lie interest may fufFer extremely in cases of ficV jiefs or einbarraduients, which may prevent a member from attending. This argument from the body's not exifling to whom the resignation ought to be made, will ap ply to the President of the United States, whnie resignation is exprefsiy mentioned in the Consti tution. The objection urged from the executives of the States judging of vacancies, he conceived had 110 great force, for Congress would finally judge in every cafe of election. It is uncertain how the pratftice of the British Parliament originated. Blackftone fays nothing of resignations. When a member wants to re sign in that legislature, he gets appointed to Come fictitious office which difqualifies him from fitting in the house.—He thought it best to eftablilh some precedent, rather than oblige members who may ■wi(h to resign, to have recourse to some similar method, by accepting of some appointment in the State which is incompatible with a feat. Mr. Murray said he was in favor of accepting the report, both on account of propriety and con veniency—Vacancies may happen froin various causes—by resignation, by death, or by expulsion •—the executive of the State is the proper judge in the firft cafe. He stated certain differences between a resignation after a person has taken his feat, and a resignation before that event-—in the former cafe, Congress will of course give no tice to the executive of the State—in the latter, the executive alone can take cognizance of the resignation. He stated the extreme inconveni ency which would result from the ideas of the gentleman from Virginia, as it would refpecSt the State of Georgia. He then (tated several parti culars to shew that Mr. Pinckney was not ainem ber of the house agreeable to the Constitution, and therefore the house cannot proceed with him as one. He said that we ought to be willing to derive information from the experience of every conn try—but he conceived that 110 precedents could be drawn that would apply in the present cafe from a country which had none, to one which had a constitution that so clearly defined and guarded the rights of the citizens. The cuftoni which had been mentioned as ob taining in that country, arose from a wi(h to pre vent a frequency of elections. From what bad been offered by the gentleman from South-Carolina, and the ideas he had fug geffed, he hoped the committee would be induced to Accept the report. Mr. Williamfon fald it appeared to him that the Constitution contemplates that a member may resign. He read the clause, which fays that no member of the legislature (hall accept of an office made during the time for which he was chosen—' from hence he inferred that resignations were clearly contemplated. Mr- Gerry said that he had heard nothing to fiiew that Mr. Pinckney had ever accepted of his appointment, and therefore it ought to have been expressed that he had declined—but granting he had resigned after accepting his appointment, he aflerted that nothing had been offered to prove that resignations might not take place in one ho.use, as well as in the other—and the Conftiru tion plainly exprefl'es that a Senator may resign. The House of Commons originated with the Kings, who formed that body to controul the Lords ; and hence arose the prohibition againlt resignations, as they would weaken the body, an.3 the expence of a new election would fall on the King. With refpe«sl to the executive declar ing improper vacancies,he observed thatCongrefs inveftgd with full power to controul ibe exe cutives of the States in refpe<fl to such declarations. Mr. Seney observed upon a dittimftion made by Mr. Giles, between a resignation on the pare of,a Senatpr and a member of the House he sup posed a resignation on either part would equally vacate a feat, and that no difference did really exist. ' J Mr. Sedgwick observed that if* ppwer of ad judication was veiled in the executives of the States to determine, on a vacancy in cases of re signation, it would involve this conference that a power of judging of vacancies in all poilible cases would be the .necessary result ; he thoiurht the propofnion involved the inoft serious effects with refped. to the privileges and independency' of this House. ' This fubjeft was further difcufTed the next "ay, ajid ended in an acceptation of the report of the committee, which was in favor of Mr. Mer cer's election. {■RIDAY, December 2 IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. On the Appropriation Bill for the ] ear 1792. Mr. Parker observed that the sum contemplat ed to be granted by the bill before the committee, w-as nearly double the amount of that granted ior a former year. He conceived it was the duty ot the committee who reported this bill to have examined into the expenditure of the former ap propriations, and called 011 them for informati on 011 this head. Mr. Lawrance said that it was not the duty of the committee to collect the information called for. Public officers hail their accounts fettled according to law, and those settlements were