgune in illus trating the important-truth,,that a people us free and enlightened as ours will, whenever it becomes necessary, show themselves to be indeed capable'of self-government by volun-s : tarily adopting appropriate remedies for cv-' ery abuse,'and submitting to temporary sac rifices, however great, to ensure their per manent welfare. . ' • My own exertions fur the furtherance of these desirable objects have been bestowed, throughont my official career with a zeal that Is nourished by ardent wishes for the welfare of my country, and by an unlimited reliance on the wisdom that marks its ultimate deci sion on all great and controverted questions; Impressed with the solemn obligations impo sed upon ipe by the Constitution, desirous also of laying before myfcllotv citizens, with whose-confidence and support I have been so highly honored, such measures as .'appear to me conductive to the'r prosperity—and anxious to submit to their fullest considera tion the grounds upon which my opinions are formed, 1 have on this as on preceding occa sions, freely offered my views on.those points of domestic policy that seem, at.the present time, most prominently to require the action of the Government. I know that they will receive from Congress that full and able consideration which the importance of the subjects merit, and l ean ropea't the assu rance heretofore made, that .1 shall cheer fully and readily co-operate With you in ev ery measure that will tend to promote the welfare of the Union. M. VAN BUREN. Washington, December 2, 1839. Twcnti/-Si.i'th Congress. HOUSE OF Monday, Dec. SO, 1839. After the journal was read, The CHAIR announced the following standing committees; Committee on Commerce. —Messrs. Cur tis, Hillen, White of Louisiana, Burke, Tu land, Habersham, Parris, BTitts, and Weller. : Committee on the Public Lands. —Messrs Corwin, Reynolds, Lincoln, Crary, White of Kentucky, Fisher, Garland of 'Virginia, Hubbard, and Thompson of Mississippi. Committee on Ciaitfis. —Messrs.’Dawson, Russell, Banks, Giddings, Williams of New Hamsphi’re, Gentry, Hill of North Carolina, Galbraith, and Mallory. .. , ,- Post , Office and Post Roads. —Messrs, McKay, Hopkins, Chapman, Marvin, Lead better; J. L. Williams of-Tenncssce, Ander son of Kentucky, Butler of South Carolina, and Brown of Mississippi. District of Columbia.-^ Messrs. Johnson, of Maryland,~C.-H.-Williams of Tennessee*- Bel me, Clarke, Davee, Graham,. Cranston, Black, and Hawkins.. ' . - Judiciary.——Messrs." Sergeant", Crary, Hoffman, Turney ~.Mason of Ohio, Samuels, Colquitt, Storrs, and Barnard. Revolutionary Claims. —Messrs. Craig, Randolph,'. Hall, Taliaferro, Parmenter, Montgomery, Rogers of Carolina, Ely, , andSwearingen. • " Territories, —Messrs. Pope, Jenifer,Ram sey, Campbell of Tennessee, Stewart, Brew ster, Davis, of KentUcky,' Montay ne, & Fine. Revolutionary Pensions. —Messrs. Talia.- ferro, Carr, Andrews, Steenrod, Rayner, E., Davis of Pennsylvania, Brockway, Taylor, and Hand. —— Invalid Pensions. —Messrs. S. Williams, Morris of Ohio, Crittenden, Doan. Strong, Randall,- Morris of Pa. Palen, and Edwards. JtoadsandCanals. —Messrs.Ogle.Gravcs, Carroll, Hill of Va., Smith o/ la., Starkwea ther, Rayner, Colquitt, and Blackwell. Patents. —Messrs. Fletcher of Vt. Beatty, Prentiss, Ncwhard, and Payntcr. , Public Buildings and Grounds. —Messrs. Lincoln, Petrikin, Leonard; Keim.and Hast ings of Ohio. i Bevisal fy Unfinished Peck, Parish, Jackson; James, and Dana. • Accounts.—Messrs. Johnson of Va. Law •jence,-Johnston of N. Y., Marchand, and Floyd. '• .• , : J&a««^ac/Mre»i—-Messrs.-John-Q;AdaniBi Tillinghaat.Worthington, 'Dromgonle, 1 Mitchell,- Eastnrnn.and-John Dayis of Pa. . • Mesira, Deberry, Dennis, MqClellan of -TennesaeeySmith ofVermnnt, -Hammond, Shaw, Sweeny, Dnig; arid Hook. Dell.L. \Vil liamaPofjaNorth Carolina, Alford,- Cross, Ghmn,S|ieDard,Luca3,Hunt, and JohaWl .'Davis of Indiana. ' ■ - | ■ _ Williams of Connect ticut, Williaina of Miissachusettaj.Morgan, Leet, atfdeAUdjipf Jfc v ¥v„*lvi;, ; r . .