Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-03-14

quoted examples, among which was that OF
the expenditure for timber for the navy, I'M
der the act appropriating million of dollars
annually for that object. Contracts, he said,
might be made in two ways : on objects spe-
cialIy recognized and directed by acts OF
Congress-and on objects within the legiii-
mate authority OF the Exec tive, and to a.
mounts withinthe compass OF the usual an
nual appropriations by Congress. Applying
these principles to the case before the house.
he thought that contracts for the expenditure
of 500. 900 dollars within the year might
have been made on every reasonable calcu-
lation, being about the amount which Con-
gress had lately appropriated for successive
years, except where surplus OF appropria-
ton rendered lesssum necessary. On the
subject of Notifications generally, he said,
he did not dwell, because itrequred a know
ledge he did not possess. But, with regard
to some points of our maritime frontier, he
felt particular solicitdde that they should
be completely fortified at any expense
Mr.. M'Coy said that his objection TO the
system OF contracts was, that they exceed
ed, in this case at least, the sums appropr-
ated and designated by congress tor that OBJ
ject of expenditure. Contracts ought not
10 be made in anticipation of appropriations
hereafter to be made because circumsan-
ces might arise in the following year to pre-
vent congress from appropriating any thing.
Nearly such state OF things indeed now ex-
listed. In time OF war, necessity might JUS
tify departure from rigid adherence to
this rule but in time of peace there was
nothing to justify it.
Mr.. Livermore expressed his wish that
this item of appropriation should be SO
worded as that no part of the amount should
be discussed but In pursuance OF" contracts
previously authorised by law"
MI Clay said, it must be quite obvious to
every one, from daily experience, that tho
practice of exceeding appropriations was
one which called loudly for the interposi'
ton of congress. This excess was not
confined, he said, to one department of the
government, but the disease seems to have
peryaded all the branches of the executive
department and, unless the house should,
on some OF casion, withho Id an approplla-
ton in some case Wherein an expenditure
had been made without authority, he had no
doubt the evil would go on 10 utter subyer-
sion, if not of The constitution, of all law on
:he subject. The sum of Doc, 90, dolls. which
he had proposed for this object, be said, he
con sidered sufficient 1t was at least as
much as could be expended before the end
Of the presen; session ;and, If. after the
ways and means for the current year were
provided, it should be thought proper to ap-
propriate more money for this object, it
would be completely within the power. Of
congress 10 do so. With regard TO retrench-
ment, Mr.. c. said be knew that co ngress
had much difficulty to encounter. All the
heads of department would agree that there
ought to be retrenchment of the expenses
of the government but none of them would
agree that this particular department should
be the object OF it. We, said Mr.. G. have
to perform all the ungracious Offices OF the
government we have the painful duty OF
imposing taxes-they the pleasure OF recon-
mendng their repeal /; we have the labor
and responsibility of raising money-they
the qualification of spending it. Mr., c. said,
he as therefore disposed to take care that
there should not be wasteful expenditure OF
the public money. With regard to Mobile
Bay, Mr.. G. said the house were at last pre-
scented with the report of the committee OF
foreign relatl ms: and, if that committee
could succee1 IN persuading the house, that
we may take pacific possession OF Florida
with or without treaty, the tortlilcatlons OF
Pensacola would perhaps afford sufficient
protec ton to Mobile Bay. On the subject
of Notifications generally, Mr.. c. said, there
had been, hitherto, he would not say
wasteful extravaganza, bat al improVloent
profusion. We were making tortltlcations
every where, and large amount OF money
had been expended on one Notification,
(Rouse's Point which was understood to be
actually within the British line. He con-
cured with the gentleman from South Ca
rolina. that two or three great points ought