Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-13


| Mr.. MERCER, of Virginia, said, before
the committee rose, he wished To suggest
10 the honorable chairman of the com
| miiiee OF ways md means, that lie vas
desIrous OF obtaining Information on anO-
Their point tliau thai which had been re-
ierred TO. The act OF the last session of
Congress, for imposing additional res.
trainiS ON that abOminable kind Of traffic
which had SO long disSraced the civilized
world, had been hailed as All evidence of
The ni'ution of the government efleciu-
ally la use Ms efforts 10 suppress II. He
was obliged 10 believe That nothing had
vel been done towards this object. He
did not wish that We should borrow from
The humane feelings OF the world the tri-
Dute OF applause To our generosity, when
the Treasury had been actually barred
up against expenditure for the object
held forth in the act OF The last session.
Mr.. SMITH, OF Md. said, that, at the
time the law of last session passed, the
public vessels were not i'm "A condition 10
gn on for IGN service until they were re-
pared. IL was The very act of repairing
Ed fitting out these vessels, which made
ccSSarN the additional appropriate ions
row asked TOR. He said he had, in private
lite, had much 10 do with repairs of YES,
se's, and hc had invariably found it i'm
| practicable To estimate accurately the ex-
prndiiures until they had been made
This WAS al least equally true as 10 the
repairs vt public vessels, &c.
MIR. FLOYD, o! Va. rose 10 say, that,
having been member of The committee
OF the last Congress, whose Investigations
had led to the report at the bill, winch
| became law, for the more etfeciual sup
N I'm Sl.ua gsNroI..
standing OF the committee was, thar the
money therein appropriated was intended
To be applied TO The purpose OF transport
ing 10 Africa persons taken from the.
| slave ships, or illegally introduced inio
The uatry, and not TO the purpose OF
hiiIng out the public vessels To be Gun.
pioSed IN the manner designated in that
ac'.
MIR. LowNDES, of South Carolina,
| made few remarks on the subject of
transfers from one head of appropriation
10 another, OF which the situation of the
Reporter enabled him 10 hear only part.
Ii would be obvious to the house, he said,
on little reflection, that one of Two
things must be done: there must either
be allowed 10 some authority of the coun~
Try the power OF transferring appropria-
tons from one object TO another, or, In
respect 10 all objects depending ON con-
tIDgencies, on iiuciuaiion of the market.
the appropriations must be MADE To an
amount much larger than at the time OF
making them may appear necessary
Congress must, II no power be given TO
transfer appropriations, appropriate, in
all such cases, not what is necessary now,
but what may benecessary In ihegreatesl
possible fuctuaiiOn of the market. To
insist upon precise estimate of the "a
mount each branch of the public service
may require for year ensuing, is To Insist
upon degree of accuracy not TO be ex-
pected. II strict adherence TO the lei
ter OF appropriations was required, Con.
gress would be under the necessity OF
leaving the amount of appropria lions for
SPECIFIC objects larger than necessary, and
OF greater amount than ought 10 be pac-
ed al the discretion of The government.
y proper jealousy OH The part of this
house, TO prevent The diversion of public
money from the objects Tor which ii is
appropriated, cOHld not bat he saluiary :;
but some power OF transferring apprO
priaiions rs necessary aud, being neces-
sary, II appeared 10 HIM the power
was now as we'll lodged as might be-
Therefore, though he had no Objection to
lie committees rising 10 investigate other
objects which had been brought into view,
he saw no reason Tor l,srlslng III hat had
fallen from gentlemen respecting the
transfers of appropriations.
Mr.. RANDOLPH, aIier expressing his
regret HAT The remarks of Mr.. Lcwndes
bad induced blin again to rise, asked. II
the necessity for The provision i'll ilio law
OF 1909 had been SO mgent, how had 1T
happened thai Mr.. Jefferson's admins
tratlOn had gone OH 10 the end Gifts eighth
year, without such law Al the mo-
iuent when he was about TO retire from
Office, the two houses had presented him
with bill, clothing INN with pow
which he not only did not wish To- have.
but which lie had publicly and solemniy
said ought moi 10 bclOug TO any executive.
II would have been highly proper in him
10 have refused his signature 10 that act.
But, might il nei be supposed that, AT The
last moment OF his political service, v heu
he would have been more than human
had he not been agilalrd by variety of
passions, lie provision ia question had
escaped his keen sight? MIR. II. again re-
lerred TO tie origin of The law of Sd
March, 1909. 1t would be recoIlecled,
he said, that al The last session OF Con-
gress during which Mr.. Jefferson exercis-
ed lie powers OF President, he had recon-
mended the disposition of The surplusses
OF revenue upon certain objects of great
public interest. So much OF the Message
as related TO that subject was referred
(sald MIR. RI TO a committee, Of which
had The honor aud The Ill fortune TO he
| chairman. Ii will be evident TO every one
who hears me, that the amount of the
surplus, which would remain IN the Urea
a
pendlinres To be authorized. 10 ascertain
HE amount Of these expenditures, before