<.< i Expmdiiureiiwtha DepaHmentof —Messrs.Underwcind, Bynum; Crabby l»o -vvell; and - . Expenditures in the Department of the Post Office,— Messrs. Marvin, Boyd,Lowell, Davis of Kentucky, and Brown of N. Y, Expenditures on the Public Buildings. — Messrs. Stanly, Fornance, Gates, Henry, and Earle. . Foreign Affairs*— Messrs. Pickens.Cush ing, Droomgoulc, GfShger, Bynum, Hawes, Howard, Clifford.' Nqval Affairs. —Messrs. F. Thomas, Holmes, Reed, King, Grinnell, Anderson of Mel Robinson, Hollemnn, arid Proffit.. Private Land C laims, —Messrs. Casey, Garland of Louisiana, Calhoun, Dillett, Wick, Butler of Ky., Hastings, Jameson, and White. ; Military Affairs. —Messrs. Cave Johnson Tliompson, Miller, Coles, Kemble, Allen Monroe, Sumter, and Goggin, Militia. —Messrs. Kcim, Carter,- Gridin, Wagner, P. F. Thomas, ol S. C. Triplett, and Ridgway. Elections,— Messrs. Campbell of S. Caro lina, Fillmore, Medill, Crabb, Brown, Fish er; Smith of Conn., and llotts. Public Expenditures. —Messrs. Briggs, Smith of Maryland, Bond, Rariden, Duncan, Crockett, Hall, Watterson and McCulloch. Ways and Means,— Messrs. Jones of Va Biddle, Atherton, Lawrence, Rhett,_ Van derpocl, Evans’, Conner,+and Cooper. .The Democratic Republican Standing tee of Cumberland county, arc requested to meet at the public house of Mr, John Cornman, in the Borough of Carlisle, on Monday the 13lh of, Jan uary, 1840, at 2 o’clock, P.- M., on business con nected with the ensuing Presidential election. A general attendance is desirable. APPOINTMENTS. BY THE COMMISSION Robebt Snodgrass, Esq. to bo Treasurer of Cum berland county, ' John Irwin, Esq, to bo Clerk to Commissioners. James H. GbahaM, Esq. Attorney to Do. .Keeper of. the Public Buildings. APPOINTMENTS BY THE DIRECTORS Michael Fishbubn’, Esq. to be Steward of the Poor House. ■ J Ames Loudon, Treasurer to Do. Dr. Jacob Baughman, Physician to Do. Hugh Gaullacher, Esq. Attorney to Do. “One if the People ” will bo attended to in our next. Wo this week conclude the President’s Mes sage, and again ask fpr it an attentive perusal; is certainly one of the ablest documents of the kind .that has over issued from the Executive man-, sion. Clear, convincing,. satisfactory—it cannot fail to carry conviction to the minds of the reflect ing and considerate of all parties. “Desperate political nnd .moral ’ blaek-legs,” says a.-writer in the New York Evening Post, “who. wish to avail themselves of, the credit arid, money of the nation, to carry out their base de signs^—bankrupt speculators in fancy stocks, and swindlers of all classes and denominations, will of course assail the message with their verjuice and gangrene; and the old story about locofocoism, and die war of- the government against the mer chants and the banks, will be ebaunted iq all the places, of debauchery and villainy of yonreity, by the trained and desperate adventurers who never had aught of decency; br.of worth to sustain them; but who live by their wits, and will die either by hemlock or the halter,” • ’ . The Sovereign people'however—thehanl-work ing honest and industrious yeomanry of tho coun try—hail the message,with joy, and utter q hearty response to the measures recommended by the President.’ Mr. Van Buren has nobly thrown himself into the breach* and bravely will he bo sustained by a free and intelligent people. The Governor’s Message entire Shall appear in our next. Report of, the Secretary of War.