Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-27
G 0 N G r E S S.
OF THE
y N | I ED S L a T. E S,
May, 1902.
DEBATE ex tie motiSn to rsc0mni The re-,
part of'.be committee Ct InvsRigatiou.'
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

iSAhi AoSEs
DEBATE ex tie u9tisn to rscomnit The re-,
part ef.be committee Ct Irvsaigatiou.'
mr.. B4yara'i/peefb rentirucl.J
This Enquiry, however, was aever
made by the committee. They never
aiked the queaion whether it was cheaper
to buy or TO rent, and they have ccndem-
ned the fecretary for buying and not rent
ing, when he had no more authority to
rent, than to buy and when by buying hs
has probably favcd to the United States,
ieveral hundred ,houfand dollars. The
Gtuation Of this officer is peculiarly hard.
Having been directed to build a number Of
lhips tor the public, he has purchaled ma.
Wy yards for the purpofe, and in confequence
has fabjeeted himfelfto the acculation ofex-
pending public money without authority.
If he had 'rented land for the purrofe, he
would have been equally liable % the fame
reproach, and il he had neglected TO do Ell
Their. he would have been expoied to al.
impeachment. The fecretary has it fully
in bis po~er to thew, that his purchafcs
will fave large fun of money TO the u
nited States. A navy yard for feventy
four caun.t be prepared wishcut great ex.
pence. Under this head, I am informed
by the fccrerary, that one hundred thou
fand dollars, were expended on one frigate
the CanRel!ailon. This was occaioned
n agreat degree By ieating the yard. 1T
TIE expiration of the leafe, the public ole
t,e benefit Of all their expence npreparirg
and improving the ground.
In addition to the inference which the
iecre,ary might fairly make, of an autho-
ri,y TO purchafe grounds for the navy
yards, if purchafe could be made on
cheaper terms, than con:iaa Of leaie, he
rad further to conGder the intention plain
= unaffected by the Legislature, Of eltab-
llAhing frAem, which would require the
uf OF thief. navy yards a; a future time,
beyond the duration ct any common leale.
Nay he knew not, what time was TO be
confirmed in building the fhips directed,
ard Of courfe, could not know for what
Term contract could be made, At pre-
fcut if the government lhou:d DC dif pofed
70 fell the lhips on the hocks, they have
rhe fame power to fell the navy yayds, and
they will have the tame power when the
ih:ps are launched, and they may thus con.
vert in effect the permanent Purchafe into
a term for years, and reac,e to the trca-
fury, the money which has been expended.
But, fir, what l con6der as the harde:t
act on the part Of the majority Of the
committee, was their reIufal TO fuffer the
anfwer of the lecretary, to tie letter we
addreAed to him, explaining the grounds
If his conduit, to accompany the docu-
nents annexed to the rcport. We hsve
been told by tie gentleman from Mary
land (Mr. Ncholion) that it was not the
buinefs of the committee to report the o.
pinions of the fecre,ary OF of any other in.
dividual. If this be corrett, / believe it
was as little the buGnefs Of tie committee
to report their own opinions. They
lhou!d have confined thaEfcives to the
Ratement of facts, and upon thofe fats
have left the hou(e, and the nation at large,
to form their own opinions. If this couIle
had been purified there would have been
little location to publiih the resfoning of
Mr.. Stodder,, but as the opinion Of the
committee, is merely their inference from
certain premiies, it was due to the public,
as we'll as TO the iecretsry, that the ground
lhould be explained which had led him to
differen. concIufon, from that adopted by
the committee. This report feems at pre-
fent, Intended only for pubic information.
The letter of Mr.. Stodder., throws great
.ligh, upon part Of it, and when our OBJ
ice, is only to inform the people on a fub-
Jet, why fhould we refuls any light,
which places it more clearly before their
eye'. - -