Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 49 Part 1.djvu/1562

This page needs to be proofread.

74TH CONGRESS . SESS. II. CH. 556. JUNE 15, 1936.

1517 Whereas in sign ing the Declara tion of Indepen dence Charles Carroll of Carrollton pledged his life, his sacred honor, and the largest fortune in America to the success of the Revolution ; and Whereas the ser vices rendered by Charles Carr oll of Carroll ton to the United States during the War of Independence, and in the subsequent struggle to preserve the Republic from disintegrating, which re sulted in the a doption of the present Consti tution, re- ceived the warm praise of his contemporaries, including the Father of his Coun try ; and Whereas Charles Carroll of Carrollton, as United States Senator from Maryland, played a foremost part in the organization of the Federal Government, under the Presidency of George Washington ; and Whereas for a period of fifty-six years following the signing of the Declaration of Independence Charles Carroll of Carrollton watched the progress of American Affairs with eager solicitude and labored unceasingly for the advancement of the Republic ; and Whereas Daniel Webster in an oration delivered at Faneuil Hall, Boston, on August 2, 1826, on the occasion of a civic tribute to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, then recently deceased, paid eloquent homage to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, then the last of the signers, comparing him to a venerable oak "standing alone on th e plai n", hai ling h im as a "for tunate , disti nguish ed pat riot", and exhorting his hearers to "let him know that while we honor the dead we do not forget the living, and that there is not a heart here which does not fervently pray that Heaven may yet keep him back from the society of his companions" ; and Where as in 1828, as a mark of national homage to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Congress, by joint resolution, conferred upon him the franking privil ege, Speaker St evenson reques ting him, in hi s official notification, to receive the honor "as a token of the dis- ting uished respe ct and venera tion wh ich Co ngress entert ains toward an early and devoted friend to liberty, and one who stood eminently forward in the purest and noblest band of patriots that the world has ever seen" ; and Whereas on November 15, 1832, the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, voiced in feeling terms the tribute of the Repub- lic to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who had died on the preceding day, affirming that "no one estimated higher than I did his claims, whilst l iving, upon the gratitude and love of his co untry ; no n e will cherish more sacredly his memory now that he is taken from us by the Great Disposer of the affairs of this world"

and

Whereas the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Carroll of Car- rollton occurs on September 19, 1937 ; and Whereas it is eminently proper and desirable that the United States should officially commemorate this event : Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States o f America in Congress assembled, That the President of "The Charles Carroll of Carrollton Bicen- the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to appoint a tenary Commiss ion" ; body of five persons, to be designated "The Charles Carroll of appointment; duties. Carrollton Bicentenary Commission", this Commission to be charged by him with the work of making adequate preparations for a national cele bration of the bicentenary of the birth of C harles Carroll of Carrollton . There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of Appropriation au- any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, a sum not t bo rized . t o exceed $12,500, or the necessary part thereof, to carry out the provisions of this resolution . Approved, June 15, 1936 .