—This annual state paper is drawn Up withgrcat ability and does Mr. Poinsett much credit-'.. Amongst Otket things the Secretary recommends h hew organization of the militia. The United States to be'divided into eight military districts—each district' to have an active force of 19,500, and ah equal; number of re- the total making2oo,ooo men J These troops to bethoroughly drilled, andlco'ntihue eigh t’years in service, for which they are to reoeive a certain rate of compensation, to be fixed by law; .at tho expiration of which.timo they are to bo exempt from jmilitik'.duty,.except In cases.of invasiohof imminent peril. •, This .cprpa is tobe embodiedas the. National Guatd.and willconstitute ontrseventh ofthe wholemilHiabflho Onion. The other six? reuen/Aiwill have no military duty to perform, on-, ly. tobe mustered.at long and seated intervals*•• c, The Hoh; Charlbs i\-Mdx«ef, of Virginia, ;(S feJerarwhigeftho most labldkindi) resigned'his seat in,Congress, on. the 37th ult. • His district is are entertained of Jt sending a. ‘‘goM #nd. true’* friend of the administration to fill his place.; . ' ■•‘"pokßlekaid'MJtihiiifo; ytOO'Kfcsideht ;bf thti .U ? States; ;tapk : th£f|tt&^^ atai ’oh Friday tho : 9?tb.,ul».:. vr>; . t h. ■ ’ ! ' '['■ Expenditures’ in the '■Department .of the Treasury.— Messrs. ( . Evan's, Atherton, Os borne, Warren, anti,Jones of N.Y. . Enpenditur'es in the Department of War. —Messrs. B. Garland of Louisiana, How ard, Wagener; Holmes, ami Cooper of Pal — Expenditures, in the - Department of the Navy. —Messrs. Saltongtall, Vanderpoel, Simonton, Greene, and Gerrv., CARLISLE: tiurn.siMV, j.vxuAit v ». leoio. OfTK FJO.tG. “Now_our.fl.ig is llunK to tlie wild win'd tree; Let it float oVr our ‘father hind,” And the piiai'd otHts spotless fame shall be Columbia's chosen cm ml.'" FQK PRESIDENT IN 1840, MARTIN VAN BUREN, • AND AN INDEPENDENT TREASURY. STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING, TWO OF TUB COMMITTEE; December 24, 1839. ERS FOR THE YEAR .1840. OF THE POOR FOR 1840. . . CONGRESS.—Nothing of importance hasyct been done in Congress. . On Monday,, the 30tb ult., the Standing Committees were announced in the House—after which Mr. Wise made an inef fectual effort to suspend the Rules to enable him to move Resolutions against the consideration of Memorials, touching tlie question'of Slavery with in the District of Columbia. .This brought on an animated discussion which lasted until tho ad joumment. . ,i - Od Tuesday, both housesjadjourned to meet a gain on Friday last; in ordffllio afford the mem bers an opportunity of taking a Now Year’s/ro/if. On Friday, tho day was principally occupied in tho Senate with a longhnd eloquent Sparring match between Messrs. Calhoun and Clay'onjtbo. sub ject of a’land bill, which distinguished for its personal abuse, wit and satire. Mr. Clay was worsted in the. intellectual combat,' and'acknowl edged that his race, physical and political was almost run. In the House the day was also spent in an an gry debate between Messrs. Bynum, Jenifer and Stanley,.which was finally put a stop to by tho Speaker. Bynum and Jenifer, it will be recol lected by many of our readers, fought a duel some three or four years since, which will account for the present disgraceful Jlarc-up. THE SPEAKER AND THE STANDING We, presume that by this time those democratic papersjlmt boasted so much of Mr, Hunter’s friend ship for the administration, are pretty well satisfied that they have been “barking up tho wrong tree. 1 ’ fhe fact is, that, with the exception of being friend ly to tile Independent Treas'ury, lie is to all intents and purposes as much of a federal whig as the ‘ most fastidious of that piebald party could desire. To prove this just .cast your eyes over tho list of Committees, and you will at once perceive that the democratic party has little, if any thing, to expect at his hands. Of the thirty-three Stan ding Committees, twenty-two have Federal Chairmen —-hea have nine only have Democrats! His actions ever since he took • the chair, have inclined againslthe administration; and the federalists do not hesitate to claim him (and justly too in our opinion) as their Speaker exclusively. The democratic members were caught napping for once when Mr. Hunter was elected, and they will have to submit with as good graceas possible. They have a clear and undisputed majority of six in the House, at the .present time, a. d after the lapse of a few weeks it will, in all probability, bo swelled to eleven by the accession of the N. Jer sey democratic members. With such, a majority at its disposal, tire Administration party can easily reverse the decisions, of the Speaker, when neces sary-—and if select Committees ore to be raised, tho House can very readily takc-the appointment out of his hands and elect them itself. So that 'after-all, notwithstanding the Speaker is against its, if the democratic members are hcreaftef united such measures may bo carried through as the peo ple require at the hands of their representatives. New Yeab’s D.vv in Washington.