The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-11-27
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
TUESDAY, November 10.
Dcbsfe on fhe Bin making firfbtr appropriation
fer toe Gapeor1 ofthe Navy.
CONTINUED.


fer Toe (apto'f oftbe May.
CONTINUED.
MIR. ou;ney deemed it his duty to aifigu his
Seaions for the vot. he was abont to give. The
Uou(e would reco'ett, thar i'm the courfe of
proceeding which had taken place yeiterday,
this bin containing 70 many appropriations,
and coming before the Houle under fich pecn-
liar Giro mfances, and a motion being made
for the committee 10 rife, he had affirmed the
parliamentary right of afting of the organ of the
Houie, few quefons, in order to afcertain the
particular objects of thefe appropriations
whether the amount of appropriations in the
bill covered the whole extent Of military itores
mentioned in the Pie ESent's mefiage, as hay,n,
been purcha!ed, and whether they extended
over all the expenditures which had been made
He had conceived that all the ouefions he had
atiSed, were relevant to the futleH, and fuch
as he had right TO ak he had exp-eGred no
INTERPRETATION of the appropriation or the ex-
Penditurc which produced it, butmersIy afked
tor information. There was no gentleman of
the committee of Ways and Means who pre-
tended TO illuminate the fuhietl: on the con.
frary, not collateral remark had been made.
1t had been faid that he wiihed TO overthrow
the bill. Being placed in this Gtuation, he
deemed it HE duty 10 add few remarks 70 thew
what were the real objects of his enquiries.
He laid it down as principle, and he called
On gentlemen to contradict it, that this was a
particular cafe on our records; unprecedented as
he believed. The gentleman from Virginia had
anticipated his ideas on the fubicSf that
though under former appropriations there had
been INTERPRETATIONS there had been no in
Rance in which there was not a previous an
preparation. This was a new cafe a leading
cafe, tor which there was no precedent. He
wiihed TO know its particular circumstances.
how the faith and honor of the nation wa
pledged, and how it had been done? He tho't
he had right TO ai& this. He made the enquiry
for another reaion in all cafes under the for
mer administration, although mifapPropriati-
nns had been made, the whole procedure had
beenavowed; II always appeared on therecords.
from reports Of the committees, or from fomr
representation to the Honre. AS an evidence
OF tins Mr.. 9. referred to a report of a com
mttec made on the 22d OF Nav, 1894 in which
the committee expressly faid
f' 1t has occafonally ha, pened, that the O.
million or delay of appropriations by law ren-
ders it impof,ibe to fatisfv, in regular courGr.
demands upon the Treaiury, which have been
incurred Purtuant TO law, and the fatisfyine ot
which is eiientia' to the public fervicc.
-" in iuch cafes, the cour(e has been for the
Secretary ot the Treatury to requef inform, al
adeances by the banks to the pertons TO whom
the payments are to be made, to be reimburfcd
when proviGon is made by law. The account
or iuch advances diftinct from that Of the
Ireaiurer, and the advances are reimburfcd.
when proViiion is made by law, by warrants up
on the Treafurer.'
If that Administration were now in nouar
and the principles now prevailing, which were
then JuitIhed, he would have given them his
tanction, becaute the courfe was obvious. But
IN the report OF the committee of invetigatiou
made to the Houfe in 1902, this proceeding had
been declared irregular and the Secretary o,
the navy in his letter to that committee. had
expressly made representations of varioas err.
rors IN the treaiury department, in applications
of money. This being the cafe, was il rot nro.
per that the Houte fhould underaand the mode
in which this had been done Whether AM
money had been drawn out the treafi,rv. an
how got at ! Mr.. o. had meant to caft no in,
putation on the bill. There were two thin.
10 he conhdered one, the correctness of tba
end, the other the correctness of the means 20
that end. He believed it had been proDer. ~
der all circumstances for the executive TO taks
meafnres for providing thofe means but did il
follow that the Houie fhould authorize them
without information on the fubjett They
fhou'd know the particulars they fhouId an,
for them. Did the Houfe know anv thing j..
bout it! No. The gentleman from Maryland
who had jutt fpoke had lated that no MONEY
had been actually paid and yet the Secretary
of the Navy ltates explicitly " We have conf.
Quently PlTrba/ed all that has been offered for
fale at reaionable price," What pavn,ent
had been made for the purchale he lhouid ike
10 know.
Mr.. .. faid he had no objection to the ob;e,s
of the hill but whed TO be enabled IN s;ye
his full and perfect appreciation to the meatf,re
At preftni he could only give half wav a(I,nt :.
bot could not lag III; whole courfr had bren
correct. If Any reflection were cant ON this oc-
cation, il fhouid I've on the committee wi, b,d
reported the hill.
Mr.. IT. AIfoa faid, the queition was ~ lac nm.
derftood it, whether the Houfs wou.d p,f. =,
Jaw for defray'ng the extraordinary eyo,nc,s
which had been incurred in confeouencr of Ger.
tain events. To him the dhcufion which had
taken place was the mon extraordinary which
he had ever wi'pefled. Inaead of comno for.
ward aud oppCfiing this meafre, gentle msn
employ themieIves in jufIfyng their copdntf on
former occalions, and abufinY the adniniflr,,i.
on. IL they with to arraign the executive or
any of its acts, let them come forward in man.
Iy manner, and lay refolution on the table for
the purpofe and not arragn their conduq
while they fanction the neafure This was the
proper way, and if he were Duplicated with the
administration it was the courfe which he would
purfue. Wasi fair for gentlemen who apDrov.
ed its conduct, to propofe meafllres which
would cait ceniure upon every fep which had
been taken He thought not
The gentleman who had Jun fet down, had
faid, that he wihed no couceanent, ne wanted
information. Surely that gentleman had mo,
road he Ultimate from the -