Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-01-26
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which a work that may have taken
world and all Of labor aud time in arri'
wing at perfection, is often au'hlla'ed by
a single stroke, illustrates his position
BY a reference to the well known tate of
Young chickens, which though they take
many days in Matching, are devourea 'n
one minute BY some g luton when ai'hed
up nicely to his palate. That Illustration
would not be inapplicabie to some mea-
suses in our hsule Of representatives
which seem as If they were brought into
existence, only to make little noise ahd
then sink into annihilation. How many
DAYS, for instance, did the Communication
bill take in hatchinss What cackhns'
aud crewisg, aud picking, aRd sParring'
in augmentation. till at length, an the
very moment when least expected, comes
death blow in the shape Of an argument
and down il goes into the gull OF ooll'
vion. never 10 be heard Of move In
word. after all the elOGuence for SO many
wr.ry days bestowed upon 1t, it was yes
terday rejected aud it 1t be SIN TO
have occasicned that fate TO it. all the
waters in the Potomac will not wash
certain lav-er Of Pennsylvania clean silt'
Just as the question Of its passing was
about to be put, with all tho dull and
dread formalitY of yeas and nays, rises
that Mr.. Hopkinisn, and begged leave
only to say few words: not by way Of
discussing or debating the question: but
for the more harmless purpose Of ex-
planning his reasons for having uniformly
opposed the bill, and for declaring, as he
now did, that he could not counttnance
it in any shape. lie ;hss9, SSS seettO az ana
unnecessary to open transaction which
had been honorably closed. That go
vernment had made fair bargain with
the soldiers, to their entire satisfaction,
which bargain it had hOnorably fulfilled.
Why then meddle with it any mores-
Why, without any just cause, draw such
large sum Of money from the public cof-
fers, when there were already claims
enough upon the treasury If the house
bad left justice undonn, there might be
some pretence for the measure but that
was not the case-ample justice had been
dene to the soldiers, and there the house
ought to stop. AS an act OF generosity,
q il was intended for such, it could not
be defended. The house kad no right to
BE- generous. When he held this Ian
guag., his meaning in it was, that it was
the duty of the house to take that dis
sreet care Of the public treasury which
any prudent individual Of them would
take Of his own Prspertyj aud beyond
that they had no right to go in generosi-
ty. II their object was, as some had
asserted, to take care of men WHO
could not take care Ut themselves,
he bid them be careful that they did
not let that principle carry them fur
Their than they were aware of. Their pa
rental care of such persons. however well
intended, wosld be thrown away. To
think Of taking care Of persons of that
description, would be vain and idle
Drunkards would still! drink their last
dollar, and gamblers would still throw
dice for their last foot of land, whatever
the house might attempt for their pIOtec-
tioA. AS to the superstition that any adj
vantage could be derived By governm at
from buying back the land, when it had
already more land than it could dispose
Of in century, it was iailacious 20
ton; since an addition to a stock alrea-
dy oyerchargod. could be no advantage.
1t was indeed q strange kind of political
economy to give the active money out Of
the treasury for lands that were value
less. As to its Withdrawing competition
from the sale Of public lands, The settling
Of the lands BY new settlers, whether
they were the soldiers themselves or the
persons WHO bought their rights. would