Newspaper Page Text
SATURDAY, August 15, 17^9.]
—a
THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
A N* D
, . t « •
GAZE TT E of the STATE.
FREEDOM of tue PRESS, and T IA L by JURY, to remain inviolate forever. Ctr.fiuutien ts Gtorgi a.
AUGUSTA: Printed by JOHN E. SMI TH, Pointer to the State* Ejfays, Articles of
Intelligence, Adveriifements , 13 c. will be gratefully received, and every kind of Printing performed.
PROCEEDINGS of CONGRESS.
la the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES of
the UNITED STATES.
(Continued from our last;)
Wed riff day, May 20.
MR. Goodhue gave notice that on Friday
next he would move for the Houfeto
gj into a committee to determine the allow
ance to be made to the Frefideut, Vice-Pre
sident, Senators and Repiefentaiives.
The Houle then resolved themselves into a
committee of the whole on th'e arrangement
of ’he great department! of the Executive.
JMr. Trumbull in the Chair.
The question on the fubjeftol the Treafurv
department, whether there lhould be one or
several officers at the head of it, occasioned
a very long and interesting debate.
Mr. Gerry opened .he debate by a descrip
tion of the difficulties that would attend Such
a department under the admmittration of an
individual. He took up and examined the
detail of the powers and duties proposed by
the mover of the resolution to be ar)rexed
to the office ~of Secretary* for the Trcafury
department, and thought they were 100 nu
merous and complicated to be difeharged and
executed by a.y one man whom the United
Staes afforded.
. . He then went rato a train of observations
to lhew the danger of corruption in an office
filled by a lingle man polfetfed of such great
controling and und uncontrolable powers;
whereas a number of commissioners, polTelf
ing equal authority, would be a mutual check
to each other, and corruption thereby would
be rendered more difficult.
He objected further, that the Constitution
had provided in the Senate a council to advise
the Prelider.t in the execution of government,
but that the creation of a financier, with all
the splendor and powers of office would be
the eilabliffiment of a minifhy, which would
be a dangerous iijftrument in the hands of the
Executive.
He then moved for an amendment to the
resolution, by striking out that part relative
to a Secretary for the Treasury department,
and substituting a clause for the appointment
of a Board of Commiffibnera. Mr. Gerry
was followed and opposed by
Mr. Wadsworth , who confined bimfelf to
the proving the fnperiority which single men
of abilities poflclTed over boards in the trans
action of public business; he reprobated, in
the strongest terms, the condud of boards of
eommiffionert in general, and efpccially the
late board of Treafury,*not because they were
deficient in integrity and talents, but because
there was a radical vice in the very nature
and principles of those institutions that was
productive of perpetual obftruflions in the
tranfadion of affairs, o* want of harmony,
and that decifio* -<nd dispatch which were
the foul and fpiritof public business.
He drew a comparison between the condud
of the late financier and the board of trea
sury ; and said that the parallel was entirely
to th« advantage of the former in every point
cf view. Under theadromirtration ul ika:
man, public business hid been conduced with
a simplicity, accuricy and dispatch, which
lived our tiuanre* from dcffrudiou. Im
inei.le livings had been made in all the «)••
partmemi uviliud wiilitaUi OV{l ! f
GEORGIA.
had any control, and which before hid been
in such a state of distraction. Under the ad
ministration of the late commissioners, the fi
' nances had been in a state of darkness and
coufyfionr. Uncertainty, indecision and weak
ness appeared iu all their tranfadions. He
fpokc from experience. Tlie difficulties and
delays he had met with in doing buliueis with
boards, convinced him that there was foine
great defect iu their formation which was in
curable.
Mr, Bknjin supported the fame fide of the
question. He oblerved, that all the arguments
rel'peding the danger of corruption, 6cc.
would extend to the heads of all departments
as well as the Treasury, It would extend to
the President himfelf/
The debate was continnril by Ml. Bald
win, Mr. Madif n and Mr. Boudiuo , the
latter of whom spoke largely, lheie op
posed the amendment, and Mr. Bland im
ported it.
The question was put upon the amend
ment, which wa3 negatived without a dil
feming vote
Mr bland then moved that a clause fliould
be added, instituting a Board of Fie-Jury,
under the foperintendancs of the Financier.
He had before, in the eourfe of the deoate,
observed, that he was toe opposed to the cre
ating a Miniller of the finances, who rhould
have a general fuperintendance over the fi
nance eltablilhment, and be veiled with the
power of deviling, forming and recommend
ing systems for the improvement of the re
venue, but he wilhed he might not poftcls im
mediate control over the irvenueitfdf. He
wilhed he might have no authority or agency
whatever in the receipts and disbursements of
money, for such purpoles as thel'e he thought a
board was neceirary,a board who thould pollefs
powers wh'ch could not fafely be trusted with
an individual in so elevated a station as a Fi
nancier.
