Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-05-17
Resort IF t5e eemmittfs Of nvsf;gatisa,
epxcl12sa from oxriaf.


The hatements OF the accountants al !
though they exhibit balances apparently
uaaccounted for, TO large amount, will
likewile thew thar accounts have bsenrcn-
~dcrel for conideraole portion, which
are In train of iettlement but not finally
clofed.
Thelate hour aswhich the volumHlious
documents accompanying the report were
received by s!ie committee upon the 9th
of April AMI til. labor neceaary to inve(-
tigate fuch a mas Of accounts, and of ad-
vances unaccountei foryparticuIarIy in the
war and navy departments, embracing an
expenditure of 20 millions dollars, have
rendered 1t im,odi5ie for the committee
confidently with the attention TO their
other duties,to form their opinion as TO the
manner in which the fun has been expend-
ed.-Bat from the partial view which
they have taken, they beg leave to pre-
TENT fom. facts and principles which they
believe TO be wortay OF ia, norice OF con-
grels.
There are two.previousrequif which
are necfary to luiify the expenditure of
public money, and without which no legal
expenditure can be made. Fira that the
expenditure fer the Object to which it is
applied ihcu'd b, authorized by law
and feconily, that an appropriation hould
have been made to.coyer that authorized
expence. Inthe war and navy depart,
ments, this rule does not appear to have
been Rrietly adhered TO in all cafes but
for the reafons above ALIGNED, the commit
tee have been unable 10 aicertain, how far
IL has been departed from. The mott
prominent intal,es which have yetpre-
tented thenfelYes, are herewith fated:
by an at pzii.d on thetwcnty fifth day
of February,.i in the year 1899, authority
was given to the PRECEDENT of the u
,nited States, TO cauie to be bailt fix fhips
of war to be armed with, and to carry
not lefs THAI ~ guns each, aad to build
or purchafe fix Hoops Of war-to be arm
ed with IS guns each. In part of the ne
ceAary expenditures for theie objects, a
FUN not exceeding one million of dollars
was appropriated by the fame law. And
by another aa paied on the fame day,
1t was declared thar two docks fhoald be
erected in iuitable places, under the direc-
tion of the PRECEDENT of the U. S. for the
convenience of repairing the public fhips,
and che fun of 10000 dolls. was appropri-
ated for that puspole, and by another act
paRed on the fame day, the fun ofzoo, 900
dollars was appropriated 60 be laid out in
the purchale Of growing or other timber,
or of lands on which tialber is growing
fuitabie for the navy, and to cauie the
proper mealures TO be taken toshsye the
fame ,preferyed for the future nfe of the ma
Wy. Under this authority only, the then
decretary of the navy expended the fun of
I3s,S4o dollars 9z cents in the purchale
of fix navy yards at Portfmouth,e Charlef-
ton, tMafl New York, Philadelphia,
Gofport, (Vir. and the City of Walhing-
ton. For this expenditure the Committee
conceive that no authority was given by
law, nor any appropriation made except
for the two docks aforementioned, as the
fun of one Min dolls. was appropriated by.
the ACT of go Tor building or Purchahag the
ihips only, and the fun of zoo, 900 dol :.
lars for the purchafe of timber. AS pub
lie lhips of war had been before built un-
der Gmilar authority for the ufe Of the,
United States, at private yards, and as
congrefs, did, at the fame time that they
authorized the building or purchaGng the.
ihips, provide for the erection of tao
docks any, the committee are of opinion,
that four OF the navy yards were purchafed
without authority, and the money mifap-
piled which was paid for them.
In the war department there likewiEe