Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1802-05-17
TO THE PUBLIC.

uleht VIII oett explain. majority of this committee
after confirming nearly FIVE months in euauirnp into
the frauds altdged have been comm ted bv form
er admnistration have length Ar the cofe Of the
eion' made report, when il is too late 10 vindcae
IN debate on sbe floor OF congreis the far fame o.
men, vino have performed pertorious ervces for their
country from the foul aiperons contained in the re-
port.
From the chairman Of this committee, I received
letter az 80 clock the z7fh of April dated that dav
detlring 10 know by what authority fix navy wards
had been Purchated wheI was fecretary Of The navy
and ohieTvne that my anfwer NUT be in writing and
mum De delivered 20 him bv o'clock the next morn
ing and The committee would report ia the coutfe of
the day-The iIbjeef vas familiar 10 memo time
! ior dehbeTauon was neccharY--i aniwered him the
lame evening but as Il would be lweihnp TO an IN
| reaiona5ie length newspaper addreis TO inIsrt my
ani"er here ! omR a. concerning myleIf With the fn
gle obiervaton, that doubted the explanation il
contained was iuHieent fa isly gentlemen cf c7ndio
minds, and converiant with public affairs thar not
ahnRie navy yard had been purchaled Jingle
milling OF money expended their Improvement,
without full and ample legal au horty
This letter produced effect on the majority OF
the committees had been previouly determined thar
the purohaie of navy yare fhovld all be con-
demnedr and urged in vain by gentlemen on the
committee who concurted not with the majority, and
Whole utmof ahhorrence coaid nor fail to be excited
by the conduct Of that majority, that the fboud
leaH be fufSred TO accompany the report 70 con
tiou-Bu this would have been fair proceeding and II
iued no. the views Of the majority, thar the potion
i was their putpoie TO ihhll in;o rhe public mind
ihouid be ATTENDED BY is andote and the letter
iuPpreiied. From this inflafTe -of the uncandid
oOurle of the majority Of this committee III relation 10
pcrlOn tho lpot antwer them a Jun climate
may be made Of the Treatment which former fcrvants
Of the public, ablcu ard difance from the feat
Of government, have experienced At their hands.
Fortunately for the free citizens OF the Unifed States
not condemnatiun-- NOT even proof of euit No per.
ion ameuts than DO, the too great probability
that tuch reports viii loon ofe the power Of creating
even the ghte9t fuipcion Of gn il the perons they
fhali accufe.
As far their power extended, the majority Of his
committee, have gone, 70 rob me Of that, which IS
dearer than fortune or fe-rcputatonn reward for
having AZ eris porentous and alarming to the negea
ana infinite injury ofmy private concerns devoted md
yea ouiy, hlsl portion Of my life the public fer
v'ce.--From Their unJult deciicn, | make my appeal
70 tribunal where truth will be heard and will not be
iupprefed; and where reaion and juNice viii prevail
Before the tribunal Of che public as fure Of an &C.
qa'ttai the mott complete and the mott honorable be-
csue my conduit has been right as | am, that the
men, who, 70 indulge party ranconr, have dared
cute me, val quickly tnd HAT public 6euhon is rapid
IN the decline. Il for theie men 10 reject On the
ctim2ton 10 winch their prelent conduct wi be held
when this deution fha.l have palIed entirely away
but y y time 20 attend to the report OF the MAORI
tY OF the committee with their realons for unquali-
hed condemnation Of the late lecretAry Of the navy.
After quoting the ACT, directing tx "a gun ihps
be huilt within the United States and rot 20 be built
or 9yebglsd they win to have The act uudcr0ood
and S'so other acts, which had no more connection
With The building Of ihips, than OF houes-ons Of them
authorizing two docks be erected for the purpole
rxprefed IN the act, Of repairing liips meaning
docks, INTO which flps migIr enter without Unloading
and be let dry At the fall OF he tide after the
ihoud be pumped Out, and be repaired without the eK.
pentve oPe atom OF heaving down, things totally diff
iImaT from bui ding yards. And the other autborif-
ing pGrchaic OF umoer for the ue Of TX "a gun
ihips as theis gentlemen certainly meant imply IT
they undertood their meaning but, as expressly
haed the ae ef 70 be preierved for the future ue
Of he navy, Gall The acts pahed 10 Fc5. g2)-T
fay after quoting thee, fevera acts, thec gent
proceed, Under this authority only (meanine the
three asl the then ecretsry Of the navy, expended
the fun OF 35,S46 dollars an the Purchsfe II FIX
Wy yards. For this expenditure the commute con
ceive that authority gi5a b. tarO any as3,q8ri
alton made except for the docks above mentioned
the fun of 100000 Of dollars, appropriated
by the act Of 80 for building fsreb5f7g the th ps
ony--and the fun Of two hundred Ihoufand dollars
for the purrhele Of timber, as public fhps Of war
had been before built under fmilar authority for the
ufe Of the United States, at private yards and as
congrc did, the fame time that they authorized the
building pny1BgEzg the ps provide for the cree
ton OF two docks only, the committee are Ct opinion
that Tour OF Inc navy yards, were Rsb5fsd TvEfbs2
afbori.y Gsa ibe money @yaRPGsd 4Sbbb paid fsy
| them
The then fecretary Of the navy informs thelc faga-
cious gentlemen, the majority OF h. committee, that
never contended imagined, that the acts for
procuring timber for future ule and for erect ng docks
conferred any power TO buy even 70 hire building
| yards or as they frequently called, navy
| yards--the whole power to buy iuch yards
muucated sy the Jingle act, directing that fix "a gun
nps lhouId be built within the United States built
0, snrebsci they reprclent the actIf this act did
confer the power purchsie the yards, then the
purchafe was made without the authority Of law
and the report Of the majority Of the committee, tho
malignant is correct.
The fhort queion hen before the public is did this
| at copfer rhe power to pureh afe yards
| will not labor TO eltabliih felt evident petition
+ there man Of common reafon in the United States
who will believe that act Of congrefs directing
thing to be done by the executive and appropriating
money for doing il, does not confer on the
full and ample legal authority, only TO do the hing
4 felf, bat 70 do every thing incidental to livery
/ thing without which the thing directed by the act
| cou not be performed In the pracnt inaance,
aa had passed, dneetinE that "a gVh IhPs ihoud Ne