Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-19


purpoiss, at the d,fcretion Of the officers
entruled with thoie concerns: The MI.
noritys Of the committee therefore, urged,
to include this traniatf ion in the report, to-
gether with the lettersof the iekretary OF
the nayy5 but the reluef was aejeeted By:
! the majority.
/ sssWs believed that tie cafes were, pre-.
cifely dnilar in principle, and that if was
not conducted with impartiality 70 Include
the one without the ether and we
thought that when it was diicovered, that.
the prelent adrniniaration was committing
on principles preciiely dmilar to tbofe-oi
their predeceaors, it would greatly tend
TO larisfy all parties, that the conduct Of
the government had been correts. ] feel
no heGtation 10 declaring, that in my juds-
ment, the prefent administration were au-
thorifed TO erect the navy flores, although
/ believe, thar the power may be. better
vqueeioned, than it could be in the other
cafes, Thele navy flores I prefume are
ufefut, both for receiving the materials for
flip building and fecuring the flores Of.
the public lhiPs, laid up in ordinary, and
although not expressly authorized b, the
words Of the law, may very well becon-
fdered.ss proper appendage to a navy
yard, or as buildings rendered necefary in
the tiaifling Of The feyenty tours and as
tothe extent ofthe buildings, am eon-~
tenr to leave that point, to the department.
to whish it has been confded. Tie pro-
pfiety, however Of including this fate
ment in the. report, lI truft) will be appa-
rent TO the hcufe, and it will NOT, in this
place, be thought correct, to confne our
cliticifms, excluhrely to the paf admin
ftration. therefore urge this as a fur
ther reaion for recommirsing the report.
The committee have likewife mention
ed the payment Of about two hundred dol,
lars, to lome .perfons at George Town, on
account Of ahoufe, which had been hired
in that place, by Mr.. M Henry thelormer
lecretary Of WAR, If the committee be-
lieved it proper to trouble the houle with
this tr;aihg trahfati9p, they ought to have
itated every icircumGance which attended It,
and the Houie could then. decide, IF in
deed it was proper TO decide atall,l whe-
ther repayment was rightfuliy made or
not, Since the committee however have
not done this, beg leave to fate what l
have underaood to be the circumstances
under which this payment was made.
In the fpring of 1900 Whit the 60
vernment remained at Philadelphia, MIR.
MsHenry was lecreta,yat war, and being
obliged to prepare for removing his Office,
agreeable TO law, to the permanent feat of
government, he found it necefary TO en-
gage houfe in George Town in the Vi
cinity of thepublic buildings, for himlelf
and family. After This was done, and
without any previous notice, he was COM
PEELED to reign his Office by arequef from
the prefdent, which in fuch cafe may be
conGdered as command. The houfe of
courle became uielefs to him, and the per-
fen of whom he hired it, claimed either
rent or damages, and upon reference the
fun of about two hundred dollars was.
awarded. 1t is obvious from this fate
nent, that the expenfe was incurred by
Mr.. M'Henry, in confequence Of being
fecretary of war, that it was an extra ex-
pence, arifng entirely from the order, to
remove from Philadelphia to Warrington,
and that it was dead lois, produced by
thefe caufes, and for which Mr.. M'Henry
did not receive thebeneht of a cent. I'm
der fuch circumstances, it was decided
that government ought to pay the lois, and
if the committee had given US the facts, it
is highly probable that the houfe would
be of opinion that the deciGon was right.
Much has been faid by the committee,
refpeeting payment to Mr.. Tracy, for
his iervices and expenie, in WHITING the
Wefern Potts in the (umlner of 1900.
And here the committee have again in the
ufual manner, excluded from their report,