Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-02-24

lmanufactory of arms aud the manner
of Keeping those empl5yedthere, ma
ny com..iaints are made by some of the
artihcers; some ofthem are eisner un.
founded, or the regulations complains
ed OF indispensibly necessary in an in
situation OF this kind. Ameng those
OF the la description, is one which
requires every person TO perform GER
tain stipulated work every. month, and
IN default of performing it, he is char
| ged with six per cent. on the amount
OF the work in arrear.
Another regulation would be equal
ly proper, was the iron generally. of
better quality; the barrel welders do
not receive payment for barrels which
burstin the first proof, lowing to bad
Workmanship and other artifcers are
treated IN the same manner when their
work IS unit for use. 1t frequently
happens that the work appears not to
be properly executed, when in fact the
defect is in the material, this is partic-
uiarly tile case where welding is neces-
sary, as that operation cannot be we'll
performed with bad iron. Indepen-
dent Of the discounts before mention
ed, IT appears to your committee, that
deduction OF ten per centum has
been made in some instances from the
iabour Of barrel welders, for which
no satisfactory reason has been assign.
ed.
The manner of making payment to
he ,artificers, is in the opinion o.vour
committee, often very injurious to
hem; their payment is always in ar
rear at ieast one month, and some ines
nng+r; the OBJECT of this regulation,
IS stated to be, hat the amount due
them may be an indemnity 10 the
public, should they embezzle the ma
terlais conhded to them; this object
(was it otherwise proper to place the
honest, and dishonest on the same
ground it's not practicable in the o.
opinion of YOUR committee, TO effect by
TINS regulation.
1t also appears to your committee.
that in order to remedy the inconveni-
ence ofnot being paid regularly, some
OF the arti6cers during the last session,
had memorial prepared, intended to
be. presented to the legislature, in
which they stated the fact of not being
pad when the money became due, and
the consequent injury which resulted
ITO them-against any of the officers
1t contained no imputation, and was
couched in respectful terms towards
the superintendent. The officers an
pearcd much displeased with the arti-
6cers concerned, when it came to their
knowledge, and limitations were
thrown out by 10th the Master ARM
rers, that if the memoriaEwas present.
ed, those who had signed it would be
lischarged-some of the a~ti6ccrs in
consequence thereof withdrew their
names. It appeared also, that the SUI
perintendant proposed to one of the
artihcers, that he would procure him
the appointment of Master Armorer
to fill a vacancy then expected, if he
would use his influence TO procure a
counter memorial.
The manner Of keeping the books
| and accounts at the mandatory of
arms, is calculated to involve the con-
Germ in much perplexity, and the state
OF the Institution and the general re-
suits, cannot be ascertained in their
! present situation without great la
bour, and then perhaps not accurately
to prove this, your committee beg
leave to refer to the statement made
by the Superintendent to a committee
OF the House of Delegates last year,
from that it appears, that on the first
dav Of October, 18o7---9725 muskets
with bayonets, had been finish ID, and
from the books, 92o3, appears to be
the actull number; this variance be-
tween the Superintendant's reports and
the books, existed as early as Deem
Der 1, 1904. The r. ports state, that
from the COMMENCEMENT to that day,
1855 muskets had been finished, the
books state 4165 only.
The whole amount Of money speci-
fcally appropriated to carryson the o.
perations at the mandatory Of arms
from their commencement, until the Ist