Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-04

:
(which Shall be commenced in our next was
passed, by yeas andnays--97 to o.
The billto admit the importation OF old cop
per free Of duty, was returned from the pc
nate, with an amendment including Saltlsstrs
and Suihher in the remission from duty on the
importation. The amendment was immedl-
ately agreed to, ayes Is.
On motion of Mr.. Dawson, the house went
into committee of the whole, Mr.. !. fich-
ards in the chair, on the resolution some
weeks ago reported by a committee Tor at-
thorising the secretary OF war to sell sucn
arms of the United States as may be disposed
of without INJURY to the United States.
Mr.. Daauaon hoped the committee would
agree to the resolution. BY the report Of the
secretary of war there were now 10000
stands of arms in the public armory, and per-
haps by the next month, as bill had been
passed for procuring more, there might be
an addition to the number OF 80 or 40 600
stands. Several states in the Union were not
we'll provided with arms, and were anxious
to purchase from the United States.-The
applications for that purpose arose from the
great difficulty of getting them beyond the
I seas.
Mr.. Bib said he would only state that the
| legislature of Georgia had at the last session
passed an act authorising the governor OF that
state to obtain arms for the state by purchase.
The governor had sent an agent here TO as
certain whether purchase could be made
from the United States or not. | Lave said
he letter from the secretary ofwar saying
that 3oof forty thousand stands my be spar
ed.
The resolution being agreed to, the COM
mistec rose and reported the resolution.
On concurrence with the report of the
committee of the whole a considerable con-
yersation arose, in which Messrs. Goldsbo-
rough, M Clay, and Macon opposed the re-
solution, and Messrs. Dawson, Bacon, Bib,
Smile, Key, Troup, Taylor, Nicholas and
findley supported 1t.
Mr.. Rowan moved to amend the resolution
by striking out the word g sell'' and insert
6 loan" -Negatived, ayes l:.
The resolution was then agreed to, ayes 70,
and referred to a committee to bring in a
bill.
The Opponents of this resolution general
ly coatended that resolution had already
been passed this session after very lengthy
discussion, to arm the whole body of the mi
ltia at the expence of the United States that
being the case, it was not seemly to sell to
enc part CT the Union that which they were
about to bestow gratuitously to the remainder
That but q few days ago the house hat appro-
! priated large sum of money for the purchase
of arms (; and now to sell arms would betray
inconsistency. That by passing this resoluti-
Oh the states who had appropriated their funds
to the purchase of arms, would get all the
worst arms Belonging to the United States,
which the latter would replace by new
and better arms. That the number of l4o 900
stands was not too much or even enough for
the United States TO keep at their own dispo-
sal. That it had been truly said by the advo-
Gates Of the resolution that it would be selling
in fact to themselves, nevertheless if too ma
| ny we're sold land none ought now to Be sold)
the states te whom they we're sold might pro-
hibit them from being carried out of their re-
spective states (; in which case, they would be
lost to the United States for general service
That the political horizon blackened every
day and clouds lowered around them this
was not the time then in which the United
States should divest themselves of that de-
fence which they had.
The advocates of the resolution replied
that although resolution for srmihg the
whole militia of the United States, had
been passed, it was to be supposed, from
no report having been made on the sub
ject, that either the present time was deem
! ed improper for its introduction, or the COM
mittee could not construct a I'LL for the pur-
pose; or in any event that the project appear
+ ed to be relinqlished for the present That
it was true they had but few days ago agreed
to purchase arms, Yet those arms were pur-
chased for the. benefit of the whole union,
and to render them beneficial t:aey must be
distributed; if any state then wished 10 Dur