Mr. HOW i‘. I should not have said a word upon this subject if the yeas&nays had not been called for; but as I have got to vote against the bill, and as I hate to give that vote worse than almost any vote I ever gave, I feel bound to say in a few words why I do it. It seems to me we have made a mistake of some kind. If it is for us to administer the charities of the nation, I do not see whywe do not go at it systematically, and ascertain how large the claim of the city of Portland is upon the charity of the nation, and pay it right up. That it has a claim for more than $50,0001 have no manner of doubt. I suppose there is not a member upon this floor who has not felt called upon to cousiderthe question of his own ability, and to determine for imself how much he could afford to do to relieve that distressed city. Why should individual members have contributed a dollar ‘1 Why not vote at once out of the Treasury of the nation whatever is required to make that loss good or to meet the necessities of the people impoverished through that great calamity? But I have always believed thatit did not belongtous, to the Legislature, to administer mere charity. I am not troubled by any constitutional scruples. I have no doubt of our constitutional authority to appropriate money for this purpose as well as fgr any other purpose for which we do appropriate it; but I 0 not think our constituents intend that we should administer their charities; that we shall determine how charitable they ought tobe; that we shall determine how much money they ought to contribute for one charity or an other. I do not think they delegated to us any such authority, or that they expect from us any such exercise of power. The magnitude of this calamity not only appeals to the sympathies of us all, but it is very likely to overwhelm our judgments. An immense amount of property was destroyed. It imresses us as an awful dispensation, and we all feel the necessity of doing whatever is proper to be done to relieve against its effects. t seems to me that we had better, each one of us, however, administer our own generosity, Our own charity, and speak for ourselves individually. For mysel, distant as that point is, knowingit as well as I once did familiar with it as I once was, I have fe'lt called upon to consult with my landlady and see how much of my salary I could devote to the matter of furnishing relief. But while I feel at liberty to do that, I do not feel at liberty to vote a dollar of anybody else’s money, on I do not think the statute referred to by the Senfrom Missouri furnishes us that authorit. I do understand, as he said, that those wh0 give to the cor do lend to the Lord and become His cre itors; but I understand that that only applies to those who give their own means, their own money. I do not think it applies to those who give other folks’s money; and if the Senator really wishcsto establish a credit of that kind, I think he had better confine his appropriations to his own pocket and relieve the national Treasury. It is the cheapest mode in the world to get up a character for philanthropy, to give away other people’s money. It is very easy to say “yes.” on the passage of this bill. I would rather do it as a mere matter of convenience than to give 50 cents out of my own Becket; but as a matter of proriety I think I ad a little rather give lilty ollars though that, to be an e, is a very large sum for me to contemplatehan to say “yea” on the pas e of this bill.