Newspaper Page Text
COURIER
B
55=!? a
AUGUSTA, GEO. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21, 1828.
NO. S3:
rmiStrKn K»eBV MONDAY andthubsday
2 O'CLOCK. P•
, „ Howard’s Brick Buildinzs, opposite Mr. Cummings
Al Mr H " j . iW Bail,lings, M’Intosh Street.
DIRECTIONS.
Sale, of Land and Negroes, by Administrators, Exeeu-
«n7» or Guardians, are required, b> law, to be held on the
first Tuesday in the month, between »he hours of ten in the
'orenonn and three in the afternoon, at the Court-house of
the county in which the property is s'tuate^-Not'ce of
these s les must be given in a public gazette SIXI r a y
nrevioustothe day of sale. .
Notices of the sale of personal property must be given in
;,ke manner, FORTY days previous to the day of sale.
Notice to the debtors and creditors of an estate, must be
published for FORTY days. . nr
Notice that application will be made to the Court of Or
dinary for lcvac to sell land, must be published for FOLK
MONTHS.
The Southern Review.
THC3VE A S BA3IW** R,
Has just received No 1 of the Southern Review,
for February, 1828.
CONTENTS
C LASSICAL LEARNING; Principles of A-
„ riculture ; Execution of Colonel Isaac
Rhyne ; Geometry and the Calculus ; Gall on the
i mictions of the Brain; Scott’s life of Napoleon
Bonaparte; Political Economy-Rent, Coloniza
tion Society ; Geology and Mineralogy of North
Carolina ; The Talisman.
Feb 18 82 3t
wm as»
AV1NG taken an Office on VVashington-st.,
next door to Dr. Cunningham’s, respect
fully offers his services to the public.
Fie will keep constantly a fresh suppl of the
best Medicines, and any prescriptions directed
to him from physicians, or other individuals, will
lie neatly prepared for administration. His doors
w ill be open at all hours.
Feb 18 82 4t
li. F. C1IEW,
TIN-PL A TE WORKER,
Sign of tjjpSGilt Coffee-Pot, next door to Merri-
njjrfc Rowland’s M’lntosh-street,
R ESPECTFULLY informs his friends and
the public generally, that he has on hand,
and intends keeping a general assortment of
READY MADE TIN WARE,
Such as wdl suit ttfwn and country customers.—
He also informs the, citizens of this place, w ho
may he putting up buildings and wish Tin work
done, such as Gutters of various kinds, viz —
Curl, O e, Square, Half Round, Valleys, Orna
mental Heads, Conductors. &c. fee-, that he will
attend to it at the shortest notice, and with des
patch. on very moderate terms.
He takes r>i* method of returning his sincere
thanks to the citizens of Augusta, for the liberal
patronage which he has received from them,
since his commencement in business.
Feb 18 82 4t
POUND,
A bunch of KEYS, thirteen in number. They
appear to belong to well finished knob
locks, most of them new. The «wt*er can get
them by calling and paying for this notice.
Fob 18 82 2t
Tax Notice.
W E will attend at the City Hotel, on Mon
day, the third (3't seventeenth, (171 and
thirty-first (31) days of March next; at the Plan
ters’ Hotel, on Tuesday the fourth (4) and eigli-
teentt (18) of March next, and first (1) day ol
April next; and at the Richmond Hotel, . n Wed
nesday the filth (5) and nineteenth i IP) days ot
March, and second (2) day of April next f r the
purposes of collecting the Taxes for the year eigh
teen hundred and twenty-seven (1827; and ,e-
cciving the Keturn.s of Taxable j.ioperiy f- the
year eighteen hundred and twenty-eight, (1828.)
The hours of attendance, from 10, • 'clock, A. M.
tfi 1 o’c'ock. P. M.
01 1VER REi D. Tax Collector R.C.
3J1CH L K. COI3CLAIR, n. t. r.r.c.
Feb 18 . 81 If
1
O
at priv ate sale,
NE DE ARBORN’S PATENT BALANCE,
warranted correct—weighs If,00 lbs.
G, ABELL & Co.
Dec 31 GS tf
CAUTION.
