Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-02-18
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
AT WASHINGTON.
February IS.

THIS day. yesterday aud thursday
were 50 mach enSr0sscd with business
ef TIE minor. uh,HtCrestinS kind, II
The first part of each day. and with
the necessary appropriation hills t''e
residue. that have thought ii hest to
reserve the little which occurred Oi
consequence, to be included in one
letter. The appropriation bills mel
with some few Interruptions. The
first Il hclicyc | have already men,
tioned it to you was on the score o!
poor pittanCe so salary To a clerk
who was called in during heavy
slut of business to aid the clerk of
commissioner Zee. thousands upon
thousands were voted without disturb
ing the repUsc Of the house ; bat tbs
paitry thing oNeralcd like an alarm
bell on slumberiug patriotism. and II
discussion cns"ed watch. after Wrestling
much time, ended like the march Of
the king of Frances forty thousand
mep, lust where it began.
The king nC Frame with forty thou
S&nA men,
March'd IN the Hill ard tLcn--
march'i down again.
For the appropriation, after all.
was So evidently list and reasonable
thatit was passed by the house. Yes
tie. 'ay AMI to day the bills experience
ed some further opposition ; but NO.
thing of the old party leayen appear
ed in it. Ii is pleasing to see how
fast animosities and differences Of a.
mere party nature are melting away.
In fact it woUid not be easy now Tor al
stranger tn the several individuals to
tell from their manner of voting which
were federalists, or whiCh democrats.
Opposition 10 the measures of he!
government party. however. has no"
reared its head III aansacr quarter.
and indeed N t,,n hnsnm at the marty
itself 4 rcsolat,0n WAS on FRIDAY. t0i
the surnrize Of TIE house in general,
offered BY Mr.. Williams. OF North
Carolina. " tolrpcai the internal du-
ties" A measure so strong IN the o.
pirjun of some. at the first blush. that
it was presumed the house would not,
at that late time in tie session partiCd-
larly. eyen agree 10 consider it. The
melton fur taking it into considcra-
tior. however. passed b. large ma.
iority. anu then a debate arose upon
it. In support nj the resolution. Il
was said, that Congress had pledged
Its faith to the people that those taxes
which were imposed merely for carry
ing on the war. should cease in yea"
after the attainment of peace that
the people therefore expected they
should be repealed that theY were
unnecessary, as there was Il surplus
OF revenue to mure than their annunt;
and finally, Mr.. Williams declared
that the ultimate object of his Jews in
this motion was the reduction OF the
army, which, to the extcutcontempiat-
ed by the estimate for the future esta-
blishment 10000 men) was not ne
se,sary to the defence of the country,
and might be mischievous. Tn tie
other hand, those who opposed the re-
solution urged the impropriety OF o.
ferng il in that crude manner at such
a ate period Of the session, and at
PRESENT. z it in shape so Immediate
! imperative, without even begin
NM vita. a enquiry into the expedi-
eq Y of it ii,ey insisted thai the
( I'd fifth 4 lie nation as vel! as
81 polls f,roid diminution Of
6e taxss ~ tha nst. opN debt andI