Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-04-10

and committed.
Resotrsd, That committee be appointed to
enquire INTO the expectancy of making an srtif-
ciai road from Washington, Pennsylyenia, thro'
Chariestown on the Ohio river, to the Sandusky
river at or near Fort Stevenson
Mr. Hopkfnscn, after some Introductory obsera
valions, IN which he animadverted on the neon
Ieniences and exPence of the present mode of
dong business, by which all bills &c. which are
not hnaily consummated at one session, are COM
menced at the following session de novo also the
additional expence TO the parties who are brought
here session after session for the same business,
the repeated trouble TO the house, &c. Sec--for
the purpose of rsmedying those evils, he SUBJ
Ditted the follousins restitution
hesofved, That the committee Upon the rules
ana regulations OF the house, be instructed to en-
quire into the expediency of making, in conjunc.
ton with the Senate, the following al erations in
tne mode OF transachng the pubic business of
congress, to wit: That the standing committees
| appointed at the commencement of any Congress
Shall not he dissolved at the end of the session
at winch they were appointed that on the ad-
JournmeDt Of Congress the unfinished business.
to wit bills, resolutions and reports of commit.
tees, shall remain over to the next session of the
| same congress, in The same situation as thew
were at the time of adjournment.
The resolution for the present was, with the
consent ofthe mover, laid on the table
MT 1Rck-r called up for consideration the re-
ting the appointment, at the commencement of
each session, OF additional standing committees
| tor investigation of the public expenditures
MIR. SMITH of Md. did not beve that much
| good could flow out of the measure There
were already, he said, an accountant of the war
and an accountant OF the navy apartments, and a
comptroller over them, and now we are To appoint
committees of Congress over the whole, to inspect
accounts after the money has been paid away.
Further more, he thought it would be impractica-
Bile tor the committees act ec eptly unless they
sat all The year. Mr.. S. said he remembe. ed that
| a gentleman ofthis House (Mr. Randolph) once
| moved asimilar investigation into what was calleI
the Augean stable the enquiry was ordered the
gentlemen went into it; five thousand dollars
were spent in printing documents &c. and af-er
all, there was not even resolution or any other
| proceeding predicated on the examination.
| The motion was advocated by Messrs. Tucker.
Desha, Stanford, Wright and Lowntles; by
whom 1t was argued that the experience of
| other states, particularly Virginia, proved the
utility of such committees Tht they were also
| found extremely beneficial and useful in England
| that clamors and suspicious had gone abroad
and though they might not be well founded
they rendered the enquiry necessary that il
I-any thing was wrong in the public accounts the
government ought to know it and the evil be cor
rectedi that it the committees only entered into q
general, and not minute and detailed rnyestiga,
| ton ofthese accounts, much good would still re.
suit from 1T as 1t would tend to Correct frauds,
or errors if any that it was the duty of this
branch OF the government 30 inspect the money
| concerns and see that they were correctly and
faithfully conducted, Sc.
| The resolutions were then agreed to in the fol,
| lowing form:
Rescued, That the following standing Conn
| mittees be appointed to serve during the present
Congress, and that hereafter at the commence.
ment OF the first session in each Congress, like
committees shall be appointed; whose dulies
shall continue Until the first session of the ensu-
| ing Congress:
| ACommittee on so much of the public accounts
and expenditures as relate to the Department of
State
A Committee on so much ofthe public accounts
and expenditures as relate TO the Treasury De-
partment.
ACommittee on so much of the public accounts
| and Expenditures relate to the Department of
| War.
A Committee on so much of the public accounts
| and expenditures as relate 10 the Department of
| the NAVY
A Committee on so much of the public accounts
| and expenditures as relate to the Post-Office
] and
Committee on so much Of the public accounts
and expenditures relate to Public Buildings.
The said committees shall consist of three
members each.
1t shall be the duty ofthe committees to exam.
inc into the state of the accounts & expenditures
| respectively submit ed to them, and to inquire
and report particularly,
Whether the expenditures Of the respective
Departments are justified by law;
Whether the claims from time TO time salts.
ned and discharged by the respective Depart.
ments are supported by sufficient vouchers. esta.
biIshing their business both rs to their charac.
ter and amount;
Whether such claims have been DISCHARGED
MI trf,Ic
er all moneys have been disbursed in conformity
with appropriation laws and
whether any and what provisions are necess-
are to be adopted TO provide more perfectly for
the proper application of the public moneys, and
to secure the government from demands unjust
IN thelr character or extravagant IN Their amount
And it shall be moreover the duty of the said
committees to report from time to time wheth.
er any and what retrenchments can be made in
The expenditures of the several Departments
without detriment TO the public service wheths
er any, and what abuses at any time exist in the
failure to enforce the payment Of moneys which
may be due to the United States from publ c de-
iaulters, and others, and to report fom time to
time, such provisions and arrangements as may
be necessary TO add to the econsiny If the seye.
raj Departments and the Accountability of their
officers.
Mr Lowndes,in obedience to instruc. ions from
the committee Of Ways and Means, offered the
following resolution which was agreed to.
Resolved That the committee of commerce and
manui .ctures be instructed TO enquire into the
expediency Of making an appropriation for pre-
serving Little Gulls island in Long island sound,
near New London, from the encroachments Of
the sea.
The House then proceeded TO consider the a.
mendments Of the Senate to the bill from this
House, to authorize the payment for property lost
captured or destroyed by the enemy while in
the public service.