Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-09
ALEXANDRIA:
MORNING, jan. g, 1919.
FROM OUR ooKREsPoNpEsT AT wAsHINGro!
Friday, January'8.

sf-. IfeooS, Soh@u'y ".
In thehouse ofrepresentatives the appro-
priation bill underwent another days dis
cussion yesterday, without their coming to
any final decision upon 1.-THE result was
the same as that upon "Wednesday, and The
course ofthe debate and the arguments were
little less SO. As on the preceding day, the
house went into committee of the whole,
Mr.. Nelson IN the chair, when general
Smith gave a general exposition Of the bill,
entering fully into, and satisfactorily ex-
planning it in all its details. He pointed
out theraysesefthe few augmentations that
appeared in certain heads Of appropriation
for instance, the surveys that had b.en
made with view 10 erecting permanent
|-defences to cover all the most important
parts of the frontiers that were exposed to
the incursions Of foreign enemies, and adj
vertedparticularly to the Notifications which
had been commenced, or were laid out, or
in contemplation--such as the works for
fortifying the Delaware, those for w-Or-
leans, and those for defending lake Cham
plain, the advantages, or rather the abso>
tute necessity Of all of which every one felt
and understood. He then turned to the al
lowance made to soldiers for working on
the public roads, and said that extra pay
tc soldiers while on fatigue duty, had from
the first foundation Of the republic been the
copmon law Of the army and was the Gus
tom under the command of Washington
nay. a special law upon the point had been
passed about two sessions ago. 1t was
therefore justi6able as matter Of law and
right,-aHd in the present case was ex-
pedient as matter Of policy the labor OF
the men being bestowed upon roads of the
most unequivocal importance to the public,
and the most substantial national improve
ment. As to the constitutional right, he
had never entertained the least shadow Of
doubt about it--still Tess could he feel a
doubt in case where, as in the present,
the state where those improvements were
undertaken not only concurred and appro-
we'd Of, bat were anxiously DESTROYS to have
them made. Mr.. johnson, of Va. however,
Mr.. Williams, of N. C.-Mr. Storrs-
Mr.. Strother and Mr.. Colston all opposed
the measure, and were successfully encoun-
tered in every objection by Gen. Smith and
Mr.. Trimble. Mr.. Lowndes also spoke
as your readers viii conclude--with great
ability, and Mr.. Clay made speech which
he rendered interesting by his observations
on two of the topics that occurred in il
The first was that Of Mr.. Calhoun, the Sc
cretary Of war...on whom, after declaring
that he wished to have it understood that
in what be had said the day before nothing
was farther from him than an intention to
cast the least censure upon that gentleman,
and that he had acted in unison with him on
many momentous occasions, he pronounced
an eulogy no less honorable to his candor
than merited by the object of it, and con-
cluded it by emphatically saying of him
self tina. he was no hatterer-that he was
little accustomed 10 courts, and knew no.
thing of their ways, and that what he said
upon the occasion was the result Of unalte-
rable conviction. The other was topic in
troduced the day before by Mr.. Mercer:
he said he did not desire to introduce the
subject of the Seminole war upon the pre-
sent occasion--but would say that when
ever Il should be brought forward, he trust
ed the house would meet the question fair
y and resolutely, and for himselfhe would
answer that he would act with all the firm
ness, justice and impartiality the occasion
might call for
The committee rose, reported progress
and obtained leave to sit again.
Mr.. Mercer offered resolution which he
desired might lie on the table for day or
two, the object of which is to reduce the
number Of major generals of the army to
one.
On motion Of Mr.. Floyd it was resolved
that the committee on the Judiciary should
be instructed 10 enquire into the eypedien.
cy of enscting law to define and punish
piracies and felonies committed on the high
seas, and offences against the law of nations.
On motion of Mr.. Herbert, resolution
was passed, calling on the secretary of the
treasury to report the funds and outstanding
debts of the banks in The district Of Colans-
bia--and to incorporate the subscribers