Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-01-06
CONGRESS-.

Is THE HovsE OF REPRESENTATIVES,. on Mon-
day The House, on motion OF Mr.. WIcKLIFrE,
wen, into a Committee Of the Whole, Mr.
dwight 10 the Chair. The bill regulating the
allowance for forage TO officers of the Army,
was then taken up, and a proviso offered ny
Mr.. Wickliff.. following forage in kind 10 9TH
GERS u the .aff, under ain circumstances }
Mr.. WIoKLIFFE observed that, by the present
| law, an allowance for forage is made tn Ma
: jar Gen. raj for horses, at So per mon h, or
S56 dollars per month; to Brigadier Gene
raj, tor S horses, or $40 per month; and 10
other ofiicers in proportion. That This allow
anee was no positive, but contingent, upon'the
fact of such horses having been actually KEEP,
which fact was To be certified ny III" offi r.
! The annual appro priatnn, for his bran'h ot
the pay, was generally about The Sum OF S44,
$40. The bill proposed dnother airtng' q" a.
of this matter, which, ahiIr II operated as a
material saving 10 the COVER meat, would be "t
| equal advantage 20 the rfh er. The amoan'
appropriated for forage. will. 'vthe bill, be less
by S2o, 900, Than me former appropriations (;
and he bought himself aurhoris' d to say, from
| the highest authority, was Sd isfac'oiy 20 fne
| army. By the amendment which ne offered.
provision was made Cor cases in wnioh II NIGH
be necessary for the good of he service, ma
| forage should be paid in kind Mr. WIckltft
! ins,anced the Case OF service or ibe tton'Icrs
| He would not urge his matter, being admnn-
ished by The recollection of what fell The other
day from his colleague Mr.. Lr'cher how irn-
| portant il was 10 retreHch the expenditure OF
| time in thai House.
With reference 10 The manner in which he
| had been trea!ed by his colleague on tha, &C :
casion, ne took he opportunity Of making some
observations, which the lateness OF the hour
on The preceding occasion had prevcn'ed He
certainly did not envy his colleague The feel
| ings under toe Influence Of which he was VIII
ing, at the sacrifice Of friendship, TO di,er the
House, by injuring ,Ae ferlings Of one who had
heret ofore felt and expressed towards him The
kindesl and most respectful sentimrns. M.
Wickliffr had not been conscious, on the occa-
sion spoken Of, OF having occupied more OF he
time OF the House than was necessary to ex
| plain and enforce The bill which he had report
ed. His colleague, however, had .hough' diff
| ferently, and had amused The flous. cons'ders-
bly, at his Mr.. Wickiifft's expense. Il might
| have bren q triumph To him a. the time, to
raise the laugh against hi, colleague, but Mr..
W. doubted whether his Of er RI Elections would
su stain that feeling. Ano her reflection occur
| red to MIN upon the practice OF his colleague,
on this matter OF re renchiag lime. On his
last appearance upon the boards before this dis
cussion, he Mr. Lelcherl had made speech
which filled five columns OF the lnieliig' ncer,
conjemning long speeches IN this Honse. He
did not envy his colleague the character OF be.
| ing the wit Of the House. II was his pride 10
be useful to his country aud those who sent
| him there. II WAS not by wi, or drolIery, that
! he business Of the nation was to be done. Wit
might indeed be occasionally useful, he did not
deny bu, when employed a, the expense OF
private friendship, and without useful result,
| he thought it misplaced and unknd
In respect TO the COMMITTEE who had report
! ed this BILL attempts had been made, both in
| the House and on, Of il, 10 throw ridicule upon
their labors. This had been done al It's first ap-
| pontmtn,, and was still continued among ma
| ny He would take all occasions TO Vindicale
| hem from such attacks, even though under the
penalty Of being charged by his colleague with
too much talking, especially when those who
profess their friendship for retrenchmen' are
| found voting IN dreci contradiction 10 their
professions. Here was bill for retTenching
an expense-he hoped members would assist
in its passage, and not practice their wit.
Mr.. LeTcHER rose in reply. He regretted
thot his colleague had misunderstood bis in
| ,en,ion in the remarks he made the other day,
| and had turned from grave argument TO IT pei
with so much feeling his spor,iye remarks -
He took the opportunity TO repeat, what he had
said on ,haj occasion, thai he had not and ne
yer had any hostility, personal or political, to-
wards his colleague n" t~,lieved the House
had so unders'ot him in his remarks He re-
pea,rd hat he was sorry haf his colleague had
no, also so under stood il, that he nigh; have
revived the ma ter on this day.
Mr.. LETcHER said, tina, the immediate feel
ing Under which he rose on the occasion COM
planned Of, was certainly one Of excitement.
He thought that his colleague had made some
unnec e,sary illusions TO the las' administration
and mad made some severe aud uncalled for al
lu sions TO travelling cabinets" "constructive
journeys" and The like. He had hoped that
after til. war was over and the victory won,
after so comp'eie triumph, these matters
would have been permitted 10 rest He though
that so much was to be expected from the gen
crosby and magnanimity Of the members OF
tina, House.. Under such feelings he had heard
the remark OF his colleague upon the ac,s i'm.
pu,eG 20 he last sdmnisra ion, and had made
his remarks not intending them TO have per