The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-01

a.
yainSt the amendment.
Mr. Sniiie SPOKE in favor Of the amend |
rent, and expressed his establishment ut the
change which appeared 40 have taken place
in the House. since they had voted, co to 81, |
a few DAYS ago, to reduce the navy
Mr.. Key expressed his surprise. that
gentleman. having much parliamentary
experience as the gentleman who preceded
him, should be surprised at the change of
votes A majority had voted to reduce, ha
wing different objects of reduction in view
but when reduction in any one branch Of
expenditure was proposed. it appeared that
a majority could notsAgree in it. Mr.. X.
spoke again in favor of the amendment.
The motion to strike out the section was
lost. So to 40.
Mr.. Key renewed his motion to insert
washington"
MIR. Randolph opposed the motion on the
ground of the unhtncss of the situation Of
Washington, compared with others, for
navy yard.
MIR. Macon supported the motion--he-
cause he was utterly opposed TO navy, he
said he wished that navy yard should be
Kept here. as members Of Congress would
be much sooner disguised by seeing the ex
Penditures OF the navy system, than by hear.
ing of them.
a q v.
wished the amendment not TO prevail The
gentleman from n. Caroline, an enemy to
navies, wished to retain the yard at this
place; he, (Mr. d. friend to them gene
rally, wished TO dispose of or disuse il. -
They, therefore, thought alike, though they
should vote differently
The motion to insert Washington was
CARR d. 81 TO 49,
The section FOR reducing the marines was
struck out. without debate-Ayes5 SO.
The com mittee rose and reported me bill
as amended.
The Speaker resumed the chair. and the
Rouse resolved now to consider the report
of the committee Of the whole.
MIR .1Hinor said the bill had been much
amended i'll committee, and as the remnant
LETT amounted to very little, and the discus
sion of'shat little would probably cost more
than would be saved by passing it into a
law he moved to postpone the further
consideration of the subject indefinitely,
Messrs. Smile, Pitkin, w. Aston and
Dana opposed the motion.
Mr.. Randolph moved an Adjournment
| which was carried.
WEDNESDAY,, April IS.
On motion Of Mr.. Bacon, resolution was
adopted instructing the committee to whom
was referred the report of the Secretary Of
the Treasury on Manufactures to enauirc in.
to the expediency of further amending the
census law, so as to direct the officers to
collect information Or the subject of manu-
| features.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
Mr.. Dana said lie had laid on the table a
! few days ago a resolution relative to the Post
Office, which had been objected to an ac~
count OF its extent He now varied the mo-
ton, and submitted it as follows:
"ReSofUcd, That the Post Master genera!
be directed to lay before this House a state
ment of the number of Post Offices. the sum
received for hostages, the compensa ion of
the deputy post masters, the charge for the
conveyance of the mail, the incidental ex-
pence and nett revenue of the Post Office es
Enlistment for every year from the 9TH Of
March, 1889. to the close of The wear 1909,
together with information respecting the ex.
tent of post roads,
Mr. ID. said he had expressed the resolu,i
on IN general terms. that it might give the
post master general an opportunity of stating
every thing respecting the extent of the
| route, in order that if the expences of ihc
establishment had increased, it might be
seen how much the routes had been thereby
extended.
Mr. Rhea moved that the resolution sbopld
to make a report of that nature this session,
or in three mtanths. even if the Post NJ =, er
general were to set all his people 20 work on
it.
Mr. Dana said he was perfectly confident
that IT the Post m aster general and his clerks
Could not make report on this subject in
three months, that he and his clerks ought
to be broke. He did not believe that he and
ms Clerks were so incompetent as not to be
able TO make it in week 1t would be an
evidence of their ncompetency if they could
not make 1t in two days He thought i. i'm
possible that The Posi- master general should
be- SO little attentive to the principle on
which his accounts were kept. as rot to have
head OF accounts SO as to shew at one view
the various items of information he had ask.
ed tor Accounts were rendered 10 his Office
quarterly and must be transcribed to some
general head. The,error of the gentleman
from PennsylvahIa arose from supposing that
the names OF all the Post masters ard other
details were wanted, which was not the
case Mi ID said he woul not admit the
idea that he Post master general was 50
utterly incompetent TO his duty as not 10 be
able at once to give The information reaui~
red, Tor he had a better opinion of his ia
Tents.
Mr.. R5eG said If he understood the reso
luton, 1t went To call for a history Of the Post
Once establishment in all its branches since
the year 1888. He had no objection to re.
qulre such report TO be made at the next
session, although it would be a Voluminous
statement and would cost perhaps a thousand
dollars to print it.
Mr.. Pot!er expressed his surprize that
no motion. of however trivial iunuorto,ce