Oa this motion, the qyeftion was put and
loft.
A question was then taken, whether this
Officer thould be removable by the President,
and carried.
After this the question was taken, whe
ther there fliould be a department of war,
at the head of which thould be an officer, to
be called the Secretary for the Department of
War, which was decided in the affirmative
Mr. Fining then moved, that there thould
also be eftablithed a department for domestic
affairs, at the of which, &c. He sup
ported his motion by a number of obferva
tious, pointing out the expediency of furban
eftablifiimen't. The motion was seconded by
Mr. Boudinot and Mr. Huntington.
Mr Bcnjon objedech—H* thought it would
be proper to postpone this part of the efta
blilhment to a future time. However exteo
five the übjed of such an office might be, he
was not fare that the office itfelf was neces
sary. • The duties which would properly
come tinder this department, he conceived,
might be divided and distributed among the
other department!. For inftauce, all dome
flic matters which related to the revenue might
be mamge.d by the Trwfury department.
AH domestic laattcts of a military nattnc,,
might bt conduced by the Secretary at War,
If, however, a didind department fliould ho
found ufjstlaf/i tl coo* * hi cfliblidisd at &•</
time,
. . To this Mr. Fining replied, by enumerat
ing a number of objetfs which could not
com#> w 'bin the management of either de
pat unent, such as the numerous and incrcaf
ing objects of a territorial nature, and the
extensive corrcfpocdencc between the federal
government and its weflern dependencies.
He also mentioned the propriety of inftitut
iag thi6 office for the authentication of pub'
lie instruments of every kind. At present
there w-.:s no office to affix the seal of govern
ment to the numerous ads which would take
place relative to domestic regulations.
To tins idea of Mr. Vining it waa answer
ed, that for the puipole of authenticating
public ad» by seal, there would undoubtedly
be an officer appointed ; but it would be very
improper to etlablnh a gieat department,
v/ith a iarge salary, to perform such an in
confiderabie duty. An officer would probah
iy be created in proper timi, with a salary
propor.ioeabtc to the extent and importance
of the object.
The committee then rose, and the House
adjourned.
The uljefF of this ftfolution refpeding
tftetc great offices is only to afford a general
diieftiou to a fpccial committee yet to bo’
appointed, vrhofe business it will he to digest
and icport an arrangement in detail for the
Executive department. \
Tburjday , May 21.
The House took up ‘he resolution of the *
committee of yeflerday, refpeding the efta-*
blillitnent of the Executive departments, and
having confirmed the fame, proceeded to bal
lot for a fpccial committee of eleven, to
prepare and bring in a bill or bills for the
purpoftf of-ca’rrying those relolutions into ef
fed.—Tie committee were Mr. Baldwin,
Mr. 3enfon, Mr. Madifuu, Mr. Vining, Mr.
frotke, Mr. Livermore, Mr. Thuidiuot, Mr.
Fitzfimons, Mr. Wadsworth, Mr. CadwaU
lader, and Mr. Gerry.
Mjy.uj, M*y 2
The House went into a committee to con-,
sider what compenfarion fliould be allowed to
the Frefidenr, Vice-Prefidcnt, See. but did
not come to any isfolntion.
In the debate Mr. Lawrence suggested,
that the President fliould have an annua ai«s
lowauce of 25,000 dollars.
Tucfday, May 2^
Mr. Pare moved to alter the rulfc of 'her
IToufe refpefring the appointment of »omnvt«*-
tces by ballot; this mode having been found
upon trial very inconvenient and embarrassing,
!- He wilhed the Speaker to be iuveled with die
power of nominating them in all cases, un
less the House were disposed, on particular
cccafions, to direct othetwife.
The motion on thisfubjed, after fomc de
f’dtory convei latiou, was orfieicd to lie 014
the table.
Mr. 6mi/b t of SotHh-Cirolina, gave no.
ticc, that on to-morrow he fliould move foe
a committee to bring in* bill on the fubjett
of bankruptcy.
Mr. Syk>»/tr t of the committee appoint
ed to cmifet widi a committee of <he Senate,,
on the fukjed of new ('papers, and for receiv
ing piop /faU for performing the public print*
jug, 1 spotted, by width it is proposed that
lbs tftfcKurjLof the feetuie, and tbeCUikvP
[Tot. 111. No. CL.I