I N consequence of an intimation having been
made to Messrs. JOSEPH RODGERS AND
?()NS, that several Mrrchants have SURREP
TITIOUSLY attempted to impose on the Public,
CUTLERY GOODS of an infeiior manufactiue,
Stamped with their Mark, as, and for Goods man
ufactured by them, think it right to Caution the
Public against the Fraud, and to observe that no
Cutlery Goods are of their manufacture unless
Ihev are stamped with “ Rodgers, Cutlers to His
Majesty," upon the blade.
Feb 7 79 lGtp
C.iNAL FLOUR.
JUST received and for sale, a lot of Superfine
CANAL FLOUR.
Oct. 22
HALL & HARDIN.
48 tf
ih&w*
Henry Moungfr,
, having located himself at
Monroe, Walton county,
S tenders his Professional Servi-
e s to the Public. Business entrusted to his care
i, any of the following counties, will be faithfully
attended to—viz :
Clark,
Morgan,
Jackson,
Newton,
Gwinnett,
Hall,
De Kalb,
Fayette,
Walton, and
Henry,
References can be made in Augusta, to
JOHN r. KING,
Wm. SIMS. WILLIAMS & Co.
MUSGROVF., WETMORE i: Co
HEARD &. COOK, and
WM. J. HOBBY, Esquires.
53 tf
Rirh mon d Hmsars.
TS 7"OU are ordered to appear on you! Parade
J5_ Gr uind. in front of the Mansion House, on
1 ridav. the 22d instant, at halt past 9 o’clock A.
VI armed and equipped as your by-laws require,
with Six rounds blank caitridges.
By order of Capt Boisclair,
MARTIN. O. S.
Feb IS 82 2t
Hamilton Riflemen!
\ PPEARon Parade, in front of the City-Hall,
«n Friday, the 22d February, at 9 o’clock,
•V M. i-rmed and equipped according to the by-
laws of the Corps, to celebrate the Birth Day of
Washington.
By order of Capt. M'Laughlin-
CAMFIELD, ©. s.
Feb 18 82 2t
JVewburg fleer.
T HE Subscribers having been ap ointed A-
gents for the sale of Newburg Beer made
by Messrs Law, Beverage &c.—They can furnish
ret. ilers with an excellent quality.
HALL & HARDIN.
Feb 11 80 tf
Nov. 9
Selling ofl‘ at Cod!
The undersigned, in
order to bring their business to
a close, offer their Sto k of
GOODS at cost. Their assort-
n ent is extensive, and comprises almost every
ai tide usually kept in their line, and some of a
vi rv superior quality, winch will be made to men-
so -e in the most approved style, on a short no
tit ■. Persons wishing Clothing, are solicited to
ea ‘ and improve the present oppoitunity of ob-
tai. ing Clothihg Cheap.
WELLS &KIBBE.
N B.—AH those who have unsettled accounts
vith W. $i K . are respectfully invited to call and
ettb the same, previous to 20th February, as all
note and accounts that are then due, and not at
tend dto. will be put into the hands of an attoi-
i ev or collection.
J it 28 76 tf
Mr. EVERETT’S SPEECH in the
House if Representatives, on the Res
olutions of Mr. Chilton for Retrench
ment.
FRIDAY, FEBRU YRY 1ST, 1828.
Mr. LVERET r spoke *as follows;
Mr. Speaker ; I beg leave to return mv
sincere 'hanks to the House, for afford
ing me the indulgence of an adjournment.
At this stage of the discussion, nothing but
physical inability to proceed, should have
induced me to ask this indulgence. I will
now endeavour to requite ft by the only
means in my power, that is, by introdu
cing no matter into the debate, which
shall have a tendency to protract it. I
took the liberty, yesterday, to observe,
that when a motion was made by the gen
tleman iron Virginia. (Mr. Randolph,) to
lay this resolution on the table, I voted in
the affirmative on that question. I aid so,
thinking I foresaw the character of the de
bate which was l'kely to arise, if lie res
olution remained before the House. To
a resolution for inquiry of this nature, I
could have no objection, except that ot
some little crudity in form, which nas
been objected to this resolution on every
side of the House. With that exception,
and, could it have passed without debate,
I should have cheerfully have voied for it.
The H.use was n t pleased to make
that disposition of the resolution. The
debate has been pursued ; and tiie ground,
in my judgment
neath our feet,
ry into the prauic
with a view to tit
the public debt.
1 usion to this mu'
lion ; it may ret
the subs once
now put foi w \cc
the contingent v
foreign hue
as ari indie
solution, is
the measure:, ot the Administration.
I cannot agree, therefore, with
the'gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr.
Ingh tin,; that the subject matter is not
change i, but m-rely enlarged—about
f r); m ~. I repeat, S r, l will not contend,
but 1 submit it to the judgment of the
House, whether the substance lias not un
dergone an entire change. Ncithei can
I agree wi ll him, that it is the friends of
the Administration who have first given a
tianizan character to the debate. Tho
gentleman has specified my honorable
fr ond from Indiana, (Doctor Blake,) as
(mv mg been the first t<> give it tills charac
ter. For two or three days, the discus
sion was not strongly oi that desci iptum.
The resolution, l believe, was first debi
ted on Tuesday f .he las-week, and ou
Friday, for the firs^time, tf I have cor
rectly watched its progress, hie gentleman
from' Virginia, (Mr. Floyd,) with a force
and pungency almost peculiar to himself,
introduced into his address to the House
a number of the topics of accusation,
which have been most earnestly pressed
against the Administration. When the
gentleman from Indiana took the floor,
he stated, (with perfect justice, < s I
thought,) that such had been the course
of the gentleman from Virginia, and taat
he felt himself called on now to meet the
question on that ground. I mention
these things, not by way. complaint,
but as matter of fact, bince then, the
friends of the Administration have entered
but only on the defensive, into the debate
a debate of a character, I fieely con
fess, seriously to be deprecated ; not be
cause the friends of the Administration
fear the strictest inquisition that can be
made, but because it leads to waste of time
sacrifice of the public, and po tpenement
of private interests,
I again beg leave to observe, that I
... or.,, a „d DBPrl.
entirely shifted be-
s not now an enqui-
. iitv of retrenchment,
re rapid payment of
l jo not say that no al-
er is left in the resolti-
iii there in 1orm;but,
changed. The topic
is tho expenditure of
ds, paiticularly that for
- e, and taking the debate
r of the character of the re-
e of general crimination of
I papers and Tailors.
3 - . r I''he subscribers hav-
i iut; commenced the. above
is! Lir^
Notice.
>The subscribers take this business, (No. 278 Broad-
opportunity ot' info,,..!.,: .hose j £
small—from the great number of small accounts, j sort ie..t o* -mpertme and Lo mo .
it is impossible that every one should receive a I { J £ as simereS & V eStingS,
particular call, it is therefore hoped that this no- i -
tice will be deemed sufficient, and that all per
sons interested will call and adjust them, pre
vious to the 20th February, as it will be abso
lutely necessary after tnat date, to take more
earnest means for their collection.
THAYER & WILLIAMS.
Jan. 10 71 ti
Wh :h thev offer to make to order, on accomrao-
dati ig terms, aud in the best possible manner.
Also, a complete assortment of
Ready Made Clothing,
LOW FOR CASH.
SHEPARD, HUNER & Co.
Unitarian Christianity,
Free from objectionable extremes.
A SERMON,
P REACHED at the Dedication of the Unita
rian Church, in Augusta, (Gee.) December
27th, 1827. by Samuel Gilmer, Pastor of the
Second Independent Church, Charleston, (S. C.)
iast published and for sale at the Book-store of
THOMAS RICHARDS, Bioad-street.
25 Cents single—$2 a dozen.
Feh 11 80 3 *
Wrdma Mountain Butter.
14 FIRKINS, just received by
* J HENRY H. FIELD,
No. 230 Broad-street
4 78 4(
(?* Wanted, one or two Jour-
Apply as above.
uej nen Tailors
i *ec 3
60 tf
S. &M. ALLEN’S
EXCHANGE OFFICE,
Xo. 277 Broad-street, 4 doors west of Jackson-
street.
DRAFTS may at all times be had at sight or
at short sight, in sums to suit purchasers, on
1 -• PROVIDENCE,
PHILADELPHIA,
WASHINGTON CITY,
PETERSBURG,
CHARLESTON,
MOBILE.
