Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-11-24

: ana WIlU0E hearts lie Hc&
: sures which had been taken were as tar a
t respected violation of the constitutio
: and laws certainly efficient, but in rela
/ ton to defence next to nothing. We wer
nearly in the same state of preparation nov
, as two years ago when the non-importatioi
law, that hanccea of political empyrioism
} came into vogue. So late as the last ses
sion of Congress, the House had been told
lby a gentleman from Massachusetts no
now in his place, that this law had already
done wonders-that until it had passed
lGreat-Britian would not listen to any pro
position from our ministers, but no sooner
was it enacted than her ears were opened
and a disposition manifested to grant our
demands. But a regular course of this
nostrum had ended, as all tquackery WAS
sure to do, in an aggravstion of the disease.
The gentleman from Maryland had said
something which he could not distinctly
hear, concerning the Spanish minister. -
! He hoped the gentleman did not consider
hm as an apologist of Spain or her minis
ter. He had warned the House two years
ago of the consequences of trucking to
iSpain, of the inev table effect o. such mean
submissions on the conduct of other nations
towards us. What then was prophecy IS
now history.
| ~ rear ldll OGGn eAiIGSsCNl tlt1l II 4 TcluC-
! tant assent were given to thisbill we should
disappoint the no es of the people. Mr. K.
said he did give a reluctant assent. Re
cause it was measure OF defence No,
because il was half measure, u mere
lmake-helieve, a tub to the political whale,
something like the famous act for raising
volunteers which had caused such coniu-
| sion in our militia system, that in fact II
could not be executed-because more espe-
cially the expense had been Illegally IN
Cured. But he would be the last TO give
a reluctant assent to vigorous and effCiemt
measures originated in a constitutional way,
which might be deemed essential to the na-
! tionaldefence, or to tue vindication OF the
national honor. If instead of waiting the
slow return of the Revenge, Congress had
been assembled immediately on The attack
of the Chesapeake, to provide for the COM
mon defence, he would have gwen his
warmest assent TO any measures that could
have been devised for retrieving the ma
tional honor. For il any thing was worth
going TO war for it was nations honor,
since II is inseparable from a nations safe
! y.
| Mr. Quincy deemed it his duty to assign
mis- reasons for the vote he was about 10
| give. The House would reeollect, that in
place Yesterday, this bill containing so ma
ny appropriations; and coming before the
House under such peculiar circumstances,
| & a motion being made for the committee
to rise, hehad assumed the parliamentary
right of asking Of tue organ of the House,
| few questions, IN order TO ascertain the
particular objects OF these appropriations
whether the amount of appropriations in
! the bill covered the whole extent of mill
tary stores mentioned in the Presidents
message, as having been pu' chased, and
whether thcv extended over all the exren-
ditures which had been made lie lad
| conceived that all the questions he had as
lked, were relevant to the subject, aud
such as he had right to ask: he had ex-
pressed 40 disapprobation ofthe approprla-
ticn or the expenditure which produced it,
but merely asked for information. There
was no gentleman of the committee of
Ways and Means who pretended to lila
inmate the subject; on the contrary, not 1.
collateral remark had been made. 1t had
been said that he wished to overthrow the
; bill. Being placed in this situation, he
deemed it his duty 10 add a few reira k
, to shew what were the rea! objects Of his
enquiries.
He laid down as principle, and he cal
was particular case on our records IN
precented a he believed. The gentleman
from Virginia had anticipated his ideas OF
the subject that, though under former
. appropriations there had been missp-
= preparations, there had been no instance III
, which there was not previous appropri.
: alton. This was a new case leading
case, for which there was no precedent
lie wished TO know its particular CirCum-
, stances, how the Saith and honor Of the ma
E ton was pledged, sud how it had been done !
!, He thought he had right to ask this.
!. lie made the enquiry for another reason
in all cases under the former adnin5tra-
;ioh, although misappropriations had been
made, the whole procedure had been avow-
\ ed always appeared on the records, from
reports OF the committees, or from some
Representation 70 the House. As an cVi-
/ dence Of this MIR Q. referred to a reporl
Of committee made on the ed Of May.
: 1874; in which the committee expressly
[ said
"It has occasionally happened, that the
omission or delay Of appropriations by Law
h renders il impossible 90 satisfy, in regular
course, demands upon the treasury, which
c have been Incurred pursuant 10 law, and
- the satisfying Of which is essential tC
Q the public service.
= "In such cases, the course has been fof
e the Secretary Of the Treasury 70 request
= informal advances by the banks TO the per.
B., sons TO whom the payments are 60 be made
b to be reimbursed when provision is made
s-T. d.. IL