Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1802-04-19
From the Nsvy0.k Evening R0a.
CITE Examination. s,sssNo. XII.

GDg examination. sSsssNO. XII
THE MrIIsge Of the Prefdent obferves that GA
" our care of the public contributions en-
"trutted 10 our direction, K would &c prudent ~
" multiply barriers againit the diIipation Of public
money, app-oPriatne fpccifc fIns to every fptcf-
(" &c PuTpoie, (ffpti5ie Of dlE@ition by difarow-
Z" og all applications of money varying from the
F." appropriation ~ obed, Or tra1fccndng it in
mount by reducing the rhdtfned field Of contn-
agencies, and thereby circumfcrblng Discretionary
epoweTs over money, and by 5rfHgmg back to FIN
"gle department all fcconntabiIties for money
8 where the examination may be prompt ef1icacioua~
:" and uniform" In this recommendation we cad
be at no lois to difcover additional proof Of de-
ioerate dehgn IN the prsisnsChief Magfrate to ar
ragn he former adminifratioas. An thefe iug-
geitiops imply in them former either negligent
or detective attention 10 the objects recommended
fome ofthem 60 further and inhnuate that there
had been al leaft departure from correct plans
which had before been Iafftated. The ceniuFe IN
tended TO be conveyed il AS aniuf az The Conceptions
which hsse dictated IT, &c crude and "a rnerica n
all matters OF this nature the qpeRiou turns upon
the proper boundaries Of the precautions 10 b OBJ
ierved how far they ought to 90 where they
ihould Top how much is necefaty for fecurity
and order what qualifications OF general rules are
to be admitted to adapt thento pratce. and 10 At
tain the ends Of public lsr7ice Ills certainly pof-
hbe 20 do too much well "A too little 10 embar-
rails, ifnot defeat The good which may be done, by
attempting more than Is practicable; or 10 oyerbal-
ance that good by evils accrujng from al exccls OF
regulation. Men ofbuhuefs know this 10 be the
cafe "a the ordinary sRars of life how much more
mutt it be 70, in the cxtenfye and complicated con-
cernes OF an Empire To reach and not to pafs
the iaintary medium is the province Of found iudg-
ment TO mls the poiuJ will ever b the lot az
thoie who, enveloPgd al :hrir Ives IN the mia or
theory are conitanty licking for An ideal perfection
winch Tevcr was aud never will be attainabe ii
reality. L IS about this mediu rs not about geaer-
al prlncPeS, tfot thoi- 10 power in our govern
nment have differed: aad to experience not to
the malevolent nfinustions of rivals, NUT be the
appcals wcther the or the other DESCRIPTION Of
peri0as na'e judged mott accurately. Yet ddCern-
ing mtu may form no imperfect opinion of the
merits OF the controversy between them, by even
cuEiory 'eiT OF the diGinctohs, On which it has
turned,
Nothing, for infaoce, is more iut Or proper
than the petition thai the Legifatu ought to an-
ProPrate Pechc fums, for fpecihc purpcfes (; but
noih'lg IS more Will or of more inconvenient ten
aehCy thaa to attempt 70 appropriate g fpecific
ium for each lpeclhC Purpof acfbf5Le sfifaitio1 ~
a. the Mriiage Prepoferoully recommends. Thus
to take familiar szamFl ID in providing for the
transportation If an army oats and Bag for the
luonHence OF hnries, are each fIfceptabe Of a de-
hniIiSn, and an climate, and A p.ec.Ie fun nav he
aPP'oPLhed Tor each ieparatciy yet n the opera
ITEMS OF an afmy, it wllt often hapnen that more
than tuHlclent quantity of the one article may be
OBTAINED, and not uficient quantity Of the other5
IL the appropriations be difi1cf and the officer
VINO u 70 make the Provifon Be not Al liberty to
divert the fund from one of theie obeas 10 th-
other, (as the doctrine Of the M-Glge Implied The
hores Of the army may III fhch 4 cafe Carve aud
Its movements be aTefei--in fome dt0atjons eved
ne army ItIeli may kewife be naryed, By failure
OF the means OF tranfportation
IF it be fad that the inc envenience here fuvreRsd.
may DC avoided, by making the appropriations for
J0TAge' generally and not for the iSrn, which
comPoie It iePerateIy the anfwer is frf, that
ths by unltIns and blending different things fufcep-
tole each Of Preciie definition, Is al Abandonment
Of the principle Of the Mrfage fccondly, That II
would be only partial cure for the mich efs IN
cident 10 that rigorous principle. L might hap pea
that me oadneis OF tue roads would niure the wag
CONS OF the army more than was anticipated, aud
10 much more as TO xhaul the ipeciic fund approp:
rated fot their repairs; chr ALTO have happened
iton various caaes that at earlier period Of The
campaign, the conlumpton Of forage had been lefs
than was calculated, 70 that there was ilrplus
OF 'ne Tund defined for this objeG At 10 iuch
cafe inc pubic agent could not transfer that fur
Pius TO tbs rePairo Of the wagons here in ike
nahneI, the motions Of the army might be falpen-
dso, and IN the event famine ADD ruin produced.
ms &caiyis might be purified, 70 as TO prcee
that hmuar evis are infeperable, from a much
Inore qualified application of the principle in the
Mch4ge, ADD ~ "a demoniErate that nothing more
can fsteiy or rrafonaby Be attempted than ID dir
uiOute 1h1 PuoAc eXP-nccs, into certain nun51r
q convenient iub-dlvifOos cr Departments to re-
quirc from The proper officers. climates Of The Il
tens, winch are TO compoie each he AZ Of expencs
and after examining tSeis with due care, to adopt
the appropriations of the relpsIFive agere-
gates applying fpeeiGc fun 10 the anlon1t
q each great fu5liv6on The paw Of the army
MJtars torcsi qrarter- mater Geres &c. az.
! MS with even more detail than could well NV
executed, has been uniformly done, under the naff
administrations Of the prefent government. from
ths very b-ginning of its Proccedings More viii n
ms experiment. be found impracticable and iuia.i-
Gus Especially IN iealons aud IN i,uatioos. tybso
ihe public fervice demands activity and sxe,,,oa.
ia IKE manner, the former practice the royero
ment has correfponded with the rule. taLsn ! j,
true and -It trafr, u + d4aowiug Iii aDolicst,nq
of noary, VARYING from the appropriation III obrtf.
or tFanicending il il amount n n fs hconfa-rfr9
believed that who5ver hal alieiEe ~ inRnnAtr I'm
Fth contrary, may b. ch<l,rget 10 pJisi uyt