The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-06-15
with bayonst: al S 10 Is, for which 1t appears


TIE committee in tins case. appear to have
shrunk from The. disersenuousness of their own
report, for CONSCIOUS that the gross misrepresen
tatons which it contains, particularly in this in
stance) did not merit confidence, they speak
dcGotfuly of The propricty of the course they
have here taken, to make the n:Lskefs appear TO
Cost more than even their tGriacr exagg erated
statement made them F; this appears by the fol
lowing WORDS, viz. :, Ifthst should be deemed
proper charge, and your committee are correct
| in estimating the inatetiais and component parts
at 25 per cent less lhaa the statement of tie Of
hcers." 8,ts
I his was, in effect, saying To the House and to
the world, we ARE conscious that we are lnisre-
presenting facts, but it you will be crcdulous
as to believe our estimate, which rs founded upon
mere conjecture, and is not Only unsupported but
contradicted, by public documents and vouch ers,
we can then make you believe that the musse,s
cost whatever we may please TO state, either
sixteen or sixty dollars each In relation TO this
disgusting imposition, Win observe, that the
| committee might, with the same degree of pro-
priety, instead OF estimating the component parts
and materials st IS per cent less than their cost
, have estimated tlieia at 100 per ceut. less al
winch estimate they would amount 10 nothing :
Then the whole sum expended on those articles,
might be lad ON the mlialets, which would have
made them appear 10 cost considerably more than
the COMMITTEES had stated But let us unravei
this sophistical statement. The committee by the
duce 5 l7I.12S S., as sum proper to be divided
\ among 1885 muskets, which they say brings
| each rnusket made, to The sum OF $ 10 a." "a
price S 81 higher than they had already seated
them 10 have cost, as has been shewn, 10 wit ::
| . Ii 55) They then say" estimating each gun
with bayoaet at S 10 IS" And by their calcu.
lationS (Which indeed would disgrace school
| boy,l they make the 1855 muskets at dolls. 10
~ each, amount to dolls. Sc, 257 IS more than if
they had cost only dolls. 10 rs; the price they
| had arbitrarily fixed upon them and attempt 10
impose upon the Credulous belief, that the pub
lac nave lost dolls. 56.237 SIS, because they chose
| TO fax price upon the arms, &c. greatly below
their cost or their value. II will be recollected,
that the first step taken by the committee in re-
laton to the cost of the arms, &c was, that they
bxed an arbitrary value upon all the rifles, pistols,
cavalry swords, polished iron scabbards, Japan
ned iron scabbards, artillery swords, sc. greatly
below their value, in order 10 throw the balance
| OF their cost upon the snRskets. by which they
made the muskets amount to dolls. Ia SIS, when,
III fact, they had not cost SO much dollars IL.
They then stated, that :" as it respects the NUN.
Der and quantity of component parts and materi-
ais on hand, and other arms and articles compile.
ted, your committee have taken the statement
and valuation OF the officers except the value of
rifles, pistols, swords and sCabbards, which your
committee estimated from the testimony 6. their
own information"
But Notwithstanding this declaration, that in
| ~ sHS Sohpoh~ht fatlS .iii ihStSIis'io Oh
hand, they had" taken the statement and valua-
ton OF the officers" yet in subsequent part of
the report, we lind that the committee tkem-
! selves did estimate or value those component
| parts ano materials on Hand al" IS per cent less
than the statement of the officers" the words
then, "your committee have taken the statement
and valuation OF the officers" palpably false.
! BY undertaking the rifles, pistols, swords, sc.
| the committee made the muskets appear to cost
dolls. IA SIS, afterwards by changing their ground
and undertaking. the component parts and ma
terials Ola hand, they make tile muskets appear to
cost dolls 10 AZ cents. Aud, lastly by uuderya-
lung the muskets, they endeayor to make it APP
! pear, that the commonwealth have lest, OF impro-
| perry expended dolls. 56,237 25. So that the
committee, instead of ascertaining the cost of
the arms, from the vouchers which are kept in
the public Offices for that purpose, arbir ariy and
unjusty set a value (according to their own ca
pricel upon every species of arms made at The
| mandatory ana also upon the stock of compo-
nent parts OF arms and materials on hand
JOHN CLARKE.