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TO MATILDA.
THOUGH thine ey, as brilliants fparkie,
Though thy lips with rubies Tie—
Twee not lip, that vie with rubies
Nor thehiftreof thine eye,
That taught try Worn fir ft to sigh.
No, ’tii not that bright completion,
Rival to the uew blown rose,
Nor thy gently heaving bofoin,
Whiter than the defeeruling fnotva,
•For which my heart thus fondly glowe,
r Tis not all the witching gracee,
That aronnd thee ever play,
Nor thy voice, so fwectfy warbiiog.
Many a witlly pensive lay,
To chafe my moody carea away-
Charma ail ehrfe, far, far furpafnug,
Taught my bosom firft to ftgh,
A foul replete with virtue, honor,
Truth and fenftbility,
- And forrow-footliiug fympaihy,
Htu.ce have sprung those fuft ir. prrfHar.s,
Tender, conftanc and finecre.
Which for thee I fondly cherish,
Tormed rry future life to cheer—
More lov'd, more lovely, each fucccdirg year !
CONOR ESS.
• fJOt'SE OF KEPSKSEXTATtrEi.
Monday, November IS.
Mr. Poindexter, after a few preli
minary observations, exposing various
defects in the organization ofthe courts
ofthe Miffifippi territory, moved the
following resolution, which was adopt
ed ; and a committee appointed ac
cordingly conhlling of Messrs. Elliot,
Van Allen, Key, Howard, and Foin
dexter.
Resolved, That a commute be ap
pointed to enquire whether any, and if
any, what alterations are necelfary in
the aft, entitled “An aft for the ap
pointment cf an additional judge for
the Milfifippi territory, and for other
purpoles,” andallo in the aft entitled
4i An alt to allow jurisdiction in cer
tain cases to die territorial courts,’’and
that they report thereon by bill or o
therwise.
Mr. Barker moved the following
relolution, which was negatived, 50
to 4j.
Resolved , That the committee of
Commerce and Manufactures be in
llruded to enquire into the expedien
cy of granting a bounty on all fait
which ‘.hall be manufactured in the
United -States, and report by bill or
otherwise.
Mr. M. Clay moved the following
resolution, which was adopted, and a
committee appointed, confiding of
Meflrs. M. Clay, Thomas, Butler,
Dana, Chandler, Holms, and Dena.
Resolved , That a committee be ap
pointed to enquire whether any, and if
any, what alterations are needfary to
be made in the militia laws, and that
they report by bill or otherwise.
Mr. Dana laid he had a resolution j
prepared for the purpofc of calling the j
attention of a committee of this House;
to a fubjeit materially intereding to
the sovereignty of the nation; the com
mittee he wtlhed to inllrud was that
on aggressions committed in our wa
ters, Sic. but as he did not fee the
chairman of that committee in the
House, he should lay it on the table
and cal! it up when that gentleman was
p-efent.
The re fohuion laid on the table was)
SS follows
Resolved , That the committee, to
whom was referred so much of the
niellage of the President of the United
States as relates toTaggreffions within
our ports and waters, to vislations of
our jurisdiction, and to measures ne
, ceilary for tiie protection of our ports
and harbors, he mltruded to enquire
into the expediency of providing for
ill* employment of adequate force to
compel the immediate departure of
/uch foreign armed vcffels as may be
found remaining within the waters ol
the United States in dctiancc of any
interdictory proclamation duly tfiueo
by the Prehdent of the United States;
and that the committee have leave to
report by bill or otherwise.
Messrs. Howard, Jer, Morrow, and
each presented “petitions or reio
luttons rrfpcding port roads; which
were referred,
Mr. Holmes from the committee
of Claims made a report unfavorable
to the petition of Daniel Buck; which
was referred to a committee ‘of the
whole on the motion of Mjgflfetfk, and
‘orderedto be printed.
