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fiiouH be autho ndly’,-.that an en made to co -10-thftswar „ ,s rule does not v adhered to in . ons above as » been unable )cen departed •nt inliances emfclvcs, are 25th' day of , an authori nt of the U juilt fix {hips h, and to carry h,. and to build ar to be armed part of the ne hefe objefts, a ion of dollars 1a me law. And the fame day, it •cks should be e under the direc ie United State', airing the public ,000 dollars was pose, and by ano »aine day, the sum ,-as appropriated to rchafe of growing or . lands on which tim etable for the navy, and r me.afures to be taken ; preserved lor the future . Under this authority, secretary of the navy ex —i of 135,846 dollars and wo cents, in the purchase of fix yards at Portfinourh, Charleston, (Mas.) New. York, Philadelphia, Gof port, (Virg.) and the city of Wafliing ton. For this expenditure the commit tee conceive that no authority was given by law, nor any appropriation made ex cept for the two docks abovementioned, as the sum of one million of dollars was appropriated by the ass of 1799* for building or nurchalmg the fiiips only, andthefumof zco,coodollars for the pur chase of the timber. As public fiiips of war bad been, before, built under a similar authority for the ufc of the United States, at private yards, and as congress did, at the fame time ’ that they authorifed the building or purchasing the fiiips t provide for the cre&ion of two docks only, the committee are of opinio 1 that four ot the navy yards were purchufed without au thority, and the money milapplied which was paid for them. In the war department there likewise appears to have been a trajifafHon equally unauthorifed, In the year a pile of lniildings was commenced under the di reftions of then secretary of war, on the banks of Sk'*ylkill near the city of Phi ladelphia, which have, since, been car ried on in a manner highly expendve. These buildings have been called a Labo ratory, and although yet in an unfinifiicd Hate, have already cofi the United States 152,608 dollars and five cents, which sum has been paid out of the appropriations fieretofor made for the quartcr-mafter’s departm. .. The committee are ot opi nion tkat this expenditure ot money could pot be jultified at any time, but more particularly at a moment when the Unit ed States were borrowing money at a.high rate of interest to meet objeds which the legifuture conlidered as necessary, anti had fandioned by law. The committee beg leave likewise to refer to an important principle formerly fettled by the executive, and adually pradifed upon in the war department, in relation to the expenditure of public mo ney, which they deem improper in a go vernment like ours, where taxes cannot be imposed but by public consent, and where monies, arising from those taxes, cannot be diiburfed but upon the autho rity of a law previously jut Ted by the rerntfentatives of the nation. By an ad paired on the ninth of February, in the year 1793, the Prefidcnt is direded to c a life the monies drawn from the treafii ry, for the parpofe of intercourse with foreign nations, to be fettled, by caufmg the fame to be accounted for fpecifically in all cases wherein the expenditure there of may, in bis judgment, be made pub lic ; an.l by making a certificate or certi ficates, or causing the secretary ot (late to m ike a certificate or certificates of the a mount of such expenditure, as he may think it advisable not to fpecify ; and such certificates are to be taken as fuln cient vouchers for the fa ms expreiTed to have been expended. The policy of this law the c > n nit tec do nor intend to quell i on, bat i: is dear that it extends only to ■'aV* of co npenfation tor what nr; ufaullv r -rnreJ '• r : i:e 1" that may kc rendered to the United States in their in tercourse with foreign nations. The lec tion above recited has been ingrafted into . two lawspafled in the refpedive years of * 1798 and T 800, but in every law on the . fubjeiS, it'has been* expressly confined to foreign intercourse, and ia the ad of 1 800 is farther limited to the contingent expences only of foreign intercourse. It has not, been w'ithout consi derable furprize that the committee have fecn the fame principle applied to the ex penditures of the war department. In the initrudions given by the fecre t.'iry of war to the accountant of the war department, in his letter of the 28th oi Dec. 1797, herewith reported and mark ed L, _a rule is positively laid down, that expenditures for secret services rendered in relation to the duties of the war depart ment, are to be admitted. And on the 2oih day of December, in the year 1799, the secretary of the treasury made a re port on this fubjed to the President of the United States, (subjoined and marked M) in which the principle is again recogniz ed as applicable to the departments of date, war and navy. On the subsequent day the President accordingly signed two certificates as vouchers for monies said to have been expended in relation to the du ties of the war department, which certi ficates are annexed to this report, and are marked N and O. The committee en tertain no doubt as to the illegality of this meafurc, as it is authorifed by no law wliatfoever, and they had flattered thcin felves that the federal government requir ed no services of any nature which ought to be concealed from the officer:, of the treasury, or