Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-01-17

of the treasury had the objection &c y
fund for thu relief Of distressed and ds.n gs
seamen, whicn had heretofore been sur,,,;.i
from a tax on their wages. This funr,II -.
now exhausted and the secretary Of ~
treasury said, if money were not apron;
ated, the doors OF the hospitals mus i.
closed against them, an Office which the :.
cretary did not wish to perform. He lad
therefore recommended aE appropriation #
100000 dollars for theirreiief. hEr. New
ton then stated the peculiar hards!..ps A.
taehed to the seaynan's situation, &c.
Mr.. Holland considered this as rer.l
measure. The seanen who were in dis
tress h conceived entitled TO relief frorAh.
respective states in which they mightS.
who were bound to support their poor !.
deed this money could not be applied tofh.
use of the embar8osd scanen generally, Be-.
cause it was only for the relief Of those who
were subject to tie municipal regulations i
the state ia which they MAJ be.
Mr.. !S.incy observed, that the fund fcr
the support Of distressed seamen had here,
tofore been derived from a tax On the wac,
of The seaman. This fund, which had
heretofore been sufficient, having been d+.
stroyed by the suspension Of commerce, h.
asked whether tie general government was
not pledged to Do something for these men,
who would not have suffered but for i,s
measures.
RIr. Smile was in favor OF the bill. The
funds heretofore established FOR the relief Ct
cur s4a1nen had been destroyed by
sure which had been deemed necessary i0t
the good Of the couatr;,; ani he though
assistance ought 10 be given 70 them. Nh.
Smile called FOR the reading Of the Sesg,.
targ of The Treasury's report On the sl5,
jsct.
t1r. 7aAma4ye said, that every genie,
man who attended to the reaslning OF ;l3
report OF ihe Secretary Of the Treasury,
could not fail to be convinced of The rec,i.
tade Of his statement, and the conclusion
which he had drawn from il. The general
government had DESTROYED the service, BY
which the seamen hal heretofore been sup
ported IA doing which they had thrown
burthan Oh the community in the same ratio
as the service had been DESTROYED. The
Secretary of the Treasury had fairly aad
caniidly told the house, that the fuad for
the support Of the distressed stam2n was
DESTROYED. What should be done! Should
nothing be apportioned from the funds Of
t.lis government to support the esta3Asl.
men1? He hoped and trusted that there
would. For the information OF tn- g-ntle.
man from Virginia Mr.. Elrweilj who dil
not know that this class Of men was more
distressed than any Other, lir. I. sud, he
would mention that he had letters from dil-
farent parts Of tn union, particularly IRON
Philadelphia, from one OF the most respect
able merchlu;s in that civ, informing HIN
that the merchants had formed fund tor
the relief of these persons, which had been
exhausted, the seam>n being IN the greatest
distress, without a sick Of wooi il tnIs s..
we're weather even TO cook thelr vctlas;
and requesting hin IS G member OF the S.
neral goveran-n. to exert HI nsell Tor th5T
relief nIr. Z. said he woald venture to DC.
c:s-e ira; vais was the case in ali tbs po"ti r
yh- i. S aoa he thought 1t most unqlcs-
tioaabiy became the government TO grant
some sorg OF relief to thes- citizens. ii;
believed that tils approPriatlon pFoposel1
WIS proper; and tia. lesi than that Wo1'1
be TOO little for the purpose.
EIr. D. 4. y iIiams shod5,lt the object Oh
the BIZ, very IauIabie, but h wished mo-
eiiication Of the Principle. He was VIKING
to advance he 900, 900 dollars, su2ectto D.
yetfiu1ded irom eJands hereqftsr 70 be ff'
cstved Tor the support Of the estabhsame'''
lie thought this amendment would bt fiSf
" proper, because from document N ms
hands, he found that the funds Of me e5'',
!. l,,,. fo,. 81. yat.c &C cick on fiiSl)itl