Mr. Findley moved forme order
cf the day on the report of the com
mittee of Eleftions on the contested
elcftion of Wrn. N'Crcery: Where
upon,
The House went into a committee
of the whole—Mr. Basset in the
Chair, on the (aid report. A motion
was made by Mr. Bibb, to amend the
tefolutior. by raaLingit read fubftantj
aily as follows :
Resolved , That Wm. McCreery is
duly elefted, agreeable to the laws of
Maryland, and is entitled to his feat
in this House.
Gn this motion a lengthy debate
took place, which was not solely con
fined to the amendment; but extend
ed to thefubjeftgenerally. Thefpeak
ers were MeiFrs. Bibb* Quincy, How
ard, Gardner, Gardenier, Upham, Nel
son, Findley, Holland, Sloan and
Key.
Tuesday, November 17.
Mr. Blount from the committee
to whom was referred so much of the
meflage of the President as relates to
aggreffioris, See. made a report.
The report commences wish ar. e:t
preflion of sensibility at the outrage
committed cn the Cbdapeake, dates
the receipt ol information relative
thereto from the fiaie and navy dc
pirtmentc, presents a general view of
the circumstances, observes that it
might be fa id to have been incontef
tibly proved that Wm. Ware, John
Strachan, and Daniel Martin are citi
zens of United States ; but the com
mittee add that they conceive it un.ne
celfary for them or the House, to go
into any enquiry on that part of the
fubjeft, as in their opinion whether the
men taken from the Chesapeake were
or were not citizens of the United
States, and whether the Chesapeake
was or was not within the acknowledg
ed limits of the United States at the
time they were liken the charaftcr of
the aft of taking them remains the
fame.
1- rom the foregoing fads it appears
to your committee that the outrage
committed on the frigate Cbefapeake
‘has been stamped with circumstances
| of indignity and insult of which there is
scarcely found a parallel in the hiltory
of civilized nations, and requires only
the fan&ion of the government under
color of whole authority it was perpe
| £r atcd to make it just cause of, if not
|an irrcfiftablc call for, inftantand fe
j vere retaliation. Whether it will re
jcei'. e that fandion or be disavowed
and declared an unauthorifed act of a
subordinate officer, remains to be de
termined by the answer which shall be
given to the demand of explanation,
that aniwer, now daily expeded, will
either f:nk the detestable ad into pi
racy, or expand it to the magnitude of
premeditated hostility against the fovc
reignty and independence of this na
tion, and until its true charadcr (hall
be fixed and known, your committee
deem it expedient to decline expres
sing any opinion 4s to the measures
proper to be adopted in relation to iu
But as other ads of aggrefiion have,
been committed within our ports and
waters by Britifii (hips of war, as weh. I
anterior as polterior to this, fome of
them manitelling the the fame disre
gard of our national rights, and I'cem
mg to flow from the fame contempt
for the authority of our laws, and espe
cially as the Biitifh squadron, of which
the Leopard was one, after being no
tified of the President’s proclamation
ordering them to depart from the U.
.'States, which they knew had been
published in conformity to an ad of
Congress, anchored within the Capes,
of Chesapeake Bay, & in that fmiation 1
icmaincd capturing-American vefiels
even within our acknowledged terri
torial limits, and fending to Halifax
for adjudication—-impressing Teamen,
on board American veffdsj firiug on
• - ,;■ . V
Veflels and beats c? all deipriptions
having occasion to pass near them in
pUrfuit of their lawful trade, and oc
casionally denouncing threats, ealeu
jated to alarm and irritate the good
people of the United States, particu
larly the inhabitants of Norfolk and
Hampton, all which fafts are fupftan
dated by the accompaying documents
No. 1 to 6, the committee are ofopin
ion that it is expedient to provide
more efreftually for the protection of
our ports and harbors, but not being
prepared to report fpecifkally on that
fubjeft, they ask further indulgance of
the house, and beg leave to submit
for their conuderaticn the following
rcfolution :
Resolved , That the attack cf the
Britilh fiiip of war Leopard on the U.
States frigate Chesapeake, v/as a fla
grant violation of the junfdrction of
the U. States, and that the continu
ance of the British squadron (of which
the Leopard was one) in their waters,
after being notified of the proclama
tion of the President of the U. States,
ordering them then to depart the fame,
was a farther violation thereof.
