Westward extension, 1841-1850, by George Pierce Garrison.

t84I]

FINANCIAL QUESTION

I75

culties. They began by marching into a cul de sac,
where their differences with the president must be
fought out, unless either he or they should surrender. Of the measures included in the programme
announced by Clay in his resolutions introduced in
the Senate June 7, I84I, the first provided for the
abolition of the independent treasury; the second
for the incorporation of a bank to take the place of
it; the third for the raising of adequate revenue for
the government by the imposition of duties; and
the fourth for the "prospective" distribution of the
proceeds of the public lands.1 There was a seeming
general agreement between this programme and the
views expressed by Tyler in his message of June i;
but the president had carefully avoided specific
recommendations; and the statement of his opinions was so qualified as to forecast clearly enough
his opposition to the Whig policy in the form which
it was given by the majority in Congress. The ensuing quarrel between him and that majority centred mainly on the question of a national bank; it
finally extended, however, also to that of distribution as affecting the level of import duties. The
order in which the different measures of the programme were attempted, and the passage of some of
them with the evident purpose of creating a necessity for the others,2 was a precipitation of issues
See p. 58, above.
2 Cf. remarks of Calhoun on the distribution bill, Cong. Globe,
27 Cong., I Sess., 314.