Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-01-08

nnt III which was 10 be paid Indian stores
keepers. lndian agents, rali0ns, and be
iknsw not What Else --kut it was 2 reservOir
for ,hines that was NOT particularly pro-
vided Tor By specific appropriations. -
vas certainly a very convenient method
Of disbursetne upllE OUT sdlPl0-
matic relations with France and England.
| = hose civilization did not require these
extraordinary contingent provisions, our
red brethren, who roameg through the.
/ forest in quest not of their daily bread Tor
they had none, but their daily meat, be-
| came the occasion Of a greater drauxb
upon the public Treasury than all our d.
piomatic intercourse with the two most
PROMINENT governments 10 The Eastern
world. When the abrscsdsbra OF tie Se-'
cretar, of War Cones here, we are let! as
much al loss atterit isiead at the table
as before. whether we are called upon to
make an appropriation or to supplya de-
felt, The last year Dl7o,ooo were
asked Tor this department, and only Dloo,'
600 granted, aud be hoped thatso hrin
course would be taken in regard 70 the
subject that hereafter. when limited ap.
proprjation is made, our agents snail know
that they are not at Liberty 70 spend dol
| lar beyond the amount that is appropriate
ed. If subservlent supplyuf dehclts IS
granted from time 10 time, as the depart
ments think proper to require, it was at.
tsrly in vain to talk Of specific or limited
appropriations. AT all events, il they do
expend more than they are authorized, 1t
ought to be- part cularly shown how and IN
! what manner that money was disbufsed-
and he believed, if such an examination
! were had, it would be found that many a.
gents were employed OF which Congress
had no idea. 81
| Mr.. Woodson remarked, that he was
not sufficiently advanced in lite to be able
to reirace, by personal recollection, the
various occurrences that bad taken place
in relation to our Indian affairs. IL was
however, matter Of deep concern TO the
people of the vest. They knew full well,
and bitter experience had taught them
during the last war, the relentless chatac.
ter OF savage passion. Much had been
done to remove the barbarity OF the Indian
character. 1t was matter OF regret, how.
ever, that it had been Intellectual; and it
all that had been done could not soften
their Ainty minds, it was necessary to use
some caution, at least, as to further expen-
dtures. In being called upon to appr0-
pirate he felt that be could not be justified
unless the disbursement was clearly au.
thorized by an existing law. l: should al
SO be shewn TO what particular purpose the
expenditure was destined. He should nor
be satisfied without the explanation, snor
without pretty clear proof that we were
enabled to make II without violating our
other engagements and trenching upon o.
Their expenditures, that were OF more I'M
perious necessity. We had other impor-
tant objects OF expenditure, that would 60
far to exhaust our revenues. And was il
the intention OF gentlemen to lessen the
| Navy? Did they intend once more TO RAJ
zee The Army? His principal objection,
however. was, that the object OF the ap.
preparation was neither explicit nor detin-
ed. 1t was now in contemplation 10 alter
our system in relation to the Indian De-
partment He hoped that purpose would
prevail. He was willing to vote tor 10000
dollars to cover The past, and to extend it
to lou 900 dollars il necessary. But be
could not consent to a measure that should
commit us to a continuance oil the existing
policy, which contributed neither to the
honor nor 10 the interest OF the govern
ment.
! Mr.. Tracy opposed the amendment.
He thought, to use honely and familiar
phrase, it was jumping out Of the frying
| pan into the ere. He would not vote tor
an appropriation to supply an excess Of
which he knew nothing, 1t was already
apparent, by the statement Of the Char
Imam OF the Committee OF Ways and Means,
this morning, that. instead OF DlOO.OOO as
the SUN granted for this purpose the last
wear. the SUN OF Ul3o .osc had been actu-
ally applied to that department.. A mis-.
take of D3o, 900 had evidently occurred
We were therefore in the dark, and before
we admitted the recommendations OF The
Secretary OF War to have binding force
upon US, ii would be well TO have further
light on this subject. One hundred thou
sand dollars was appropriated the last
year add to that the sum Of So, 900 dolls.
embraced in the mistake now disclosed,
and add these sums 10 10 900 dollars, the
ailedged deficiency OF the last year, aud il
makes an aggregate OF Goo. zoo dollars.
lMr. I. would yield all the confidence to
toa respectable Department which its off.
cial character demanded, but be should
deem it his duty to he.ilate before he vo-
ted for the appropriation OF moneys con-
corning which even the Department itself
either did not possess, or did not commune
cate, any clear and definite knowledge.
He thought the bill, as reported by the COM
lnittee OF Ways and Means, was far pre-.
lterable to the amendment proposed by the
gentleman from Ohio, mir. Chambers in
the former case, the Department would be
responsible tor its future disbursemen:;but
Tit was applied to a previous deficit, it