The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-14

ments. Though it is the business of this |
House to originate nieney-bills, the gentle
man from Georgia had carried his IDEAS on |
this subject too far. We, as the immediate |
of the people, are supposed !
to be the best judges OF what is proper in
this respect ; but it docs not follow, that
the other branch of the Legislature shall
net originate any bill which may can for
money from the Treasury. They have
this Fight, and we have tl,c-right TO act up
on such bills when they come before us as
We think proper.
Lee US examine, said Mr.. G. whether the
Senate have not acted properly in rejecting
these amendments, and, whether trie econ
omy will not be consulted by agreeing to
the present motion. We had determined
that less than cne-half the officers should
be appointed at present. and afterwards,
when arertain portion OF the men shall DC
raised, the balance. If we shall be cnga-
ed Ill war, is it believed that twenty-five
Thousand men will be too many Certain
~ not Would it not, then, be consulting
economy, and dispatch, to raise 4 sufficien-
cy OF men at onces For, il you send force
to Canada, you must leave a part of your
men to guard your posts at home. The
force ought to be fully sufficient if it were
net, deicat might be the consequence.
| This bill, said Mr.. 6. came from the SEN
ate we have amended it. they disagree to
our amendments, and ask us 70 recede
And it we do not, verbal war is to be car
ried on between, the two Houses. Rather
than this should take place, he would be for
now yielding little on the score of num-
bers, and insure the passage of the bill,
=! which might otherwise be endangered. Be-
sides, this Disagree ment between the two
Houses would exhibit US in an unfavourable
light, not only TO our own constituents, but
to foreign countries. 6. Britain would be
ready to say, sc Republican America can
never go to war; This Congress would ra-
rher hold q verbal conflict among them
selves, than engage III war with any nation
| whatever" fu
Mr.. .SmiHe hoped the House would not re-
cede from their amendments. The gentle
man from MARYLAND (h.r. Nrightl had said
the object is greet; ana we ought not to talk
about the exIence. He knew as we'll as
that gentleman, that war could not be car
ried on without eXpence. This is not the
question. The question is, whether We will
submit TO an Unnecessary eXpence The
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gruntly)
has told US we qight to. agree with the SEN
ate, lest we hazard the loss of the bill Ii
this should be fe case, on whom will the
responsibility req Where it ought to rest.
Have we not sh.wn every disposition to ac-
commodate the Senate, at the same time
that we endeavGed to guard against unne-
cessary .eXpencef How will the bill stand,
if the amendments be stricken out 1t will
be an excellent bill for officers, but not for
men. There Will be an army OF officers
without men Would it injure the service
it these amendments remain He thought
not He had dolbts whether the - eco men
i, for six regiments would be raised in twelve
months from this timex all this time the
,nation would be satdled with the expence of
the officers for al the thirteen regiments,
If this were economy, he ddnot understand it.
! 1t will be remembered, said Mr.. ). that all
power rests with tie people. Their opinion
supports those in power: and when that
changes, they viii choose those whose opin-
ions correspond with their own.
| Mr. ). said, wlen he looked forward to
the day hen we should have to call upon
1.-THE people for taxes to support this expencc,
!; or at least to pay the interest Of it--for he
4 hoped it was not intended to borrow money
to pay the. interest as we'll as principal
he expected great murmuring. For we
must have internal taxes no one thought
of any other source All goes on very
smoothly at present but the trying time
will be when the suppliescome to 1e raised.
He was willing to enter into this war but
he was unwilling to expend one shilling un-
necessarily.
| Mr. 1rouf was in favor of reced;ng, be
cause, in doing SO, he believed the raising of
the troops would DE expedited for if BOO
officers could raise 10000 men, in a given
time, 400 officers could raise 10000 in the
same time. He could not help replying to a
remark of the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(dr. Smile y that gentleman was ali for e.
economy. MIR. L. was not for war of econo-
my but war of yigour. All wars are
necessarily expensive the more feeble and
protracted they are, the greater will be the
/, expence and the expcnce is less in proper
ton as they are short and vigorous. If we
are not to have an energetic war, let US have
no war. He believed the resources of this
country are adequate tc any war Com
pare the situation of the country with what
it was in 1775. Our population now consists
| of seven millions Of active, eDterprising indi-
viduals, Carrying on q commerce second on
ly to one nation iB the world then our pop
ulation was only three millions, with a fee
bic colonial commerce, and the people mis-
erably poor in every thing but in the spirit
of liberty. What did they do If gentle
men will recur TO the Journals of that day.
obey will discover, that when Congress had
for nidalc army ready &c march, they liad
not dollar of revenue, and the people was
too INDECENT to raise money /; Congress had
to issue bills Of credit to the amount of two
millions Of dollars. If it be thought we can
not raise the necessary supplies, we had
better do at once, what perhaps, we shall
find it necessary to do, If we refuse TO re-
cede from these amendments. submit.
Mr.. WidSery said, had not these amend
m heen made RI the hill rho mir