Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-01-03
The message was then read.

MI. Saunders resumed his observations.
he dIsapprosed VI reference of this subject
To the Military Committee, because, he SAID,
OF the NoiuminOusuess al the dpcuInents aud /
the necessity Oi a more minute examination
OF the subject, than 1t would ,pr1bahIy he in
the power of that committee To- give TO IL. He
wOtid state some oi these expenditures in the
Ordnance Department, which, ne said. would |
st'ike tins honSt. with something like astun
ishinsnt. In 1919. for example, ii would be
t"uni That eight Or ten dollars per barrel had |
been paid Tor corn for the use of this Depart |
ment. Ii there had been such Il scarcity Of
tna' article IN any part at the country Ia
raise II 10 that price, he knew not of it, Ii |
would he found, on looking at another item,
that very large sum had been paid
The Speaker here checked the Debate il
was not in order, ON IL motion of reference, Ia
20 at large inio the subject proposed 10 be re
feIrsd
Mr.. Hamilton Of S. C. said that, as
! member of the Military Committee, he was
not DESTROYS Of approrriatns To that Commit
tee an uudu. proportion oflabor; but Ne Sub
| united To the House whether under the gene
| raj duties enjoined on that Committee, that
oi "x"ninius this sui Jet did not properly fall.
Unlrss otherwise specially instructed by the
House, he though, the subject was already
| fully within the scope OF the duties Of thai
Committee, which, from the nature Of the
business which came before il, might be sup
posed TO he fully competent To lis investiga-
ton, and might therefore come TO conclusions
thereupon different from those of Sel,c
| COMMITTEE.
Mr.. Little of Maryland, moved to refer tn
papers in question 10 the Committee on the
| expenditures of the War Department, whose
duly he thought it peculiarly was to invest
gate subjects of this description.
| Mr. Floyd, after pyDtessinp an unwilling
| mss 10 fake III, the time of the House on this
subject, said that il had been heretofore al
most uniformity the practice 10 which he knew
OF but single axcepiion,l where n subject
was brought before the House by any mem
] Der, with desire 10 have committee APP
pointed upon it, that this request should be
granted To him. II WAS perfectly competent
tn the gentleman from South Carolina, vino
was now at the head ofthe Military Commit
tee, TO have had this document referred To
mat committee at an earlier day, when The
committee had little Ia dn. The gentleman
from Maryland, too, must agree that the prav-
ice OF allowing particular inquiry, when
asked by a member was an universal practice
OF the House. Here was an expenditure, To
vast amount, in one of the Departments. De.
slrons TO see the nature of the expenditures
MIR. Floyd said he had called for an account
or them. The Information was now here
and all that he asked was, that 1t should be
referred to committee, which would have
tisie To examine the subject, and takcii under
Their particular care. Ii was very true, az the
gentleman had Unlimited, that the Military
Committee mghtronlp To different conclu-
sion from a select committee. Mr.. +. said he
believed, however, that any committee to
whom the subject should be referred, would
come To the same conclusion bat ii, IN NAH
| ing THIS motion, h- was about to tread On any
lender place. pprhonS he had hu,fnr cilb,I,., AZ,
| ii.
Mr.. Little, dlscaiming any Intention to op-
pose an enquiry IN this case, said ii WAS the
| particular duty of The Committee on Expen-
ditnres in the War Department. 10 inquire
INTO expenditures ofthis description, and there
Tore he wished the subject referred to them,
| presum'ns that they would not negIcc, lheir
duty, and that every member of the House
ielt the same interest as he himself did in the
correct administration of the public concerns
Mr.. Dwight of Mass. thought that 10 refer
tins subject 10 any other committee than that
on The expenditures Of the War Department.
II would tie to Interfere with the appropriate du-
ties OF that committee. He read part nr;hs
rule establishing thar committee, 10 sustain
hrs position. 1t was very web known that
that committee had heretofore had very little
business before them. II seemed most pro-
per, therefore, that this message should he re-
indeed. II appeared to him, would be irregular.
Mr. Hamilton said The gentleman from Mas
sachusetis had anticipated him in what he
| AID SAID for on reference To the rule, he was
very well satisfied that the suggestion of the
gentlemen from Maryland was perfectly cor
rect. To shew that ii was so, Mr.. II. request
ed the Clerk TO read thu rule
| The ue was read by the Clerk
! Mr.. Tucker Of Virginia said he hoped the
| M nf IN In sf,.rt he a..
I committee would not prevail The House,
! since II had heard the rule read, would see,
! that the duties imposed on that committee.
/ which consists of three members only, were
very arduous. These duties could not be SO
| wei performed in the committee room, but
| The committee were under the necessity of GO
! ing 10 the War Department to prosecute their
| inquiries. The consequence was, that, when
that committee, some time ago, made a re-
port To this House, they recommended the
number of the committee TO be Increased, but
! That recommendation had not been acted up
/ on That committee, ut least he spoke for
/ himself as one of them, would be very much
| "bigtd t. any gentleman who would divide
| their labor with them. If that Committee
| should meet every day Of the Session and
the Session were 10 endure for twice its usu
/ al term, IT would be impossible for them TO
examine all IN" vouchers, &c. for the expen-
dltues IN The Department. They were even
/ now obliged in some measure 10 slur over
/ their inquiries from the want Of time to pur
( sue them, SIC. II would be very gratifying
to that Committee, he said, To have the sub
iicct now before the Honse referred TO Select
| Committee.
MIR. Floyd said, in making fhis motion, he
bad not taken any course unusuaIi in This house
| he was only pursuing an enquiry which he
bad himself commenced. Ii was not because