Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASHINGTON

Friday, January 15, 1818.

The transactions of the House of Representatives yesterday were not of a kind calculated to amuse or perhaps interest your readers. It is true that gen. Harrison introduced the character of the great Kosciusko, accompanied with an encomiastic sketch of his life, his gallantry, his attachment at an early date to this country -- his zeal in the cause of liberty, his services to the cause of freedom in this country, and his noble but fruitless effort to establish it in his own; and this the general did for the laudable purpose of awakening the house to a sense of the merit of that illustrious commander, in order to obtain from them some remarked expression of their respect for that great man -- for which purpose he proposed a resolution that a committee should enquire and report what measures it might be proper to adopt to show the public respect for the memory of gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko, formerly an officer in our service.

The time has been when the bare mention of that glorious name would, like the lyre of Orpheus, have made the very beasts dance in ecstasy, and the huge elephant himself "wreathe his proboscis like in rapture." The time has been when, if it were for nothing but the appearance of the thing, any popular assembly in this country would have turned out at least one half of its members responding to a proposition to do that real patriot honor -- if honor indeed such a man any assembly could do honor; but every day that passes proclaims afresh the truth of Edmund Burke's assertion, that "the age of chivalry is gone, and that of sophisters, economists and calculators has succeeded." The proposition of general Harrison was laid in the most respectful silence on the table -- not a word was uttered, save by the honorable mover, in recognition of the Polish patriot; and every skull seemed as chap-fallen as that on which Hamlet lectures in the church-yard. The house could not properly do any thing, but certainly something in honor of Kosciusko ought to have been SAID.

But, come! we have something to recount worth patriots' talking of -- we have THE APPROPRIATION BILL.

This, which had engaged the time of the house all Monday, was then called up; and the question being put that the amendments made in it by the committee should be concurred in by the house, Mr. Mercer moved that it should be taken by ayes and noes, in order that he at least should stand acquitted by the public of having assented to the dangerous precedent which the striking out of the appropriations for brevet officers was calculated to establish. And now a conversation arose, in which the topics of yesterday were again urged. Mr. Ingham, Mr. Robertson and General Harrison were against the amendment -- Mr. Pitkin, Mr. Lowndes and Mr. Forsyth in favor of it. On the question being taken, there were
Ayes 130
Noes 30

This was a trial of the sense of the house upon the subject of military ascendancy -- and the issue is decisive. It is important in another and a constitutional point of view also -- namely, as a successful assertion of the right of the house of representatives to stop the accomplishment of any impolitic or dangerous measures projected by the other branches of the government, by the mere power of the people's representatives over the purse of the nation, and their competency to withhold supplies for any such measures as soon as they become aware of their tendency.

In both these respects, I regard the event as a propitious one; at the same time that I confess I regarded it at first as not very respectable; conceiving, till I was this day undeceived upon the subject, that the act of 1812 was mandatory upon the point of the brevet officers' title to pay.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time on this day.