Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-03-15

merits OF the gallant Commodore Decatur, IN
der whose command; he stated, ne had had
the honor OF serving; but he, nevertheless felt
il incumbent upon him 10 oppose the proposed
measure, as inconsistent in its nature and per.
%nicious in its tendency; for, if The validity Of
such a claim were admitted, in contravenlion
of the provisions Of The Prize laws, which re
quired a regular adjudication by a constituted
tribunal, and a subsequent condemnation, in the
case Of captured vessels, the country would be
inundated bv claims to the amount OF millions,
for vessels taken and flerwards-recaptUred by
the enemy. He reviewed The circumstance
connected with the TX plot Of the capture and
destruction Of The Philadelphia; and eonlended
that Commodore Decatur had already been
muni6cently rewarded, by the honors awarded
him bv his country, and by the immortal glory
associated with his name. The memory Of that
gallant man, he observed, was iGsulled by the
bringing forward Of q claim, which, il admitted
would be considered as degrading his memory,
by assimila,ing his character TO that OF a mer-
cenary, He concluded, by repeating The ex-
preston of his decided disapprobation Of the
principles Of the bill; and BY expressing, also,
his fervent hope that the measure would like
wise meet with no sanction from the House.
Mr.. EVANS, Of Maine followed, also in opDo.
si,iop to the bill. He objected to the princi'
pie which such a %gratuily would establish as a
matter of precedeh;.. Ii would tend to ami
mate the gallan, men who served in the Navy
vi their country, TO perform their duty, not
from a sense Of and duty, but from an ex
pec,alion Of receiving a pecuniary reward from
Congress. Mr.. Everett, Of Massachusetts, re-
plied; and stated that he should vore for the bill
He commended that The bill came within the
provisions Of the prize act; and in answer 'olhe
objections which had been raised 10y diff rent
gentlemen, as to the delay in urging the claim
in question for a quarter Of century, that the
resources and means of,he Government were
at the time Of The achievement OF The exploit,
narrow and c~orfoed, in comparison with what
they now are. He mainlaincd, also, that al
though The desire Of glory, aud the hope OF pro-
motion formed powerful incentives to The aohieV'
menl of gallant actions, yel II had never been
conside, ed in any period in modern times, 'ha'
these inducements excluded he indictment OF a
tecuniarv recompense for an rterpIize slgnalIy
hazardous, grea, and glorious. Alter some
further remarks, he observed, that The contest
in which Commodore Decatur aud his brave
and ga'lan, followers were engaged was not one
in which had their altemp, been unsuccessful
and themselves made prisoners, they would
have been treated according to the usages o.
civilized warfare. Decatur, as the leader Of
an expedition so peculiarly calculated to ex'
cite The vindictive feelings ofthe Turks, would
have been impaled alive, and hung up between
heaven and earth, to expire in agony; whilst
his followers would have been cast into dun
gcons, and doomed to slavery in its most hor'
rid form. Mr.. CHIFFON called for the prevl'
Gus question, which was ordered by a vote oil
ITO. Mr.. CAMBERL1NG moved reconsider
att ON of the vote, in order to fill up a blank III
the bill, which was negatived. MIR. TUCK
Err. of South Carolina, at the request OF Mr.
McDUFF1E, Withdrew his former motion te
strike out the enactirg clause. but slSnllee
his intention to renew it when the amendments
had been proposed. Mr.. McDuffie moved te
fill the blank with Sl0O, 900, and MIR. SMYTH
10 insert in lieu thereof the sum OF $50 ,OOO.
The motion-t to fill the blank with 500, OoC
was, upon a division negatived by a vote OF 81
to "a. The question then required upon the
nroposition to fill the blank with $50, 600 apd
# was similarly decided, upon a division
Nr. McDufie then moved to fill the blank
with $500 Mr.. CRAIG, of Virginia,
read an extract, showing that, according tt
tSeN
the regulations specifying the amount o.
bounty allowed by the Government in such ca
ses, the captors would be entitled at the rate
of $50 each, to no more than 1900 dol
lars assuming, as was within the compute
tons made, that there were not more than
one hundred men on board. Mr.. Chiffon:
with aviewto terminate the discussion, moved
:, Law the bill and amendments upon the table
and upon this question asked Tor the yeas anG
nays. They were ordered and taken; and
the proposition was carried by a vote OF 81
to Is. The bill was, therefore, laid upon
the table. The Speaker presented a ccmmu'
%nication from the Postmaster General, or
the subject of the contracts made by that De.
partment, which was ordered to be laid on
the table and printed. The House then, OF
motion of Mr.. Irwin, Of Ohio, adjourned
Telegraph Of Satu"day'
- CryvD tNrE.IAfS