Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

An ADDRESS on the subject of the "Report of a committee of the House of Representatives, by Oliver Wolcott, late secretary of the treasury."

[Continued.]

6th. The next observations of the Committee relate to the advances of the service of the War and Navy Departments. The whole sum "charged to the War Departments; from the year 1797 to 1801, both inclusive," is stated by the committee to be,

Dollars 16,213,116 43

Of which they report,

"that the accountant has settled, and rendered to the Treasury accounts to the amount of 6,335,923 93

Leaving a balance of 9,877,192 50 unaccounted for, and not settled."

It is to be observed, that the first sum includes the amount of all balances open on the books of the accountant of the War Department, on the 1st of January, 1797, comprising every unsettled account, from the establishment of his office, being 1,756,391 dollars 36 cents.

The expenditures of the War Department, during the five years from 1797, to 1801, inclusive, were therefore only 9,246,963 dollars 29 cents. This last amount comprises all the expenditures of the year 1797, a year when the army was on a very reduced establishment, and before any measures, attended with expense, had been adopted to repel the hostilities of France. It also comprises all the expenditures of the year 1801, although the new army was disbanded in the summer of the year 1800, and though the expenditures since 3d March, 1801, have been made under the direction of the present administration.

The expenditures of the War Department, on a reduced peace establishment before the year 1798, may be estimated at one million two hundred thousand dollars per annum; this for five years would amount to 6,000,000 dols.

The extra expenditures of the War Department, in consequence of the preparations against France, therefore, amounted to no more than 3,246,000 dollars.

This last sum not only comprises the pay, subsistence and clothing of the new army, but all expenses of fortifications, magazines, the fabrication of cannon and other arms, and the purchase of military stores: the value of these objects may be estimated at one half of the sum last mentioned.

A part of the military stores were consumed in service: the residue, constituting a liberal supply compared with the quantity on hand in 1797, with all the other public property acquired by these expenditures, was delivered over to the present administration.

The first experiments for casting cannon were but partially successful, owing to a deficiency of skill in the country; it was even necessary to borrow cannon of the State of New York to equip the first frigate for sea. All difficulties were finally surmounted; and the cannon afterwards cast in the United States, were equal to any which could be imported, and were attainable in any quantities which were desired.

Manufactories of small arms were established, the productions of some of which rivalled those of the first establishment in Europe. The acquisition of this skill is solely to be attributed to public encouragement, and its value is not to be estimated in money.
In respect to the Navy Department:

the Committee state the whole expenditures from 1798, when the Department was established, to the 3d of March, 1801, at—

Dols. 9,681,313 73

Of which the Accountant has rendered to the Treasury, accounts to the amount of 5,810,661 98

Leaving, to adopt the expression of the Committee, "an unaccounted for, or unsettled balance of" 4,170,651 75

The expenditures of the Navy Department include the cost of the Navy, and its equipments, except cannon and a part of the military stores; also the cost of the navy-yards, stores and Magazines which came into the possession of the present administration. The only exception recollected, is in respect to three frigates, which, though nearly finished, were not equipped for sea when the Navy Department was established.

It is necessary that these facts should be known and well considered; they will certainly dispel many prejudices; they demonstrate that a great preparation of those expenditures: which have excited so much inquietude, have been for objects which the most sincere patriots of our country have deemed proper preparations for the public defence, even in periods of the greatest tranquility.

The sums which the committee represent as unaccounted for, or unsettled, are,

In the War Department, dols. 3,877,192 50

And in the Navy Department 4,170,651 75

The Committee, by adopting the expression that these sums were "unaccounted for, or unsettled," did not mean to suggest, that there existed any uncertainty respecting the situation of the accounts, or any doubt, whether the whole of these sums had been advanced for the public service.

[To be continued.]