The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-11-24
~ rHg
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
~ THE
TUESDAY, November 10.
peIaieon TIE bill ,s'ating firiber aPfrcpSistio'

called for,
Mr.. . B1ontgomerY iaid, that as the yeas and
NAYS had been reqnned he ihonid exerc'ie the
ripht of ai!iguing reafons for the vote he was
about to gre. This bill provided for eXtraor-
binary exoences occurred in the navy depart
nent rince the 22d June last; the.e extraordi-
nary exp,rces had reinitsd from the cow2rdiy
attack committed by The Leopard ON tho Che
I,pcake This act, marked with fnch daying
aud atrccious circumstances, had excited the
dedication uf every American one ientinient
OH this fuhieGt pervaded the Union. The Pre-
Gdcut OF the United States had adopted hrm,
cne,,etic, and digntied meaiures on the occaii.
on sunouyit others thoie which had occalloned
the exa,nces for which this bill provides. He
had heard no complaint that the condutt ct
the Executive was detective either IN prudence
\ or energy. He was authorized, aud he exer-
cDred the authority veted in him Ivy law, to call
,ui' the marine corps To ITS .u complement.
He h sd ex.rc fled the authority given HIM oy the
at9 al 1906, in preparing the gun-boats for fer
vice the fente of the nation and the ex'gency
az the Mines called upon him 10 do TO- Other
eypence\s incident To calling out the marine
CONS and manning guu.boats. were comPried
under the. different articles of Clothing, &c.
'rhefe extraordinary expences the Prthdent was
authorized TO incur; the fate OF the country
fulfilled linn in1exercihng that authority, and
Mr.. M Agas of opinion that the honour of tie
propriatio\n. Then, rs to theie extraordinary
cxpences W hich had been incurred, there could
lie no diliicNilty ; tter honour was at Rake tor
the navtpeny There was another item which
he preiumed\ would meet with as little difficulty
as any other he was initrueted to lay, AS
member of the committee OF Ways and Means,
that the bropidons fpecihed in the bill were uied
by the militia G allied out tor the Pro'se''"h oi
the port mott ia danger Was there any mem
her in the Hou(e who would heiitate to make an
appropriation Of $1,000 dollars for that pur-
pole!
try was in danger, the Executive had examined
the rate of the feverai departments; IN the war
department there were futfcient iupplies or mi
ltary flores in toe navy department tnere
were none, except rev pounds OF powder.
At this alarming clitis the country being threat
ensd with war, the people looked up to the
p,.Gdcnt for eneiI,etic conduct: he did not he
State TO make ext enditures to fupply theie ne
cefIaries for The department. OF toe navy de-
partrent there v as more required 'han or the
war department, hecaute the outrage hao oeeh
committed on the ocean. what more ptuoeot'
more correct conduit than that of the Prefdent
rom,d H.. Wiz, ID. or what more could the peo-
,>Ie.evnee. than that he inould have made thete
recefIarv provifous of ordnance and military
flores. and timber for gunboats! The Preil-
dent had iadged it eIpeGent to make prepara'
ton; and the fate OF affairs had caiied toF d
warlike attitude: for, fa'd Mr.. NJ. we nave
learnt from our departed Warrington, that to
command peace we muit be prepared TOR war
the Pre6deut had acted upon TINS Principie'
which the IIoufe would no DOUBT approve.
There was no law at that time, nor had any
law vet been paGet., to authorize the purchaie
of thefe articles but the Pretdent OF the y.
States when his country was IN danger, hellta-
ted not to take upon hmiet the credit and
proper Responsibility. Upon theie items what
was the language of the PreAdent OF Inc United
States, contained iu the meiiaee delivered to MS
Strong and forcible, and clearly ihewing the
necefiity for inrurring theie expences: . The
moment our peace was threatened, deemed II
iudipenfabe 10 frcure greater prov'iion OF
tho(e articles of military tores, with which our
IT sgazines were not efficiently iurniihed.
10 haze awaited previous and fpecial finction
hg law, would have loft occaiions which might
not be retrieved. did not beiltatc, therefore.
60 authorize engagements FOR iuoh implements
to our exiaing aock az would render 1t aae
uuatr TO the enlereencss snng u.s. and ]
,rult that the Legislature, feeling the fame
anxiety for the fsfety of country, 70 msteri-
ally advanced byths precautior, will approve
when done what they would have fteu fo inn
portant to rs done il then attended"
Mr. NJ. bo7sd his truf was well founded
that the iegil5ture, teeiing the fame anXicty for
the DuptlC iatCty, 10 tndltIld8y pioHN'Cb Uy
this preca utioiI. would declare that this was
vqhat they would have done had they been in
felton, He aiked, had the Prehdent Of the u
States paned this great emergency, and
failed TO make thele preparations, ought he not
fu have been cenfured for negett of duty ??
AS thefe article. therefore had been purchalcd
becaufe the iniereA and fafety of the country
REQUIRED them, and the expences had been in
CURED for the public fafety, the Houfe could
not heftate to give their fan6tion to the apPro-
piation.
1t had been afled by gentleman from Maj
fachufetts whether tbefe ARTICLES were acfuAly
paid for if paid for, ont Of what monies bad
the payment been made? AS member of the
committee Of Ways and Means, ne could de-
clare that not oue cent had heen actually paid.
The Preiident had fad, that he had authorized
engagements for tbefe articles: the government
Was pledged for them; and the Houfe were
ttrongly called on BY fsith and honor TO make
an appropriation for them as they were bound
10 do in the cafe Of the marine corps
Mr.. NJ. fajd it had been aiked By aUothergeu
tlcrnan, perhaps from Connecticut, whether the
timber mentioned was for general naval purpo-
fes, or for gun-hbas only ~ this important
crifs, when ho0ilites were meuacee, 1t had
been thought prudent to lay I'D Rock Of tin
her for building gun boats, and it was accord
ingiy dong hut in laying 1t up Il ba' been
contracted for, and prepared in fuch a manHcr
a. to aDfwer any naval pdrpoies' u our d'iitr-