Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

From the New York Evening Post.

TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.

Since my address, on the subject of the Report of the Committee of Investigation, was committed to the press, I have discovered that after the rising of Congress, a second edition of that Report, with a number of documents annexed, was printed by order of the house of Representatives and distributed to the members of Congress. This fact, which has but lately come to my knowledge, appears to require from me a few observations, in addition to my former address.

The accounts open in the books of the Treasury appear in the statement which was transmitted to the Committee, under a new arrangement. Under the title "Domestic expenditures, of a miscellaneous civil nature," are included a variety of expenditures, which have hitherto been referred to distinct heads in the public printed accounts; among these are advances for the payment of military pensions, light houses, the mint establishment, and a loan to the city of Washington; also other advances, in consequence of special acts of Congress.

Some of the observations in my address, with reference to the accounts of the civil list, were made upon a presumption, that the ancient arrangement of the accounts had been continued. I do not mean to suggest that the new arrangement is an improper one, and I mention the fact, merely to prevent a misunderstanding of my observations. I, however, perceive no cause to retract the opinion, that the public will suffer no loss whatever in the payment of the compensation and salaries of the members of the legislative, Executive, and Judicial departments of every grade, from the establishment of the Government; and I am convinced, that a few thousand dollars will cover every loss, on a settlement of the accounts of the marshals, and most probably also, all the accounts comprehended under the new head, entitled "Domestic expenditures, of a miscellaneous civil nature."

The committee reported the expenditures for the Navy department, from the establishment of the Department in 1798, to the 31st of March, 1801, inclusively of the sum paid by the Treasury to individuals, as amounting to 9,981,313 dollars and 73 cents. An examination of the documents recently published, enables me to state, that this sum comprises the expenditures described by the committee to the 1st of January, 1802, nearly ten months after the commencement of the present administration. I was mistaken in considering the Committee as having reported the sum before mentioned, as comprising the payment made at the Treasury. It is a fact, that only a part of the payments made to individuals at the Treasury was included. The sum stated by the committee is however, erroneous, as it appears from the documents annexed to their report, that including all the advances made to individuals at the Treasury, and including the stock issued in payment of the vessels built by the contributions of the merchants, the expenditures for the navy Department to the 31st of March, 1801, amounted to no more than 9,643,455 dollars and 3 cents --there has, consequently, been an overcharge of at least 337,000 dollars.

The amount represented by the committee as "unaccounted for or unsettled," in the Navy Department appears to consist of balances on the books of the Accountant on the 1st of January 1802, being 4,170,651 dollars and 75 cents. The accounts to January 1802, include expenditures under the present administration exceeding the sum of 1,250,000 dolls. I am not able to ascertain the proportion of this sum, which remained unaccounted for, when the Report was made, but it must have been considerable.

In the enumeration of the principal naval agencies, that for New-York was omitted by mistake in the publication of my address, or by an error in the original copy. I request that my observations, in respect to the Naval Agents, may be considered as intended to include the agent for New-York.

The last publication of the Report, ought certainly to have comprised all the documents referred to by the Committee. I perceive, however, that the letter of Mr. Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury, dated March 2d. 1802, and the statements immediately connected with that letter, have been omitted. As this letter and some of the documents, are essentially necessary, to assist the public in forming correct opinions, on the subject of the report. It appears reasonable to expect an explanation of the causes, which have occasioned this omission.

OLIVER WOLCOTT.
Litchfield, Connecticut,
Sept. 15, 1802.

If my address is republished in the form of a pamphlet, I request that this communication, may be inserted as a supplement.
O. W.