The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-30
( Vol. S-------No. IS.

| must pay the roney.-Whether the trea-
sniy has ten or twenty millions to collect
FROM the people, and to pay To the other
agents or government, the repose of the
secretary is not in the least disturbed
When, during the revolutionary war, con-
yress was obliged to call on the people for
heavy taxes. or unable to redeem our pa
per money, the pressure fell On the people,
who had the taxes to pay and III whose
hands the paper-money died away. When
notwithstanding these inadeq rate resources,
we were unable to defray the most neces-
i4ry expenses, the pressure tell on whom!
On your empty treasury No, sir-it fell
on the 0T7ay-on the a. /eEders Of your
'coHntry--on those 9uQr1vorn Urs5rons, who
were Scantiiy fed, hardiY clothed, and rot
lla'a az al, and whose earnings at least, fell
INTO the hands Of Specializing harpies. But,
SIR, what effect had this state of things up
on the personal rcpose ct your then COM
nlissi lners OF the treasury Not the least.
Except SO far they felt for the distress
OF tEeir country and identified themselves
WITH Its late and it is only in this point of
view, said Mr.. A. that the repose of a se-
cretaiy OF your treasury can be disturbed on
similar occasions. That substitution of the
freasuiy-of the chest into which the taxes
are paid,-to the people themselves who
pay them, Is one or those equivoques of
which the hon. member is so fond 1t is.
however, an article too thinly yelled, to
deceive the senate, or mislead our constit-
uents. Mr.. A. said, the course taken by
the honorable member had been so devious.
that 1t had been hard to follow him, and
indeed sometimes to understand his mean
ing correctly.-Mr. A. said ne could not,
nor had he intended when he rose, to an
swer all the observations Of the honorable
membcr-he had selected the most promo
lnent, and should answer only one or two
more. The honorable member had saitlt'
that to the unwilling ess of the late and
present administrations to incur expense.
ne attributes the present situation of our
country-Althoush he has made this charge
against the administrations, he has not spe-
cihed any case, in which the present adj
ministration had refused to incur expense.
NAT. A. supposed it would have been rather
Ion bold charge, after the measures adCp.
teub the president, * with their result now
oeiore us he had however specified two
cases under the former administrations
refusal to incur the expense necessary to
carry the embargo into effect, and rejec-
ton by the House OF Representatives of a
proposition to authorize contingent letters
ot marque and reprisal. Mr. A. said. he
mad always understood, that the execu-k
tive had used with great assiduity every
means which had been placed in his hands
by congress, TO carry into effect the several
embargo laws that the laws were as well
executed, as any restrictive laws, of so
pressing character, could have been up->
on SO extensive Coast, and more SO than
the restrictive laws OF Great Britain and
france had ever been, with AL their na>
vles and their numerous armies and that
IL was not because this law was not we'll
executed that it was repealed, but in CON-
sequence OF another considerations well
known TO the honorable member himself.
VINO can give as accurate historU of the
repeal OF that law, as any honorable mem
Der OF either house. Mr. a. said with res
pect to the failure, on the part of the House
OF Representatives, to adopt continyeatlet-
ters OF p,arque and reprisai, he could rot
see how that could with any proprety be
attributed to the late president, He did.
not indeed, by an official message, recon-
mend such a measure and the correct,
ness OF such a course MIGHT well be doubt
cd, upon constitutional grounds. But, Mr.
A. SAID, he we'll knew that the president
was anxious for a provision of that kind, as
substitute for the embargo whether in
the precise phraseology of the provision the
house rejected, Mr.. A. could not saw; but
knowing, as he did, that the President wax
desirons of a strong substitute, he was soy..
ry Shat the hon. member had attempted
to attribute TO him the failure of 20 i'm Dr.
tant measure, for which he was in no war
responsible.
(De6Gtc 10 be continued }
II