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

airs S"Siu oC uSIiNSo. ue hTSt tund waS
he treasury it was certainly not Obtained !
thence, as they all knew that the treasu-
rer cannot p',y any money but BY warrants
AID the secretary of the treasury cannot is
she any warrant, except on an approDria-
tion by law This then was not the fund /: |
the next arose from the secretary of the ma
w having in his hands appropriations of |
money destined for purposes authorised by !
Jaw which he may have applied to purposes
which were not 50 authorised. lie did nos
believe that there was so much more mo-
ney than was necessary appropriated to a.
ny specific objects in the hands Of the Sc
cretary as would enable him to meet these
additional expenses without affecting other
appropriations.
Mr.. =. ccu!I then only suppose that the
secretary of the navy had purchased and
pa'd to- these articles out ofhis own private
purse or that of some other person. He
wished TO know how it was ? fine could not
"o'aln information this way, he must try
some ether. He wished that the laws oe
the country should be so modified, rs to
give all security TO the Individual who had
taken on himself so great responsibility.
MI G. w CAMPBELL said, he under
stood thatthc gentleman's objections 1T first
were not against the appropriation or the
propriety OF makingit; but now he wished
To hrow, whether subordinate officer had
actually paid this money, or whetherit re-
NAMED unpaid; and If pai,, where the Sc
cretH1'y gothic money topayit. Forhimself,
he considered it of no Importance in what
manner the money was paid, whether I'm
Collars or in hank nstes, or in any Other way.
lie president had declared that he deemed
, 1t necessary TO procure these materials, be-
cause appearances indicated an approach
/ lag rapture: It they had not been prOcur-
Icd then, they might have become scarce
an" perhaps Ccuid not he had at all. The
/ materials were stored the secretary Of
the navy had sid that thew were purcha-
SeI. He conceived it immaterial whether
NJ money was actually paid, or whether
Hny individual had become responsible for
itt. Il was not usual for the committee Of
w avs and Means, or for the House to 20
INTO w nutia, or to enquire whether the
money were paid IN one WAY or i'm another.
ne asked the gentlemen from Massachu-
sets Il it was CT any Importance whether
II were paid a month ago, or should be paid
mouth hence. The gentleman seemed
70 crdc3vor 70 propose So7ne question chat
WoE!" produce difficulty; he protested to
De IN favor of the appropriation, and We,
"isned To throw soDe obstacle ~ the wC,-
10 opstruct its passage. Even had the Sc
icreVATy appropriated money to this ext
gency which had been otherwise anpro-
Erlated, 1t was customary measu -
mere Was time when this doctrine was
advocated by the very gentleman who now
seemed to oppose il. Mr. &. here read
that part of the message from the Presi
aent to Congress which relates to this sub
JGct. he then contended, that this proved
that tue articles spoken of were secured
ah1 that the persons Of whom they were
procured were satisfied with the security
CT government for t:ie purchase. If the
propriety OF incurring these expenses were
brought into question, ii might BE necessa-
! ry 20 give some answer TO objections which
shouid be offered. But as i seemed that
tie propriety of the measure was not cues
toned, he should go no farther into the
: subject
Mr.: RANDoLPE said. from what he had
I mara OF the debate, 1t appeared to him,
that some doctrines had been advanced nv
the gentleman on his left (Air. Campaelil
VII CHI had not been heretofore considered
! as the true old whig doctrine, the true re-
/ publican or democratic doctrine. He had
! heard 1t stated, with some surprise, that
the misrepresentation of public money. or.
IN othcr words, to apply public money
/ "h'ch mad been appropriated for one OBJ
Ject TO another. was matter of little i'm
portance, and unworthy Of being made a
question: OF enquiry in this House. He tho't
very differently. He had not heard much
OF the debate but he had heard enough TO
convince hin that an al.rming--a dalnning
ieresy on the subject Of politics, was like.
| ~ to become prevalent in this BODY. Mr..
Il. SAID he would take the liberty of read
ing an eXtr C from the first communion
ION which the present President of the
=. ,. made to Congress, in which he re-
| commends It as prudent to multiply bar
Tiers against the misappication Of public
money, by confining expenditures 90 ex-
press appropriations. Mr.. II read the
! passage to oh he alluded, as follows ::
" In our care too of the public contrlbu-
TONS entrusted to our direction, it would
De prudent to multiply BARRIERS again.t
the'r dissipation, by appropriating specific
>nms To every specific purpose susceptible
OF dehnition by disalowing all applica-
tons OF money varying from the approori-
ation IN object or transcending it in amount:
by reducing the Underlined field of contiD-
Gcncles, and thereby circumscribng dis
crcuonary powers over money; and bv
bringing back to single department ali
c"untabilities for money, where the exa-
rninaNon may be prompt, efFicacious and
uniform"
These opinions, said he, are attofol va
rance with the doctrine now advanced
the present doctrine threatens n war of
/ DISCRIMINATION to these opinions. Doctrine,