BOSTON,
NEW YORK,
BALTIMORE,
RICHMOND,
LYNCHBURG,
SAVANNAH.
NEW-0 .LEANS,
SET United Stales Bank Soles for sale.
Dec. 13
63 wtf
am friendly to inquiry in any and every
form—I care not with what seventy and
strictness it bo instituted. I know that all
hnmau establishments ("especially so vast
and complicated an establishment as that
of this government,) arc liable to abuse.-—
i am willing to admit, on these general
principles, that there may be abuses
in the government as at present adminis
tered, although they are as likely to be
abuses of restriction as of extravagance;
especially as the one generally leads to
the other. Illtimed and misplaced reduc
tion often leads, in the end, to more lav
ish expenditure ; and a judicious expendi
ture, (a memorable instance has been
stated to the Honse in relation to the
Post Office,) as often proves a true econ
omy. But, retrenchment is a popular
theme, and the pruning knife has some
times been so freely applied to our estab
lishments, that their vital sap has flowed
out of the wounds. Still, however, sir, I
would never oppose an inquiry into the
abuses that may exist, and whether they be
those of redundancy or deficiency, I a®
equally ready to apply the remedy.
Permit me to make one other general
remark. The gentleman from Tennessee,
(Mr. Bell,) in his liberal and eloquent ad
dress to the House, made a remark, which
he justly offered as sound in itself, how
ever paradoxical in its terms, that there
were states of things in which that which
is naturally the health and strength of a
people becomes a source of decline and
decay. The gentleman applied this wise
remark to a profuse expenditure of pub
lic money. There is another application
of it, which seems to me to be equally
just and pertinent. This branch of the
government—the legislative—is, has been,
and ever must be, the great centro of
power in the, republic. It is the b.Oart of
the political system, out of wbi^u all life &
power,as they have imbibed them from the
people, must flow back, through the vari
ous channels of administration; to them.
Tkere are, however, other branches of
the government which cannot be dis
pensed with for the public good, and these
must be upheld, in their proper spheres
and functions. Now, Sir, if the tremen
dous power of this House be brought to
bear unduly and disproportionately on
other branches of the system; and espe
cially if it be put into an extra-legislative
action, (by which I mean an action wholly
disconnected from its functions, either as
a branch of the legislature, or {he grand
inquest of tho nation,) then what is natu
rally our strength and safety, again be
comes a source of weakness, decay and
ruin.
I have already observed, that the prom
inent point of :he enquiry, as now before
the House, has become the foreign ser
vice of the country, and the expenditure
of the funds appropriated for defraying its
expense. The resolution puts forward
that as the leading topic; and in its very
terms (and this objection, I must confess,
applies also to the amendment as modified)
gives a character to tlje mode in which
that part of the service has ever been ad
ministered, unwarranted by the Constitu
tion, the law, and the usage under it.—
We are to enquire into the amount of
the sums paid out of the contingent fund
for foreign intercourse, and settled at the
Treasury without specification; and also
into the amount paid out of the same fund
and settled at the Treasury, in the usual
mode, according to law. So it seems
there are two kinds of settlement—one
usual, and according to law ; the other by
specification, and impliedly neither usual
nor legal.
This, Sir is an important topic. The
foreign services of the country is an exceed
ingly responsible branch of the pub'ic ser
vice. Unless we adopt the Chinese poli
cy, we cannot but stand in relations with
foreign nations, highly important to the
welfare and prosperity of the country.—
In peace, we stand in the relation of an
extended and profitable commercial inter
course,, depending for its prosperity, to a
good degree, on the character we sustain
abroad. When peaceful relations give
way to war, Fs duration depends not a lit
tle on the character with which we embark
in it. The estimate which other nations
form of our character, is not a little affec
ted bv the manner in which we are repre
sented abroad. The subject of our foreign
relations is not, therefore, to be too lightly
dealt with. It is one for which the Con
stitution and laws of the country have
made peculiar provisions ; a provision, as
I conceive, overlooked or mis-stated by
the terms of the resolution.
Bv the Constitution of the U. States, it
is provided, that the President “shall nom
inate, and by and with the ad rice and con
sent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassa
dors, other public ministers, and consuls.”
Over the exercise of this power, no control
is given, by the Constitution,to Congress;
nor have they ever undertaken to exercise
any other, than that of limiting the com
pensation to be allowed to such officers
for their services, and the expenses incur
red by them in the discharge of their du
ties.
How then was this provision of the Con
stitution reduced to practice in the origi
nal organization of the government 1 In
his speech at the opening of tho second
session of the first Congress, President
Washington brought the subject before
the two Houses is the following terms :
“The interest of the United States re
quires that our intercourse with other na
tions should be facilitated by such provi
sions as will enable me to fulfil my duty
in that respect in the manner which cir
cumstances may render most conducive to
the public good and to this end, that the
compensations to be made to the persons
who may be employed, should, according
to the nature of their appointments, be de
fined by law ; and a competent fund de
signated, for defraying the expenses inci-
dant to the conduct of our-Foreign A f-
fairs.”
With the subject thus presented to them
what did Congress dot Did they passs
u law creating such and such missions 1—
No, sir. Did they appropriate sums of
money for such and such salaries and ex-
pendituras t No. The law passed is
brief, and, bearing strongly on this and
other matters of interest, I beg leave to
cite it. It bears date 1st July, 1790.
“[Sec. 1.] Be it enacted by the Se
nate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress
Assembled, That the President of the U.
States shall be, and he is authorized to
draw from the Treasury of the United
States, a sum not exceeding forty thou
sand dollars, annually, to be paid out of
the moneys arising from the duties on
imports and tonnage, for the support of
such persons as he shall commission, to
serve the United States in foreign parts,
and for the expense incident to the busi
ness in which they may be employed.—
Provided, That exclusive of ao outit,
which shall, in- no case, exceed the a-
mount of one year’s full salary to the Min
ister Plenipotentiary of Charge d’Affairs,
to whom the same roTiy be allowed, the
President shall not allqw to any Minister
Plenipotentiary 'a greater sum than at the
rata of nine thousand dollars per annum,
as a comppAisation for all his personal ser
vices, a^d other expenses ; nor a greater
sum (or the same, than four theusand five
hundred dollars per annum to a Charge d -
Affairs, nor a greater sutn for the same,
than one thousand three hundred and fif
ty dollars per annum to the Secretary of
any Minister Plenipotentiary. And pro
vided also, That the President shall ac-j courts, specified ov- name, and the: sev-
count, specifically, for all such expendi- eral Secretaries of Legation—ar :i -m for
tures of the said money, as, in his judg-! two outfits of Ministers to Lend n ind
meat, may be made public, and a.lso for | St. Petersburg—an item for the contin*
tho amount of such expenditures as lie j gent expenses of all ‘lie missions -an item
may think it advisable not to specif}', and I to provide for the deficiency in the appro-
cause a regular statement and account j priation of the preceding year—and the
thereof to belaid before Congress annual- i usual item for the contingent expenses of
ly, and also lodged in the proper office of! foreign intercourse. Siiniliar spccifica-
the Treasury Department. ! tions have been made in ail the annual
[Sec. 2.] And be it further enacted, j geneial appropriation bi!!', since that
That this act shall continue and be in ; time.
force for the* space of two years, and from [ From this view of the legislation on the
thence until the end of the next Session \ subject, it appears that, originally, the
of Congress thereafter, and no longer.” j whole fund for foreign intercourse.
There is one phraseyn the law, to j since 1814, the sums appropriated for the
which I invite the particular attention of contingent expenses of fore :,T "
the House, (“ as he shall commission") a
phrase thiowing light on questions, not
long since much agitated here and else
where.
The next law ou the subject w'as pas
sed Oth February, 1793. It continued
the act of July 1790 for another year, and
thence to the end of the next Sesssion of
Congress thereafter, and amended it to
the following effect:
[Sec. 2.] And be it further enacted,
That in all cases whpre any sum or’sums
of money have issued, or shall hereafter
issue, from the Treasury, for the purpose
of intercourse or treaty with foreign na
tions, in pursuance of any law, the Presi
dent shall be and hereby is, authorized to
cause the same to be duly settled, annual
ly, with the accounting officers of the
Treasury, in manner following, that is to
say: by causing the same to be accounted
for, specifically, in all instances wherein
the expenditure thereof may, in bis judg
ment, be made public ; and by making a
certificate or certificates, of the amount of
such expenditures, as ho may think it
advisable not to specify; and every such
certificate shall be deemed a sufficient
voucher for the sum or sums therein ex
pressed to have been expended.”
