Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-01-16
CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION.
MONDAY, JANUARY s.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
RE vol UTIO.N.dR OFFICERS.

REVOL UTION.aRY OFFICERS.
The following resolution, laid on the table By
MIR. Tucker of s. Carolina, on the 9th instant wss
taken up aud read:
Resoired, That the Secretary of War be di-
rected TO report this House, as nearly as prac-
ticabe, the number of the Surviving Officers of the
Army, on the Continental Establishment, who are
not now the pension list: Also, their names and
places of residence
This resolution MIR. T. modified to read as fol-
lows: ElN
I" Res0ired That the Secretary of War be di-
recied tn report to this House the name and rank
OF each Officer of the Continental Ariny who
served to the end of the Revolutionary War, and
who were by the resolutions of Congress, entitled
to half pay during life; and also, nearly as
iieable, the names of the surviving Officers, and
their places of residence"
MIR, Burgess opposed the passage of the resolu-
lions, because its effert woulI be necessarily to
postpone the object of the bill TO another session.
lie did not mean to insinuaie that such was the
inienton of the mover-bu, such would certainly
be the effect The Committee on Military Pen
sions had last session, iak en- pains 10 obtain # ON
The War Department, statement of the number of
the surviving officers and soldiers of the Reyolu-
iIonary Army, and ii had there been told, as the
result OF every inquiry within the reach of the
head OF the Pension Office, that the number of
officers was four hundred. From the lists re-
ceived from two of the States, when com
pared with the best tables of the ordinary du-
ration OF human life, the calculation would give
444; the truth probably lay between, but did not
greatly differ from one other of these numbers.
Mr.. Is. then sent TO the Clerks desk letter re-
ceived from the War Department, containing the
estimated number of the several classes of soldiers
now surviving: which, having been read by the
Clerk, MIR. Is. farther urged his opposition TO the
resolution OF Mr.. Tucker.
Mr Turker disclamed any intention, to delay
the contemplated relief of the officers. TIE OBJ
Ject uf his motion was to obtain information of
the whole number of officers entitled to receive
bali pay, and, as nearly possible, the number of
those who still survived. He insisted that, If the
sam proposed was debt to any of those officers
when they died, it still continued 10 be debt TO
their Children and heirs; and these latter were as
well entitled TO be included the surviving Off
GERS. lie iarther observed that, by the law OF
lSU0, provision had air eady been made for such of
those Survivors, as were in INDECENT circumstances.
He, therefore, concluded. that the million contem-
plated was 10 go 10 he rich; such must be its des-
tinaiion; and If, though this be not express
and formal debt, VIC under some obligation TO
recomPense these who were engaged in the glo-
rious work OF fighting for our liberties, then the
militia ought, doubtless, TO be included Some of
the militia officers served for nearly the whole war
They bad petitioned this House from session to
session, bu, the report of most Of the committees
on their petitions bad been, that they were barred
~ The statute OF limitation. All he wished was
a fair statement; he wanted to get the names Of
the surviving officers and their residence; and
he confident it would be found that most of
them were, al this time, men Of independent for
tune.
AT the reques, of Mr. Bassett ard Mr.. Cooke,
Mr.. Burges submitted 10 the House list, (to
which he had referred in previous debate received
III private letter, giving the of the officers
surviving in the State Of Rhode Island.
MI. Baseit having requested also the list which
Mr.. Burgess had mentioned, Of those in South
Carolina,
Mr.. Burgess replied, it was contained in letter
TO another gentleman, and, of course, was not
within his control. He farther insisted OH his
objection 10 the course proposed in the resolu-
ton before AL the particulars could be procured
in the several States, five six years would pro-
badly elspse. and in that time most of these aged
veterans would have descended to The tomb.
Mr. Dorsey suggested that there was no docu-
meat in the War Department that ould answer
the resolution by furnishing the names of these in
dividua!s.
Mr. Tucker said, in reply, that he wished to
obtain I'll the information the Department could
furnish, be- less it could at all events do
no harm.
The question was then taken on Mr. fuckers
motion, and decided in the afirnatve-ayes 70
noes 73.
DUTIES ON SALT, SUGAR, &c.
Mr.. Peter moved The following resolution:
Resolued, That the Committee of Ways and
Means inquire into the expediency OF reducing the
duties on salt, brown sugar, and coffee.
MIR. Brent suggested TO the mover that SINH
lar resolution had been offered on Saturday last
and inquired OF the Char whether il was now in
order for The House TO enter ain the resolution
Mr.. Peter replied, that the resolution had been
rejected.
On referring 10 The former resoluion, it appear
ed that some articles were mentioned in the resent
one that had not been included in the former The
resolution was, therefore, in order.
Mr.. Webster said, that he hoped measures
which went TO affect very seriously the revenue
system of the country, would not be brought for
ward, or pressed on the house, without grea, con
siderarion. He presumed that the duties the
several articles, included in this resolution, stood
on very different grounds; nor ought the rejection
of resolution Saturday, which included some
of Them, TO be considered just ground 10 iHieT
that hing ought to be done on any. The House
refused to reduce the duties wine, because there
was before it bill to equalizs the duties on that
article. He doubted the proprieiy OF blending so
many different objects in one resolution. The a.
dopion or rejection Of il was liable 10 lead those
portions Of the community, who were Interested,
to hasiy conclusions as to the intentions OF the
Government. lie thought the House should not
hastily do any thing which tended to discourage
the planters OF sugar, one oi the articles now
mentioned. Ii would be preferable that the seVe-
raj objects desired be included in dis met PROPOSE
tons, and should not be brought forward unless it
was intended to do something serious IN relation
10 some one of them. The light mention Of chang.
Is in our system of duties tended to agiisie the
public expectation. He was not, however, OPP