The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-25
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

''ie association of Ministers at Boston. conn
P!'uphiS or the post-ufiice being opened for
distributing letters on the Sabbath, in the
r"Ce o. an act CT mat commonwealth which
ioI6i,!S any shop nv store TO be opened.
nc Hhcdke7' laid before the House pe-
si.ioh OF, inc same subject. from certain inla-,
Dltahts IN the western parts of the u States.
notn were ordered to lie IN the table.
Mr. .Pesoton presented the petition of SEQ.
pre !9niES2shS merchant of Norfolk, stating, that
dent the subject, &c: 'Riaiaup phi IF the Presi-
tam british manufactures, which he PRAYED
tor leave 20 import. Referred
| As stated i'll our last, the bill for establish.
ing quarter masters department, passed
It's third reading On the question "Shall
the bill pass lis third readingf''
Mr. .dston said, if the House would paw
attention to the duty of the Purveyor of Pub
lie Supplies. and examine the powers given
to the Quarter master-G General in this bin.
I 1t would appear evident that there was no
necessity Tor both Offices, amc it was certain
iy not the wish of the House to erect two
great departments to perform the same tlu-
ties. lie COULD perceive no way in which one
Cfacer was TO be check uDOn the other
lie liked the bill as it came from the Senate
better than rs amended as he saw no ne
cessity Tor retaining the office of Purveyor
N'i. Ial1dd5e observed that the great
object or this bill, and the only one which
made 1t necessary, was to provide for a
quarter-mascer generals department, i'm
steac OF military agents, as employed at
present. There never was such an ofncer-
in the staff department in the revolutionary
war. he late Secretary of war, as well as
the present, were in favor OF this chance
Inc miAltaiy agents, without much response
0llity, had nearly Controlled the whole War
Department An attempt was made 9 years
ago 60 erect this Change, but it then failed.
ne once OF Purveyor of Public Supplies,
was instituted lcng before that of Military,
Agent. The du les OF the Quarter-master-.
General and PurveyNr are very different
lhe former is highly respectable & conf
Dental ofncer; he Is next in CONSEQUENCE to
the commander III chief, with whom he has
frequent conmuni alton. Every movement
OF the army Is hrst communicated To- nim.--
ne ought to be military character 1t is
cessary s &c TfssE Tor and t deyer out the ne
to its movements The duties of the Pur-.
veyor is to purchase, under the direction Of
the Secretary CT the Treasury, arms CLOTH
ing, hospital stores and every other article.
necessary for the army So that there is
not the least similarity between the two off,
GERS one being the purchasing, the other
the distributing officer. If the office of Pur-
veyor were to be done away, the Quarter
master-General would have to employ a,
deputy or agent to make. these purchases,
which would be putting too much in the
| power of subordinate officer. and wouId
do away thai check which will exist if the
Purveyor be continued, as the purchaser e
distributor OF the supplies would be in the
same person. The Purvevor is also the.
purchaser Of goods for the Indian Depart.
ment.
Mr.. Williams rose to prevent any person,
from falling into the mistake which the gem,
ticinan from y. Carolina appeared to have,
| RI Z
! prnJei bin Ca part OF which had been struck.
out and other parts amended) instead of the
bit read from the chair He deemed it un-
necessary to add any thing in reply, to what,
mad been so well said by the gentleman from
! Connecticut.
Mr.. .diston said he had attended TO the
Dil as read, and not to the printed bill and
Insisted that, from the provisions of the till,
I Tie Secretary of W ar might direct the Pur-
veyor and the Quarter master to purchase
the same articles. If the bill was what the
gentleman from Connecticut had stated it to
be, he should not have objected to It but it
1 was not.
IN. quincy had doubts whether both
! these oihcers we're necessary. There was
no such officer as Purveyor of Public Sup.
plies durine the Revolutionary war. fir
were found hereafter that another officer
besides The GdaTter-mastcr-Gene was ne
ceesary, he could be appointed. There
ought certainly to lie a responsibility At
tached to the purchaser OF supplies, ana this
might be placed in tire Head of the War De-
partment or Quarter-master-G General. Nc
) had nCt Sufficient LIGHT Oh the subject. TO say
that both these officers are necessary. He
: was in favor of the bill as it came from the.
Senate.
) Mr. B'ouut said, That though there was
} not Purveyor of Public Supplies during the.
Revolutionary war, there was a CIotbier
who did much the same business If VIC
are going 90 war, said MIR. f., he did not see
how we could do without a Quarter-mastsrZ
: General; and 1t would be improper for him
T. become the purchaser OF supplies which
1t is the Gaty of the Purveyor to purchase.
because, as had alrcahy been stated, there
would be no check in the business. There
must be Propriety in keeping she Offices dis
81 tinCt.
E bIr. NacoH observed, It was impossible tn
I go owar without a Guarter-master-G me.
y raj ior there is no man has so much 70 ~,
} about an army as this officer. There ,vos
{ always more Difficulty in setting the Omar
: ter-mastei'- Generals accounts than any o..
i ther. The only instances In Which Quar-.
s tcT-nastcr-G General has to purchase ann
l. lplies, is when. by some ujisCaYrjaer az ac>.
r cldent, nc supplies from the Coomiss-,sb 81.
y Pgrveyof 90 bot arrive .ii sSssss Il .sss,