MINERVA,, l':.J.Jl
NORTH
CAROLINA
1 i u. hfy
j?XCHf-PuBH6.PBD b very TUESDA Y n HODGE & BOYL Aft.
. .... Z -t Tirr sn
Twentj'fil Shillings fr
from the Palladium.
REMARKS,
On Mr. Watt's Addrefs to the 4
t the Uti ted States. (
NO. VJI. . f
The advances for the feryice of
year 10,ai3u6 43
Of which the accountant "
" has fettled and render;
. ed to the freafury aC-
-count. uMheamt. pf ...fijJJI&'J , 53
W.n,a balance of Dolb. 3877.i92
5
, The public will perceivefrom the
' enfuing ftatementsr made by Mr.
Wolcott, how this fum i fwallen by
the committee, and how many im
- hbrtant faclisLrelar to the real ba
fance, are kept back by them tonne
i purpofe f giving color to the charg
es of misapplication and wafte of pub
lic monies, with which it was the de
fjgn of the report to load the palt ad
miniftration. He fays, , .
" it is to be obferved that the firil
fum includes the amount of all balan
ces, open on the books ot rhe Ac
f count of the War Department, on
i :the fiiit of, January 1 797, comprifing
every unfettled account, from the
eftablifhmertt of this office, being
16,39 i dollars 56 cents.
r 1 he expenditures of the War
Department, -during five years from
1797 to 18. i; incluliv'e, were there-
fore only 9,846,963 dollar? 29
This fuH amount compnfes all the
expenditares of the year 1 797. a
yer, when the army : was on a r ery
reduced eftablilhment, and before
any meafures, attendedwhh expenfes
ha'd been adopted, to repl the hollil
itics of France. It alio comprifes all
the expenditures ot the year 1 80 r ,
although a new army was difbanded
in the fummer of the year 1 800,
and though the 'expenditures', fince
Mareh3 ,-r80' have been madeuru
der the direttjon of the pre'ent ad
minilt ration.
" I he expenditures of the War
Department, on a. reduced peace efta-J
bliihmenr, before the year 1795
may be eftimated at one million two
hundred, thoufand dollars per an
num; this for five years would a
mount to 6,oqo,ooo dollars."
" The extra expenditures of the
War Department in conference of
the preparations againft. France,
therefore, amounted to np more than
3,847,000 delist .."..'..,": 'd .-,..
1 his iaft fum not only comprifes
the pay, lubfiltance and clorhing of
the new army, , but a,Ii( expenJb of
lorrmcanons, magazines, tne rabri
cation of cannon and (ither anns.
and the purchafe'of military flores. j
The value of thefe obje&s may be
eiHmated-.-Bt one half the fum lalt
:nentioned. : -;
" A part of .the military (lores were
.confumed in fervice ; the . refulue,
conlfituting a ..liberal Aipply corriar
ed wit h r the quantity . n hand' in
1 797, with all the other public pro
perty, acquired , by thefe expendi
tures, was delivered over1, to the pre
fent adminiftration."
JLTheiirit experiments forxafting
cannon were but partially fuccejstul,
cwing to the deficiency of fkill in the
country it was even neceffary to hpr-
row rannorvotihe Itate of Neweci
to equip th hrltfrtgates for fea. AH
dim'culties were finally fur mounted ;
and the cannon, afterwards caftin
thef United States,rereTqual to any
which could be imported, and were
attainable in any quaintities . which
were aeureu.
Manufaaories offmall arms were
A T,
Jear.J. v "
eftablifhed, the pfddu&ioni of fome,
of which rivalled thofe of thefirlt,
eftablifhments in Europe. Ihe ac-,
quifition of this Tkill i& folely to be.
attributed to public encouragement,;
and its value is not to be eftimated irit
money ' " ' ;: "'.4 '.
The committee purftie a fimilar
line of conduct in relation to the
expend it uresjfor the- navy depart
ments ; ftarjng them . in general-;
leaving the whole balance in a' fitua-J
tionto make tne molt umavoraDie
impreffion upon the public mind by
its greatriefsy without givjng any in.
timation of thole numerous and im
portant obje&s of public fervice to
which it was applied, or enumerat
ing the public property in the pur-
chafe of which -a great proportton
of it has been expended, and which
lk now ia the hands of the pre'ent
adminiftration, ready to be applied to
any national e xigency. - -
The committee fhte, " the monies
advanced to 'the navy department
from the eftablifhment in 1798,10
the 3 Til of March; i 80 1 " as amount
ing to WVrtn 73cts-
Of which the account
ant has rendered to
the Treafury ac
counts to. the a
mountof Leavinj; " an unac
counted for, or un
fettled balance o! "
-5,810,661 j(8
4,i7,6jr 7
Upon which flatements "Mi Wol
cott remarks :
'The expenditures in the Navy
Department include dhe coll of the
navy itfelf, and its equipment, ex
cept cannon and a part of the milita
ry Itorts : alfo the coft .of the navy
yards, Itores and magazines, which
came into the pofiVfiionqf the prelcnt
admit. iftration. 1 he only exception,
recollected is in relpefl: to three
fii.?e!, which, though nearly fijfh
ed, were not equiped for fea, when
the Navy Department vvas eltablifh
eJ. " It is neceffary that thefe fads
be known, ancj well coniidcred . they
will certainly difpel mauy prejudices;
they demor.ltrate, that a great pro
portion of thefe expenditures which
havexcired fb HuchrHncratettide
ha'ebeep for objefts which the molt
fiiictrepatriots or our county have
deemed proper preparations for the
public, defence, eVen in the periods
of the f-reatelt tranquility.
" The iums which the committee
reprefent as unacounlcd for, or uiifhtled
are,
In the W n anme :t, Dolls. 3.87T.I92 .',0
" Ai'd in I' c-.V.ivy Dej ar mom, ?,l'il),ttjl "i.i
By 'thele expreflions, " ntmcwUvJ
for, or uninjled" repeatedly applied
by the Gbmmittee to thefe balances ;
and which obvioifly were intended,
to lead the mind into a Belief that
they remain yet in a itate of doubt,
Concerning which nQ,pftoS opini-
i on ran
correaly be rormed, Mr.
L Wolcott declares, in that liberal and
candid manner, which characterizes
the whole of his addrefs," that 'the
Committee did hbtmean to fuggeft,
that there exiftea any uncertainty
reflecting the . fjtuatiQns . of the ac
counts, or any doubt, ibhet'heriheivhfe
of thefe funis had been advanced for
the public fervice." He proceeds :
" I'hcre has been a jime, when
doubts were expreffed of the pro
priety ot advancing monies for the public
fervce ; fuch doubts could only have
been fuRgelted by. ignorance, want
of reflection, or a defire. to delude,
the public. It is certain, that if no
payments were to be made awthe
- 'lVeaiurybutof
would be neceflary for the nub he
agents to drav from the community
a capital equal to the public, expen
diture,'and for the I reafutyto hoard
another equivaJenrcapitaUTfcr the
pur pole of being enabled; to .make
payments. The diforders, which
fuch an attempt would o$cafion,
No m b e r 2, 1802,. .
need v; only be imaRined.. ro iuftifv
the? patice, which ha obtained.
.". itvances', of monev beina in-'
difpenfible,' it only remained for the
government to adopt the bell mea
furesVfor fecuring a faithful' and e
conitilcal application of the public
fund' and a .regular fettlement of
accounts: at convenient periods.
'.tiiough the committee) haf e"cri
ticifed particular tranfadtions, yet
thet have, not fuggefted any doubts
of ft'roDriety of the DrinciDles.
by which the. expendhurei have , been
govfi4y.f that t,he oiScejri he
not proceeded with all Dracticar je
celet jry, jnx, adjufting the account
tney )fnerely remark, on the Itate,
merits ' of the accbuntants, that ' al
tho they exhfoit balancesr apparent-.
iy unaccounted for to a Jarge Amount
the";hTtewife fh'evfr that , accounts
h;vit)eeii renderd for a confiderahle
porfitjn yhiqh are in a train of fet
t1einent but not finally clofed."
, "ica fiateot th:nSs as h c?e.
fcrihfld, tfiuil forever .e&Wito a piifev
lie office,-for-the fettlement of ac-'
courrls : there, will be accounts on
hand; which have hot been examin
e Mothers, which' have been exa
mined, rut not ftated; according to
theforms requJite for entry ; others
which have been, ftateii but not en
tered in the public books : even af
ter all thefe fonrtalities are cbmDle-
ted-it remains for the accountants
to prepare ftatemenf o? the accounts
whrch hive, been adjufrecl in their
officrgj and to tranfmli theni,' with
the, oj tjixial accounts, to the Treafu
ry, tor Tevilton. he balances, re
potted by the committee, con.prife
all -accounts, which had not been
rendered to the Treafury ; they muft
ot cpurfe.compnfe an amount of ac-
coUnts,v" which had been fettled iri
tneofHcesot tne accdum ants, when
tfie'Teport was made. This amount
cannot be conjectured, as the petiods
to whirh the accounts have made
their returns to the 1 reajiiry, are not
ftated in the report.
The miiconceptions of the public,
from well known caufes, in the fum
mer of the year i8oo, in rcfpecl to
the ftate of the public accounts, led
t a critical examination pt this Jub
jed; before I retired fro'm office.
. The information then obtained
and, the refultf ot inquiries at the feat
of government, during the laft wiri
ter, enabled me to make the follow
ing declarations. '
''That there exifts no delinquency
in the ollices-of the P.n-Malltr General
or tha former or prefent Purve orcf
the public Supplies, or the former or prer
tent Quarter Mailer (General.
