Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-18


of this resolution, without debate. il was de-
tided in I'll. Mega i,-b by lssg- majority.
VICE PRESIDENTS ACCOUNTS.
| The House then resolved Itself into COM
mittee Of The whole, Mr.. Taylor being called
to the chair, on the bill appropriating "A certain
sum Of money for the relief Of Daniel ID.
Tompkins.
The bill having been read
Mr.. CocKE rose, and moved to strike out
the cnacting clause of the bill. He made this
motion because the House were told, as the
ground on which the act of the last ession WAS
passed, that there was balance reported "a
gainst the Vice President that his services
had been great and that his situation was
then such that it was not possible for him to
| pay the amount claimed of him. l was astU-
nshed (said Mr.. C.) VIXEN l saw the report
published, that large balance was due by him
to the government, knowing it TO have been
admitted at the last session that there was no
balance due To him. A similar case, Mr..
Cocke said, was brought before this House
some years ago, in the case of J ohm II. Plat
We are told tina. he had rendered essential
services to the government that he was ia
solvent. and that nothing could be got from
! him. In the same manner, after law had
passed IN his favor, there was report that
there was a large sum of money due TO this
individual but the House refused TO appro-
pirate il. And. Mr.. G. said, before he could
vote for this bill, he must be convinced that
the money was really due to Mr.. Tompkins
lie should like to know, he said, upon what
youchersa report of this sort had been made
We are told, by the Presidents Message,
moreover, that this is not all the money that
will be claimed in this case and, pass this
bill, said Mr.. G. and, probably before the
| christmas Holidays we shall have ans her call
upon us to appropriate, am told, upwards of
n hundred thousand dollars for the same pur-
pose Ii does seem strange TO me, that those
who are entrusted only with the disbursement
public money should expend their own
funds To the large amount of a hundred or a
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Ii is not
isua! for them To do So And when we see a
claim of this sort, which has lain dormant for
number ofyears, brought forward after all
the circumstances oft are forgotten, we should
have some proof exhibited to this House in
| support OF II before we put our hand into the
public purse and take out the money of the
People to pay it. | make these objections 10
! ascertain whether the Huuse will, without fur
| Their Information, vote away this sum Of mo-
| ney, especially when they know that a much
larger sum of money will he hereafter de-
| manded Of them on the same plea as this.
MIR. CAMRRELENG said, he had not antic-
pated, after the documentary evidence which
had been laid upon the table, that any
gentleman, who had been a member of the
last Congress, could have raised an objection to
tins bill. lie, however, attributed the oppo-
| sitIon of the gentleman from Tennessee to one
of the best motives which could find a place
in the bosom of any legislator-to sense of
the duty of examining with vigilance The me-
rits OF every appropriation which comes be-
fore him. AT the last session, said Mr.. &. we
passed law directing the Accounting Officers
4 N fIaaN rAn en-. a a.
| wee President, upon the principles Of justice
and equity. They have discharged this duty
and will advert to the circumstances that
the accounts have passed under the scrutiny
! OF the best Accounting Officer of the Govern
ment-i mean Mr.. Hagner, whose assiduity
and severe justice the gentleman from Ten
nessee understands as well as do. In refer
ence to the case of Mr.. Piatt, to Switch the
gentleman from Tennessee had adverted, Mr.
Z. said he had supposed, that with his we'll
known sagacity. the gentleman from Tennes
see would have BEEN able 10 discern the dis
tpciion between the present case and that Of
MIR. Piatt, and explain To hum the ground of
the objection to making an appropriation in the
latter case. In that case, Mr.. Cuts, the Comp
troller, awardeda balance Of $50, 900 in favor Of
| Mr.. Piatt, and Mr.. Hagner balance of &c, 900
dollars against him. Thus, when the House
was called upon to appropriate money for the
payment of the claim, it declined doing it be-
| cause OF the want of harmony between the de-
clsions of the two accounting officers But, in
the present case, there is no want of harmo-
ny the amount in this case is clearly due
| from the United States, by the decision of all
| branches oft Government. We have know
ledge that the jury, which attentivcly exam
ined this case, awarded TO Mr.. TompLins a
| much larger sum. The award Of the Third
Auditor has fallen far short of the amount
claimed, and the President, approving the a
ward as far as II goes, has reserved his decision
as to the remainder. When that decision,
which the gentleman from Tennessee locked
| forward To with SO much alarm, should be
| made, Mr.. G.. said he should he ready 10 meet
the gentleman on any ground. | might, said
he, attempt to attract the. sympathy of this
| House on this occasion but | will not do it,
IL will be time enough to speak of the disiin-
gushed services Of MIR. Tompkins, when the
occasion comes, as presume it will for dis
cussIng the propriety of allowing further
| amount We are now, however, called upon
10 ACT clearly within the principle Of the law Of
the last session, the amount asked being
balance actually reported by the Accounting
| Officers, to be- due tn the Vice President
! Mr.. mLANE, Of Delaware, rose to- call the
attention Of the House TO few Of the facts Of
| this case. The opposition Of the gentleman
| from Tennessee was not matter Of surprise
when he House considered the ground Of IT,
But how wasthe fact /? This was not the case
Of an individual, asking of the House grat,i-
| ty or unauthorized allowance, but asking of
them 10 do what the Congress was already
pledged 10 do. Under these circumstances,
| it was at least to be expected, that the friends
of the bill should not be met by general
surmses as to the state Of the accounts of the
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