-Tlic Nation al Intelligencer says: “New Year’s day was ob served as a holiday bjr Congress and all the pub lic offices, and pretty generally by others. The President received visiters as. usual cn that day; and many members of Congress,'including the leading men of all parties, with the members of the Foreign Legation generally, tire Heads of Departments, and officers of the Army, and Navy and citizens, strangers as well as residents, paid their respects to the Chief Magistrate, by whom they were courteously received.” «, Horace Binnty,-Esq. (cue of the great federal bank lawyers in Philadelphia,) has refused to re ceive the depreciated paper of the U. S. Bank, from tho city autlioritics, in payment of a debt of $30,000 due him by tho corporation, and insists thatJlie city shall pay him in “lawfitl money”— alias gold and silver, .Verily tlieMamihoth must be In bad credit indeed, when a refusal to receive its paper comes from aUch a source. ’ liurtal of. a Warrior.— A letter from an officer of the U. S. Army, dated Fort Towson, (Ark,) -Bth Nov., states, that. Gen. George Culvert, tho head chief of the Choctaw nation, one of their grea*. cst warriors; was. the' day previous, buried with militaiy honors._ 110 was a revolutionary veteran; had served under Geri. Washington in. our strug gle for independence, from whom ho received a commission of Major of militia in the U. States _ service, and a sword. He also served under Gen. Wayne—and .likewise.under Gen. Jackson in. the , Florida war of 1814 against the Seminolcs. For hiabravcryGcn., Jackson vprcscntcd-hini-with-a Colonel’s commission, and .afterwards a.sword, when President of the U. States. At the time of his death the old chief was 95 years of age. (hnftssion of Murder. —Ptiiibo (Ann Simonson, wife .of John, Floor, of New Vork, who was ar rested last week'on suspicion of cansing the death of her husband by .a poisoned cake,:has sinco made a confession of her guijt. She alleges as a reason for her crime, that ho had been faithless : to her, .and woul^riot furnish her with the necessary means of getting aiiyelihood. She had purchaL ed arsenic, and put it into the fatal cake. Deep Snout.-—The Baltimore Sun of Saturday * says:—“We learn from a gcntleman.who. arrived here yesterday, that the.snow in the road for Some distance along side the mountain,between Freder- ' ick and Hagerstown, was twenly~onefeet deep! and that it was impossible to get the mail through un til a road was cleared by carting tho snow away. Abmmcdh Sheet, —Alexander’s Weekly Miessen- - gerof the Istinst,, marked the new year ,by ap pearing ina double sheet of enormous dimensions, something.simiiar in size to a a sufficient'quantity of matter, to keep an ordinary reader- employed for a week at lea Bt Its appear ance is also considerably enlivened with several . well executed woodcuts and other embellishments, T’akih^tllasheet its prise on the part of the publishers. .... The Mesgewmrjs published in Philadelphia, at thalow annum payablo m advance. ■ ' Jjxia, the swiadling?Pr6aidcnt sf!tbp Schuylkill Bank, is slillafiigiubo from, justlte. Somarc !ports say that he has.goriq'to keep com pany with SwariWbut, arid Priest;,'x’ : - V . -7 Sev. Geerge G- Coetmim, fotmerly pastor of tho Methodist EpiacoparGhureh'ihtKiS'borough, has ‘ etafe'have^ M^ori(dem;jaleOt«d<lftTOinofbya.maJeri^of7. COMMITTEES.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers