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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