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RAL'E
. . BE RCE AU.'- -
THE leaeUV ot the debate in Congress an Ike repeal
..k. L.Mu-lirv. arKvented our Kivini ia thrir due
coane. thole en othJt ubjecl we however, eera
. ,k nWinr a 'the resolution of Mr; Guswold
worthy of uuertion t thiV late fttw&ZJL. "e
, Jof the ormeiadromistrttion. were wronj in
. " applying money wiihwt. pifie,pEriont.
. ' what prais. 11 due Mr. Jsfferion fjf, enpeWmj 33
- V; thooiiid daliari on a French ve-sel wthvut any pJ
- -V-
" RefoUed," ,ttul 'the ; fccreury of ftite
ie direaed Jo repoit t hi houfjt whether
fiht Jfum of,ja,839 d- ' ud ff cenu
'expended jo the repairs put upoo the eor;
l ette Berceau before her delivery to the
t Freoch Republic wa expended W fit the
Berceau tor tb;. lertrice iw .tne unitea
State, orioxjlbe purpofe qf deliming her
up in ood; conditioo to the French Re
public : in Conformity to the irpulationa of
the coneotioo of the United Stt aRd
I Fraoce'-an'd that he tranfmit to thk houfe
t copies ol U papers io hi office, which re
i. late to the repairs of the Beicett,t
I , General Smith , who .afied as fecretety of
fthe Nay and ga the orders for repair
single Beiceau, appeared to be alarmed
y the " refolutioh,; and , propofed that it
fj UlOUltt Me oq f ne .i- w
K' ?. Mr' rZ, ',tialA (A thrr wai orit dif.
cultf in 'callinjf up a refIution laid npon
the table, and for that reafon he hoped it
Would be imniedialy vaced upon. He
faid there vwasf nothing in ; the rtfoluiiou
Which required deliberation! it merely
afked for a fad which the houfe ooht tu
know and which the Secretary could ery
readily communicate. He had never fup
pfed that there ,wss aoy fecret. irj the
meis wntcn gentlemen neea to neutaic
aaout ; ir, mat was toe caie . ana tncy
would fay lo. he had no wi!h to draw ft
out : it not, mere couia oe no reaiaa tor
hholding the information from the
hJufe, and time would be faved by acting
ufon it imruediately. ; . '. - v
t-Guehopsd theconUderation of the
rcfoltitioa would be pottponed. He 'da.
led -knowledge of any fceftcy , but
wtftied for ... yrnslto..con'idcr the fubjecV
He believed that ;the . order for repairing
the Berceau was , given by the former ad
minittration, aod that the prefetit fecretaiy
had only completed what the former. One
hadf bcgun",HBeTies, he Cid, the refolution
calledfctheJnativei ofthe-X"ecutiver
which he coofidered as improper.
Mr. BajirJ hoped the refolution would
be afied upon immediately. It was im
materTal to him "What adminiftralion had
given the orders ; but it was important to
know for what purpofe the money had
been expended, whether for the. ufe of the
United Statei, or for the -ufe -of France.
Another srgomeot which (hewed, the im.
portaoce ' of the :informatin Teas" the dif
ference of opinion between himfel add the
gentleman from Virginia lad up. '; He had
good Veafon to believe, end from very re
cent converfat ion with the former fecretary
of the navy,' .that t hat fecretary had eiprefs-'
ly ordered that . no 'exptnfes mould be bt
owed upon the Betceau. It was proper
:n -i i.,-r.
ml ttr the hare an thr
ther his information or. that of .the gentle-
. an from Virginia was correct. He de.
c!ared, that- he could not fee how the in
ormation-NCould be denied 5 all that the
refolution afkfcjd for was a Jimple fad, whe
ther the llsrceau wasripaired si a trench
vcilel or an American veffel ; it was cet
tarnly proper that this fact : Ihould be
known t-Neer before the. preftbt; fefllon
had he knpwn information denied, wlicn
that information was neceflary to enable
members to form correct opinions upon any
fubjecYof national importance; This in
turmatioe could be prociitcd : with little
trouble, could certainly do no injury, and
ought r, therefote to . be . j5ranted,vvthough
thole who are in (iabits. of intimacy with
the affairs of the cabinet, may not: want it
on tlieir own account;, He faid ,the gen .
tlcmln776tnMarylam, Geru : Smith
thiuks wrought not to be continually trou
hlinrr th rv.fi.!.f . T - il
B ' " -r, ... -.m.iv willLyo 1 wc mull VMll
elude then that thefe efficers are no' lonuer
to le conCdered a feivants. I had not
expeded, faid he, fo foon after this houfe
has voted to thofe officers a ery : confider
ablc iftcreife, of falary t0 be told that we
muft not ilk fr iiiformitioa-'!LMpfMtia
us, lor tear ot giving them trouble A
r . . & " . . .
gentleman has faid that we are calling for
the motives of the. executive We fimply
lk, was that (hip repaired for the United
btaus or !MvFrance i . Geo tie men will not
IGHt
P ub lis hed eve ry TUES D A'Y'i t HOD GE M BOYLA N.
