Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-03-08

Mr.. Smith, Of Maryland, moved that the
House should, by general consent, agree
now to take up (out Of its order) the navy
appropriation bill. This motion being
lost.
The House resolved itself into a commit
tee OF the whole, Mr.. Nelson, of Va. il the
chair, on the appropriation bills.
Mr.. Randolph rose 10 object to this mode
OF getting at the consideration Of important
bills, out of their turn--of being taken by
surprse-and to regret the change IN the
rules which permitted, by any motion, the
taking up of bills, except on the day set for
them. Money bills. OF all others, ought not
to be taken up without due notice, which
was proper, to enable members to come pre-
pared for their investigation. He would
not allow any money bill to pass without
strict examination. He would take The spse
dsrit of no man, in passing between the peo-
Pile and appropriations even for the navy,
which had fought itselfinto favor. lie there
fore moved that the committee now rise.
Mr.. Smith replied that be had three days
ago in his place, given notice 20 the House
that he should. as soon as the discussion OF
the Missouri Bill had been brought to close
move to take up the appropriation bills
He had moved now to take them up because
the public service was suffering TOR the want
of appropriations. He stated further that
though it had never been the usage before,
it had always been bis practice, since he had
been chairman Of the committee OF Ways l.
Means, TO give notice when be should call
up appropriation bills.
Mr.. Clay, the Speaker, explained the rea'
sons for the change in the practice OF the
House, by which the orders were called re-
gularly as they followed on the docket OF the
Hoese. He then expressed his hope that the
committee would rise; the Missouri Bill
in fact was not yet disposed Of, and until 1t
was, he for one, was unwilling to go into
any other important business. The bills be-
fore the committee were those, on which the
great question was to be decided, OF how
the deficit in the Treasury, whether by tax
es, loans, or otherwise, was to be supplied.
The House was not now in ia moral condi-
ton for the consideration OF such questions.
He no, only wished the Missouri Bill to be
first finally disposed of, but really he want
ed days rest for the body as well as the
mind, after the settlement of this agltatlbg
and laborious subject. He hoped, there
fore, the committee would rise, with an un-
Outstanding that it would take up the appro.
priation bills on Monday.
Mr. Smith said it would be very unwise in
him to press the consideration of these bills,
contrary to The wishes OF the committee;
and be therefore acqniesced in the motion
for the committee to rise Mr.. S. took this
occasion to say that he hoped be was not
considered under any necessity, from The 81
tuation which he occupied, OF descending a.
ny measure or any appropriation he consi-
dered himself here member of the House,
and would freely exercise his opinion on
all. subjects whatever
The committee then rose and obtained
leave to sit again.
The House then went into committee OF
the whole, Mr., Storrs in the chair, on the
bills for establishing United States Courts
in Maine and Alabama; The committee got
through the details of the first bill, and made
some progress into the second when
The committee rose, reported progress,
and obtained leave to sit again.
MISSOURI BILL.
Amessage vas received from the Senate
announ, ing that they had passed The MIs-
sour Bill, IT'D an amendment, which
amendment, was, in substance,
to strike out the Slavery Restriction,
and insert in lieu thereof the clause Mr..
Thomas and Mr.. Storrs' original PROPOSE
tion) to exclude Slavery from all the Ter
ritory of the United States west of the Mis-
sissippi, north of SO deg. SO min. north la.
tifude, except within the proposed state OF
Missouri.
On motion of Mr.. Holmes, this message
was laid on the table long enough to give
him an opportunity to make report from
the committee of conference.
The report of this committee was, three