Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-02-15

sion pass by without doing something which
| will have a tendency to relieve our citizens
from their fearful appref .nsion.
| Mr.. Webster opposed the resolves, and
demanded the yeas and nays on their adop>
ton. He objected to the consideration, at
+, this late hour. of few projects, which,
though they would seriously obstruct the
| recruiting service. could produce no good.
| The present direct tax, he observed. was
! pledged to specific purposes; and an add.
| tion to the direct tax WIS not practicable,
that tax being already as heavy as could be
borne. The trie iRterest of the country,
| he believed, indicated a reliance on volun.
tary enlistments for filling the ranks of the
army. SC.
Mr.: Goldsborough appeared 70 be incIin-
| ed to see this subject referred to commit
| tee of the whole, for full and mature con-
sideratiou.
Mr.. Wright expressed his regret at see
| ing such propositisn introduced at this
! time; for sure he was, it would produce no
! good but, besides consuming public time.
| the very publication OF the motion would
have a tendency TO check the recruiting SER
vice. He had information which authoriz ;
ed him to say that there was perfect con-
| fidence the army would be filed in good
| time by the ordinary process of recruiting !;
and, if we had been able to obtain money at
the commencement of the session. he had
| no doubt but the army would now have
| presented very numerical front indeed
| He adverted to the high bounties now paid,
| compared to those paid during the revolu.
| ton, which would soon produce a good ar
! my, and an army of the wealthy men too,
each entitled by virtue of his enlistment to
800 acres of land, sc. The states, too, were
| raising troops, of which the STATE of Mary
land had magn animously voted to raise 5000.
| Theae new PROJECTS, Mr.. W. feared, would
defeat the only one on which reliance could
be placed, viz, the recruiting service.
Mr.. Grosvenor said he was totally oppo-
sed to this motion, in principle, which was !,
| besides, impracticabIe. The assumption of
| The direct tax by some of the states interpo.
sed of itself an insuperable difficulty in the
way of this wild project.
| MIR. Gholson said he did believe that the
! subject of providing for filling the ranks of
| the Regular Army and of providing the
| Ways and Means, ought, until they were
entirely arranged, TO occupy the attention
| of Congress to the exclusion of all other bu'
| siness. That the mode now proposed WIS
| the proper one for filling the ranks. he did
not say but, as it Introduced the subject Of
| enquiry, he hoped the resolution would be
| adopted Tia. the country was capable of
bringing at once regular army into the
field, no man acquainted with its resources
could deny. if they we're properly applied.
| The only question then was. whether sucn
| an army was wanting OF that he thought
| there could be no doubt and he therefore
hoped the house would seriously enter on
this subject.
! Mr.. Fisk of VI, opposed proposed post.
/ poaement of this motion, not that he aporo.
I e o1.r I,,,t -
| tible of modification, and that, in his opin.
ion. it would become Congress, before they
| parted, to take some efficient and Certain
measures to fill the ranks of the regular ar.
| my. A combination of this proposition with
| that made by the War Department at the
| commencement of the session, would pro
| duce such system as he should approve
and such as he believed, from the want of
| money, the government would at last be
| compelled to resort to. What answer, he
asked, could they give TO their constituents,
if they returned home and left the country
comparatively defenceless 1t was time,
he said, that they should act, and act effici.
| emily.
Mr.. Stanford made motion to lay the
resolves on the table which was negas
lived.
Mr.. Lowndes objected to the enquiry in
to the propriety of diverting the Direct Tax
already laid, or part of it, to the purpo-
ses of raising men. After that tax had
been solemnly pledged by law to a specific
purpose, to enter into a discussion of the
propriety of diyertihg it to any other pur.
pose, while it would be irnpracticable for
any useful send, might be seriously Injurious
to the finances and credit of the country -
He had no objection, however, to enquire
into the propriety of INCREASING the Direc;
Tax to this end, &c.
Mr.. Troup (the Chairman of the militia
ry committee) said. that, being a membe
ofthe committee to whom it was proposed
to refer this subject, it did not become him
to express any decided opinion on it. AL
| he hoped was, that the house would not in
struct the committee on this head, unless
determined to perfect the proposition into
; the shape OF a law-inashuch as the com
mittee, in It's ministerial capacity, had al
ready cognizance over this subject, and
could report on it without instruction, il
deemed by than expedient, With respect
to the military subjects of the present SEES
sion, the house could not fail to recollec
that the report of the Secretary of War haC
stated what force we had, and what addi
ton TO II was desirable for the further de
fence Of the country. 1t had been propo
sed to Congress TO augment the regular
, Il fnfr fn has a.