Mil us that the' " interefts of the United
Statei arid of France have become fo entire
ly-one that it can be, of po importance to
the legislature to know whether 31,000 doU
Fan taken- out of the treafury' has been "ex
pended for the ufe of the United States' "0
for theytile of Francer" ;V ; "''i,
General Smith, propofed to amend thj;
refolution by linking out fecretary of Rate,
and inferting feoretary bf'the oavyi't Whe
ther the general fuppofed that his brother
the fecretary of the aavy, "would ' make a.
more frank and impartial dlfclofure of this
affair, o which he feeraed fo much inter?
cited, than would be made by the fecretary
ol ftate, he did not directly fiy-J e ' was
howeVer oppofed to the refolution, even if
amended as he propofed,' becaufe it went
to demand the motives of the executive and
to aflt fot'erl at purpofe they had made tVe
repairs.-- .M'--; . r '
Mrr Date -hid tio objeftion to ' the a.
meodment propofed, if it was thought mote
proper to make the inquiry of the fecretary
of the V'He was, ; however, of opinion -
that there would be no impropriety in male
itig 'the application to the fecretary of
Ifate, as that officer had already, of hisfowa
accord, made fe?ral ffatements refpeftVig'
the -JfereMw, aUd ths fun expeiirff iJTiv
pairingher. He declared hi nfclf iin-bfe
to uhdeHlattd the force of the objection'
which gentlemen maTe to the refolution,
on ifie ground 'of its being ao enquiry i 1 V .
to executive motives, ' He bad not.ieari
the intentions of the executive relative to,
'his affair impeached, nor did he feel any
inclination to 'impeac'h . them , but he',
thought" it proper that the houfe mould i
know whether that Vcflel was nitei up at a.
public expenfc for the ute of the United
States or for thit of the French nation.
.Mr. Gdct fa id a geu deal of noife had
been- made about this veffel, and much
clamour had been raifed again (I the Prtfi
dent under au idea of his partiality to
France,. f gentlemen etpefted to increafe
this clamoary the refolution now brought'
forward, they, would be difappotnted. ny
fci6bleMtt-wtwWTirirndedra" rev
fledion to convince him that there can be
no fympathy between the executive of this
country and that of France. He hoped
and believed .thit the prcfident felt no par.
tiality jo the government of any .foreign
nation ; certain be was that he felt no
Xuchpai tiality-for-tbat -of - Francer"No
two governments could be more diametri
cally oppofed to their views and objects
than th governments of thefe two nations.
Mr. Giles faid, that a very few days, would
convince the world that no fympathy ex
itls betwten the executive cf this . country
and that of France. He was oppofed to
the refolution ; he thought it improper
and that the piectdent would be dangerous,
yet to convince gentlemen that he was dif
pofed to fatiafj their zeal he fhould vote for
it, v. "
Mr . Randolph went into a zealous dif
cuffion ot the tcfoliitioni laid before Con
gtefs Tor an enquiry icfpe&ing Jonathan
Robbins, He laid .bat the- information
called for on that, occafion wa denied.
- Mr. Bayard proved ttom the journals
that the gentleman's ftatement was not
correct j that the houfe did allow the call
to he made, the infofinaVion was fufailhed
by the piefident aud acted upon by the
; houfe. . He toped the fame Courfe would
be purfued on the pi-eteni occafion.
A long C'Jtiveifdiion tefpeciing Jonathan
Robbins took 'place, and would probably
have continued much longer had not the
fpeaker called back the' attention of 'the
houfe to the refolution undei confide rau
OH. . " , Z !
. General Smith, whoappeared not at all
to-tijuy the debate;"'mOved to llrike out J
all that part of the refolution which trien ,
tions thc-fum expended, and which makes
the inquiry whether the expenditure was to
fit the Betceau for.the fetvice of the Unit
ed Sjajejorfreliyery 16. France.:
.Mr. Mcholfon faid that it wes thejfirft time
that be.had heard of a propofitioo for cal
ling upon the executive for their motives
tor inquiring wnar was inetr'ODjecx in ao
tog this or that. He faid that the prefent
' fecretary 1 could not . give' the information
demanded by thr reloluttoti, and if he could,
it would be improper to a flc for it. ' ,' -
CtntralSinUhMiMTtf Lia amend mentir
. Eujl'u propofed to amend by" calling
for all the paper relative to the purchafe at
well as. the repairs of the' Berceau. He
faid fame fa&t )Dpt expected would be dif.
