Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-16

nVt dsicnuiue 10 any uuly At all. lie wished |
also som, Information respecting the vessels |
on the Lakes. He understood the most of
them ,r-'e sunk and none OF them tit for SER
vice; notwithstanding which, a number of
men were kept in employ tn take care OIL
these sunkcn vessels {; and, If he was not mis-
taken, the superior officer on that station was
dubbed commodore, as ii he were command
Ing squadron OF armed ships cruizing against
an enemy, and received pay accordingly.
rms, hr. I. said, could nut nave been the
intention of the law. He wished also AN en-
curry Ia he made with regard to rc-organizing
the Naval Establishment, SO as To have IA Sc
cretary of the Navy add Commissioners of
the Navy too. His friend from Kentucky
mad told the House, the other day, that mil
lions had been saved to the government by
those commissioners Mr.. CUcke said, he did
not pretend 10 understand much about The
subject hat he wished to explain what he
OIL know. He knew that the annual expense
OF that B"rd and its Clerks, sc. had >brcn
twenty odd thousand dollars per year STAGE its
establishment. 1.-THE Secretary of the Navy
wanted Counscl!ors, Mr.. G.. said he thought
they night be obtained at less expense than
tins to the government, SC.
Mr. Z. then submitted the following reso-
luton:
Rsoelred, That the Committee ON Naval
Affairs be instructed to enquire, and report.
how many naval stations are occupied by the
United States the number and grade of the
officers at each what each officer has recciy-
ed as pay and subsistence, and what for emo
iufnents or extra compensation for supposed
services I; how many have received their full
monthly pay who were not in actual service
at the time, and by what authority they were
SO paid and also that they enquire into the
eXpediency OF rcorganizing the naval estab.
ilsh.nent of the United States
| Mr.. McLAHE, Chairman of the Commit
tee on Naval Affars,) said, he did not mean
To make any objection TO the scope Of the
present inquiry. But, he said that the mode
which the gentleman had adopted was not
tho proper mode OF obtaining The information
ne was in quest of. 1t did not fall within the
! sphere of the Committee on Naval Affairs to
furnish such details us the resolution asked for.
l., lie would also suggest to the gentleman from
tennessee, although he was sure the gentle
| mans motives were of the purest kind as a
general remark, that there appeared TO be
rather unfair. If not an ungenerous, proceeding
creeping into the practice of this House which
Is toat, when gcntemenwant information from
any ofthe Government theyshould
preface II with an argument, calculated To
aHect, and even 10 crinlinate public officers.
founded ON an assumption of facts proposej
10 be Inquired into, and followed by consequent
ces almost as serious in the public mind. as if
the facts assumed were known TO be true
wneh, 1t very often happened, that the facts.
heing obtained from the proper authuritv
were not as had been supposed. lie did not
say tnat the facts were not, in this case s,lct
as they had been represented 10 be. But there
was one fact with which he was acquainted.
ana would state: that, from the commence.
rnent of the government, the construction of
the raw ilad been, that every officer of the navy
received pay until furIoughed, because he is
III actual service. liable every minute TO
ne ne called to duty, until he is furlonghed.-
rms was the construction which the law
mad universally received, and he presumed
IL was the proper construction. On the other
points,, adyerted to, he was not fully in
formed, and had, in no view of the subject.
any objection to the inquiry, but TO the shape
OF t-oecause 1t devoved on the Committee
on Naval Affairs Il duty which did not belong
to them, and because the resolution, in its
present shape, evaded the rule Oft House,
which requires all calls for information to lie
one day for consideration. Mr. McIANE, NOT
intending to shrink from such part of the pro-
posed inquiry was within the proper duty
OF the Naval Committee, moved to amend
the resolution, leaving part of it for a separate
inquiry directed to the head of the Navy De-
partment, SO as to read as follows:
" ReSolved, That the Committee on Naval
Pediency OF re- organizing the Naval Establish
ment of the United States"
Inc amendment was opposed by Mr.
locke, as proposing an unnecessary diyi- |
sion of his motion into two distinct resolves.
and supported by NIr. McLANE in reply-and |
was agreed to by the house
Thus modified, the resolution was adopted |
without opposition.
Mr. MCDUFFIE laid on the table the follow |
ing resolution:
tteSotved, That the Secretary of the Treasu- |
ry De directed to lay before this house state |
meht oil the balances of money in the treasury,
ana OF the amounts OF appropriations unex-
pended at the end of each year, from the com
mencement of the government to the 3lst
December last Also statement of the
ofthe public monies which had been
received by the collectors and receivers. and
not PAID INTO the treasury on the SOth Septem-
per ana on the Slst December last respective
~. Also, a statement of the amounts of
revenue bonds outstanding on the 3Oth SEN
lcmber last, showing separately the amount of
those that are considered solvent and of those
that are considered lnsolvent and a state.
ment of the debentures outstanding at the
same period. Also a statement of the amounts
OF outstanding revenue bonds due on the
3Oth September, and the 31st December last
respectively, showing at each period the
amount that was in suit, the amount upon
"mch indulgence had been given, and the ex-
lent OF that indulgence, and a statement
Of the sums due for public lands ON the s0th
september 1890, and on the SOth of Septen-
Der last respectively, deducting from each OIL
nose sums the amounts from which the pur-
,hasers ofpublic lands may have been released
under the act oft the last Congress passed for
nclr relief. Also n statement Of duties secured