The Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1822-1822, 1822-04-13

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motion of Mr.. Williams of n. q. was
ordered to be laid on the table.
APPROPRIATIONS.
The House then resolved itselfinto .
committee of the whole on the unfinish-
ed business of Saturday last, (the gen.
eral appropriation billy MIR. Tomlinson
in the chair.
The question occurred upon the a.
mendment proposed on Saturday by
MIR. Williams, of NC. relative to the
allowance for fuel and quarters to the
Surgeon General. Mr.. w. stated. that
the subject, since that period, having
taken different direction, he wouid
Withdraw his motion.
Mr.. J. S. Johnson moved to insert an
amendment. the purport of which was
to make a specific appropriation tor the
compensation of the Registers OF the
land Offices, and the receivers OF the
Public Moneys, in lieu of retaining their
salaries, sc. as is now practised. The
motion was supported by the mover,
and by Messrs, Rankin and Sterling.
OF n. Y; and opposed by Mr.. Smith OF
Md. Mr. Sloan, aud Mr. Wood. when
the motion was Withdrawn by the mo-
yer.
Mr.. Cooke submitted the following as
q proviso to the bill.
ssProuided. howeuer, That no money
appropriated by this act shall be paid to
any person Ger his compensation, who
is in arrears to the United States, until
such person shall have accounted for,
and paid into the Treasury, all sums
for which he may be liable
The question being taken on this
proviso, it was carried without di-
vision.
After third section bad been proposed
and adopted,
Mr.. Cook submitted the following a.
mendmen, Gin relation to the survey OF
lands made by General Rector. without
authority, in the state Of Illinois
s'And TO pay for such surveys of the pub |
lie land made during the year 1921, as
shall appear 10 the satisfaction of the So
cretary OF the Treasury to have been well
executed, $4,000 dollars "
The motion was opposed by Mr.. Cooke,
Dir. Tod. Mr.. Rankin, and Mr.. Vance, and
supported by the mover, who contended !
that il was founded on the same basis, as
the claim OF John Thomas. which was ad-
vocated by the gentleman from Tennessee
fMr. Cocke} but few days ago, and he
hoped a more rigorous principle would
not be introduced in this case than in o.
theirs. The resolution was also supported
in speech Of considerable length by MIR.
Scott OF Missouri, when the question was
taken, and tie motion negatived by large
majority.
The committee, on motion Of MIR. Smith
of Md. then rose and reported the bill as
amended.
In the House. Mr.. Tracy remarked that
when he had, in committee, suggested the
expediency of changing the compensation
of the messengers, bis object was rather
that the amount allowed them should be
fixed by law, than that it should be lessen
ed. He was more anxious to correct the
abuse than to save the money. The prIn-
ciple Of allowing extra compensation from
the contingent fund was bad one, and
ought 20 be corrected He was not pre-
pared to say that the amount they had re-
ceived was too large. and should be sorry.
therefore. to have the House, without fur
Their knowledge, take from these poor men.
by surpfize. one bait of their means of sup
port. He should regret to have j. suppos-
ed that our plan for reform had resulted in
such pitiful saving. There were many
more important objects of retrenchment in
the bin than this. We had passed over,
without observation, officers who received
public money by thousands, to fasten on
these defpnceless messengers. He was
ashamed to be fishing for sprats and min
nows while the sharks and srampuses ran
free. He moved therefore, TO strike out
the sum recorted, and TO insert one thou
sand and fifty dollals as the compensation
for principal messenger and his assistant.
The question was further debated by
Mr.. Cooke, Mr. Golden, and Mr. Farrelly
when the question was taken and decided
IN the affirmative, ayes 81, noes AZ.
Mr.. Tracy moved TO insert the words
Seven hundred in lieu of four hundred |
and ten dollars, as the compensation for
the messenger in the FIRST Auditors Office, |
which was agreed 10. and it was decided |
by the house that the same rule of con-
struc.lon should apply to all the messen-
gers, as the provisions tor them respective |
~ occur in the bill.
The question of allowance TO the mes
senger in the Ofhce of the Register of the |
Treasury being under consideration-atterl |
a running debate, the blank was filled with !
the sum of eight hundred dollars.
Mr.. Chambers moved TO reinstate the |
compensation for clerk in The Office of
the Surgeon General; and after tew re-
marks by Mr.. Sterling, OF New York, "a
oo inst ccncnrrinr with tho committee Mt |