Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-03-26

ness IN arrear, and the Injurious consequence
Of long sessions.
Mr. Randolph again rose, and said, that he
should take the liberty which the gentleman
from n. York seemed so willing to take him.
self, but to- refuse to oihers--nu uncommon
case--of making some obs-r, aiions on an M
terdicted subject. lie sh9uld, in the selection.
IF his topics, pursue his own lights, however
feeble, without awaiting himself of the very
great dlscernmrnt, sagaciiy, rxperirnce-(he
wished he could enlarge the catalogue, l--of
the gentleman frnm N. Y. /, for one, said
Mr.. Il. voted for the repeal of that prvposie-
rous rule winch, even il this building were On
fire, pre-, ented the House from adjournng be-
fore 1 o'clock, and did suppose that, in its
spirit, il went 10 repeal the other rule on the
same subject. in reference TO the proceedings
ofthe committee Of the whole. Four hours
per diem is rs long as !, at least, am able to
endure-l will not say the presidential atmos-
phere OF this HOuse-but an atmosphere,
such as nothing but the wretchcd animals
plunged in the Grotto del Cane, near Naples,
were compelled to breathe, to crafty the lau
dable curiosity ofthe very benevolent philoso-
piers of modern Europe. | hope the gen
tieman's motion will not he adopted--and
now give notice, that mean to follow up his
motion with one which relates to a subject
that requires, f not the actual cau,ery, at least
the knlfr--it is a motion to reduce the per
Il EN- allowance of Members Of this House, to
what it was when first had the honor of a
SCAT here, and which then thought, and still
think, as a per diem allowance, was fixed a
great deal too high. d.
Ii the present session is suffered to contine,
INSTEAD of having, in Congress. great leading
professional men, We shall have what have
been well denOminated the merely mechanical,
the instrumental members of those profess
siOna. And, as to the landed interest, how
can we expect ii TO be represented, when il is
rum TO a landed man to- attend here | for one,
cannot, sir, consent to sit here for so many
months, de die in diem, for six DAYS in the
week, and hear nothing but the same strain
forever repeated. 1t is enough, sir, to worry
the patience ofJob himself. | shall, theref fore,
move that, from and after the end of the pre-
sent session of Congress, the per diem allow
ance Of members be Sc, and the allowance for
travelling expenses be the same sum for every
twenty miles travelling
The question was then taken on Mr. Taylu,'s
resolution, and carried.
MIR. Randolph moved the following ::
RsSoired, That, from and after the end
OF the present session Of Congress, the per
diem allowance of Members shall he six dol
lars, and Nx dollars fur every twenty miles
travelling"
THIS resolution he desired TO lay on the
table, and he gave notice that he should call
up its consideration on Friday next.
The question being put on laying the re-
solve on the table, it was carried-Ayes 80,
noes 60.
The Speaker laid before tue House a COM
munication from the Treasury Department,
accompanied with copies Of all the official
correspondence between the Secretary and
the Banks in which the public moneys were
deposited, from LIST January, 1917, 10 9th
May, 1922.
NAVY APPROPRIATION.
Mr.. McEane moved to postpone I'll the
previous orders ofthe day TO take up the bill
making provision for the naval service Of the
United States for the year 1891. The motion
was carrisd-Ayes 81, noes GO.
The HOuse then went into committee ofthe
whole, Mr.. Bartlett in the chair, on the con-
s'dera,ion OF the above bill, and proceeded to
consider the same, item by item.
Sumo Of the items gave rise to considerable
discussion, particularly that which proposes to
appropriate S225,oao for contingrn, ex-
penses, including all extra allowances" In
this discussion, MesssS. Cobb, Cooke, Nc
lane, Taylor, Forsyth, and others, engaged.
Mr.. Cooke examined in detail the expen-
dtures under this head during the past year,
to many of which he took exception, and par
icularly to the charges for trav cling expenses,
which formed part ofalmovt every account
settled, from which he said. IL would appear
that almost the whole Navy Of tile United
States was constantly employed in Travelling
from one port of the country TO snotthr TO
many other items he also objected, particu.
Iarly to the allowance to the Navy Agent al
New York, of more than 1000 dollars, under
this head, whilst he was largely Indebted to
the government, &c.-tO EXTRA pay, house
rent, &c. to surgeons, recruiting officers, &c.
to the payment Of $1,000 TO professional
gentleman for services of Judge Advocate
and lastly TO the expenses allowed to the
Commissioners ofthe Nary for going 10 the
Eastward, some time about the New York
Races, but perhaps, also, upon other business
Mr. Z. concluded by moving 10 reduce the
appropriation for this item To- an hundred and
nifty thousand dollars, which he afterwards
varied TO an hundred and eighty thousand
dollars.
Mr.. McLane replied to the objections of
Mr.. Cooke, by statements derived from official
papers which he had received in reply To- in
quires made upon the subject at the proper
Offices, by the Committee of Ways and Means,
although he himself thought there were items
of expenditure under Mis- head which were OBJ
jeciionable, and was inclined fo think that
this fund had not been administered as il
ought TO have been. But many Of these items,
he said, had always been allowed, and were
iDdlspensabe-suc AS the necessary expeDs-
es Of travelling 10 attend courts martial, fuel,
quarters &c. the incidental expenses of the
recruiting service, &c. From the information
which hr had received, this item Of appropri-
alton was subject to the payment of clerk hire,
office rent, stationary, transportation of NUM-
tons of war, freight, pilotage, Wharfage, sto
rage, and all those objects of expenditure NOT