Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-27

he bouss'by the president, whose duty
a s..fo Law before congress from time TO
i aas s = +. subjects as he should deem pro-
one. sbe;;r consideration. Threeor four
Psr = Of the attorney general had lately
ppiolc:. a,o the history of this country Ihe
asp .,a &C the attorney general had been
0plaiys house on the subject of the claim
ss anaasss,,narchais, without their requisition
and in other cases it had been allow.
OH. ..st weight. He thought the nation
. I'll s. uut their veto upon the influence OF
sS0@ aD;n mons ofthe attorney general, as re-
as = the duties OF the great departments
'a w. government. Mr.. Rowan said, if he
o. " ~so9ood the duties of the attorney gene
uao.., ,sas 70 prosecute suits IN the courts Of
- = nation ! in behalf Of the United States,
~ . secure their great interests; but noe
sDo a;vs an opinion on points which the heads
SsS|,nartn,rnts should propose, and under
80 minority of his opinion to screen them
s ~ Inc censure and scrutiny Of the peo-
~ !. He would not give the nation reason
r snnpose that the legislature lent the
nslest sanction to proceeding OF this
I'D s;nd: and therefore he thought the resola-
80 ':sas hould immediately be acted on. 1t had
hem s said that this proposition involved the
sbaraeter OF the persona concerned. Mr.. +.
nd that maliaisance would never he ailetlg-
4 without involving character s accord
mn . the doctrine laid down, public officers
had a hcenceto do What they pleased. The
arc,ment that the resolution invoked the
character of general Wilkinson was nothing,
,b2t character WAS out of the question it
had been too long in the publ;c reach to be
sIl;sd BY any thing which could be done IN.
his house. The people never looked TO
whom money is p il, tu RY whom it is
uad. Tue responsibility of the department
,iasolved. If they would give money to
Il. officer, it was we'll understood that he
would spend ii. It was an error of the de-
urtunrnt of war. He regretted that this
proposition had come forward at so late
period of the session bat why it had done.
80 the gentleman from Virginia had explain
cd He had rather that the subject should
not hsye come before the house than 1t
should have been dismissed lightly, for
there had scarcely been so important
QUESTION before the house during the pre-
sent session. II connected itself with the
sitals of the, government. Say at onces
said Mr. Rowan, when you make a law
fOrthe appropriation of public money, that
youhayc no power to enquire into Its apple
catiCu, that the subject shall not be APP
preached from delicacy or the fear OF pre-
Judging it, and you immediately make the
heads of Departments despots. a few thou
sands dollars compared with principle is no.
thing a correct decision is worthmlllions.
If the house were 20 permit the resolution
tote on the table, it might be amended.
lit should be thought proper, Mr.. r. said
hewaS prepared to vote tor committee OF
enquiry not as TO the'man or men who had
received the money, but as TO those who
had paid it. He. did not say that there was
any criminality in this case, but nalignity
and error in this case Were the same : for
nal conduct would always clothe itself IN
ne garb of the latter, were It to be admit
ca asa plea in excuse. Upon this subject
mere should be the utmost rigor OF scrutl-
ny twas lamentable, i the opinion OF
ue attorney general was to rule the whole
pSeFnment, that from so young sn2institu-
uOa as this government SO perfect an exeres-
tace had grown out. 1t was.no excuse for
man who had the custody of the public
money, that he had obeyed the executive
Si,Tcslon In applying it improperly.
Inc resolution received the, go-b5.