Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1807-12-04

fatlo0 ON NfeaS Dttg2aus Ao uue tAot
was the course pointed ont BY the lawi
and example of nations, it was deemed
proper 10 postpone the meeting Of the T.
aisiaiure Till Il could Be ascertained Wke.
ther or not the outrage had been aqtho-
rised 81 the British government. In the
mean time Il was deemed necessary to
provide for such exigencies a. mightoc.
cur. Under former appropriations mi.
Elitary stores had been procured but all
the stores thus Obtained were found 70 be-
long properly 10 the War Department
and although the Departments Of war 0as
sufieiently supplied with Sail. petrf, the
Navy Department was not end e ease
ofany pressingeisergency il would have
become necessary % Purchase Il at a,high
price. Ifitwas asked why salt.pe.re was
parchased in preference to powder, it
was because il had heen found that pow-
der could not be preserved ID magizines;
on this account il was thought better 10
purchase the iugredientsfor making pow.
der than 10 purchase the article itself, rs
il could be made as fast as wanted. He
believed that al the other items oil. the
stoves depended on similar principle.
Under the existing law Of the land, the
president was anthorized 10 increase the
marine corps % the number B floos: I'M
der. present circumstances be thought
proper to exercise that power. No up:
preparation has been made for the pur.
pose; but II was presumed that Il the
law provided the power Of increasing
this corps, IL intended that they should
be supported % ,cloathed.
Asto timber the same reasoning would
apply. Il was thought Essential TO make
preparations % guard cur defenceless
ports, and 20 prevent ourseities from Be-
ing burnt or destroyed. With 9iewt -
this purpose.it was Thought proper . pro-
cure 4 quantity Of timber for gun-boats;
and in order to enable the legislature to.
give sueha form 70 the preparations for
the defenee Of our karbours a. they
should think Ct, the timber war 90 select.
ed as.to suit any purpose. And If il
should not be necessary to make use Of
this timber, Il was well known that Il
could be sold without loss.
There had been no nther expense in-
Cured than those redered necessary by
the situation 10 which the country was
placed by the attack on the Chesapeake ;
and he believed the present bill Included
every additional expenditure that was
msde. !
Mr.. quincy observed, thar ia making
these inquiries his intention was NOT 10
cast any blame on the mourning If these
expenses. His single object was that
he and the house might understand how
the thing was donel He did not perceive
thas either The chairman cf the commit
Tee Of ways and meant, or the gentlemen
last 0p, had answered the question:
One Of them had detailed C length the
proceedings since the affair of the Che
sapeake which Nj. e. did not wish to
eondemn. He wished the hbuse should
understand ID what manner this business
had been managed. Situateda 90 he was
Upon this aoor, possessing no more
means Of information than any other gen-
EtEeman ii the house. he understood tRAt
the artirls had been purchased and paid
for. Reasoningin his own mind on this
subject, 40 he would on any subject in
common life, he could see but thkee
funds from which this 6bo,ooo dollars
could Be derived. The FIRST fund vas
the treasury ; il was certainly not obtains
ed THENCE, as they an knew that the
treasurer cannot pay any money but by
warrants |; and the secretary cannot Issue
any warrant, except on an appropriation
by law. This then was not the fund
the mex, arose from the seeretaryof the
navy having in his hands appropriations
ofmoney destined Tor purposes auihoriZ.
ed BY law which he may have applied q
purposes which were not authorized.
He did NOT believe that there was g
much more money than was necessary