Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-11-17

VAT II. Aip"eN mat tOs CRISIS which oc- I
the extraordinary expenses in /
question was an imm;nsnt one Ii was 50
critical, that Congress ought to have been |
immediately convened, IN order. that they
might have given authority by law for
these extraordinary expenses, aud for p
dopting such measures AZ national feeling
and national honor called for.
He confessed, he felt extremely reluc-
tant to vote large sums for the support of
our degraded and diSgraCed navy, for ex
penses too that had been Illegally INC .rr.d.
lie had endeavored m vain 10 procure Cal
latin Oh Finance. (Which certainly ought
to he IN their library) In that book, he
recoi'ected case exactly opposite to the
present, where the President OF the II. 5.
during the pennsylvania insure ction, made
use OF money TO defray the expenses incur
RED, which had been appropriated for a
diHereht object; but not having the book
IN his possession he would not venture To
quote IT lest he should not do il CORRECTLY.
Mr. X concluded by saying, that when he
rose, ne did not mean 70 have said 50 much
on the SUBJECT. If any thing had escaped
nm grating to any gent,eman's feelings,
he hoped it would not be ascrhed to am
intention To offend but he could not with
hold his indignation on hearing such anti
republican and highly federal on MONS, as
had been supported by the gentleman from
Tennessee
Mr. FISK said, that the bill now before
the House went to provide for two objects :;
the one, authorised by law, TO wit, the IN
crease OF the marine corps; the other un-
authorised, the procuring of timber and
purchase of ordnance, &c. The Secreta-
ry OF the navy told them, in his comlnuni-
caton andin his letter to the committee of
! ways and means, that they had no stock Of
these articles en- hand and that salt-pctre
was wanting, and was then purchased at
the lowest price; timber also had been
procured, which was in the highest degree
necessary for the defence OF our ports ami
harbors. II would not he doub.ed but the
PRESIDENT had Alright tc make these provi-
Sons; he should have thought him dcfici-
cnt IN duty II lie had not done It, The
president had Thought it advantageous Co
lay IN these stores, from the aspect II the
times: 1t simply rested with tie House. to
say whether TINS appropriation should be
MADE or withheld. II IN paying yhs mo-
ney or appropriating il, any fault had been
committed by the officers of government.
II they had exceeded or violated their
trusts, 1T would be time enough To enquire
INTO 1t when 1t came properly before the
House
| The gentleman from Virginia consider
eel these doctrines as anti-repuDlican whe
eher this were the case or not, tne exam
PIE had been SCI before. There was =
case on record which would Justify then.
re alluded TO bill passed the first session
OF the ninth Congress.
he thoughtit therefore very immaterial
whether money had been paid out OF mo-
mes not appropriated, or ont of monies o.
, tnerw'se appropriated. il was conce. yea
nat Congress would justify the &C 10y an
tctuai appropriation The only part O.
the expenditure Which the Hsusc cau d OBJ.
Ject TO, Was that winch related to salt-pe-
tire and naval stores; and ne conce we'd
these had been purch ,scd with due re-
gard to the interest o. the country
Mr. q. w. CAMPBELL, regret ed very
Inucn that the gentleman from Virginia,
had either misunderstood him, or had mis-
stated what had fallen from HIM. What
ne mad sand was this, ard TINS only that
there might be case which would autho.
rise the application Of money destined for
one purpose 70 another; sc was NOT pre-
pared to say that this was such d case, but
mat such case might happen He feit
surprised thar these doctrines were sur-
matted as anti-republ!can or federal, and
that 1t had been said they were PLAYING -
game OF political roundabouts; the EXPIRE So
sion WAS not surely meant 70 convey an -
dcG that they were now ddvoc it.ng A doc,
trinc which they had once opposed! lie
had sald that II was unnecessary TO enumrr
whether these sums were paid or not ii
had not said 1t was immaterial whence
they had been drawn, if IN Y were paid
lie appealed to the chairman and 90 the
House II these were not the expressions III
had used. lie thought that she exrcncy
would warrant the purchase OF these ma
teriais; the President had told them these
were extraordinary expenditures hence
ne could not see now this question ;GVoiv-
ed the principle OF applying money destin-
ed Tor one purpose to another.
de felt as much reluctance to vote for
large naval appropriations as the gentle
man from Virginia he never had been in
favor OF them, nor ever should be He
conceived that any thing could auth.r!se
such expenditure this outrage did; and ii
the President had neglected to put ih. na-
ton in state of defence, the people won d
have had reason to complain OF the ihefFicI-
ency OF government: it was the duty tthe
President TO adopt such measures as would
nave been authorised by Congress had
they been sitting at the time.
The qeslioD now was whether The
House would sanction the expenditures
or rol E; whether the exigeocy ofihe cas-
you'd Justly lhem2 He had nor exptc
ted thai objections would have been made