Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-16
OF The
UNITED ST a T E S.
HOUSE OF RfPREsENrATlvEs.
. MAY I, 1907.

Debate on IKE moti5n to refOmmi The r.
Sast eftSe Csmmttee at Iavsfgation.
Mr.. GKIswoLD. Notwithstanding the
late period of the FELTON,, Feel it nay du-
fy to call the attention ofthe houie, to a
iubjetfof fome Importance, and which has
not, during the felton, met with any par
sicular confederation. That fubjeet is, the
report of the ielef committee, who were
appointed TO inyeaigate, !" whether mo-
nies drawn from the treaiury have been
applied to the objects for which they were
appropriated"
ihould conGder myielf inexc0fable for
introducing this iubjeet at the prelent time
when the felton, is to cont nue. only one
day longer, and the ufaal hour of adjourn
ment has nearly, arrived, if it had been poi
lble to have called it up at anearlier hour;
but il is well known, that although the
committee were appointed at very early
period OF the FELTON,, that they made their
report only the day before yeaerdsy, and
it has appeared on our tables in a iituati-
on to be examined for the hrf time this
morning.
1t may perhaps be enquired, that being
member of the committee, if it was my
intention TO bring The report under oifcuf-
fon, it would hase been my duty to have
iubmitted iome motion to the houie, as
doon as the report was frR read at the
CLERKS table; bur if it had been pofible
for me TO have fubmitted motion, it is
obvious from the length Of the report, and
The details which it contains, that it would
have been impoGble for gentlemen to have
underitood the fuojed WITHOUT having the
report in fome ihape before them. But
the fact really is, that altho' a member of
the committee, have known little more
about the report, than any other member
of the houie.
The court. which this huGneis took in
the committee, it may be nece!lary in a
very concife manner to explain. The
whole committee attended the inveitigati-
ons at the executive Offices, but the minor
ity had no knowledge Of Il e intentions Of
the majority, and for one / declare, that
although l attended the committee very
regularly, in their public invefigations,
yet did not receive the tGnallef hint Of
the intention Of the majority-what re-
port they intended to make, .or whether
any, during the prefent feilion, Suntil two
days before the report was made TO the
houie; on which day, the committee were
called together, an hour before the meet
ing of the houie, to agree upon report
!: When we met, The report was preiented
70 US, already drawn up in its present lhape
and we were requeaed to hear it read, to
make our objections or to give our appro
bation. This was certainly an mutual,
and very hort mode OF making report
upon fubjett which mad been deemed fuf-
6ciently important TO engage the attentl-
onofthe committee ior nearly FIVE months,
We accordingly had the report read, and
although it was impollible from this hafs
examination, TO go into much detail, yer
Jingle reading was fafhcient TO enable US
TO difcoyer that the report was effectively
erroneous. Some of the errors were men,
. toned, and Tor reafons which will not
take up the time OF the houfe at this time
10 detail, the iubjett was poRponed until
the next morning, although the majority
had defgned tomake their report on that
day. In the mean time, the minority re-
quoted copies of the report, that they
might deliberately examine every part o,
il, and compare il with their recollection
offaAs. Theieeopies it was agreed lhould
be furniihed, bur in cobiequence Il pre-.
fume) of the length Of tn, report, they
wsre not procured, and the minority had