Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-01-20

The Treasury, but, notwithstanding this,
| when he looked al this body, the representa-
tives OF ten millions Of people, called on to
decide questions ofpoicy,h could not a.
gree it was necessary 10 ask tor the opinion
! Of an executive officer 10 direct their steps
| The House was bound to perform certain
duties. and il was proper TO call for facts II
they were requisite, and, if with these
they could not act wisely, let them bear Inc
| .ponsihility. Mr. J. repeated that ne
wished every department of the govern
ment 10 keep within the orbit prescribed by
the constitution. He was glad to ind that
the Secretary Of the Treasury had, In ma
king his annual report, observed becoming
conduct in speaking 10 Congress-though he
had spoken freely and fully of facts and cir
cumstances, he had abstained from giving
an opinion where it was not necessary-lhls
was the case in the part which related to the
domestic manufactures, which MIR. ). read,
to shew that the Secretary had avoided IN
timating an opinion.
In reference to taxes. Mr.. J adyerted 10
the message OF the president recommending
their repeal, and pledging himself that,
whenever it should become necessary again
70 resort to system of internal taxes, ne
would recommend it to Congress. MI ).
was sorry the repeal Of the taxes had been
recommended by the President, because 1t
was unnece ssary; it was repesed IL this house
70 iudge when taxes were necessary, ana
when they might be repealed and he wish
ed the opinion of no executive officer as to
the policy of measure, conhded to this house
by the public will. Mr.. }. concluded ny
some remarks ON part Of Mr.. Smiths OBJ
seryatons on the surplus OF the sinking fund,
which Mr.. S. had argued, supplied the deb
ciencies of the revenue and LETT no e1'
euse for opposing just measures because Of
,hs want of money. Mr.. J. said he would
never be deferred from voting for just
measure;or from paying just debility the po-
yerty of the treasury. II just cause, or in
the supper, Of just policy, the people would
pay taxes willingly. His constituents had
borne most oppressive tax on one OF their
principal products during the last war, but
they knew it was to support the nation III
resort to which it was driven by its deadly
enemy, and they did not murmur.
MIR. Strother observed in reply, that he
was as much attached 10 the sovereignty OF
the house and its true dignity, as any one,
but he did not think it derosatorY to the self
respect of the house to ask for information,
or such lights as could be afforded by one
of the pubic agents. Mr.. S. was lndisso-
Iubly connected with that system OF poll
Tics wh ch looked to this house for the sove-
reign power. As 10 the question OF laying
taxes, that question was not before the house,
and sufficient for the day was the evil there
Of Whenever the time came when 1t should
be necessary, neither he nor his colleague
would shrink from it. MIR. S. continued al
some length to dwell on the importance OF
the information called for, and 10 maintain
the propristy of calling on the Secretary, as
one of the servants OF the public, to Inpart
such light to TIE subject as his long expert
encc and his talents so well and so pecuil-
arIy qualified him TO afford.
Mr.. Hill remarked that the resolution as
amended contemplated to objects OF enquI'
ry. The first, to direct the Secretary OF the
Treasury to report TO this house, the present
price OF stocks. What place, Mr.. h. ask
ed, was the Secretary TO make the standard
of his enquiry Should it be Boston, New
York Philadelphia, Baltimore or Charles
ton For the price of stocks varies IN
different cities at the same time. All that
the house had to do was, to cast their eyes
over papers printed in different parts OF the
United States, and they had the information
wanted. The second object of the resolu-
finn was. TO direct the Secretary to report |
whe,he it would not be advisable to apply |
the surplus of the sinking fund to the annual
expences, of the government, rather than
resort 10 loans or taxes Would the Repre-
scnlatives of ten millions ofpeopIe ask sin
Gle officer of the government, however re-
spectacle, whether they had better pass ALI
appropriation law or not ? " ere not the i'm
mediate Representatives to be supposed The
best judges of the temper, disposition aud a
&c lo b,,l, ,r ~ Nd hon, 10