Beginning with a discussion upon the salaries of the officers of the mint, the debate at once passed to the principle of appropriations.

The Federalists insisted that a discussion of the merits of establishments was not in order when the appropriations were under consideration; that the House ought not, by withholding appropriations, to destroy establishments formed by the whole legislature, that is, by the Senate and House; that the House should vote for the appropriations agreeably to the laws already made.

This view was sanctioned by practice.

Mr.Gallatin immediately opposed this as an alarming and dangerous principle.

He insisted that there was a certain discretionary power in the House to appropriate or not to appropriate for any object whatever, whether that object were authorized or not.