Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-14
CONGRESS.
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tneportea for the Notfonat 1ntell,geneer.l

"
the purpose of going into committee of
The Whole, on The bill making appropria-
lions for the Military Establishment for
| the year 1870
| MIR. WILLIAMS, Of North Carolina, op-
pesed the melton. considering it, in the
present state of the business before the
House. 10 be premature. There were Sc
Everal propositions before the House. YET
to be decided on, by which The provisions
| OF the bill might be affected; amongst
witch was a proposition 10 rrduce the
| Army, The decision Of which ongIIt GER
Ita,hly 10 precrde that on this bill.
| Mr. MERCER, Of Virginia, also oppos-
ed the motion. There was no part OF oar
institutions, he said. in regard 10 which
| mere ought to he less precipitation, or
more deliberaiion. ilia' IL what r. garded
tue Army Of the United States. That he
said, was the doctrine of HE Constitution.
| The illusIrious trainers ofilia, instrument,
we're men who looked back on tie papes
OF history, and forward into fuiurity: and
amongst other provisions ofthe Constitu.
ton. they had inserted one which pro-
vidcs that no appropriation to The use Of
the Army shall be for a longer term than
two years. MIR. NJ. was opposed TO gti,,e
INTO the consideration Of The bill at the
present time, Tor reasons which he pro.
ceeded TO state. He had waited. he said.
and the nation had anxously waited until
Tie two committees appointed 10 enquire
mic The subject of he Seminole War
! should make their reports. The House
was aware that soMe difference ofopinion
iaa existed between those two ccmciii-
tees, as TO the scope OF their respective
duties; bun, lie had this morning under
Stood with pleasure from The chairman of
!
i tins important subject might be expected
from that con- miiee in few DAYS. Now,
hir. NJ. said, he would exercise tile can
dor here to declare, that his own opin-
ION on the subject Was made up; but
The courtesy due tn those differently sit
ualed and 10 the usual course of debate
IN The House forbad him from proceed
ing, al iiis time, TO intimate tie grounds
ct his opinion; which was, that, If there
was no other mode of expressing the
sense OF this House, in relation 10 the
Transactions OF that war, the number of
MAJOR Generals III the army should be
reduced 10 one. If no other gentleman
should AJAX" motion 10 that effect, Mir.
VI. SAID he should, very reluctantly, fake
upon ilmseif The burlllen OF proposing an
expression OF the opinion of The House i'm
some shape or other. He should AT pre-.
sent invite no discussion OH this subject.
unless other gentlemen sought it: but, he
sad-for he had not for MANY nights
been able 10 sleep IN quiet or his pillow
from Ills painful reflections on The trans
actions OF That waT-it was duty he ow-
ed tn himself, 10 his constituents and 10
his country, and which he should there
fore feel himself bound 10 perform, TO cx.
press hiS sentiments on the subject of the
incidents and character of The Seminole
War.
MIR. SMITH, Of Maryland, said, that,
Tor his part, his slunihers had not been a,
all disturbed by the circumstance the
| gentleman had referred TO; nor did he
see What connection the questions aris-
! ing out OF the Seminolewar had With ihe
annual appropriation bill for the support
OF lhe army. lis object was TO pass the
bill, that the officers Of the government
might moi be obliged TO make use of the
public money without appropriations by
law, or the army TO remain unpaid. Was
II not proper, he asked, that appropria-
lions should be made before tie com
mencemenf OF the year! Or was The
house to wait I'LL the end of The session,
anu III all The discussions on the subject
OF The Seminole war had been gone,
through Suppose the proposition 10 re
duce The army should succeed. The ap
preparation bill would moi interfere with
IT, because, IT the expenditure should be
diminished, The surplus would remain i'm
The Treasury. In the early history of
our governmental had been usual TO pass
The annual appropriation bills soon in
The session; aud such, Mr.. S. thought,
was The obviously proper course. Tile
Quarter Master Generals Department
| and Provision Department must go on
4 "a l.p a..
moi to be withheld longer than vas abso-
luieiy neces sary.
MIR. MERCER said, the argument Of the
! gentleman, that The appropriation bill
| ought 10 pass before The commencement
OF the year, proved too much; for this
was not the first day OF the month, bat
The SIKH, nor tile first Of the session, said
| he, Tor we have been here almost Two
months. The trainers Of Tie constifu-
! ton, he said, looked 70 this mode Of
| checking abuses Ill the military auihori-
ty, and, cOunienanced by their authority
and by their wisdom, lie should persevere
IN his opposition 10 going into committee
OF the whole at ibis lime on the appropri-
alton bill.
Mr.. STORRs, of New York, said, if the
gentleman supposed that, by going into
committee OF the whole now, the appTo-
| prIation bill would be Immediately dis
patched, he WAS very much msiaken.-
Tie FIRST enquiry, on proceeding TO the
consideration of The i'll, would be, whe-
Their the house approves Of the purpose
IN which The army had been employed.
This would bring before The house not
oaly the conduct of hny particular part OF
The army, but the whole military es-
Enlistment. Mr.. S. was, therefore, op-
posed to going into committee 0f tie
whole, until iie saw The report Of lhc com