Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-12-29

! lire refict sen Will rsnGfr LIS luojcss
plain id cafy 10 the somPrcheaGon.c eye
sau,oe that Cengseis apprsrria,e :
,houind dollars 20 spply wcfesn garri-i
Zoo w.th cioathing, and smother thopfand.
dollar, for provifens. Thefecretary pro-
cures The cloaehing, ia the receis of con.
,e,reis. and furnifles the garrilon; but the
providons, in crofing the Sufquehanna are
ocveret and loti /: or the money is put IN
to she hands Of an agent who proves un-;,
faithful, OF, through misfortune, fails and
the money is ict :--or the, providons are
procured and fall intothe hands OF the. In-
diau.: according to the Doctrine, this gar
riipn mutt be cloathed at the expence Of a
thoufand dollars; bat mutt have nothing
to eat till Congfefs again meet, make the,
neceGary appropriations, and time be al
lowed, after this, for the feeretary to pro-
cure the proviiions and have them forwar-
ded to the lpot. During all this time the
Secretary may have in his hands a iarplas
of a thoufand dollars which had been ap-
propriated to the building Of ihips, or 70
deffay tn. expence Of the civil lit, or for
'iome other purpcle, and which, according
to the former ufages of the government,
might with propTiety, be applied to fave
the lives Of the garrifon, and an account
be rendered accordingly.
Ifany farther illu,fration be nsceHary,
let the mater ola family, preparing for
avoyage to Europe, call upon his few
ard: let him deliver juf as much
money as lie may reafcnab!y fuppoie fulfil
cient for the expenles of The hoafehold till
his, return: let him diafibute the whole
into parcels marking upon each the fpe-
ci6c purpofe to which it mall be ap-
piled, one for coffee, another for ducks,
another for wine, another tor beef,
and 70 on to aln, butter, molaGes, pork,
muf1ard and NUN Let him then inform
the Reward, that whatever changes may
take place in the prices Of proyidons
whatever accidents may happen to part
of the money that though he lhould be
compelled to provide only pork and mo-
laaes for want of fuficiens appropriations
for beef and bread, he mua Gill conhne
his application Of money to the fpecihc
purpoie, wi,hou, varying from the appro-
priation in objee or tranicending it in a.
mount, upon pain Of daniHoo and tif-
grace. Such a man would az upon the
principle recommended in the medage and.
now eontended fol by the deaocra,s, In
the houie of representatives. Let any!
man, accuftomed to provide for family,
fay whether fuch cheme would be prac-,
ticable in domeltic affairs, aua then let
him imagine the praeticabiIty OF eRcaing
it in the affairs Of nation.
Any perfon, ~ho reflects Sr a moment,
will perceive how impomhle it is for Con-
greis TO foreise all the contingencies which
may happen to render it indapenEbly me-
ccaary that the applications Of money
fhouid differ, in fome refpeas from the ra-
ito contemplated at the time Of making
the appropriation; tho the aggregate a.
mount may not vary at all. No meafase
could be fallen upon to provide for the ne
ceGary exigencies Of government, and at
the fame time TO con6ne the public officers
to an application osfpec;6c fums TO every
fpecihc purpofe, but by aPpropriating a.
vatIy greater fun than would be neceaary,
in cafe 30 accident ihould happea, and thus
taxing from laJsr an ax,egia3ab'< portion
gift, earrings, and allowing i 10 Be uie-
les in the pockets Of public officers. On
the contrary, no inconvenience can arife
from. the present mode Of conducting the
buinefs, provided the officers be men Of
ability and,integrity, lfthey are iufpeA-
ed to beosherwife, the PRECEDENT has pow
es to difmifs them and TO appoint others.
I,is not pretended thar the public intereR
has fafered from any one who has hither-
to been ;ntruRed with thcie Discretionary
pawers, ex;cept from Randolph, the demo-
crat.--It mutt, however, be confeded,
that, till row, the experiment has never
been made upon any other than .4mericans.