Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-04-12
CONGRESS
OF THE UNITED SITES.

CF {1A fOAll III o1 ~ LS.
House. OF REPRESENTATIVE.
Wednelaay March 2.
DEBATE,
Upon Mr.. Grifwold's retaliation. to insti.
sutc an invefigation of the report
of the .commiiIioners Of the Sinking
Fund.
(Corff.aed.
Mr.. S. Smith faid there was nothing
in which gentlemen would be more ire
quently or groisly miitaken, than in TAX
ing up accounts of the nature OF thoie be-
fore the houfe, and attempting hafily TO
Judge on them. 1t is to be regretted
that this enqairy was not earlier brought
fcrwafd, when it might have refuised IN
tar deciGon, drawn from full view
Of she fabieef. But when at 10 late an
hour, the gentleman has feen fit TO bring
forward his motion, and when the dccu-
ments on which We decide are packed up
in our trunks, twill rot be extraordinary
tba, am unable follow. But for one or
,wo remarks Of TIE gentleman Ilhorld not
have thought ii neceaary TO make the
leaf reply. Ny only aaonilhment is tkat
the gentleman from Virginia MIR. Ran
doleh| and nv colleague tMr. Ncholfonl
have bsen aale Of hand 10 anfwer 70 efec-
,ualiy the objections that have been
RATED.
The gentleman fAys, the commidloners
ouch, not 70 have given in an climate,
when they could have itated the Precise
fums ditburfed. s. far as they could fur
NH festement Of pTeciie fums they have
done it. But in lome cafes they could
not, as the thing was impoiiihls. The
commifioners fay, that beides the a.
aforementioned acknowledgements and pay
ments, there remained at the c!oic Of the
year 1902, excluayely Of the amount Of
fundfy projected bills Gill ousaandirg and
of unexpendcd balances in tbe hands Of
agents, an unapplied balance, eaiinated
AT 5,oi4, 500 guilders, applicable, &c.
Ifthey bad fad eaimatsd at dollars, The
Objection might hold, but they lay gull
ders. Theft are p0rchafed in bills OF ex-
change on Amfe:dam, and 70 far they are
explicit or bills are bought on London
In ferling money, and the proceeds Of
thofe bills are TO be laid OCT in the pur,
chafe of bills on Amifeydam, which are IL
guiidefs, and which can only be fated by
effimate. This part Of the huhnefs then,
can only be entertained by calculation !;
and where is the injury AT the next ief
iion, what is now an climate Will be a
precife itaiemen,. So much for this OBJ
lection. The commii1ioners were not.
competent TO furniih any other than eff
mate.
The gensleman further oblerves that
the narnes Of thcie 70 whom bits have bee
fold ought 10 have beer brought forward,
10 enable gentlemen 20 determine whether
In thefe iraniattions there has nor been
iome fayorisifp. But at chs time, this
would be highly improper. The fl time
will come at the next FELTON, of Con-
grefs.
The gentleman has taken a retrofpec-
tive view of the paymenrs made BY the
eoyplriGieners OF The fuking fund reject
log the foreign debr. To remit the initial
meats, as they became due, has always
been attended with great difficulty. Mr..
Wolcott, a, former fecretary ef,hc trea-
furv, found il, in his time, extremely
difficult 70 remit money TO Amttsrdau.
He did me the honor TO convefle with me
on the fubjctt. ! pointed OUT mode
which he adopted. lie was able 10 bu
bills on London, bur not on Ami}erdam
but to have do.e THIS would have been a
loiing game. The merchants broogh. 70
him cargo which, it was efsma:ea wonld