This is the first full enactment of the
mode of settlement by certificate, or with
out specification, although the elements of
the provision exist in the law of 1790.
By the law of March 20, 1794, the
large sum of one million of dollars'was ap
propriated, in addition to the annual
forty thousand dollars, to defray any ex
penses which might be incurred, in rela
tion to the intercourse between the Uni
ted States and foreign nations ; to be ap
plied, under the direction of the Presi
dent, who, if necessary, was authorized to
borrow the money ; and an account of the
expenditure, as soon as might be, was to
be laid before Congress. This large ap
propriation was designed to meet the ex
pense of a treaty with Algiers.
Several similiar ads were passed, at
subsequent Sessions of Congress, till, on
the 10th of May, 1800, a law passed, giv
ing to the legislation on this subject a
somewhat modified form. This law is
entitled “ An act to ascertan the compen
sation <>fPublic Ministers.” It contains
n intercoc se
have been placed entirely at the discretion
of the President. And further, that a
settlement, by certificate, without specifi
cation, is coeval with the Government,
and in conformity both with usage and
law.
I have been induced to make these
statements, not merely for the sake of n
belter understanding of the point, in the
resolution on which it bears, but also in or
der to prepare the way for a satisfactory
answer to some of the charges made a-
gainst the President of the United States,
relative to the amount of his compensa
tion and allowances as a foreign Minister.
This is a subject on w hich I enter with
some reluctance: it is not perhaps, of the
class which I should select to discourse on
this floor. It does not belong strictly to
this debate ; but it has been introduced on
the present occasion, with strong empha
sis ; and to the effect no doubt, of giving
sanction to what is said more at large on
the same topic elsewhere. This is an im
portant point, for the allegations have ox*
tended not merely to a charge of extrav
agance, but of illegallity, aud even fraud.
High salaries are, l know, a popular
subject of comment; and as those <f the
Foreign Minis’ers.are, with a single ex
ception, the highest, paid under the Go
vernment, it is natural that they should
be obnoxious to fconipl lint. But, sir, it is
an undoubted truth, that, high as they
may be thought, great as their aggregate
may seem for the set vice of a huig series
ofyears, they are yet too small ; and but
for the extra allowance, by which they
are eked out, would be wholly in .ri qn • e
to their object. It is not long since that
a most respectable member ot Cotigtess,'
opposeed to the Administration, expres
sed to me his concurrence in this opinion,
and his willingness to join in raising them
I speak of the salaries ofthetlireo most ex
pensive missions to London, Paris, and
St. Petersburg. It is a sufficient confir
mation of the truth of this remark, that he
compensation of Foreign Ministers is
smaller by one-fifth, than it was in theRe-
voi nrionary war. It was then paid at tw^
thousand five hundred pounds sterling,
with an allowance of expenses. We were
told bv a gentleman from Virginia, (Mr.
•Floyd) that he approved the republican
limitation upon the compensation of Min
isters Plenipotentiary, Charge d’Affnires,
and the Secretaries of Ministers ; the se
cond section directs, that where any sum
of money shall be drawn from the Trea
sury, under any law, making appropria
tion for the contingent expenses of in-
tercoursee, betxveen the United States and
foreign nations, the President shall cause
the accounts to be settled by certificate,
a3 prescribed by the act of 9tli February,
1793—omitting the substitution of the Se
cretary of State, for the President.
This year, for the first time, the appro
priates for the expenses of intercourse
with foreign nations, we transferred to the
act making appropriations for the support
of Government for the year 1800. Be
sides several large specific items, fifty-two
thousand dollars were appropriated, in
addition to the annual forty thousand.
