Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-29

OF the members OF the committee who re mort
ed tue bill, to speak TO the merits Of it, The
delay IN DUNG SO which had taken place on
me part oil the COMMITTEES, would not have oc-
CURED II u had been thought necessary To Of
Ter 10 The House any explanation on the subject
Ihe committee, however, thought it would
nave been only necessary TO echo the voice
which is heard from one end of the country
to the other. They thought the Importance
and value of the services vi Gen. La Fay.,tc
had been SO generally known, that il was un-
necessary To report the facts, in regard to the
Services OF General LA Fayetie, on which they
'houSht u expedient 10 recommend the pas
sage III the bill now before the Housr. They
hoped That The proceedings of this House,
| when, ny AN unanimous vote, tat the last SEES
sion, they acknow lodged the value of those
services, would have made such a report un
necessary BY that vote, Congress subjected
me country Id an EXPENSE nearly, if not quite,
equai 10 The amount Of the proposed appro-
pf'alion, by asreping To send nut "A ship of
the iine 10 convey General La Faye,,e TO this
couotry. The cOmmliee did not calculate,
alter having dane So, aud his decliniog To pu,
the United States to that charge, there would
nave htrn aay objection 10 remune, atiog Gen.
LA fayt,te, IN some degree. for his services
anu sacrihces in the cause of the u. Statcs.-
Nnrn, more recently, the Speaker Of the
a"use had been directed by an equally unan-
'thous vote To present the acknowledgements
hot Only vi The nation, bat of this House of
the iml'ortaGt services rendered 10 The conn
| Try by General La Fayeite, the Committee
! Would no' I'VE supposed themselves deficient
IN their duty II they failed 10 report facts or
statement "f accounts in regard to that dis
.ns uisned man. Speaking for myself, said
.if. L. considered the proposed appropria-
lt'.Ie ,E
payment Ola debt TO General La Fayette, but
AS The expression of national sentiment,
which would do honor not only To this House,
but 10 this Pnopse--as an act which would.
as Tar as u goes, serve 10 lake awav from, us
Tie reproach thai Republics are urgraterul.-
| thought 1t would moi be doing Justice Ia our
Constituents, ii we made this award a mat.
tee of vauation-an affair of dollars and cents ::
| thought a different mode of treating it most
respectful TO the House, mos beiitting the Dig
NIFTY OF this go, ernrnent. Other gentlemen.
It APPEARS, entertain different views perhaps
they are more correct views. do not stand
here 10 set up my sentiments against those who
think the matter ought 10 have been treated
in different way. Some think, aud have
no doubt they very honestly aud sincerely
think, that they have no power tn express the
national gratitude in the manner proposed, OF
To vote away public money In any case TO
which a claim tn il could moi be suhstantated
ON such evidence as would establish it in a
court of justice. Ii was not for the want of
such evidence, that the cominittee did not re-
port it. The evidence n their possession was
such AS would, if duly weighed satisfy the
most scrupuious, of the justice Of giving OF
only the amount proposed by the COM m,ttee,
hut even double that amount.
| The services OF General La Fneue during the
war oil the revolution, MIR. L. SAID, were known TO
and must he acknowledged n.y. every one. lie came
10 THIS country NJ ihr commenccnirnt OF the rryolu-
non tie ro"'inued is personal services until vety
shorty before ibe 'eim'naiou Of that war by the
| treaty oil pe"re. lie ceased those peIsouaI exer-
tons here only TO render them in the same caus.
where, ~ the nmr, they were more useful He
was, indeed, very instrumental IN b,ineing about
thai peace impoi TAM 10 MS Ar that time VET Il,
prosperity, he would have refused any comp nsatiun
Tor his services and sacrifices, had iey even been
greater than they we're. When oppressed Inv ad,er-
| siiy after the c"ni'ca'ion Of lie remainder of his
prnceis estates, he accepted f om the United S acs
what he would never before receive The nav of n
| M"Jor- General, The rank which he held during the
4 wn' Eu', besides that, he was entcd, upon every
nri"cpie ct strict justice, TO the half pay OF Major
Gen. for life, Owing 10 the civil nssinn which had
been already referred To, G4uer,l La Faveite was
not i" service at the close Of the war, and had not
legal ''le TO This hapay, bu, his righto IT, eve
ny pIincpie oi equity, could not he questioned. To
The representatives Of aso'her Distinguished officer
| (Generai Ham'iiop,) similarly s,tuaicd, Congress
! granted the amouot of half pay which would have
oeen due To Inn, ana tia; without comn,ntation The
two cases were nearly parallel The officers had ge-
neray line option, and almost f not quite M awaited
themselves of it, of receiving communication in lieu
OF half pay. General La Faycue had no, this OPP
lion, however, from The circumstances already men.
toned, Of bis absence in Europe M The conclusion of
ihe treaty OF peace. What would he the anloun, of
hal pay Tor the aiore than forty years that have
since elapsed, and the long life, which Mr. L. sad
he Trusted Ibis venerable ~ ~ wouId III live 10 en-
joy Twenty added to the forty years already e..
PRED, would MOI be deemed an extravag snt esimae
these sixty years of half pay, without IN
teres', wou,d alone amount 10 something like e'ghy
thousand dollars. Would any gentleman in this
Hall say, that G-neral L. Fsyeiie was not IA we'll
entitled 10 his bali pay the family Of Gen Haml-
ton were, after his dyeease
Bn' WIS This all! No, said Mr. L.. IL is no, all
Ii is known public historical fact that r., Fac
eue, when he came TO this country brouob, also in,
poriani and very necessary supplies TO n large a.
mo"n.-.h immense amount, coDsds ring hat j, was
The oiieriog OF single Individual What was the
cost oil those supplies is information which chance
alone has thrown in our way. Every one knew m !,
was great but more for'u,ous cir cnnsfance led
gentlemen, ,ley Al Par's, to inquire iuio what had
been the pecm9'ary sacrifices Of Bs] Fayeue in the
canse OF the Unned States during the revelation
and he obtained n document which shows preciseiy
! what money la Fnyelte did expend in cause al
that time. Mr.. l.. here made statement cores.
ponding with thai yesterday made in the Senate nv
MI Haync, establishing that the expenditure of r.
Fsyetc, for the use Of tho United Smes, during the
war OF the revolution, was 100 900 francs or no.
600 dollars, bssdes sums modesdy kept out of The
account, which would have increased that sun, I
ADD 'h,s amount 10 that which is Justly due 10 him
Tor half pay for life, said Mr. L. and saw whether
lair, honest, and equitable settlement of tho account
between him and the United Saies, would not leave
rs IN debt. 10 HIN, interest nc!nJei more than dou
hle the amount which The COMMITTEES had reported in
his favor Here Then, sir, is an account OF ,IoIa,s
and cents, since gentlemen desiren u: here is soms
ihng to satisfy the most scropuous. When YOU cffr,
to Gen. La FayeIie these two hundred ihousan nd dol
lars, Won do not pay the debt---you do not nav wba
you justly o'ce to him. am very much afraid sir
hat, IN going through this detail, may wound the