Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-03-01

was read and ordered to lie on the table.
On motion Of Mr.. Quarles. it was
RESOLVED, That the committee on the post
Office and post roads be Instructedt to enquire
into the expediency Of establishing post
road from Wheby Courthouse, KS. to
Monticello, by the way of col. Ross's. also
in Kentucky.
On motion Of Mr.. Crawford, it was
Resolved, That an act of the Legislature
of the state of Georgia, entitled " an act to
grant certain powers to the commissioners OF
pilotage for the port Of Darien, and to au-
thorise them to collect tonnage duty yes
sells ,"be referred to the committee on COM
merce. and that said committee be instruct
ed to enquire into the expediehcy of giving
the consent Of congress to the operation OF
said act.
On motion of Mr.. Strother, il was
Resoluea. That a committee be appoint
ed to enquire into the circumstances under
which powder and lead have been loaned
by the war Department, or by aay OF the
officers of the United States army, 10 GER
tain individuals and into the causes an6
extent of delinouincies in the paYmasters'
and ouartermasters' departments, and that
they be authorised to repor, by bill or other
wise.
On motion Of Mr. Tracy, it was
Resolved, That the Secretary OF the war
department be directed to communicate 10
this house copies CT any agreements which
may have been made with the hrm OF stuli
4, Williams, or their surety or suretles, reia-
tive to the loan to the said Stull s. Williams,
Of powder, by the war department, or the
repayment thereof; and also to inform this
house whether any monies, and what SUMS
have been advanced to the said Stull u Wil-
liams, or to Their surety or suretles, on any
contract or contracts n ade with them or Ell
Their of them, relative thereto and also TO
state the fund from which said advances
have been made.
Mr.. Randolph rose to make motion
which, he said, he should very much prefer
to have been madeby any other member than
himself, but which he felt it to be his duty TO
bring forward and he trusted that whatever
others might think, or however others might
act. he should never feel disposition to
shrink from the discharge of his duty. II
was impossible, Mr.. K. continued, Tor any
man TO see what was going on here-abuse
heaped upon abuse. like Plion upon Ossa,
until it was impossible to tell where it would
end-it threatened to reach the skies. This
house, he said, was emphatically entrusted
with the purse strings of the nation. lie
hoped, il would not prove to be the csse that
the people had, according TO we'll known
maxim OF law, trusted the lamb to the custo-
DIV of the wolf He had said, this house was
entrusted with the purse strings of the nation
and il behovei it, as the grand inquest Of
the nation, also to inquire into abuses OF e.
very description bat first 10 pluck the beam
from its own eye before il attempted 70 take
out the moat from It's brothers. eye. II had
been bis misfortune. Mr.. R. said, especial
" since the agitation o; this Missouri ques-
ton, not to be able to sleep o'nights, and he
often rose before day break
These early risings had been the means OF
puft ng him on tie scent---he was not sure of
the true game-of sometk ing like ppcua-
ton, or abuses. in very small way-in the
contingent expenses Of this house. 1t be-
hoyes US, said Mr.. r. the guardians OF this
imperum in mperio, If we are arraigned at
the public bar--much more it we arraign O.
we appear with clean hands
that there be no blot or stain upon them. In
the course of nv lucubrations. have some
times started question which, although we
may approximate TO the truth, is as impos-
s;ble to be ascertained as the quadrature Of
tho circle, &. will notdoubt he discovered with
The solution Of that opprobrium of geometry
with the philosophers stone, the perpetual
melton. or the grand arcanum-- the EH1ir
Vitas itsef--when men shall quaff immortal
ity and joy, or rather misery, for death, sir,
with all his terrors, is our best friend if we
know bow to use life, and comes 10 deliver
us from the vexation and strife Of this rum
perry world have, continued Mr.. r. en-
deayornd to ascertain the paw of a member