Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Mr. GALLATIN moved to fill it with ten thousand. He said, they had this
year had a statement of the expense of the Military Establishment, by
which they found that the hospital department had cost six thousand nine
hundred and five dollars. It had been the uniform practice of the House
to appropriate from thirty to forty thousand dollars under this head,
though the expense had never exceeded seven thousand; and to apply the
surplus to other purposes. He thought it wrong to appropriate four times
the sum necessary, and had therefore proposed to fill the blank with ten
thousand dollars, which was fifty per cent. more than had ever been
expended for the purpose.
Mr. PARKER believed than ten thousand dollars would be enough to pay for
physic for the Army. Indeed he believed it was generally expended in
wine and luxuries by the officers, and that little of it went to the use
of the subordinates.
The question for ten thousand dollars was put and carried.
The blank for the Ordnance Department was filled with forty thousand
dollars; and that for the fortifications of the ports and harbors of the
United States with twenty-four thousand dollars.
Mr. GALLATIN moved to fill the blank for the Quartermaster's Department,
the Indian Department, the defensive protection of the frontiers,
bounties, and all the contingent expenses of the War Department, with
three hundred thousand dollars.
Mr. VENABLE said, if the sum necessary for each of the above items could
be specified, he would rather have it so expressed than have the whole
in one sum.
Mr. W. SMITH said it would come to the same thing, if the several items
were voted in an aggregate sum, as they were all contingent expenses. He
should move to have the blank filled with four hundred and forty-six
thousand dollars.
Mr. GALLATIN observed there were two motions before the committee: one
to fill the blank with four hundred and forty-six thousand dollars, the
other with three hundred thousand. He would observe that one of the
items in this estimate, viz., that for the fortifications of West Point,
ought not to be included under this head; but, as to the other items, he
would mention, in answer to what had fallen from the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. VENABLE) what was the reason which had induced the
committee to put them in one sum, which was to obtain the very object he
had in view in wishing to have all the items stated separately.
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