o pen to the infpeiflion of the members. It was only the duty of the committee to examine the eftimares contained in the report of the Secreta ry of the Treasury, and to report a bill, provid ing for the expences of government and the dis charge of claims due in 1792. The committee ofthe whole would also examine thofeeftiinates. —The amount of salaries depended upon thepo fitive laws of the le»iflature, and the eftiinates from the different offices Itated to what purpose the money called for by each was intended to be applied. If from the documents in the poffelfion of the committee it was found that money was wanted, money would be granted, he supposed ; —If money was not found wanting grants would not be made. When the former Congress made grants of money for particular purposes, they neceflarily relied on the honor of their officers, that it would be expended agreeably to appro priation. Mr. Parker said he did not doubt bin that the committee had done what they thought their du ty, but his wifti in rising was to provoke an en quiry into the expenditure of money heretofore appropriated. He had no doubt of the integrity of the officers into whose hands the money was entrusted, yet he thought it the duty of the re presentatives of the people to enquire in what manner the money of their constituents was ex pended. The funis intended for the war depart ment he considered as very considerable, and for the treasury department funis were called for. to pay a number of clerks, who perhaps were not all employed. He concluded by declaring that hecouid not vote in favor of the bill until he had obtained the information he called for. Mr. Firzfiiuons remarked that the allowance of the different clerks of the treasury would not be paid, if it was not ffiewn to the proper officer that they had been employed and had done their duty. Mr. Baldwin said the committee, of which he was a member,had not been appointed to enquire into the expenditure of former appropriated mo ney) but to bring in a bill agreeably to the re port ; yet as an individual member'he had called at the register's office, and had been induced to look over the accounts. In that of the secretary of the Senate, 3000 dollars had been appropriat ed last year for contingent expences. He did not fee that that sum had fallen fliort, though that officer now called for 4Joo dollars as an ap propriation for the expences of 1792. The rea. son for granting this increased sum, was stated that some articles had risen in price. Mr. Dayton observed, that the objections which Mr. Parker made to the bill, were indefinite. He wished he would joint out those parts on which his dislike to it was grounded. They ap peared to amount t* this, that he would not vote for an appropriation bill. Mr. Smith,(N.H.) said the bill was intended to make provision for the expences of government, and he could fee no neceflary connection between the objeA of it and an examination into the ex- penditure of money already appropriated. He saw no reason, he said, for suspending his deter mination on this, rill he had received fatisfatffory information on the other head : For if the offi cers were not able to account for one farthing of the money appropriated, yet it would be neceila ry to provide for future expences. He agreed that the information called for was neceilary, but contended it need not interfere with the bu siness now before the committee, or interrupt its progress. Mr. Clark thought the enquiry not only tie cefFary, but well-timed. There was no doubt that the money appropriated had been expend ed ; but he wilhed to know whether it had been properly expended. It was neceilary to know how it was expended, before any more was ap propriated. 1 his information fliould form the ground of future appropriations. Mr. Parker declared he had no intention of unneceflarily impeding the progress of the bill before the committee ; but he saw no neceifuy for hurrying the business—to give two or three days for enquiries would be no injury to it. He said he did not know that any money had been applied by any of the officers of government im properly ; but he conceived it his duty to en quire. As soon as the enquiry was made, and the information he called for obtained, he was rea dy, he said, to grant every requisite supply ; be cause he was confident that these enquiries once made, would never be neglerted, and a habit would follow to look into the expenditure of all puolic appropriations. He again adverted to the gieat inereaie of expence, by comparing the ap planation of the 2 d feflion of Congress and the one proposed by the bill before the committee. 1 he fiut was about 600,000 dollars, and this un waras of r,000,000. Perhaps there was a necef fuy fortius mcreafe, and all money heretofore granted had been properly expended, b it this he wiflied might be made to appear 254 Mr. Lawrance said, he wifi ie *l every part of the bill thoroughly examined, a.id every member fatisfied that the sums called for were nereffarr before they were appropriated. The gentleman from Virginia who firff übjerted to the bill he oblerved, only took a comparative view of' t!