from the legislature. They consider these fads as coming properly under the head of expenditures, not au thorifed by law. Two other cases of exceptionable ex penditure in the war department have been faflicicntly examined to warrant a re port upon them. ■ The firfl: relates to an appointment conferred by the late Presi dent on Uriah Tracy, E r q. in the sum mer of the year 1800, while he was a member of the senate of ihe United States: —The second relates to a payment made, from the contingent fund of the war de partment to Mrs. Ariana French, of Georgetown, in the month of July, 1800; neither of these are very extensive in a rhount, but both deemed important for the precedents they may hereafter fur nifli. It appears from a document herewith exhibited, and marked P, that Mr. Tia cy was appointed to “ visit and examine into the adual ftatc of the garrisons, In dian trading houses, factories, &c. in the North We'tern Territory, on the Mifiif fippi, and on the frontiers of Tenneflee and Georgia,” and that Mr. Tracy re ceived for this service the sum of one thou fiand nine hundred and eighty.five dollars and five cents ; seven hundred and fifty three dollars and five cents, being for travelling and other incidental expences, and twelve hundred and thirty-two dol lars for his compensation, from the fix tcenth of June to the sixteenth of Novem ber, in the year one rhoufand eight hun dred, at eight dollars per day. From the account exhibited by Mr. Tracy for his expences, it will be fecn that during these five months he visited Pitrfburgh, Preface Ifie, Niagara, Detroit and Michillima chenack, but did not fulfil the other cb jeds of his million. The committee cannot forbear to re mark, that MSt. Tracy’s acceptance of this appointment bus the appearance at lead of inconsistency with that part of the constitution which provides that “ no person holding an office under the United States, lhall be a member of either house of congress.” Mr. Tracy was at the time of receiving the appointment, dur ing the whole of its continuance, and has ever since been a member cf the se nate of the United States; and from an infpedion of the pay roll of the senate, the committee find that for the last seven teen days of the five months of his ser vice,, under the above appointment, he not only had h : s expences borne by the public to a con!i Itrable amount, and re i ceived likewise eight dollars per dav, but that he at the fame time received, as a member of the fem'e, fix dollars per day for travelling from Litchfield in Connec ticut to the feat of government; a di fl.incc of three hundred and forty-four miles—twenty miles being allowed for travelling one dav. James M*Henry, Esq. former secretary I of war, resigned tint office, it is believ ed,, in the month of May, i and the , document marked R, hereto annexed, ( Ihcws that in the month of AprX preced ing, Mrs. Ariana French leafedy house j to him for one year, to commence 1 fsotn * * 1 I the firft of June following ; that an award was made between the parties, by which it was declared, that Mr. M‘Hen ry ihould pay to Mrs. French two hun dred and eight dollars and ninety-five pents,- for damages sustained by her, by reason of his not occupying her house a greeably to the contract, and that in con formity to the opinions of the secretary of the treasury and the secretary of the . navy, and by the di red ion of the secre tary of war, this sum was paid to Mrs. French out of the fund for defraying the contingent exper.ces of the war depart ment. Upon the whole, the committee are of opinion that considerable iums of the pub lic money have been greatly misapplied, and that much expence has been incurred without any legal authority ■, but for the reasons before assigned, it has been impoffiblc for them to make a complete investigation. Nor do they believe that an investigation entirely fatisfadory can he made, unless the house fnouid think proper to appoint a committee for this purpose to fit during the recess, with di redions to make a report to the next ses sion of congress.. The committee deem it their duty to observe, that appropriations for the con tingencies of the war and navy depart ments are, at all times, liable to abuses, not only from the very large furas usually appropriated therefor, but also, from the impracticability of fpecifying by law, the precise objects to which fiuch fuins are applicable ; and the committee are of opi nion, that giving publicity to the ac counts of the expenditures of monies ap propriated for contingencies, would have the mod direfb tendency, to correct the latitude of conltrudion formerly exercised in that refped, by the heads of those de partments, to promote economy in, and attach a proper degree of confidence to the future proceedings in those depart ments. And the committee can difeern no possible inconvenience in a disclosure of that nature, finee they believe, that there is no necessity nor propriety for applying the principle of secret feivice money to either of those departments ; and at lead it ought to he so conftdered, until it should be otherwise determined by law. The committee are, therefore, of opi nion, that a clause to this effect, ought tobe infer ted in the bill already reported by them relpeding the accountability of public officers. For other arrangements which appear to be ueccflary “ to prom * : economy, enforce adherence to legislative re