. That the public will luftairi no lofs
in confequerice of the contiatls for
clothing : this I infer, from a ft ate-J'
mait, in my poiieiuon, vunu CAtir
bits only one balarice due to the pub
lic, of lefs than two thou'and dollar.
and which is well fecured by -bond
The contractor difc barged his du
ty faithfully, but was rendered in.ol
vant by an unexpected rile of the
prices, of cloth. It it is judged e
quitablc,1 the, debt can be" recovered
yf his furety. -;-'. "
" All the principal contrafls for fup'
plying the army with provifions, to
the latter part of the year 1 800, have
been finallv fettled : molt of the tub- i
erdinate contracts for fupplies at j
rccruiring pofts", have alfo been fet-
tied. . ' .-
" From its fifft eflablifhment, uh- j
1 the fummef of i 70S, it was the ;
duty of the -Treafury Deparfmcnt. to
for aft kinds of ftores and fupp'es,
tor the array and navy. As many
tranfations were commenced, but
not finifhed, when; the ad: of 1798
was palled, my agency in procuring"
ftofes and fupplies neceuarily con
tinued for a confiderable time long
er, and did not entirely terminate
,Vol. VH.vjNuR,B343
till I refigned my office. I am well
Informed of the characler of the
different htfaaor,the ftate oF
their accounts, and the relponfibi
lity of their fureties, and perceive
hp reafon to believe tht the public will
I u flail any loft bj anj contract I which
farnted while SrCrttnry f the Treafury.
u In refpeft, therefore'; to all the
principal offices of txpenditwt' and ali 'con
tratls ot tnutb impvrianet) it appears tp
me fafe to affirm,' that there has
oeen
Ue
amiuit men a variety ot concerns
as are etnbraced by this' ffatemenr
fome,' which ought to 1 6rih except
tlonilia heen..JbverJQokeL if
tuch is the 1 acl, 1 , defif e that the er
ror may be ccmiled . by the prefeftt
adminiftration, -Ihcre f no tranr.
aciion, which I am not willing fhould
be corredly and fillly uriJerftbpd hf "
the p'Jbfte; '"; " v; , ' ;'- - -.. '- .
It is true,' that tere tiki p"
'vr, of. accounts ;opeh in -the pub
lid bocks : birt this is a fiecefl" ry con
fequence of numerpQi elfablifhments;
over an ex'enfive couniry. . lhe ag-
gregafe amount of Unlettled accounts
is alio confidcrable : but this amount
muft always be .proportioned to the
Revenue and. Expenditure. Partly
cular trahfations . may have ifTue'd
un fortunately,' arid contrary to ori
ginal expVftations f jet thefj he
banned with a Critical eye, let them
be tvtlly undetftooJ; and rhey wiit
fiee I no ' polfgy
"In refp'c-a to, the NavyDepift
menf, a fingle obferyarion will fuf
fice. 1 he expenditures have been
principally made by the Purveyor of
puDJic supplies, and by agents, irl
i Portlniou'lh, Bofton. Nfwnirr. Ph
laaeipnia, i5aitinjore,..and JNorfolk.
I believtf .that ho meinber-ot-the pre
fent adminiftration friij; af this time,
impute any delinquency to either of
the agents' at thefe places. Indeed,
as no individual is mentioned by the
committee; it is right to prefume,
that.no fufpicion were entertained.
To fofter a fulpicion againft an indi
vidual, merely becaufe he has an ac- .
count opennvith ' the public, is to
reaiori peryerfely, as the circum
ftance, diltinctly confidered, prove
nothing more, than that he has been
deemed worthy of confidence.
1 he Cammitee fay. that the lare '
hour, at which the Voluminous docu
ments
arramranv no rme i-ivi-..
. - . i .
wete received by the. Committee;
(upon the 9th of April! and the la
bor neceffary to inveftigate fuch a -mafs
of accounts, and of advances
unaccounted; tor, particularly in the
War and Navy Departments, em-
i ' j m ' . J iv-fuji
bracing an expenditure of twenty
muttons 0, aaws, nave reHaerea it im
foil iDre ror tne ommitiee, conhlt
ehtly wi'h the r attention to 6th?r
duties, to form an opinion, asto the
manner; in which this fum has been
expended." "
-r--Thefe obfervations lead loan en
quiry, what kind vof invefli gations
vas propofed ? -Whether the ftate
ments of the offices ought to be re
garded as evidence of tafts ? Or
whether it w as the duty oi the. Com
mittee to examine all, of any, of the
oriiririal accounts and vouchers ?
"1 hcltatemehts, to whichaheieT
pbrt refers, are not annexed to the
printed report, which was laid b&.
fore the Houfe of Rerefentanves.
There h certainnTd'angertbat.'anjuft
prejudices may be excited againft
individuals, efpecially if the praftice
of printing extracts from t liele ftate
ments'.fs continued. Not having
feen the ftatements, I can orily con
clqde,' that they are fuch, as have
been prepared on former occafionSL;
that they exhibit, the amount of ac
counts fettled under the proper heads
of expenditure, and the names of 'all
no dthneiuenni. and that the niiK.
licbufiriefs has been executed,
uci" ' Incctfs 0 Jjds ' ever.-. Mter.dd
tranfoftiont. It is Imboffilile: fhaf
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