Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-02-09
CONCLUDED.

every gentleman who has spoken on this
subject that it is one, on which every mem
Der has made up his mind. But as gentle
men have in discussing it, gone into other
questions, and have misrepresehted what
has fallen from the friends of the lill, [
must beg the attentionof the House fora
few minutes.
The gentleman from Connecticut Mr,
Goddard has stated-and hope the chair,
and not the gentleman will correct me IN
case I naisfePresent what has fallen from
him-for am permitted to SAY that the
manner ii which you, sir, have uniform
ly executed its duties give an ample pledge
that I shalibe corrected fl do nisreprc-
sent hiin--7the gentleman has stated that
the amendment, introduced into the bill, is
contradicted BY fact. The first section Of
the bill is in these words:
g That from and after the md Of the
present year, the following annual conpen.
sationS and no Other, be, and they are
hereby granted to the officers lerein emu
meratcd, respectively, that IS to say, SC"
The whole question then IS whether the
same salaries are established by this bill as
were established by that act. The act has
been repeatedly read, or | should call on
the clerk to read it now to prove that the
compensations allowed by it are precisely
those of the bill under consideration. But,
saYsthe gentleman, these salaries were not
esta6lished by that act, because it was Il
mited to a term Of years. The gentleman
m.y give the word established" any
meaning he pleases; but it is not for him-
to make this House give it a meaning which
they are persuaded it does not bear. Let
me ask him if the phrase z" established for
two years. may not be used with strict
propriety? Has he never heard of temporal
ny and permanent cstablishments-of war
and peace establishments-and is there not
an almost annual Auctuation in their extent
and amount? | desire then to know whe-
Their it becomes him, under these circum-
stances, to declare that the amendment a.
dopted by this house Ito use his ewn words)
purports that to be a fact which is not a
fact.
The same gentleman has undertaken to
shew that in the observations which | of
fered on Friday on this subject, | endea-
vored TO prove that abuses existed in other
departments, and that those abuses ought
to sanctify these. On this occacion, beg
leave to call the attention Of the House to
| the fact, and [ have no hesitation to say
that the fact is not so: If did say what
the gentleman represents, beg the COR
| e al. Il. +l,o+ Al
treasury department, the expenses were e.
| quail to 70, 900 dollars, and that Of this sum
| the salaries did not amountto $4,000 dolls.
that lift was the object Of the House to eff
/ feet areform, they ought to take up the
departments themselves, and not to strike
barely at the salary Of the principals, ire
peat it. If gentlemen mean reform, let
them reform the department itself. But
! let us not gain less than ten thousand dol
lars, by only striking at the salaries Of a
few officers, whose responsibility and capa-
city entitle them 10 supcrlorcompensaho
! did state, not that these departments, bat
those of the military and marine were the
great sinks of the treasure of every ration.
What does the gentleman make me say !?
Why that our own departments Of the MI
Etary and marine are great sinks. Sir, |
stated no such thing; | believe no such
thing. By making particular a general as
sertion my meaning has been totally per-
verified. | can scarcely conceive how any
military or naval force can be maintained
for less cost than our own. Although am
ready to repeat that such establishments are
the sinks of national treasure. The asser-
ton Is sustainedby the expence which ne
!: pay even for our small army and navy.
will again call the attention Of the
House to the estimates laid on our tables.
The expences Of the department Of state,
eycl,ci.za &c tl,,c1a - fo...::e..,