ft rid i ons and secure the accountability of per sons en-truiled with public money/’ they refer to the bill reported by them during the prefe.nt session, to provide for the due application of public money and to secure the accountability of persons entruded therewith, and aifo to the communicati ons of the secretary of the treasury, made to them on the 2d day of March bib. All which is refpcctfally submitted. WASHINGTON CITY, A Tny 5. The importance of the report of the committee of investigation, was mod for cibly iiludrated by the motion made by Mr. Griswold on Saturday in the house of representatives to recommit it ; by the arguments he urged in favor cf comnit ment; and by the masterly and conciu five manner in which Mr. Nieholfon re pelled them. Without attempting to in validate the truth of a {ingle fen;cnee of the report, Mr. Griswold advocated its recommitment on the ground that it might produce a great impression on the public mind,, and might fully the fair fame of the former adminidration. Mr. Nieholfon replied didindily to e very argument, exhibited their irrelevan cy, and demanded with appropriate spi rit, whether there was an atom, of it that was not true. In making the report, he declared, that the committee had no in tention to wound the feelings cf those who lately admir.idercd the government, or any other individuals ; they were di refbed solely by the dictates of the duty assigned them by the house, which com pelled them 10 (late facts,. and the deduc tions naturally arising thereon. The quedion was taken by yeas and nays, on Mr. Griswold's motion to re commit, and io.b.—Yeas 22. —Nays 4S. M:\y to. On the bd page of our paper the reader will find the articles of agr -emenc enter*, d into bet ween the United States and the date of Georgia. This amicable an:l ho norable termination of differences w>!l he grateful to every lincere ftivnd to the u nion, as the adjodment is mT-ou terms of reciprocity and j-id ice. It uelerves to be enumerated among the ituporem'. m« a fures of the prefenr adminubration ; <uid is a {hiking proof, of the prompt r.rd cfTcc. tual steps. taken by them ip. whatever re. gards 'he harmony and well-being of ih e union. On the lafl day of the feflion Mr. Grifwo’id attempted to fupercede the <.tfi cacy of this convention. The effort w * m mfully opposed by Mr. Mdleeg?, who in a style energetic and in-eiiigvn: convinced the house of the impropriet - .* of tHe motion made by Mr. Grifwoid which tended by means hasty and incur fiderate to fruftra'te the labours of fivcnrl years of negotiation. ■ ■ II —I ■ 1 »!■■ —«l II I I- ■■ l__ _ Gregory & Bounticou IVatch-MaktrSy GoiJ-Smtibs and Je-v:. t lit' 1 S y Respectfully inform the La. dies and Gentlemen of Auguffo, and its vicinity, that they have opened their foop next door to H. Lord& Co. where they intend carrying on their Bu ftnefs in ali its Branches. JEWELRY, GOLD and SILVER work of every de feription, GILDING, EM GRAY. ING and HAIR-WORK, executed in the neatest manner; Clocks, Repeating, Horizontal, and Plain Watches, repair ed on the fiiorted notice. Orders from the Country will be duly attended to. *.[.* Cash paid for old Gold and SiU ve r. May 2S'- t_ DiJfjlutioii of Partner.'Lip. THE CopartnerQiip of Thevenet & Co. being by mutual confer t, this day difiMved. Notice is hereby given to all persons who have any cliims on that firm, to bring them forward for fettletr,ent on or before the fird June next, as nt> account again!! find firm can be liquidated after thst oeriol. S. THEVENET, C. MUNNS. May. NOTICE. ALL those indebted to the eftare of Isaac Vndcrwood dteeafed, sre requeued to and make pay ment within the tirtc^preferibed by !:wv and those who baveifny demands ag-ieft the said cflate are4t(\efted t<> co ne tor ward with thsir/iceporro well authenti cated, and thr fame c!fr barged* Wm. UNDERWOOD, Adm’r. ( Columbia May zo. Five Dollars Reward. RUN AWAY from the fubfc.ibcr, on Thursday the 2C'b a negro woman named MiR ABELLEin French, but in Knglifh FANNY, about thirty years of age, (hort and thin, well known in Anamfta and its vicinirv, branded on the bread: verder St. marc. It is very probable (he will make for Mr. John Fox’s or Mr. Miiledge’s plantati on, cr to Mr. Ananias Cooper’s mills, bavin* a he (bind at each of the above O . , p-2 cCo • As lam told fume petfon wiln-l ed to purchase her, any person may hava her for five hundred dollars. M. VERDERY. May 28. Jijl Received , a?:d for Fat?, 1 10 HhJs. 4thproof Jamaica! RUM, 1 10 Ditto Vcft-India and. Northern, I 6 ernrrer c dks of old Sherry Wine, ■ 1.0 Ditto Moiafics, I bell Brown Sugar by the hhd. I Greene Coffee by the bbl. ■ Kyfo’i Tea, bdh quality, fl Superfine gilt edged Letter Paper, I Di<to common ditto, ■ La.iNariltcens hiteu impnrtr.ticn, H A wiii ailcr,i\l bt).\ ii*. . Lmen, I V/cUtcr’s and V/oodbridge’s Cooks,, I 600 bulbuls Alum Salt, ■ ILd green fiilc Umbrellas, With 4 without canes, H Ginghams ditto, ■ Cambric a: d lappet M» fim?, 5 Dimities of the be ft kind, ■ | Gentle mens, ladiiS, bo; sand miiTiS Csß ton Hose,- fl Ditto, ditto Hats, 9 i Grey Linens, Calicoes an i C’d::':*?* ■ All of which will be fold low ior £• ‘.fl j or produce. fl ALSO o*4 CUKSTCXMEST, I : i Cmtes well aliened Crockery, sr.a I z hoses Gi tfs Ware. Whi h will be find low fnrCettw, r l a liber i! price allowed lor that e"i- 1 - I cv.lt.ii ge. .... I SAMor.h ft.. I tj i .»•**-» ■* I • 4 I - % ■