192 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



the whole, the House took up the bill,* and a brief discussion at 

 once ensued as to the right of the Senate to originate such a measure. 

 Mr. Bell, of Tennessee, was the first to suggest the unconstitutionality 

 of the bill, and was followed by Mr. Adams, of Massachusetts, who 

 said "that in his opinion the matter admitted of no question at all. 

 If there ever was a money bill this was one. * * * This House had too 

 long suffered the other branch of the legislature to dictate to it every 

 measure relating to the revenues. f" Mr. Robertson, of Virginia, 

 argued in the same line. Mr. Cambreling, of New York, chairman 

 of the Ways and Means committee, saw no real objection to the bill 

 on the ground that it had originated in the Senate, but in order to 

 prevent further opposition, moved to take up the House bill on the 

 same subject. This was done;};, and the House bill sent to the Senate 

 and passed by that body. 



The debate attracted little attention, and is of interest merely as 

 the first objection by the House to the reception of Senate bills indi- 

 rectly bearing on the revenue. In the case of the Clay compromise 

 bill, the House had itself taken no part in the discussion, although 

 its action had relieved the Senate of the fear of violating the consti- 

 tution. In this instance the House established a precedent, and indi- 

 cated a sense of its own privilege. 



y. Twenty-eighth Congress, J84J-44. Dibaic in the Senate upon 

 tariff bill introdiieed by Mr. MeDvffee, of South Carolina. 



December 19, 1843, ^ t)ill was introduced § in the Senate by Mr. 

 McDuffee, of South Carolina, providing for a return to the Clay 

 compromise tariff of 1833. The bill was referred to the committee 

 on finance notwithstanding the objection made by Mr. King |) that 

 the Senate had no right to originate it, and on January 9, 1844, was 

 reported back by Mr. Evans** with the following resolution against 

 its consideration: "Resolved, that the bill entitled 'a bill to revive 

 the act of the 2nd of March, 1833, usually called the compromise 

 act, and to modify the existing duties upon foreign imports in con- 

 formity with its provisions' is a bill for raising revenue within the 

 meaning of the 7th section of the ist article of the constitution, and 

 cannot therefore originate in the Senate; therefore resolved, that it 

 be indefinitely postponed." ft 



The reason for this action was the desire of a majority of the 

 the Senators to avoid a discussion of the tariff question. Some, no 



*Cong. Deb.. Vol. XIV.. pt. I, p. 1152. 



tibi.l., p. Whl. 



ilbid.. p. 11.T3. 



SCong. Globe, I. SesS. 28 Cong. . p. K. 



I Ibid., p. 47. 



»*Ibid.,p. 121. 



t+IWd.,p. 1:j1 



