The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-12-25

chine for propeling vessels at sea in Gains,
which has been adopted Tor the service OF the
Navy of the United States, aud praying com.
pensation for the use OF his said invention
which petition was referred to the Committee
on Naval Affairs.
i Mr.. Farrelly submitted the following mo-
ton for consideration -
ResOlred, That the Committee on Naval Az
fairs be instructed to inquire into the propriety
OF making some provision for the support of
the widow and child of Lieut.. George Pierce,
OF the U. S. navy, who lately died of the yell
low fever, contracted on board of the frigate
Macedonian, when in the service of his coun-
try.
Mr.. Farrelly accompanied his motion with a
few observations, when the question was TAX
en-, on agreeing to the resolution, and decided
in the affirmative by small majority 81 votes
to 54.)
The bills for clothing the Militia, and con-
Corning the disbursements OF pabiick mon-
les, were taken up, and after some debate,
passed 10 be engrossed.
TUESDAY,, DEC. 17.-After the disposal of
ordinary business, the House, on moticn of Mr.
Cooke, took up the resolution submitted by
him on Monday, calling for information reia-
tive to the expenditures in the ordnance de-
acknowledged to.
MIR. Cannon's bill for clothing the militia
while in actual service, was read third time,
and passed.
Disbursement Of Publies Money.
The engrossed bill 4" concerning the disburse-
ment of publick money!" Qorbidding advances
on contracts) was read third time; and the
question being, " Shall the bill pass?"
Mr.. Newton, C. Virginia, said he was oppos-
ed to the bill for reasons which he would brief
! ly state. lie believed, he said, notwithstand-
! ing considerable noise had been made about
| the loss of publick money in its collection and
i disbursement, it would be found, when the
subject was fairly considered, and all the facts
| fully known, that the total amount Of losses
! from the commencement of the government
would not amount to more than about two
/ millions and half of dollars. Mr.. N. was sat
is6ed, he said, that the government is going
| on extremely we'll that the accounting officers
| are extremely vigilant in the discharge Of their
| duty. Besides, by excluding advances, you
! put an end at once to competition, by which
| the publick interest is SO much consulted
Your most valuable citizens are at once ex-
| cluded from engaging in the business OF supply
| for the pubick service. The wealth OF the
mechanics Of the United States, MIR. n. said,
consists in their honesty and their enterprise ::
\ they have no other capital They cannot
| make contracts, if you forbid advances to
! them. By doing so, you throw the business
) OF contracts into the hands of few men who
| have capital, and who will make the govern
| ment pay as high as possible for what they
| furnish, &c.
In reply to the remarks Of Mr.. Newton, Mr..
| Bassett observed that the provisions of the bill
| approached very near to the present practice
OF the government, and, therefore, was at
| least unobjectionable. The Secretary of War,
he said, had brought the publick business in
his department very near the system propos-
ed; and it was desirable that it should be
| made permanent by publick act. Mr.. B.
adverted to the sums in the hands of agents
''"1sev>st~d '~-, and he Thought the bill
would save the publick money from being lost.
lie denied that it would operate hardly on the
poor, because 'ttheir contracts would give
them credit for as much money as was neces-
sary to enable them to comply with them.'
r MIR. Wright opposed the bill and conclud-
ed his remarks by moving that it lie on the Ia
bic, which which was negatived, when the
question was taken, and the bin passed by a
large majority.
The House went into Committee of the
whole on the bill to provide for the occupation
OF the mouth of the Columbia river. The
bill proposes to extinguish the Indian title to
thirty square miles of land at that place, and
to allow to zach actual settler, who is the
head of family, $40 acres. After agreeing
to give the Governor OF the Territory OF Or;-
gon salary of $4,000, and listening to speech
from Mr.. Floyd for an hour in support of the
bill, the Committee rose and reported prog
ress, and obtained leave to sit again.
Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, DEc. 18.-Mr. Jennings pre-
sented a petition of the Board of Trust of the
Western Missionary Society, praying for
grant Of tract of land, the better to enable
them to carry into effect their plan for the
civilization Of certain Indian tribes which
was referred to the Committee on Publick
Lands.
Mr.. Cook, from the select Committee on
the subject, reported, in part, bin to a ,tnor-
lze the laying out aud opening a Road from
Wheeling, in the State of Virginia, to ST. Lou
is, in the State of Missouri. The bill propos.
es to appoint Commissioners, &c. One of
the provisions of it is, that the road shall pass
by the seats Of government Of the States of
Ohio, indiana, and Illinois. The bill was
twice read and committed.
On motion Of MIR. Hardin, of KY it was
Resolred, That Committee be appointed
TO inquire what further retrenchment c;n be
made in the expenditures Of government.
without detriment to the publick service.
Occupation Of Columbia Rirer.
The House then, according to the order Of
the day, again resolved itself into Commit
tee Of the whole, Mr. Campbell, of Ohio. in
the chair,) on the bill to authorize the occu-