Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-14

io1T. barDour, who had advocated the
same side of the question. he hoped
one ot those gentlemen would move TO
strike our tina; part ofihe bill, when it
was discovered where it was, that the
committee might see " hat il was doing,
ana That a clear expression might be OBJ
tanned OF Tie opinion of the House. whe-
Their The Executive was To go on, atiiS own
wlil and pleasure, TO make roads, with
out Congress having any other concern
IN Inc matter, than TO pass the appropri
alton b'll. whenever the chairman OF the
committee of ways and means chose 10
call up.
Mr.. z. p. BARBOUR, Of Virginia, rose
lorihe purpose, he said, of thanking the
Speaker for the very polite and friendly
manner in which lie had expressed All
lrslina'hsa 10 furnish him (Mr. b. with
,ntorma'ion wherein TO bottom Ills vote.
That information, Mr.. b. said, he did
not want; for he did net mean, as long
as he ms a member of This House, to
submit either. 10 legislative or executive
assumption ofpower. When The subject
WAS before the House at the lasi session.
l'e lad freely expressed 4.e opinion he
had ever entertained that neither this nor
any department Of the government liadth
power 10 makeroadsi IN the several states.
The gen!!cmans kindness, therefore,
ought tnbavr been directed to some othe,
qnaricros the House. Mr. Barbour re-
peated, and he wished i, 10 be distinctly
understood, hat, as, on the one hand; be
| believed no two Departments together
| possessed the power. 10 make roads, so
neither did any one OF Them. He did not
| mean, knowingly, TO vote for any item of
| appropriation attended 10 cover that OBJ
rect Bur, The same time, lie said, he
| dId not feel that he Was now in want of
| any information on tile subject : for he
found lhe FIRST Item, nov particularly I'M
der consideration, in language respecting
the import OF which he could MOI possibly
| dombt, and which he could not hesitate
| To vote for. II was this /: +" For the paw
| Of The army, one mi.lion of dollars.
! What was HE pay Of the army Z" An
| Act OF Congress has fixed Tie numbe of
,'Ia array Of ia United States, including
oihcars OF every grade ; the same autlio-
| riiy has attached 10 every private certain
| proportions a! pay, so much per month
| 10 The Major Generals, and down through
| The whole graduated scale 10 the private.
| When, then, lie was called on 10 give his
| vote OH this Item, what was he TO under
stand! lie was about 10 vote for that
only which The constituted authorities
had declared Should be paid: if he was
TO vote for more, he should then he in
| dcb'ed TO the honorable Speaker for any
Information going 10 establish that point.
IL language be not one thing, and inten-
ton another. he should feel himself, on
every prlncIple OF proprieiy, warrantedin
| giving his vote in favor of an item. which.
until otherwise informed. he should take
TO mean what II purported. We are ak
ready advanced into The year 1919, and
the appropriation for fhe last year being
presumed 10 be expended, ii was proper
That this bill should pass without unne-
cessary delay, as no money can consti-
fniionaily be drawn from The Treasury
wittiou, appropriation by law.
MIR. SMITH, Of MARY land, said he was
very glad That any thing had served to
relieve th' House from ihe state of apa-
thy INTO Which ii had fallen some weeks
past. 30 deslrouS were gentlemen now
10 take The floor, that they had gone be-
You'd tie usual course of proceedings.
wl'ic had been, 10 allow TO the chairman
! oi The committee who reported bill, at
least the privilege of having the first
| word. He shOuIa not, however. permit
himself TO bedrawn off from the subject
| OF HE bili INTO a. argument, on a subject
which had been sufficient, discussed i'm
| this House at the last session, and which,
Was, besides, rather lrreIaiivc to the ques-
| Ton before lie House. MIR. S. then went
! INTO detailed statement, founded on in
formation which the committee of WAYS
ana Means had sought and obtained from
! Tie war Department, of the component
| parts OF The several items of appropria-
| ton. and OF the reasons why the appro-
| prIations recommended by the commit
| Tee were less than The first estimates fur
nis!ied TO the House proposed-iIns re-
| dnciIoD OF the amount being justified by
The surplus Of appropriation under The i
lem OF pay remaining unexpended, and
| ny ne dlmlnliiIon ut expenditure under
me item OF subsistence, occasioned by
! file change from the contract TO the com
missariatsystem of supply. Mr.. S. thus
went on, and separately explained the oc-
caslon for llle several appropriations. In
lie course his remarks, i've stated, that,
among the coniracts made by The Ord
nance Department. was one for cannon
suitable Tor tir Militia service, which he
was very glad 10 hear of, considering il
| as OF much importance.
| Mr.. TRIMBLE, Of Kentucky, as mem
| Der OF The committee Ways and Means.
rose 10 notice what had fallen from the
hoHorabe Speaker. The appropriation
! for extra pay 10 The soldiers for working
| on military roads, &c. was certainly CON-
| tanned IN The bill, or lie expenditure
made under the order OF tic Executive.
was not merely under color of an appro-
priaiion by law, but was absolutely with
out any appropriation. The amount ex-
pended Tor extra pay for fatigue duty,
might, no doubt. readily be ascerlained
by a motion for that purpose but il vas
| no, ~ the power OF Tile committee TO af-
ford 1t, There was, in The annual militia
ry appropriation bill, an item of Contin-
| gent expences Of considerable smouut