Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-08

,
hat these sums had been asked by the Secre-
tary at War, for the purposes to which they
relate. The general objection to appropria- !
ions has hitherto been, that they have been
too late--that they have been introduced at |
period when it was difficult to canvass and
act upon them ad,iseuly. The objection,
now, is that il is brought forward too early.-l
To the ohlection,that the title ofthe bill did not
disclose its true object, and that, instead of
being intended FOR the purpose of meeting the
expenditures of the present year, its object
was To supply the deficit of the last, MIR. S.
would only reply on this point, that the Com
mlttce of Ways and Means had taken for
granted all that the Secretary at War had
officially communicated to that committee as
true and that his letters do not ask for an
appropriation to cover a previous deficit, but
to meet future disbursements. In reply 10
the gentleman from Va. Mr.. Floyd, he would
remark that the gentleman was mistaken in
surprising that the appropriation asked for in
relation to the Indian Department, had respect
TO the Indian traGe-that was Il matter bv
itself, and was subject for separate aud
specific appropriation. This, which WAS now
asked tor, had reference TO the provisions ne
cessary for the fulGlmcnt of trade with the
indians-to rations, articles to be supplied
under existing laws. as ploughs, harrows, and
other implements of husbandry II was not
definite expenditure, NOR subject to definite
limitation. The Secretary OF War had en-
deavored TO define it, but had hitherto found
1t impractcable. He had asked one hundred
and seventy Thousand dollars the last year for
the purpose, and only one hundred Thousand
was granted; and hence, it was no; extraordi-
nary II ii deficit should be found
MIR. Tracy would not, by any means, be
f,Nf Al, I'll h., .
| the veracity of the Secretary of War. He
had not distinctly heard the communication
from that Department when it was read from
The tablc-hut he had supposed tom the
whole tenor of the application, that it was
calculated rather 70 supply deficiencies ofthe
past than 10 provide for the contingencies al
the future. And ifany thing were wanting TO
lead him to such conclusion, il was GilIv
supplied by the remark of the C!lairn,an Of
the committee OF Ways and ,!tdns. who OBJ
served, before hi sat down, that only SlO0 .OO0
were appropriated by the last Congress 10
| supply contingency that required 5 iT0,oco,
ana that hence deicit OF 5 5000 WAS neccs-
saT'ly created. Dir. u. wished for all the in.
formation on tha subject which it seemed to
ho IN the power ufihn Chairman of that Coal-
nttee to impart. He WAS apprehcnsive from
| the light that had been shed upon the subject
Il
hall, and that the appropriations for the
current year for the War Department would
moi fall short of six millions Ii did ,,.t an
pear That retrenchments could he made, and
me- Was DESTROYS that np information should
be withheld, ana that, if IL loan should hrcone
necessary, II might be Immediately made
known.
DIR. COOKE made some remarks on what
haa lailcn tiom the Chairman of the Com
mitiee OF Ways lnI Means in respect f., the
proposed appropriations for the Quarter Mas
ter Generals Department and the RevoIu-
ilonary Pensioners and expressed his opin-
ION That there must he some mistake about
both these items. With regard 10 the pro-
posed appropriations for The Indian Trade.
ne asked whether any gentleman in the House
was sufficiently acquainted with the details of
ths SUBJECT, TO say, from his own knowledge.
whether or net the money asked for ought 10
DE appropriated. Committees on the subject
OF Indian Trade aud a fairs had indeed been
appointed, but they had not reported and
he Thought 1t premature To be appropriate
lns The putillc money until the house had sa-
'isiactory information that it was Necessary to
appropriate It, With this view, Nix. G.. moved
Mdt me commiftee noic rise, rcp0H progress, and
ask ieaue 10 sat again.
few explanatory remarks were made h.
Messrs. SMITH, and BUcuAYAY, which. unon
The motion before the House, were animated
to he out of order. when the question uyo;,
rIsmg and reporting was put and ncgaiirei.
Mr.. Ross had expected that, when this bill
was taken UP, ii would be examined and dis
cussed by sections, and tie blanks filled I'm ro-
tation. But the general merits of the bin had
been gone into. He did not rise TO express
any doubts or objections to the general r.a
In. 81.
IONS Tor the Quarter masters Department
and the pay Of the officers and subsistence Of
the army, he was disposed to Weld 10 fine
reasons that had been already advanced in
favor OF their adoption. II respect, however,
10 thS Indian Department, he thought il his
duty to observe, that the House was not s,ii-
hcientiy acquainted either with the extent or
manner of It's disbursements. So far as IL y,.-
lated TO the item Of ratons, he thought it
would be found that very unwarranted expcn.
diturcs had been made The difficulty
was, that HE amounts were made up in
gross, and not IN detail and, if strict i.iouiry
should be made, 1t would be found that, when
ever an Indian treaty of any Importance was
to he made, all the inhabitants of the country
round about Hooked 10 the place, and rati0ns
were lndiscrimiHately bestowed, as well upon
the whites as upon the red brethren of the for
SS'' A""''S were Spfeau nj winch tour hundred
OF our people would partakc at oncc--and
this, too, under the guisc Of conciliatiug tb,'
friendship Of the Indians. What physical or
moral connection there was between a dinner
by the whites upon the bounty of the Treas
ury, and the cancellation of Indian rriendship.
1t might be difficult TO comprehend, but this
he could shy, that it resulted in a very serious
addition to the expenditures of the Indian
department. Great complaint had been made
and he was inclined 10 believe that these ra-
lions were more expensive to the government
than tine plOughs and harrows. Nor was this
the only complaint that had been made. III
had been said that the drafts for these bospi-
iallties were made upon the Treasury in avail |