Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-21
c O N G R E S S.
OF THE
u NIT ED S t A { E S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
May 1, 1902.
: Debate on tie motion to reeommit The re-
part eftbe Committee Of Iavsasgatian.
M. NICHOLSON had verylittle inalina-
tion at this time, TO enter into an exPlana-
tion Of this iubjea, which had been 70
mlfnnderfood by the gentleman juf up,
on account of indifpohtion, nor was ne
very anxiouly oppofed TO the recommit-
ment, but he could preceive not ihadow
of reafonswhy the report ihould be recon-
mitted.
The gentleman had grounded his mo-
fion upon the opinion, that all the neceiia-
ry facts had nor been ftated. II was, to
be fure, a very late period of the feflion
and the difcuflion would therefore confume
mott precious time; but notwithstanding
that, if it fhould appear that any material
facts had been fuppreded, there would be
ground for recommitting the report. He
ihoald therefore think il necehary to tef
the grounds advanced, toproye the neceih
ty of the recommitment.
FRI. 1t was firt ftated in favor OF the
motion, that the expence attending the
removal ofthe government was duly au-
thorifed expence, becauie il had been
paned by the accounting officers OF the.
treafury. But the real quefion is, were
thole accounting officers authorized to pats
the account In the examination Of this
queaion, the committee referred TO the at
of %, Sect. 6, in which are. thefe words,
And all Offices attached tos the faid
feat Of government ihall accordingly be bG Re-
moved thereunto (Wahingto,nalh4i;;oan which
reflective holders :. a w,s wh,t ey,ences
oecuplea tue attended TO cover. In recur-
t.l.s Is the documents, the committee found
that II, 900 dollars and odd was paid for.
removing the furniture of the Offices, &c.
This the committee did notthink an un-
authorized exPenie, .becaufe the law en-
powered it. The books, furniture, re-
cords, papers, Sc. Of the officers of the
PRECEDENT, they thought the law authorized
the removal Of, but the committee could
Gee no authority for paying $4,000 dolls.
for the removal of the heads of depart
snents, their furniture, their clerks and
their families and furniture they could
fee no reafon, for paying to the clerks,
&c. for their broken glafs and China, their
tavern expenfss; and what is called their
dead houle rent in Philadelphia. The
committee faw no reafon, for iaying thefe
accounts were padsd at the Offices of the
accounting officers, .beeaufe it mutt be
we'll known, that no account, could be
paid unril is had been 70 raded. The
oaly qucaion which occupied the CON-
Initsee was to enquire whether the money
80 paid was duly authorized. Whether,
for inaance one officer breaking a looking
glafs---a another piece of China sc.
Another receive his houie rent-Another
gets his expences paid to come here to look
after houie, and his tavern expenees
while here--were the expences within the
meaning of the law above quoted. Fats
of theie kind, appearing to the view of
the committee, they were bound to ex-
pfefs an opinion upon them, for they did
not think the accounts were legally pai1-
ed. The law merely authorized the ne
cefarly expenee for removing the public
offices it did not authorize the fecreiary
Of the treafury 80 be paid FIVE hundred
dollars for the removal of his family and
furniture, nor the fecretary Of war feven
hundred dollars Several Others alto re-
ceiyed as much as 500 dollars, and
! thence, from tie heads ofthe departments,
! down TO the CLERKS to 50 dollars. The
: committee did not mean to implicate the
characters ofthefe gentlemen. for receiving
the public money, but they confder it
their duty to fii{cloc. (,Qe .,a1 ~ 40