Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-03-17


by the omission ef Congress To leg,Slate
on the subject. In the nature OF things.
contracts must be matte BY The govern.
meut IN regard 10 certain expenditures !:
aud such had been made in certain bran
ches OF The pubic service from ihe com
mencemeut of the government, whhou,
"bieciiou-of which he cuoied examples,
among which, was that OF the expenditure
Tor timber Tor the navy, under the act
approprla,ing million of dollars annually
Tor that object. Contracts, he said,
might be made III tive WAYS; On objects
specially recognized and directed by acts
ol ConSress-and on objects within the
legitimate authority of thr Executive, aud
10 amounts within the compass OF the
usuaI annual appropriations by Congress.
Applying these principles To the case be-
tore the House, he thought that contracts
for the expenditure of 100000 eeliars
within the year might have been made
OH every reasonable calculation. beng
about the amount which Congress had
lately appropriated for successive wears,
except where surplus of appropriation
rendered less sum necessary. On The
subject OF tortiHca,ion generally, he said.
lac did not dwell, because il required a
sort OF knowledge which I,e did not pos
sess. But, with regard 10 some points of
our maritime frontier, he felt particular
so'icitude that they should be corr pleteiy
fortified al any expense.
MIR. McCoy SAID that his objection to
The system OF contracts was, that thew
exec eded, IN this case al least, The sums
appropriated and designated by Congress
Tor that object of expenditure. Contracts
| ought not to be made in anticipation
ct appropriations hereafter 10 be made :;
because circumstances might arise in the
following year 10 prevent Congress from
approprialing any thing. Nearly such a
| state OF things indeed now existed. In
time OF war. necessity might justify a
| departure from rigid adherence to
this rule hut in time of peace there was
nothing to justify il.
Mr.. Livermore expressed his wish that
Tins Item ct appropriation should be so
worded as that no par, OF the amount
should be disbnrsed but iD pursuance of
contracts previously authorized by
law"
MIR Clay said, il must be quite obvious
10 every one, from daily experience. that
the practice of exceeding appropriations
was one which called loudly for the in
terposiiion of Congress. Tins excess was
not confined, he said, TO one Department
OF the government, but the disease seems
10 have pervaded all The branches Of the
Excessive Departments; and, unless the
House should, on some occasion, with
hold an appropriation in some case
wherein all expenditure had been made
without authority, he had no doubt the
evil would go on TO The utter subversion,
u not oil the constitution, of all law on the
subject. The sum of SOC. 900 dollars,
witch he had proposed for This object,
lie considered sufficient. Ii was al last
as much as could be expended before
lhe END OF The present session and, il,
after the Ways ami Means for the cur
rohi year we're provided, ii should be
thought proper 10 appropriate more mN
ney Tor Tins object il would be completely
wlihin The power Of Congress TO do so.
with regard 10 reirenchment, Mr.. G..
sad he knew thai Congress had much
diitculiy 10 encounter. All The Heads
OF Department would agree that there
ought 10 be retrenchmept of the eX.
penses ct the government but none OF
Them woaId agree that his particular De.
pas,meui Shouts be the object of IT. We.
said MIR G. have to perform all the un,
gracious offices Of the government ne
has" ihe ps:niul dHiy of imposing taxes
taey ihc pleasure OF recommending their
rep al; ne nav the labor and responsible
tyo "a slGg money-ihry the qualification
az spending II. MIR. G said, he was there
tore disposed To- TAX care that there should
MOI be was!eiul expenditure o! the
pubic money. With regard 10 Mobile
Bay, MIR. e. said, The House were al
iasl presented with the report OF The com.
nii'ee OF foreign relations; and, If that
committee could succeed IN persuading
the house, that we may take pacific pos
session Oi Florida Uith or ,Cithont Trea
~, the loritlcations Of Pensacola would
perhaps afford sufficient protection TO
Mobile Bay. On the subject of tortlti-
cations generally, Mr., C.. said, there had
Dren, hitherto, he would not say waste
iui tStraVagance, but an improvidenl pro-
fusion. we we're making Notifications
every where, and a large amount Of mo
neS had been expended on Que fortifi.
cation (Rouse's POINT WHICH was under
stood 10 be actually within the British
line. He concurred with The gentlemen
from South Carolina, that tuo or three
great points ought TO be fortified bnt
he would moi therefore expend such suaIs
OF money on points which were not SO
important.
Mr.. LowndeS said, that he should him
sell perhaps believe that not more than
five hundred thousand dollars ought 10
he appropriated for the erection Of for,i-
hcalions during The present year, did not
Tie existing contracts require the ap-pTo
prldtIon OF larger amount. With respect
10 the proposed appropriation, it was moi,
might be supposed, from the remarks Of
some gentlemen, to meet an expenditure
beyond the aDDTODriatIou IL was = casa
IN which, with a due forecast aud atien-
ton 10 economy in the expenditure of
public money, contracts have been made,
founded on a rational expectation Of
appropriations beng made by Congress
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