Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-11-27

less error to estimate timber for the repslirx
of vessels than o. 900 -. OF sht ~ iroil.--a
voted against the purchase Of tjn'i,cr Se
the last session, see DO rcascn 10 change
that vote, and viii therefore vote against
II now, as certainly SHAH on al &c c;tsion=,
lasainst any measure, unGer a!y o..CUns
stances which shall have iur ITS object am
increase OF the navy.
Mr.. EPPEs said lie did nos rise FOR the
purpose of entering into discussion Ok
! Questions not connected with the passnes.
OF the bill He thought it Important tina
public should correctly understand the
grounds on which this appropriation was
GATED for. That money ought not to bs
drawn iron the treasury unless previously
/ appropriated by law wsS a Sac;e t. ccustis
tuuonal pcinciple--a principe which ho
would always support and To secure which
he would go as tar rs any member OF the
House. He did not consider that on the
present occasion this principle SO sacred.
10 republicans had been vio.Ctsd--W kat
was the state OF facts on the present ucraz
sion! At time when the pubic peace
was violated, the executive on it's own res
possibility had authorised contracts for ar
ticleS oil the first necessity. Avt.clSS c..
semtiai i'll the event of war to support tha
honor and maintain the independence of
the nation. Among these art cies-thc WAS.
terals tor making gun-powier for whicls
there was pTcssii and urgent rccessi@
ty. The contracts Tor the materials for
powder and the contracts for timber were
not authorised by any existing law. Tue.
CRISIS was one which demanCv;. an imnieA
date supply OF such articles as Nyel deem~
ed essential Tor defence. Both the nateri4
ais for powder and the timber were cone
dered as absolutely necessary. The Ex-
ecutvc did not hesitate 10 assume tie res~
possibility which the emergency required
Contracts were authorised Tor ..itcits
deemed essential for the public safe IS, ard
on the meeting OF the National Legislatures
a communication made as to the course
pursued. He had stated ON q fUI u.er dey-
ais ideas fully as 10 the o.rcr articles ia
the appropriations, and how far they we've.
authorised by the existing laws. tie did
not consider il necessary az present 10 OK
anime the question wkcJher these articles
ought at once TO have been secured by ccr-
tract astcr the outrage ON the Chesapeais,
m the 22d OF June, or whether Congress
ought h.St to have Teen convened. The
Legislature when possessed o. al the cir~
cumstanCes which attended that TRANSACT
zion must decide, whether tie emergency
justified tine course pursued how far q
sound d. scre9.on has been INeIc.tltl III as~
sum.i.g This responsibility! And whether
tiiS q tsaSeincHts mus GhttrGu intC CIyhS
now s' be ccupie,ed?
A,rl4ovE sad he had no. inten ed 70 haVa
risen ia his subject, nor shousd liz then
nave been subjected to the embarrassment
he felt IN addressing the Speaker, was it
not for the Apprehension ne entertained,
that 1t might be supyo. ed by his cCnstitl-
ents that ne was influenced III the- vote nc
was about 60 give by the same Ieasohs
winch had been ctiefedby gentlemen, who
arguing against the passage o. tl.e bib, had
yet declared ihsiTuit.nho;e lntcutIOn 90 Ote
Tor it,
Ii,here IS any question in ,hs otbate,
IsaIa Mr. l.. It Is constilu,iotei one. The
arguments OF the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts (Nir Qripcy) md those Of me ryn-
ticman IRON Virginia MY lia0Goluh)
prove that TINS if ai,y S the ground OF op-
ipcalUon IN the ar,hciity introduced ani
Ilehcd On ~ thss- gent Ct Ell there was,
Iif he re, olIcCteuit right, (for i was SOME
June since he read the BOOK a discussion
| of Tie question aTis ng under tnat section
ot-Ihc Constitution, Wh.ch declares Ihat TO
money shall be drawn from the treasury,
bui IN cons qUence of appropriations made
lev law; HC c1uCurred with the lelt.emGu
From FiTsrIa IN the resi- ect y mich is cto
| to the opinions q thc Secretary Of the II en-
sury whose au.hofity is quoled and j..
4
| ing he has advanced appied TO tie Prov
sIous Of this bill, ! VOID rattle, incur all
! the risk which on TINS nr any future ocCa-
S on might be Ire consequence, Of refusing.
to give cur aid TO the Executive, when ~
HAD, on great emergency advanced it,
personal responsibility, thsn iend my voice
I'm support ~ measure ] deemed uucun-
stituucnah II the gen;leran who INTRO
duccd ih's ar hority nau ,e.,d 4 iittic iur-
ither back, l think it wUu'd lave been
found, tltat the FIRST case pUt jy inc writer
I'm Illustration OF the Constitutional l,tiHC,-
Iple, was that, where uruer a former adj
minsiratiOD, a sum OF money had teen ap-
lpropriated by law 20 tlc discharge oi the
principal Of some OF our foreign debts, and
| u was applied in discharge o. the interest.
It was certainly more advantageous 70
! the u. $. 70 discharge the principal tha1
the interest. But the gentleman trOtO
| Massachusetts (Mr Quwoy) nassaiJ tb1s
in all instances under lie iDlmcr admins
Itration, there was Il parti,0i~r object for
which money was appropriately yet We
4 find shat IN the case iGst mtngithcd, GllLo'
| the subject was Va. same, tie particular
object OF application was voryi jifeFeFt;
! 1T appears tome THAI a uiSuocsi stGrAing
Of tie terms differentiation uU,, tr;tfisnRo1I
among us, has rraductCt mqoh OF Size pre-
/ cent acI ell g, aVelbtHn indistfiT3iBattS
| ,..,a f,r tfs.. inn s,nc.. q vrsree.5-.s