Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-06-02

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i,hey federalists or be they republicans
When say we, sir, i speak of rs the heo.
lfLe, who cannot be the ms, AMI thus are
fair uuspires both Between the ms and the
outs.
Mr.. Lyon did not believe that this frat
resolution would ultimately have any effect !;
but it would raise expectations in the nation
that the army was to b. dis5anded. M
l.. said, we were not, upon a few favorable
words coming from Great Britain, without
tany other atonement for the affair of the
chesapeake, To throw down our arms He
hoped the House would not agree to it, He
twas willing 10 agree to some modification
tof the army, to make removals of such off,
Icers as had lost the confidence OF the natl
ION. He would make a reduction, but not in
this way.
| Mr.. w. Aston said, the resolution res
pecting the army certainly could not b.
acted upon until the report could be recci-
we'd which was mentioned in the message of
the President of the United States. The
mode proposed for the disposition of the
motion was irregular. He said it would
be more like the House of Representative
to lay il on the table till the message had
been taken up, and then to have referred it
to the committee raised on that particular
subject
l uS fucStiOu WAS tdkCH OH referring MT
Randolph's first resolution to a committee
of the whole on the state of the union, and
carried, ayes 81.
The question now being on concurrence
in the second resolution
Mr.. Eppcs moved so to amend IL
as to enquire into the application OF
\ all monies under the late administration
When up before, he had done what he con-
ceived to be his duty the House had as.
signed certain duties to committees, to
which he thought IL proper to adhere but
when he heard the gentleman from North
Carolina suggest that this was a motion to
pass IN review all transactions of the for
mer administration, it impressed him very
Inherently from what it had before done.
Ii the gentleman was disposed to make
! such a mot on, he should not take the very
words OF the rule establishing the commit
tee OF Ways and Means more especially
there was no occasion for the latter part of
the motion which goes to the directing the
committee to propose plan which it was
the express duty of the committee of WAYS
and Means to enquire into. MIR. Eppes
moved SO TO vary the motion as to make it
motion tor the appointment of a commit
tee TO enquire how far monies appropriated
since the eth of March, 1901, have been
faithfully applied.
| ton, though it had not been his intention to
have gone 50 far back.
Mr.. Macon made few remarks in adj
dition to those which he had before made.
he said that he ; differed totally from the
gentleman from Virginia. (Mr Randolph on
the subject OF the embargo; and If this
were the proper time go into it, he thought
! he could convince even him of its wisdom.
Mr.. J. G.. jackson expressed his coinci.
dence In the opinion that il was the duty
OF the House of Representative to enquire
vigorously into the disbursement of pub
lie monies. He thought it was the duty
OF the House of Representatives to raise =
committee every year to enquire into. the
subject, and thus to take evil by the fore.
lock if any existed.
| Mr.. Taylor said he should NOT have RI
sen but that the observations which had
fallen from different gentlemen seemed to
have looked every where but within the
walls of the house. When, said he, we are
about to enquire whether an admin stration-
has done right or wrong, whether money
appropriated has beeen honestly an.
pied to the Purposes for which IL is.
appropriated, We seem to have forgot.
ten that We also have to look into our own
conduct, to review especially, according to
tne powers vested In the committee of
y seho -'ASduot tuclT dClS,t we are a
bout to enquire not only into the conduct of
the administration proper, the Executive
and heads of departments, but also whether
the committee ofthis house having the care
OF the money concerns have done their du-
ty. like the motion the better for it. Il
am unwilling to institute a stricter scrutiny
into the conduct of other Departments than
OF our own !, and il the rat-catchers of for.
mer sessions have not caught the animals,
we Win turn in &c not only ferret out the rats,
but huat the lazy cats who let them live.
Mr.. Taylor said he felt no ,hesltation in go
ing into the investigation and cleansing the
Augean stable as VI had been stiled and
It was principally to draw off the attention
OF the House from the individuality which
seemed to be attached to. the enquiry, that
he had risen. He was the more willing to
adopt II, because it had been a course usu-
ally adopted TO appoint on SUCH Commit.
tee gentlemen OF different political opni-
ons, the ins and the outs those ling to
keep in and those willing to drive them on
and take their places. It due to our.
selves, said he, to do to ourselves what we
did to others on a former occasion; and
am therefore gratified that the motion 10
made.
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