Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-14

| ed d. Having attentively perused this me-.
mortal, I cannot withhold the expression of
my opinion that the prayer thereof is per-
sfectly reasonable. National considerations
ought surely to induce us to foster that just
and honorable pride, that truly patriotic ann
bilion, to which our navy officers, and es-
| peciallv those well skilled in seamanship,
|obviously sacrifice their pecuniary inter
/ ests.
To another and not an uninteresting SUBJ
iect, embraced by the queries whichyou
have propounded to me, will also invite
your serious attention. BY the act further
to amend the several acts for the establish
ment and regulation OF the treasury, war
and navy departments, it is provided that
the commissions to navy agents shall not
exceed one per centum, nor in any instance
the compensation allowed by law to the
purveyor of public supplies. The treasury
construction Of this statute will appear by
the papers E and F herewith sent. That
construction prohibits any allowance under
anv circumstances, for either clerk hire,
porters, office rent, fuel, or stationary
The whole receipts of the agents are con6n
ed to one per centum, and the product OF
that per cen.age is limited to S 1000 per
anuum.
In our large sea port towns, and especially
in Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia and
New York. our purchases will necessarily
be extensive often SO much so, as to occu-
Nv exclusively the time of the agent. In
these places clerks must be Indispensable,
and porters highly useful; and wherever
we have an agent it appears to me proper
that the public should allow whatever the a
gent may reasonably pay for Office rent, flu
el and stationary. is not probable that
the commissions to the agents will in any O.
ther places than those mentioned, VIZ. Nor
folk, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New
York. amount to S 1000 and III neither Of
these places will the clear receipts Of either
ofthe agents amount to more than S $50
per annuna, as will more particularly appear
bv the accompanying exhibit marked G.
In other places the commissions will not
amount to as much as is now given to the
most common clerk in a merchants count
ing house.
To make the commissions amount to
5000 dollars, it would require that 100000
dollars should be disbursed and if an agent
should disburse one million Of dollars, or
any sum exceeding that, the gross amount
Of his pay for such disbursements IS limited
to 5000 dollars the nett amount of which
cannot reasonably be calculated at more
than $50.
With this view of the subject, cannot
rely upon the present agents continuing to
hold their appointments, or upon other hi
persons accepting such appointments, with
out the law in question being SO modified as
to make them reasonable allowance tor
their services, and the expences insepera-
bly connected with the discharge OF their
official duties. In disbursing SO large
sum of money as an agent must dlsburse to
enttle him to the small compensation OF
$50 dolls. per annunl, he hazards the loss
of times as much, from irregularlty in
vouchers, erroneous calculations, mjsinter-
probation of instructions, from not strictly
conforming in each and every purchase to
the specific restrictions OF the existing law,
and from various other causes to which the
most correct men are and ever will bs liable
in a greater or less degree.
The copy ola letter from general otrlck-
er, navy agent at BALTIMORE, gentleman
Justly Of hi h standing in society, and am
told as good an agent as could be procured
in any country, herewith sent and marked
II, will explain to you his situation under
the existing law; and other agents of equal
merit, are similarly situated.
Deemng it my duty, under the latitude
you have allowed, tobe perfectly explicit and