Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-03-23

ment, he hoped it would not be agreed to, as
the gun-boats were a species of force calcu-
lated for harbor defence and not fer sea-
service, and as the House with that view
had directed them. until necessary for such
purpose, to be laid up and distributed in the
several harbors along the coast The last
amendment, though not Objectionable in
principle, would in detail be detrimental to
the public service, because it put out of COM
mission, at a months notice. all the present
pursers, some of whom were on board ships
in Europe, and whose places could not be
substituted in treble that time; and because
1t required of all pursers bonds of security to
the enormous amount of $50, 900 each, which
would efectually bar proper selection of
| persons for that station.
| After some remarks of Mr.. M'Kcc and
! Mr.. Rhea in favor of the first amendment,
the question on disagrecing to it was taken
and carried, ayes 60. The two other a
| mendments were disagreed to without a divi
| sion.
The bill relinquisiing to the corporation
| OF New-Orleans, the use and possession of a
certain lot of ground in said city, was reat,
n third time and passed.
| MISSISSIPPI STATE OR TERRITORY.
The bill to enable the people OF the Mis-
] s!ssippi territory to form constitution and
| state government, and for the admission Of
the same into the Union on an equal footing
with the original states, was read third time
| and passed, without debate, by yeas and
nays as follow:
| YEAS-Mcssrs. AIsto., Anderson, Ar
cher, Bassett, BIB, Blacklcdge. BSyd, Brown.
Burwell, Butter, Cheves, Clay, Cochran,
Coadit, Crawford, Davis, Dawson, Desha,
Dinsmoor, Earle, Findley, Fisk, Franklin,
Gholson. Goodwin, Gray, Green, Grundy,
B. Hal, o. Hall, HAYES, Hufty, Hyncman,
Kent, Lacock, Little, Lowndes, Lyle, Ma
| con, Maxwell, Moore, M'Coy, M'Kce, NJ
kim, Metcalf, Nelson, New, Newbold, New
ton, Ormsby, Pickens, Peasants. Ridgely,
Roberts, Rodman, Sage, Seaver, Shaw, G..
| Smith, ]. Smith, Stanford, Strong, Talafer-
70, Troup, Turner, Whitehill, Wilson,
VIM, Wright-69.
NAYS-Messrs Bacon, Baker, Bigclow,
Blocker, Breckenridge, Brigham, Champi-
on, Chittenden, Davenport, Ely, Fitch,
Gold, Goldsborough, Jackson, Lewis, Mitch
ill, Pearson, Ptkin, Pond, Potter, Sammons,
Stow, Sturges, Taggart, Tallmadge, Tracy,
Wheaton, Whites.
OUARTER-MAS DEPART
MENT.
The House resumed the consideration of
the report oi the committee of the whole, on
the bill for establishing Il Quarter-master's
Department.
Considerable dcsutory discussion tool.
place on the details of the bill.
Mr. Lacock moved to strike out so much
of the bill as establishes the Office Of Com
missary-gencral, as substitute for that of
Purveyor of Public Supplies, which the bill
proposes TO abolish.
This motion was supported by Messrs
Lacock and Roberts, and opposed by Messrs.
Falimedse and Wright. 1t was contended
on one hand, that no good purpose would
be answered by the proposed change; that
it would have the effect OF legislatng man
out OF Office, if that was not the o5jecf of it:
that it was moreover always improper to
blend in the same bill principles not neces-
sarily connected, thus frequently defeating
the most useful measures. On the other
hand, several reasons were urged in sup
port of the expediency, i'll military point
OF view, of the proposed alteration of the
present system, which it was said was cal
culated for time ofpeace, and not for pc
Rod of war
The question On the motion was decided
by Yeas and Nays, and lost. Yeas 81, Nays
Mr.. Lacock then moved to amend The bill
so as to reduce the proposed salary of the
CommissaIy- general from three to fzvo thou
sand dollars per annum.
Mr.. Pickens proposed to- fix the salary at
$500 dollars.
MIR. Roberts and Mr.. NJ 'Kee spoke in sup
port of the reduction. The salary of Bri-
gadier- was stated to be much less,
with much greater responsibility, than
that proposed to be given to Commissary-
General, whose duties, it was said, were of
that description that could be we'll and ade-
quately performed by many men who would
be happy to accept a salary of Two Thou
sand Dollars for that service.
Inc question on reducing the salary to tzpo
thousand dollars per annun, was taken by
Yeas and Nays, and carried, SO to so.
Mr.. Roberts proposed to graduate the sal
aries by extending the reduction of the sala-
lies to the Deputy Commissaries, giving
them Twelve Hundred Dollars each per
annum, instead of 1000, as proposed by the
bill.
Mr.. Lacock proposed to fix Fifteen Hun
drsd Dollars as the salary; and, AFTER some
observations from Mr.. Fisk,
Mr.. Roberts modi6edhis molten toFifteen
Hundred Dollars which was agreed to as
the proper salary for the deputies.
some other amendments were made TO the
details of the bill; and
1t was ordered to be engrosscd for Z third
reading
The following message was received from
the President of the United STAGES, by MIR.
Edward Coles, lis Secretary. (See Thurs
days Argus)