Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-05-15


By the fecresary Of the treafury on the I'd
/ Of March, ana more particularly for the
contribution given to the annual approPrla-
tons for The fupport Of the navy and ar
my respectively, they refer 70 a report
made by the late (ecretary ofthe treatufy
on the day OF May, one thou
lfand ieven hundred and ninety-iix, to the
Fcousmittec Of ways and means. From
both Of tlleie itappears that the appropri-
ations for the army and navy respectively,
! have been conGdered as continuing bur
one general fund for each of theie Objects,
although in mott of the laws making ap-
preparations variety Of heads Of expen-
diture were diain6fly fpeci6ed. II the
general contradictions, correct, it may per.
haps he iaid that in mott initances monies
have been dva1V1 from the treaiury In the
manner prelcribed by law. Some irregu,
larities are iated to have occurred, where
monies have been advanced upon the fin.
pie application of the fecyesary of the trca-
fury by letter, without the formality of a
warrant, and fometimes even without
previous appropriation, but IN thefe cafes
the irregularity has been Afterwards CO.
yered by fubfequent warrants and appro-
priations, and the committee do not diff
cover that it has beenprodutflve OF any
injurious consequences to the United States.
The fccretary of the treafnry, in his CON-
.nunication IF the iecond of March, hav-
lag expreiIed doubt whether the monies
advanced on account of the removal of the
feat of government from Philadelphia to
Warrington had been authorized by any
previous law, the committee dlfeeed
their attention to that Object, and row Of
fer the refult.
The law eilabli(hing the permanent and
temporary feat OF government (pdaed on
the roth Of June, in the year leventeen
hundred and ninety,) provided, thar
all offices attached to the feat OF govern
ment Ghould be removed to this aitritt on
the hrit day Of December, in the year one
thouiand eight hundred, BY their refpec-
tive holders,'' and declared that the necel-
fairy expence of fuch removal lhould be
defra}ed our Of the duties on impoit and
tonnage. This appropriation is indefinite
in its nature, and perhaps fonle contrarie-
ty of opinion may exit as to the extent
of the expence it was intended to cover
but the committee conceive that itritt
adherence to the letter of the law, would
conane the appropriation to the expences
astually incurred in removing the books,
papers, records and furniture Of the re-
ipettive Offices. From the document
(marked g. hereto annexed, it appears,
that the fun of Is,a9s dollars and -
cents were paid for the trani portation of
the books, papers, records and furniture
OF the feveral Offices, and the furniture of
the PRECEDENT and the fun of 3z,37a
dollars and "a cents for expences incurred
by the officers and clerks for the removal
of themGelves and families. In general
the vouchers produced in fupport of thefe
Taft mentioned expences, are the hated
accounts ard the declarations of the off,
GERS and clerks, TO whom the fame were
allowed. transcripts of the accounts of
the officers only are annexed, ,hofe of the !
clerks being too numerous TO &c detailed. |
From thefe accounts (Which are marked 2 |
1, to 2 II, inclu6ve) it will be feen that |
the charges conhf of travelling expences,
lallts on the fale Of articles thought too |
inccnvenient TO remove, packing, break |
age and transportation of furniture, houfe |
rent at Philadelphia, and extra expences
after their arrival at the city of Walhing- |
ton. As all the officers and clerks were, |
at the time, in the feryice and pay of the |
government, and received the full amount |
of their falaries, exclufyely ofthcfe extra !
ordinary allowances. and as the act OF