Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-02

Wax Department has refused to give cestain infor-
nation called for by this House. Suppose they
have
Here Mr.. Forsyth explained. He had not
said that the Department refused to give the in
formation, but only that they had not given IL,
MIR. McDutfie proceeded. But suppose the De-
psrlment had reiussd, and, by their refuIal had
subjected themselves TO impeachment y. hat would
THAT fact have TO do with this bill? Sir, put it to
gentlemen how they can. consistently with their
duty. thus consume their time, and the money OF
the Country! What Is the question which we have
to determine: No gentleman on this floor intends
| to abandon the fort. Such apropostion he would
venture to say, would not obtain five votes in this
House. The thing cannot be thought of Does
| the question, then, how much money we shall APP
propriate admit OF such latitude has been given
to This debate! Sir, we have had every sor, of
matter and ;Ling brought UP in this debate. The
question Is Il harrow one-how much money shall
we nov appropriate for this particular object,
And there Is ba, one way TO determine il. we
must refer 10 the eS,inates OF those. who are ana,
ilhei to judge how much is necessary and by those
! estimates we must be governed. Ii tits wise 20
have Government at all, and that Goycrnmen,
employs able oihcers, and these officer. 20 upon
the ground, make full examination ami then s,t
down and make dir gent, minute, ant, accurate
calculation, is that calculation to be ,,isregare,
Are we at once 10 abandon the prnciple OF faiti,
which i essential 20 nj! Society? The estimate.
presentedto Us, correspond with Contracts actual
| ly made and enIcredinto. ii we refuse TO anpro-
PIRATE, the gentleman from tennessee thinks we
save the money. no, Sir, we save not one dbl
Ear: the money must be paid: ii no, TO ,,ay it mus,
be paid some other time, ana the sooner the bet
! ter IL The tort can be completed in two wears il
Is be,ie' than 10 take years-il is more econotu
zeal. The only restriction in urging on the yrorh.
Is the restriction which arises from the funds OF
the nation IL you have the money and can afford
TO apply /. To t!fs Object, the sooner YOU apply i,
Tie better, and the chealer Tie gentleman from
tennessee moves 10 reduce the IN the bill 10
$So,oOO, and on " hat grounds, Sir For the sun,
| proposed, you have the estimate; you have the
data on which that sum is founded }yb.. Ar,
you to throwSthis ground away? Does the zen
| ushah nom IenneSsee give you any estiuiat.
ffas he been on the ground! Has he encuire1 tho
price Of labor: Has he made his calculations, In
WORD. SIR, does he know any thing about the
'"a'e': IL ne does, II is more than I do. And,
w""ou' any knowledge whatever of the s,i.iec,
(isay tins without dlS1especD lie moves TO Eli
! the blank with one sum instead of another
bu' why does he Tx $50 300? WHY docs he
| nov propose seventy thousand? Why not sixty
me ohiy question Is, does the sum proposed
al me OH, exceed the capacity of your inan-
| ces! Dir, the Committee of JYays and Means
nave made careful calculation, and they are pre-
! q fla ia.n
war, we have paid hundred millions OF mr. mo-
'ionSi debt, and nearly the whole of vha, wa, The,
contracted Yet The gentleman tells YOU there i.
no intention TO pay the public debt. SIR can rho
gentleman be serious! Is it possible he can be seri
Gus In supposins that by all his miserable ss,.i,
ne can contribute TO pay the national ,eit Sir ,Io
w"o.e amount OF these miserable savings of his
woDd not pay thousandth part OF the :nterest al
'hatueoI. have observed the course of thu, 90,
tleman for some years he oropo.e, No in,n,1,.
puoiic measure which goes 10 the payment of th;s
ue", and supposins that every motion he has yer
MACE Tor o.. these savings, which he is nrono.;n
| 10 US so often, had fully Succeeded. wbst wouIJ
'tes all nave amounted 20! Not, SIR TO The amount
OF expense that they have consumed in debate :
H"' "iiS Is me miserable t,uit OF saving without
knowledge II your Government is inf, on1d.in-
! competent 10 discharge its duties. withhold vorr
confidence from 1t altogether. But if No, ,yb.n
ie'ey present you the estimates OF their abes off
GERS unless you have been on the ground and arc
prepared 10 show that these estimates are fi.e o,,
"ustreeeiVe them. have made these remark !, of
" genera character, because think they bear ON
~ 's vi ms Question: and, as 10 ,yha, the gen.
ue'nah rom Virginia has sid with regard to n,e
ierrihg his own Judgment, my rule on that suh;ect
10 SIMPLY ms where duty Belongs TO me and
am employed immediately TO perform il, po h,
my own judgment; but, when another man Is an-
p!oyed ~ Government 10 perform duty which
oe'o"Ss 30 nan, and believe him competent 70
mat duty, so by his Judgment Now. there j..
not an Engineer in that Corps; that does not know
every thing relating TO this subject thousand t;u.s
better than do, and may, without di.resnec,
aud' nuoh better tina. most OF the members of this
House. am not an Engineer; do no. come here
10 criiiclse the Engineer Department; | come here
10 receive their estimates and TO grant the ann
"hlch Is necessary to the public service
Mr. NalIary of Vermont, was in favor of Grant,
ing the sum proposed in the bill Ii was rre3ic,
TED on estimates which were the best data tha, the
case admitted. He had great confidence in the
Board OF Engineers, and thought they were emil
tied TO it. But 1t was not necessary. before ,,o,;r
Tor tins appropriation that we should know all tb,
was intended by those gentlemen. We are called
on 70 appropriate money for specific object we
are capable OF judging whether it is proper one :
anc' II we think 1t is proper, we ought TO rive
what Is requisite TO carry it on. For his mari Mr.
M sad he cared very little whether the svs,e,c
OF TIE war department was good or bad. narrow
OF extensive, or whether they had formed any svs-
TEN at all. All that this House is called ON CO..
no grant specific sum for a specific object. liz
such grant, the House commits itself for no svs
'em-and ii can never be compelled TO 90 fartho,
than the object distinctly presented TO il Us
'"ouSht uIs ioriihcation would be useful one
great progress had already been made ia il. and he
should vote Tor the whole sum asked
MIR. Little OF Maryland, then moved Tho, a..
Committee rise. The Committee rose acco,,I;noI'
and having obtained leave to SIT again
The House Adjourned
IouDNpco r