The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-04-16

W. ~ c't ~ uio Suggestion or any ONE
cause.
Bat did this II provide for any of tn,
claims of Virginia ! 1t did not, its opera.
ton was prospective merely, was confine,
TO future cases of military expenditure, o
particular character, and had TO bearing
upon existing claims. There were, indie.
pendentiy OF the consideration that the bill
from the Senate did NOT act upon the past
seri u objections to IS prospective opera.
ton. IL lated only 70 unauthorized call, OF
militia, & subjected the officers OF the u. s.
having the custody of Ammunition & fl,nts II
to the order Of the Commander of m ,l;,ia
Tor their delivery and in case those arti
Giles were II TO be otherwise OBJ aimed, The
militia officer was authorized to purchase
them at his discretion.
We think it sufficiently shcwn that no
charge of neglectirg the in erests Of Virei
nia' SO far as we declined to ,r7ss the pas
sage OF the bill from the Senate, lis Justly i'm
Puted To Us /; and that candid examination
OF the subject independently of reference
TO that bill,wi; prove that no blame attach
es to us tor emitting to procure their allow
ance hitherto. 1t will be rec llected Il at tLe
May session of Congress was heid Tor the
particular 1Sject OF pre- vidng a stem OF
internal taxes. The difficult of doing bus
mess other than that sor which the CONGRESS
had convened, produced in some degree by
the irciemency 1t the season, and the
impa,icnce of the members TO adiourn, rem
defed it impolitic ut That time 70 have pres
the consideration Of amendments to
the bill from the Senate, which, to have ef
fected any thing, must have totally chang
ed its principles and although much Of the
present session had elapsed without doing
any thing 10 provide for the payment of the
CLAIMS OF Virginia, the FAULT, if there be any,
Is not ours. iu order to due understa nding
OF the subject and TO ascertain how far lie
gislahve provision is necessary, il is intis-
pensabie that the claims should be exhibit
ed to the proper officer of the War ID, part
ment for settlement. Yet although we are
informed by the report OF the committee that
there was due TO the stare on the Goth Of
February 1918 1.-The sum f S3t ,6SS 9 cts.
" that on the oath of Nav 1913. il had
reached he sum of Se4, 347 S3 cents ;
" that it was on the 18th Of December la II
So52.l41 70 cents that !; now G2 h of
february,) amounts to SS44, O4o SO cents
= and IN I il is daily increasing :; IL i. a
fact to tins day no accounts haze been ex-
hioited since the ON dated 26lh of Febru
aty 1918, amounting in the whole TO
S3l,6 81 cents only. In the settlement
OF such accounts as are payable by the u
'''tS" cNa's' > IL oppSdNS 20 US mat with z
view to uniformity 50 we'll as Justice TO the
States and to the Union, there should be
an exhibit on of the items and vouchers
which support them and thar a different
pr c'ice would be fraught with much jucon
venienee, and be liable to abuses. which
Virginia w+>uld be as prompt {, discounte
nance as any other sac; hut if this pre-
eau ION be unnecessary, aud the mere ex
hihiti n OF char ges is suffic ient, I ere can
Certainly be no just cause fer complaining at
the non payment of the accouats subseuuent
o the Goth Of February. 1913, when thew
nave never been presented for payment.-
Whenevtr they are exhibited, it will become
the duty of the officers in the War Depart
msnt To apply tine principles of exist ny la W s
mot to supply the defects of their provi-
slons. The province Of those officers is
simply to decide how far the Law iust,fes a
payment os the claiias and hot waas ,he
law should be. ABd arguments tending to
shew the justice and expectancy Of provi-
ding tor the pay nent of ~ oney expended BY
state to aid IN &c common defence" are
misspplied wien addressed to any othe,
than the legislative department of the SOW
eminent.
We have the honor TO be, wi h sentiments
OF spect, your Excellcncy's nest obedient
servants