Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-12-25

TO foreign coins. It was then adopted. |
On motion of MIR. Floyd, it was
Rssolued, That The committee on the
Post Office and Post Roads be instruct
ed to inquire into the expectancy OF es-
tablishing post road from the Big Lick
IN Botetourt county, through the Beat
Mountain, by Simpsons and Thomas
Gordon's. to Boon's, on the west fork
of Little River, in Montgomery county,
Virginia.
MIR. Mallary submitted the following
resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on
Naval Affairs, be directed to inquire
into the expediency of establishing one
or more Naval Schools, for the purpose
of promoting the instruction OF sush
persons as may be intended for the ma
val service of the United States.
The resolution was negatived.
Mr.. Mccoy moved, that, when this
House do adjourn, it adjourn until
Monday next, which was agreed to.
On motion of MIR. Tracy, the House
then resolved itself into Committee
of the Whole, ON the report ofthe COM
mittee of claims of on the petition OF
David Taylor. Mr.. Condict in the chair.
Mr.. Tracy moved that the resolution
submitted in the report of the Commit
tee of Claims, uniavorable to the prayer
! of the petitioner, be amended, SO tar at
least, as to authorize the granting OF
some relief. \
Mr.. Tracy explained the nature OF
the claim in question, from which it
appeared tina: the petitioner was the
owner of quantity of slaves that were
at Gravelly Point, in the state of New
York, at the time General Wilkinson
embarked from that place to proceed
down the st Lawrence river-that the
slaves were used as fuel by the army,
for which the petitioner claimed indem-
nity. Mr.. T. called for the reading OF
sundry aflidavits, and a letter from Gen.
BOYD, which were read, and he endeav-
ored to shew that, however improvident
the use of valuable slaves for fuel might
have been, yet they were SO far neces-
sary to the army as to raise sufficient
consideration to support a claim for
something, and, also, to rebut the idea
of that wanton desolation which would
drive back the petitioner to a hopeless
resort to the commanding officer. MIR.
| T. was willing to have the question
arising on the extent of the remunera-
ton recommitted to the Committee,
.ubiec. to direction from the House
to recogn ize the principle of liability.
The cl.,.n was further supported by
Mr.. Wood, and opposed by Messrs.
williams Of n. nth Carolina, and Rich,
principally on tn. ground that this lad.
hitting the facts as set forth to be true
was a claim for ind. unity, which, II
admitted, would open ,'he door TO an
endless series of demands 'pon the pup
lie treasury. 1t was also cont enoeo 'na''
from the balance of testimon.'' IL ap-
peared that the waste and dest, nction
that was made, was wanton and u. me-
cessary; and, if redress WAS due, II
should be sought for from the officer.
under whose eye and cognizancs the
wrong was committed.
The discussion was animated, and
gathered Importance as it advanced, by
the reference which was made to the
law of nations as applicable to the SUBJ
ject, and also by the analogy that was
said to exist between this and other
claims that had been allowed by the
Congress.
On these grounds, Mr.. Buchanan
moved that the committee rise and re-
port, to the end that further time be
given for reflection upon those general
principles that seemed to be involved
in the case, and which should regulate
the decisions ofthst body in future.
The motion was carried; and, IN the
house. leave was granted to the COM
mittee of the whole TO sit again.
! And then the House adjourned.