The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-01-23
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVE.

THURSDAY, JAN. 10 The principal sui
iect OF interest before the House, was the biz
for making partial appropriations for the MIL
tary service Of the year l822-the question On
filling the blank for the Indian department be-
ing still under consideration in committee Of
The whole. In this discussion, the conduct Of
the Secretary Of War has been araigned for
exceeding his appropriations. The character
of the discussion may be understood from the
speech Of Mr.. Randolph, delivered this day.
which we have abridged as below:-1
h1r. Randolph remarked, that the first and
most important question was, where does the
supreme authority OF this Government rest /?
Does it reside inagents or in sub-agents or shall
we find it in the subordinates of subordinates9
He Mr. R.. would not consent to admit that
the War Department was a coordinate or cor
relative branch of this House. Should il be
said that the Executive was such branch. he
would not deny it; but when we approach the
Executive or Senate for information, it IS in the
respectful terms Of request; when we speak
to the subalterns of the Executive, we order
and direct, in language civil, if you please,
but mandatory. The doctrine of these depart
ments being coordinate branches of the Gov
eminent, was therefore unsound-it would not
hold water moment. And who is to be the
Judge, and what the measure Of judgment?
What is theirpower? 1t is deriyative they
are the breath Of the Executive nostrils. Mr..
r. here adverted to the situation and Iimta-
ton Of the powers of former Secretaries.
and was disposed to do more justice to the
present Secretary Of War than his friends
seemed to have done. The old Spanish PROV
erb, 6 Save me from my friends,' &c. recur-
red to his mind and he would not take the
Secretary where he had been placed, and for
the reason that he had not placed himself
there. The Committee of Ways and Means
had hard measure dealt out to them on both
sides. They had tried to husband the publick
resources, and for this they were entitled to
credit. They had taken the only course that
could effect that object and be could defy
the ingenuity Of gentlemen to limit the expen-
diture of the Indian department in any other
manner than by limiting the appropriations
The same course was required as when you
would teach frugality to child at school
As you could not define every item of expense,
the only and proper way would be TO limit by
precise sum the amount of his expenditure,
beyond which he should not 60. There was
no other mode Of retrenchment where the ex-
penditure was contingent. This deficit, said
MT. IL. Coihcs Deiofe us ~ a bIosl quesionaue
shape. Last year the Secretary made his es-
innate at s 10000. Only s 100000 were
appropriated, aud now he comes in for the ex-
aci balance. Instead, therefore, Of an appto-
priation, The application should rather be lor
The passage Of a bill Of indemnity to- protect
him from the consequences of having trarF-
cendcd. the powers con6ded to him by the rep
resentatiyas Of the people. Such an act a.
was resorted to by Lord Chatham, in relation
10 his occupations on the subject Of the export
alton of corn. Eyen that great man, who fls