Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-15

particularly on i've MI Important pOtnIS
which relate to the sword andihr purse of
thc nation. With respect TO the practice
which appeared 10 call for the 'eprchen-
sion Of Congress, MIR. G, said, he knew
OF no mode but one OF rensdying The
evil, which Inc hoped the proper commit
tee would hasten 10 lay before The house
IN the snap of a biil--and that Mas, 10
prohibit the practice Tor the future.
THIS, how yer, Air. T. continued, Was
not the only topic which he thought de-
manded the att, Diion of the house. He
referred 10 another prac ice, aieasi equal
iywOrthy of rrpTeheusion-the exc, eding
OF appropriation the going be, omn the
expressed will OF the l. gislaiure, as To-
the amount OF expenditure. Had IL &C.
CURED but IN d siugle instance, he should
not, perhaps nave iakeH notice OF IL hut
there Was a habit, arising under Tie GOV.
erument, OF transcending the Law, winch
called on Congress u protest against TINS
abuse OF pnwer. The convention VIII, II
formed the constitution, III o,Ger To- guard
against the abuses TO which all history
shews us that governments are prone,
intended 10 put INTO the hands Of Con-
gross two securIiirs-the one The cover
over the sword, the other Over tie pu.se
OF tn. nation. Nhai mas become ui The
first OF these powers, SAID Mr.. T.. let lire
doc irines asserted on this floor, al The
last session, attest. Are we also 10 luse
our rightiui control over the public purses
Ii Is dali, wrestrd from US, unaer hIgh-
sounding terms, which are caic ulated 10
decelvc US, III such manner as appears TO
call for appreciation raiGer than renSure
OF the practice. So extended Mas lie
praclIce, he said, that there is scarce ely
an officer, from the youngest menlhi IN the
q. IL, M nm ..
docs not take upon himself 10 act upon hts
responsibility Nh T. SAID, liz admired he
ASSUMPTION OF responsibility ban n was
OF responsibility within the constitution.
That which exec .deu al authority, vhn II
proslra,cd al will tue laws of The liant, lie
! confessed did uoi SUI; bi> taste. R.,e,t-
lag 10 the power gwen 10 tins BODY, by
| li,e conventions, over The purse at the
| nation, h| SAID n was Trna. kablc thai, so
anAIue, hal the trainers OF ;he culisiltu-
| ton been on That subject, Iiey had in
serted in II mol sing le pro, iSlOn, iiui Two
CLAUSES resp cIIns II. lhe hrst was, tat
no money should b. drawn from The
! Treasury, without previous appropriate
| by law the other was, that all bills nav
| ing for their object 10 lay a lax on the
people, should originate with The repre-
senfaiives OF the people. Now, let me
ask, said Mr.. C.. where is The ditf renee
| beiw en- drawing mon from lib lrea-
| sury, aud making an unauthorized ex. EN-
| dIture, winch imposes on CungTess Il
moral obligation 10 appropriate nou9y
Ia pay II |! Tie difference, he saId, Vas
4 in name Uuly. liz caisd uIsau IA ,lriItrssr
| 10 say, when an expenditure had been
nlad.=sby the government, even though
| they would moi rave previously anihorIz-
ed ii, they did not feel themselves bound
10 make good the deilciency-to pay Tor
| the supplies purchased, = money anii.
cipaled, merely because the eXpcnUe mad
| been III urTed. Ii Tins .iabn Of unau-
| thorzrd expenditure Was pcrs cred ia
by those who have The car. of the public
moneys, Congress and the nation would
entirely lose the benefit OF The consiitu-
tiOnal provision, that no nUnry shall he
drawn from The Treasury, without prevI-
| Gus appropriation by law.
Again: 1t. by previous expenditure,
there was devoived upon Congress
| moral obligation t0 pay away The public
money he asked where was the difference
between the making such expenditure
and imposing taxes OIL The people Of lie
country The one necessarily involved
the other. Let me refer, said he, To the
| honorable gentleman from PenbSS IL an a,
| the Representative OF What has been
frequently and not improperly allied The
| Birmingham of America, 10 say, Whether
d member does not feel himself / Dslrain.
ed 10 vote Tor appropriations where the
money had been expended. For abuses
of this description, he knew not What
remedy t. suggest. He bad thus adverted
10 them for the purpose Of entering the
protest of at leas one individual against
them.
II heIoves us well, said he, and rspe.
cIaliy after the deficiency III the Revenue
of which we are appriZed, to take care Of
our expenditures for the future. Our
purse Is reduced 10 rather melancholy
condition having parted with all tue
big notes and large money, we have golltn
down TO the talteTed rags aud iOtrprnce-
laliprnDy bits. ii was true, lbai Com
gress had in some degree participated IN
The large expenditures which had caused
The present dehcii-bui such appropria-
tons had been generally made OF Exccu-
tive TecOmmendaiIons--lOT there was no
resisting them. For example, the Revo-
lUtlonary Pension Bill, which had lnlro-
duccd an annual expenditure OF three
millions Of dollars. The honorable gem
ilrman from Massachusetts, (Mr. Lin
cOlu) who addressed the House the OihcT
day on the subject, iervenily, snO lie
might say piously, expressed wish, IN
regard TO the soldier OF The Revolution,
that he might live torerer. wish, SIR,
said Mr.. Clay, that lac may live as long
as il may please God TO let him live bGI
] nope lie gentleman would consent 10
CompTomIZe for tic term OF nine hundred
aud ninety nine years Tor The duration
, of his existence. These expehces slew
I | a want Of forecast amongst our prtde.