The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-30

oh W TIC Coutuiauocr IN Cniet, ana afterwards
promoted in the army! What could they
conceive, but that it was a communication of
so much solid pudding for SO much emp
ty praises Again; MIR. X. said it had been
in proof before that jury, that the officer
who had commanded ut Chickasaw Bluff,
was so far implicated as to permit Aaron
Burr to take arms from the public arsenal
at that place for his expedition. The name
OF the officer he said he could not recollect.
In short, he repeated again to the House,
that if the grand jury had been governed by
the impressions made upon them by the ties
tinnony laid before them, they would have
been OF opinion. that scarcely man in the
army was exempt--even those who would
not agree to file a bill against the commander
IN Chief tor misprision of treason, believed
that though A or might stand clear, there
were few who were not the tools of the com
mander in chief or Aaron Burr, fer the two
were so closely identified through the trans
action, that twas scarcely possible to sepa
rate them. The object of his first motion
then, was reduction of the army generally,
which he should attempt. were he certain
that every man down to the meanest indivi
duai In that army, was, like Ccsar's wife,
not only guiItless but unsupported. l, had al
| SO forts object, the giving an opportunity to
| tue government OF tie United States to Sc
| parate the SOUND from the unsound part of
tue present army, which might reduce it to
the number at which it stood when the late
President of the United States came into Of
! hcc.
| The other motion which Mr.. II. had to
make. he said, was in relation to n subject
! TO which he thought the attention of the house
| ought to be drawn. When the late adj
ministration had come into power, it had
been i'll quality of reformers Their object
was to sweep with the bosom of scrutiny
every part ct this government. He Thought
| II d';e to the character of every administra-
tIon, that scrutiny into its money trapsac
tons should take place a motion ON this
tsubiect made at the first session of the 9TH
fCongress would he well recol,ected; and
lWhen Mr. Woicott went out of Office, Mr.. r.
Esa,d he believed thar he had invited an en- :
Iq"iry INTO the state OF the treasury. Mr.. Z
said he should therefore move
Th:t the additional mil tary force raised in
pursuance OF the act To raise for limited time.
an aonitloHal military force, he siisb.nled and
that the surplus OF appropriation made for the ad
hu"nal military force. and the surplus Of apnro-
p:iat,"n i, mainUg uncxpended on accourIt OF
gun-ooats, which Mr.. K. said lie was very g!sc'
to see the presideht was laying ur in dr. dock I
be expended in arlning AND eguipping the mill
tia of the u. States.
| :. That committee be appointed to enquire &
report, whether monies tlra sn from the Treas;,
nave been faithfully applied TO the objects fer
winch they were appropriated and whether
tne same have been regularly accounted for /;
and To report likewise, whether any further ar
| engagements are necessary, to promote economy
enforce adherence to legislative restrictions and
secure the accountability Of persons entrusted
with the public money.
The House agreed TO consider these mott
ons, by yeas & Nays, unanimously ll6 mem
bers voting
Mr., Efhes suggested the propriety of the
sentleman's modifying his first motion so as
meet the ideas expressed by himself, viz that
more confidence was TO be placed IN the
new than in the old army. At present his
resolution went TO retain the old army and
disoand that III which he l-aced most conf
ldence lie had rather have seen d general
resolution, that the army should have been
reduced to certain number of men. Such
mode OF procedure would give an cppor
eImty OF selecting those which were most
iProper to retain AS to the second resoluti-
on, Mr. Eppes conceived it to Clash with the
lpowers OF the committee of WAYS and Means
whose duties he quoted from the rules of the
house. The gentleman from Virginia can
not have forge ten (said Mr. Eppes) that in
the year 1902 on this very subject ] submit
tea resolution almost in the same words. -
he was at that time at the head of the com
mlttee OF Ways and Means and my motion
was opposed by him and overruIed 5y the
/ House OH the ground, that it was on a subject
exclusively appropria ed by the rules of the
House to the committee Of WAYS & Means
l assure the Gentleman, however, that tho
would adhere TO the rules of the house
Iyet, were there any specified case OF expen
diture IN which he supposed the laws mad
Deen violated and money improperly drawn,
should not have the slightest objection to
the resolutions taking that form, that he NAV
have an opportunity of investigating the sub
ject fully.
MIR. Randolhh said he felt himself called
| up by what had fallen from the gentleman.
Oh his right He said he was not unapprised
OF the existence of the Committee of WAYS &
Means, whose duty it was to enquire into
this subject; nor was lie unapprised of the
same fact at the time (tbe 18th December
| bod when his friend from MARYLAND (Mr
Nicholsoa) then but no longer, to his great
regret and the detriment of the public,
member of this House, made motion from
which the present was copied verbatim
| (said Mr.. R.) was then chairman of the
committee of Ways aud Means, and vet saw
no improperly in the motion. With due
difference to the gentleman from Virginia
and his memory too, think lie has not
exactly recoliected the motion which ne
made Oh former occasion, and which he
says was overruied This however, is but of
little moment. / recoIlect perfectly wei
the gentleman's making a motion which did
imply, 1T any thing, want of confidence
In the committee of WAYS and Means, and
that opposed the motion on that ground -
Hut Eau thoupht eir that . e.