clofed. , ' '. ' ; . . ' , '- ' "
": Mr. GrifwoUhti nejbjeciot to the a -4
mendment, and wi willing to carry the '
inquiry to aoy extent thit gentlemen might !
chule.. tie laid he was lurprifed to find
gentlemen (till excufing the denial of jnfor
mat ion which they feemed difpofed t o make,
"under the plea, that the refolution was an
enquiry into motives. He put a cafe Which
.Kefaid wat parallel. Suppofe an applica
tion mould be made to purchafc cannon and
tall for the'nayj, arid another to purchufe
cannon 'and bait ; for the army. No one
rould pretend that military ftore could be
purchafed out of the. navy fund.. Suppofe
then, that the government (hould purchafe
quantity ot cannon apd ball from the fund
fppropriaied to naval purpofes J every one
jvould fay that the 'legiflature wou'd. have a
iigbt to enq ilrc, nay, it would be their du
jy to enquue for what , purpofe t,hife fup
flies wire puich.if.d, and whether the mo
Ky had b ren applied tiirormhly to the
lireAf jii of the i'Taw.7--So tm this ,cafe we
pett'y inquire to what purpofe a certain
(urn of public money has been expended t
fn d when ih.s q i-ition has been ofiicullv
Mfwered we flia.l be able to dscide whether
;eie Was -y appropiiatipn which would
tify iich an expnditarc.
Mr. Bicmt wa eda div fion of the anef.
job, 1 j tu.t a voteuiiiht t.ttl betoken ui
os that part if the icfolution which ho faid
fnquiied iot the motive wf the rvpair, &
.fterWATkts u,on that which called for the
CipK-s ot pipers and document. ; He faid
he (hould be 'oppofed to the iwil and io fa
vor of the Uft. He faid he denvsnd in the
rfToIutiun'- was ju.l as improper as it-would
' be 10 de;nanU of the Prefi Jefit," what was
t -a oVj.;c in recommending a ripeal of '-the.
iiit .'in.l taxes whethei to tcleve the citi
z.is of a b iftheii, or to detlroy the go
vernment. The cafes are exjet'y (Imilar.
Mr. Bacon rept ated this three tmiesi aiid
th en he fat down. , ''
Mr Afjrrit of New York, moved to a
rind the ret'oltuion by li nking out the fe .
crtaryjarid 1 ioferting fo as to rfquellthe
Piefident to diredlt 'the p'opcr of&ver to lay
the information before ihejioufiv.;.-,
VC! Xrrifwotcl egrted to the amendment
to 1 it was of cou'rfe adopud. The quellion
was called for. Some inquired wlut the
ejaeriion was Mr. Grifwold remarked
ihat no alteration had been made in the le-
I fo In lion. '. Z -'.Z r4 . - -
Mr. N'uholfon faid he did not very well
underftand the qu' Ition, and therefore mov
ed to adjourn The adjournment was car
ried, -i-,
Thofe who are not acquainted with the
myderiesof the prefent oid;r of things will
think it very unaccountable .that the minil
teria tills fliould fpend two days in oppoli ig
the admiflion of an article of in for id it ion fo
perfectly reafonable and fo evidently im
portant as that afked for by the rtfoloiion.
The fubjeft 'defeives a little explanation.
It is ftated in the documents laid before
Congrefs. that' the repairs put upon the
Berceau coft nearly 33,000 dollars. It is
well known that when thefe repairs were
ordered the was jntended to be delivered up
to Franc. It is further known that no ap
propriation was made by law for this pur
pofe ; that the .Prefident, in his mefl'age,
has talked about fpecinc appropriations, &
cenfured the expenditure of money without
lucli appropriations." It appears by the do
cuments laid before Congrefs that the mo
nine expended in the repair of this veflll
were taken from the fund appreciated to
the tupport ot our own oavy, and that by
applying them in this manner, they have
been diverted from the objeft of the ap
propriation and applied to defray the ex
penles ot our foreign intercourle. Eveiy
body knows how much clamour has been
ratfed agatnft the former admini.lfations.
flot for taking monies ftom-a fund appropri
aiea w one oojeci ana applying them to a
totally different objcot, as has been done
here, but tneiely lor making particular ap
plications . under general appropriations 1
fuch as applying parts of thefurrds appt 0
priated to naval putpofes to the purchafe of
naval yatos, Rc. Under thefe citcumltanc.
ei, the minifteririliils could not be prevailed
upon to have official documents laid before
the public, which would prove-that 'they
have gone fo much beyond all former exam
ple in the djferetionary application of pub
lic money, at the very time that they were
-crytng-ourgainft allowing any diicretion
whatever. ;. - ,.f -
On l iiefday, April 6th, Mr. Grifwold'i
refolution was again called up, when Mr.
