Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-29
COTTON CORDAGE AND CANVASS


ReSotred, That the Secretary o! the Navy be 4!
Instructed 70 furnish this House with the results
OF the experiments that were reported by the
Commissioners Of the Navy, IN January 1926 10
be then in progress, tho objects OF which expert
rents were 10 test the comparative fitness OF cot
ton and hemp for the use OF sails in our public
vessels; aud whether any further experiments
have been made TO introduce cotton rord,gc.
in the equipments of said vessels; and also t,iatt
he inform this House of the comparative expense
of the canvass made of hemp and OF cotton, SO far
as contracts. heretofore made. account Of the
Navy, VIII furnish said information.
RETkENCIIMENT.
the following resolution reported from the Com
mittee OH Retreuchnent. on the 2lst inst by Mr.
Wickilfe up for confederation:
Resofcca Ly TIC Senate ard House Of Rep
reSentGtives Of the United States IL, Congress
assembled, That the Secretary of the Seuate and
Clerk OF the House of Representatives shall pro-
hibit the use oil the Stationary OF the two Houses,
III loidig or endorsing any documents. pamphlets,
or packages, other than such may have been
printed by order vi either House Of Congress or
such manuscript documents as ma relate 10 the
business OF the same
Mr.. Wcklifie briefly stated the object of the re
solution, as intended TO prevent the un,yarrauta-
BILE use, or the abuse Of the existing privilege of
members In relation TO stationary, by enclosing,
for the purpose of distribution, matter which had
no conneNion with the business OF the House.
MIR. Bartlett moved to amend tho resolution by
inserting the words cor printing"
Mr.. Wickifte declined accepting this modi-
resolution being joint one)inasmuch as he was
not aware that any part of the public stationary
had been used for the purpose ofprinting.
Mr.. Bartlett said, ii such were the case he would
Withdraw the amendment, and he withdrew il ac-
cordingly.
The question was about to be put, when
MIR. Wilde inquired of the mover whether any
r solution had been reported from the Committee
on Retrenchment shelving the existence aud the
extent OF such an abuse as the gentleman seem
ed to refer TO. Without the most convincing evil
dence OF the fact he should be willing to vote
for snch a resolution as this He had ALWAYS
been opposed TO the sanctioning, except on evil
dence the most incontestible. any ef-condernna-
tory ordinance. He had occasion, some years ago.
u say to the House. "a tronte recedentes Impe-
rii." He thought the House had doae this They
had receded from the front of empire by stigmati-
zing their own body. The conduct referred to in
this resolution was admitted by all to be unwor-
thy of members of this House, and he would no,
throw before the public an imputation of Il TO them
without the fullest proof.
Mr. Wjcklifie spoke in reply, commencing with
some protest which our Reporter could not hear
Mr. w. said, that he could not believe that the
House would be guilty OF sinking its own cbarac.
ter in endeavouring 10 introduce something like
system and economy IN its expenditures. II the
gentleman would read the report made by Che
Committee OF Retrenchment, at the last session,
and would compare II with the instructions given
by the House to that Committee, he would see
that their duties mad special reference to the ex
penditures OF this House. The Committee had
not proposed 10 rerench any OF the expenditures
III the departments, however great might be their
amount, il they considered them necessary to
correct administration of the affairs of this Co
vernment. In the course OF the investigation
the Committee became fully satisfied that the orr
ginal purpose, had in view by the House. in fur
nishng stationery 10 its members, had been great
Iy perverted by an improper use Of the PRIVILEGE
lie did not pretend 10 say who had been most 10
blame, or who had been TO blame at all, in this
matter. He would not say that he was himself
wholly exempt from deserved censure Il, was
highly probable that. partly from the force of ha
bit, and partly from the influence Of the example
OF tthers around hun, he might have been induced
TO extend this privilege beyond its proper limits
lie would state one or two facts 10 the House,
within the first sixty days Of the last session. there
hal been printed, Gas lie understood. and had rea-
son TO believe ioT ne could not speak with abso-
Lutte certainty within this District, between 80
and 40 900 copies Of the Richmond address he
sides 10000 copies Of the North Carolina address
and several thousand Of the address from Washing
ton III pennsylvania: All these had been folded
and wrapped up in the folding rooms OF this House
or at least out OF the stationary furnished for the
use of members Besides these, two other tocu-
mens had been put in like manner; one Of them
purPorung 10 be COPY OF the official documents
respecting the Six Mralnen; the other was
document purpOrting to have been written by a
gentleman from Ohio, but whose contents were
known TO those only who had read it. He did not
say or nsinuate ;hat similar practice had not ure
vailed on the other side of the late great poliical
controversy No doubt eat abuses had taken place
on both sides. But this formed only am additional
reason why the resolution ought TO be aIopted II.
any gentleman would compare the account for
stationery furnished al the last session. with that
OF any preceding year, he could not resist the i'm
preston that more OF the public stationery had
been consumed than was called for by the bust !
ness of this House.
Mr.. Storrs said, that there had perhaos boe,
some abuse in the matter referred to in the resoIu
ticn. and he thought it should be corrected The
amount consumed last year for stationery he had
been informed, was upwards OF Sc 900 dollars
There was convenience, too, in permitting mem
bersto purchase their own stationery. By spe- |
chic allowance this may be done, and from three
or four thousand dollars cut off from the eEpendi-
tuTe III members were to be allowed any sta !
ionery at all, he thought this The best course
and moved to amend the resolution as follows:
After the words House Of Representatives.
stiike out the balance OF the reso luton, and in
seTt--
'Shal audit at each session Of Congress, and
pay out Of the contingent funds of each House, !
the accounts for stationery Of the members of each
House actually paid by them; not TO exceed the sum
oil ten dollars Tor each member during one session:
And that the practice of furnishing stationery 10
the MEMBERS from the Secretary's and Clerks Of
fices, be discontinued"
Mr.. Everett said hewas opposed 10 the amend !
ment, for the same reasons tor which he was op-
posed TO the original resolution. He had opposed
1T, III the Committee Of Retrenchment, and must !
vote against il, in the House. He should not on |
into any calculation, 10 the number or kind of
documents which had been folded, in the public
paper. The gentleman from Kentucky, mfr. |
WickifeI had made statement Of abuses-for A. !
buses MIR. +. admitted they were--which had Ia |
ken place, IN this respect, one side Of the Ques-
tion and had been candid enough 10 admit that aim