In May, 1810, an act was passed, fixing
the compensation of Public Ministers, and
of Consuls to the Barbary States. By this
law the compensation of a Minister or
no appropriation. It retracts the former! ^simplicity, in which a Franklin and a Liv
ingston lived at the Court of France. Dr.
Franklin’s simplicity was kept up, for a-
bout eight years and a half, at an aggre
gate expense of $122,000, (money being
twice as valuable as now ; and Chancellor
Livingston, as I am informed, during Ins
sh-wt residence at Paris, in addition to his
very ample allowance from ‘lie Govern
ment, sunk an estate of $100,000. I re
peat it, sir, that bui for the extra allow
ances, it would be impossible for our Mint-
isters at those Courts I have name ! ‘o
remain and support themselves; and thtf
weight of necessary expenditure t> ;v i •
utmost allowance has, to many cf ih m,
proved the cause of utter ruin. It is not
necessary that I should specify the names
of the living or of the dead.
Another remark. Mr. Speaker ; tho
allowances to the President, be they great
or small, were the arts of other Adm n-
istrati'ins, of the Administration of Mes
srs. Madison‘and Monroe. Mr. Adams
had nothing to do in establishing the offi
ces, fixing the compensation, or seel.mg
Charge d’Affaires was fixed as before ; j the employment. For a third of a centu-
that of a Secretary of Legation at 2,000,: ry passed in the public service, he never,
&c. and it was provided that it should be: either himself, or his friends for him, with
lawful for the President to allow to a j his knowledge, nor without Ins kn< w-
Minister Plenipotentiary or Charge d’Af- j ledge, that I am aware of, solicited any
faires, on going from the United States to j office; The compensations and allowa ces
any foreign country, an outfit, which shall to the Foreign Ministers were fixed by
any foreign country
ih no case exceed one year’s full salary of
such Minister or Charge d’Affaires ; but
no Consul shall be allowed an outfit in a -
nv case whatever, any usage or custom to
the contrary notwithstanding. The third
section of this law was the same verbatim
with the second of the law of 1800.
Up to this time the appropriation acts
had contained one item, vis : for tho ex
penses of foreign intercourse. From 18l6
to 1814, there wore \wo items of appro
priation; one for the expenses of foreign
intercourse an»i one for the contingent
expenses rii foreign intercourse. The
first of 'these sums was applied to pay the
salaries of the Ministers, Charge d’Af-
felres, and Secretaries; the second was
placed entirely at the discretion of the
President, to discharge contingent expen
ses, arising from the foreign intercourse^
he should think just aud equitable.
In the general appropriaion act of 1814
the item which till then, had been expres
sed in general terms for the expenses of
foreign intercourse was made more specif
ic, “for the salaries, allowances, and con
tingent expenses of Ministers to foreign
nations, and of Secretaries of Legation
after which was added the other item, for
the contingent expenses of intercourse be-
tweenthe United States aud Foreign Na-
General Washington, under the limita
tions of acts of Congress, and were paid to
Mr. Adams, as they had been paid to his
predecessors.
Farther, sir, 3VIr. Adams had nothing
to do with auditing his own accounts, or
controling the settlement of them; though
this has been alleged out of doors, and in»
timated, as I think ;n this debat". The
standing instructions to onr Foreign Min
isters require them, once a quarter, to
makeup and transmit an account to tho
Treasury. This was done by Mr. Ad*
ams, and in all his accounts there was but
one item which the accounting officers of
the Treasury declined settling themselves.
That one item was referred to-the Presi*
deut, by Mr. Adams, wlfie Secretary of
State ; and, on legal advisement, ord«;cJ
by the President lo be settled. t o tin/-
I*shall presently recur. With this ex
ception Mr. Adams had so more to do
with the settlement of -his accounts than
you had, Mr. Speaker. He could have
no more to do with it, if the officers of
the Treasury were faithful to their tu -
I will add, sir, that, taking into considt -
tion the number of years passed bv .V
Adams in the foreign service ; the nan;*
of bis appointments ; the variety am' ' -
portance of the missions w-ijh who h
has been entrusted, in whole or in
no Foreign Minister has receive.
tions.
In April, 1818, the general appropria-^
tion bill contained one item for the sala- j than he, while many have receive;
ries of Ministers at the several foreign! For the four years and eight tnoni