Grifwold rofe and faid, that he thought it
important that the refoluiion 'which he had
M lubmitted to the houfe fliould paf in foue
- -.-
Vol. VII. Ntjub. 32'
Jortt), but he was difpofed, as far as poflt
kjc to. remove every objecltion to the par
ticular phrafeology j and as fome gentlemea
had thought the form; in . which it waa
prefented yetterday, exceptionable, ' be
would, for the purpofe of meeting their
ideas, and of removing the objeftiona which
had been raifed,-withdraw that refolution
and fubrait the following.
" Refolved, that the Prefident be reoiirfl
ed to direct the proper officer la rn,i IA
thit houjn; whether the urn of ti,Z$g do'lart
and 54 cents ivat impended upon the torvette
Berceau after it viae . determined to deliver tie
fame to the Frentb government atrteahl H th
JlipalatioM f.the 'cpnvcntien between the United
States and France and JtoJ.y before this
houfe copies of all papera aid "documenta
relating to that vtfltl." , .
Mr.Giki. moved to fit ike out that part "
j f itie i efolut ion which is printed in ' I talics.
He faid he houfe had 00 right to the infor.
itiation afked for by that part of the refolu
tiont: it rclatedt t o an act purely executive SI
thchuvfef had it) right to interfere, and to
iiiqune ol the., executive.-; whether ar not '
their motives were pure. r.
Mr. BaiM could not vote for the refolu
tion unkf amended, brranf- k- ..-.,t.. u
indicated an , uureafonabic j -alotify cf the
executive. . . j .
Mr. Grifwold hoped the motion lo flrike
out would not prevail. That vefTtl, faid,
he, was purchaled bf the United States, it .
was repaired at great expenfe, after having
been dif mat led, aud was delivered up to the
French The gentleman from Virginia has
very correctly It a ted that this was an exe
cutive act.' Fhe VefTel was repaired and de.,
livered up by the executive alone. .We wifh
to be inloimed by the executive of Certain
fatts relative to this transaction. We do '
pot afk to be tuformcd of-motives. The,
money which was expended upon the vef
fel was publicnione) j it was money appro-f
ptiated to naval purpofes j we now wifh to
knyw vrliether it ha been applied, confor--ni'ably
to the appropriation, 19 defiayirg
the txi.eiius.of our, naval taablilh.neot, or.
without, an spprppriatiori in carrying into ,
cxtcBtion our ueaty . -w'lfh' Fraoc : I have
never known foch Infortnation denied when,
alked tor. The information alktdforby
the -refolution' is fimply wlietherjhis eJtpcnV.
diture of public mouey" was prior or fubfe
quent t t the eetei miua.tioa- of ihe-execur
live to deliver up the veffel. We have a
tight to know in what manner the public
money is expended, - and it is our duty to .
inquire whether it has been applied accord,
ingio jaw, cuppole the Secretary of the
Navy Ihould apply a fum of public money
to the election of a building upon his own
ground ; wi;u!d not ihir houfe have a right
tq inqui.e lor what purpofe' that building
was etecied, whether for marine barracks
or for his own piivaie ufe, and wuld it hot;
be the duty of the executive to give the in
foimatior. rYetJuth an inquiry would be
as much an Inquiry ' into motives as abac
contemplated by the refolution. If Con.
grefs du, its return to this place fhould find a
jnew. building eiefted ar the public cxpeofe.
and attached to the capital, would it-not- '
. be DiopeV to iuq jire of the Piefident why
this had been opne,' for what puipofe it
was dtfigned, and having obtained the in
formation, to judge whether the public
good required iuch an expenditure? -Mr.
Mo, ris of New Yoik. 1 am fur.
prifed that gentlemen perfift in denying thi
information This is indeed a new doc
trine.--' What 1 have not' the reprefentativea
of the people aright to ipqujre into the ex.
pendiiuie of public money ? Are thepurfe
itnugs of the natioiV hereafter to be held
cxdulivcl) by the executive, and may we
not even'ifk what is done with ths money
which' we raife from the people i This is
cattying executive 'infallibility Very far in
deed. Gtnilemen fay that the examinati
on would redcUnd to the honor of the ex
ecutive that hc more the-moiives wltich .
-aduate-theprefchrdmrnTIEB'tT are ;
known the. more they will be applauded.'
Why then refufe them fuch an opportunity
ot acquiring the juft applaufe of the Ame-
vficar peopled - , ' . ,'
Mr-. Davis was impatient to fee the re
folution di lpofed of. He faid , the fetfion
,ws drawing to a clofe ; much buflnefs of
public importance retrained to he done and .
"here were two 'days confumed in arguing
'abeul a refolution, for he had 00 doubt
but tbe difcufiion was to laft through the
day, Yclleiday, tie faid, was fpent in tbe
fame way, jo propofing and dife tiffing" a
mendrueuts, arid juft as the refolution WM
(For a anclvf.on fetlafl fte)
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