Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-27

Mr. New'on explained that the Secreta
ry of the Treasury had the direction oil
the fund for The relief of distressed and
disabled seamen, which had heretofore
been supplied from tax on their wages.
This fund was now exhausted; and the
Secretary of the Treasury said, if money
were not appropriated, the doors of the
hospitals must be closed against them, an
office which the Secretary did not wish to
perform. He had therefore recon mend
ed an appropriation of 200 900 dolla IS for
their relief. MIR Newton then stated the
Ipeculiar hardships attached to the seaman's
situation, sc.
Mr. Holland considered this novel mea-
sure. The seamen who were in distress
ne conceived, entitled to relief from the
respective states in which they might be,
Who We're bound to support their poor
indeed this money could not be applied
10 the use of the embargoed seamen ge.
nerally, because it was only for the relief
of those who were subject to the munich
pal regulations of the state in which they
may be
| Mr. Quincy observed, that the fund for
the support ofdistrcsscd seamen had here
Iotore been derived from tax on the
wages of the seamen. This fund, which
ihat heretofore been Sufficient, having been
destroyed by the suspension of commerce,
ne asked whether the general govern
nent was not pledged 20 do something for
these men, who would not have suffered
out for lis measures
Mr. Smile was IN favor of the bill.-
The funds heretofore established for the
relief of our seameu had been destroyed
by measure which had been deemed ne
Icessary for the good OF the country and
he thought assistance ought 70 be gwen |,
Ishem. Mr. S called for the reading ul
he Secretary of the r9easury's report on
he subject.
Mr. fsilmadge said, that every gentle
man who attended TO the reading OF The
report OF the Secretary of The Treasury
could not fail 10 be convinced of the rec
Nude OF his statement, and the Co3clusi-
lon when he had drawn from it. Tbs
general government had destroyed the
: s7rvicc, by which the sea3nen had here;o
lore been supported; il dong which they
Ihqd thrown bur,hen on the community
pa the same ratio as the ssiyce had been
destroyed The Secrgshry of the rreasu
~ had iaIrly AID candiaiy told The House;
that The fund for the support of The dis
:reSscd seamen was destroyed. what
,houid be done? Should nu.hng be ap.
poruoned from The funds of dis govern.
aent TO support the establishment? he
aoped and trusted that there would. For
the information of the gentleman from
Virginia, ,dr BurwelD who did not know
,hat THIS Class OF mea was more dislres
ssd than any other, Mr. L. said, he would
i. mention that ne had letters from different
parts ct the union, particularly from Phi
iadelph'a, from one of the most respeGla
Die merchants IN this city, informing him
tnat The merchants had formed fund for
The relief OF these persons, which had
1 oeen exhausted the seamen being in tins
greatest distress, without stick of Woo
IN this severe weather even 10 cook their
'ictuals and requesting him as a mem
Der oil the general government to exert
himself for their relief. Mr.. L. SAID h.
would venture TO declare that this was
the case in all the ports of the United
states and he thought 1t most unques.
u0Dsoly became the government 10 gran,
some sort oil relief To these ctiizens. liz
< believed that the appropriation proposed
was proper and that less than That would
Dc too ht;le for the purpose,
Mr. ID. r. Williams thought the OBJ
iect OF the bill very laudable, but he
wished modification of the principle.
II was willing to advance the 200 900
dollars, subject to be refunded, from
the funds hereafter to be received for
: the support of this establishment. He
thought this amendment would be
highly proper, because from a docu-
ment in his hands, he found that the
funds of the establishment for the re-
lief of sick and disabled seamen, had
always been more than sufficient for
it's support. In June 1902, the bal
ance of the fund was 1913 dollars,
in 1908 the balance was 81 ,448 dollars.
| This Showed that the funds arising
Tout Of the 20 cents month tax on the
scamen's wages, was more than ade-
Iquate for the purposes for which it had
been established, and that the, fund
would hereafter be able to refund to
the government the monies now about
l. L