-e sum total of former appropriations and of that contemplated by the bill. Hewifoed theK n || e . man would turn to the particulars, and view the variety and nature of the calls on the Treafurv tor 1792. He noticed the mention that had been made of the increased sums called for, for th contingent expencCs of the Senate, and raid, that if the vrh«lc of this was not expended, the iC inainder would lay in the treafury,and such pans as were expended inuft be accounted for by the proper officer, to the proper office where it was open to infpedlion, Mr. Smith (S. C.) wilhed that the gentlenia-i from Virginia, to latisfy his doubts refpectin-r the expenditure of former appropriations, woula take the trouble of examining the accounts of the Treasurer, which had already been layin r 011 the table for three weeks. He mentioned sonic of the objects that occurred at the present fetfion, and which called for an encreafe of the l'urn t<» be appropriated. Among these he enumerated the encreafe of our army in consequence of the attacks on our frontiers—the expence incurred in taking the census—the additional claims on government—and the expence of the government of the South Wel'tern Territory. HeTwifhed the gentleman to state the particular parts of the bill he objedted to. If he did this, the attention of the committee would be turned to one point, and progrefc might be made in the bufinels. Mr. Steele thought the obje&ions-made by the gentlman from Virginia (Mr. Parker) proper ; and fully agreed in the propriety of checking the progreis of the bill until the information called for by that gentleman could be obtained. The intention, he conceived in appointing a felert committee was that they fliould examine the estimates on which the appropriation bill was to be founded. He wished to know how it hap pened that the Secretary of the Senate for con tingent expences of that body Ihould call for 4500 dollars, when the clerk of the House of Representatives only called for 5500 dollars, though the last mentioned body is so much more numerous than the firft. He was of opinion that the annual contingent expences of the auditor's and comptroller's offices must now be well known from experience, and that supposition was no longer proper in estimating the sums necefiary to be appropriated for those objedls. He conceived that the last years expences being enquired into would give tne sum neceflary for the next. He wiftied to depend on the feledt committee for every information of this kind, and if they were not able to give it, he conceived they had not done their duty. Mr. Lawrance supposed, it was the duty of Members to inrorm themselves on every subject that came before the House. In this inflance want of time could not be pleaded in excuse for a negleifl of this duly. The eflimate of the Se cretary of the Treasury had early in the feflion been handed in, was printed for the use of the House, and a copy put into the hands of each member ; so that they had a full opportunity of examining it. The bill now before the commit tee had been rep . ted two weeks since ; so that fiom the time of the bill's being reported, the business had not been precipitated. Gentlemen knew the fubjetft was before them, and if thev had examined into the fubjetft, their minds would be made up, because there were materials on which their opinions could be formed. Relative to the two particulars adverted to, fit ft the en creafed elliinate of the Secretary of the Senate, he observed, that it was iinpoi.jbfe for any mem ber of the committee pofuively to declare that the additional funi of 1500 dollars to the former allowance was too much. With refpedl to the efiimate of the clerk of the house, it was parti cular, it was easily examined, and the committee of the whole were competent to determine whe ther any items of it appeared unreasonable. The contingencies in -the war department, in the comptroller's office, &c. if they were higher than heretofore, it fliould be considered that rents are raised, and wood higher, and an allowancefhould therefore be made. He was sorry to hear itfaid that the committee had not done their duty. The information called for, he repeated, was 011 the table. It was Impossible for the committee to fay the exact quantity of wood, paper, &c. neceflkry for the houses—something mult be left to the ho nor and integrity of the persons entrusted with making the purchase of these articles. Mr. Gerry said, that the committee were di rected to report a bill pursuant to the eflimate made, and their duty had no relation to the ex amination of the lalt year's expenditure. Yet 'ie conceived it the duty of the huufe to make some such enquiry, and he hoped the committee would r:fe to give time to colled} this informa tion He wi.'bed the house would make it a rule hat eve'y executive (hould, at every session lay besot e the house an account of the expenditure
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