The report was referred to a com
mittee cf the whole on Monday. T ’
Wednesday, November 18.
Mr. Murnford presented the peti
tion of a number of merchants of the
city of New-York, dating, that owing
to ihe ambiguity of the law refpefting
the importation of copper, fome dif
ference of opinion had taken place a
mor.g the cclleftcrs of revenue, and
praying that the lav/ may be amended,
referred to the committee of Com
merce 2nd Manufaftures.
Mr. Holmes fa id he was indrufted
by the committee of Claims, to move
that they be difeharged from the fur
ther consideration of several petitions
and claims for compcnfation for ser
vices rendered during the revolutions
ry war, and to move that they be re
ferred to the committee appointed on
claims barred by afts of limitation occ.
Agreed.
Mr. Quitjcy said the House might
have oblerved that in the meffa;;; of
the President of the U. S. to Congress
delivered on the eyth of Oftober, j
there was an express referrence to a 1
certain proclamation interdifting our
pons and harbors to Britilh armed ves
fel.t, It v/as in Great Britain he urs
derftood, an universal parliamentary
rule that proclamations of this kind j
foould be laid before parliament; and j
in this country it had heretofore been |
the usual pratice. Jin the case of the*
proclamation of neutrality ifiued by
President Washington, in 1793, in his
firli communication to Congress, he
’aid it before them, and it was entered
on tne Journals. Circumstances cf.
however great notoriety, were not of-j
ncia! information on which they could |
est; but, were it so, he had not been i
able to find it in any papers he could
procure. Fie had expected it would;
have been conneftcd with the report |
of the committee on agg r ession?; but, I
as it was not yet befors'the House, he
moved the following resolution :
Resolved, That the President of die
U. S. be requested to cause to be laid
before this House, a copy of his pro
clamation interdicting our harbors and
waters to Britilh armed vefteis, See. 1
referred to in his message of the 27th
Oftober last. 1
Hr. Crowninfhield could not fee any neceflity
-or calling ior this paper. He well recollected
that the fVefident had issued proclamations on o
tner (objects which had never been laid before
the House. That issued in the cate of an aggref
-lon committed by Capt, Whitby, commanding
an armed fiup of Great Britain, had not been
trash-rutted to the House ; fb, in the case of the
famous confpircy of Mr. Burr, a proclamation
was issued at the time, and not laid before the
House, nor had the House thought necessary to
cad f#r these papers. They were before the pub
lic, and every member of the House mult have
perused them. Mr. C. wished his colleague to
ihewfome r.ecefiity for the present call ; for he
could fee none. The practice which had taken
place, mother ccuntries v/as not to govern them ;
w r ell have drawn a precedent from
the practice of France, Germany, cr any other
country as from Britain. Eefide 3> he ‘clouted
whether it was the practice there* ; it was well
wro-.'-n that under that government the king and
council “leg iilatetl in a variety of j'n Janets. Tii
citizens of this country had fuffered fevere’.y by
these measures. They legislated for neutrals is
this way, and property to an imtnenfe amount
had been taken from our merchants under thef*
orders, and Mr. C. did not know that their aft*
in such cases had been laid before the Parliament
or even called for. He should, however, have no
objection to the call in this instance, but that he
saw no neceflity for it. The gentleman might
perhaps not have seen the proclamation ; but it
was well known that it had been pubhfhed in a’,,
mofl all the papers in the unio*. It fu ft appeared
in a paper of this city, and he presumed was co
pied from that paper into the others. He h?
r>o doubt but the proclamation would be comrau.
nicated, or any other paper that might be called
for.
Mr. Alston fa id, it was certainly very mv.j
terial whether the resolution was adopted or not;
but it was certainly caufuig confidetable trouble
for nothing to fubrait such a resolution to the
House. The gentleman might have laid hie
hands on it in any paper pubhihed in the union.
Did that gentleman receive an official copy of the
proclamation for convening Congress at this
time ? If,he did, Mr. A. said he had an advin.
tage over him j for he Caw the proclamation in •
the tiewfpapersand came on in confequenge • s n d
if there had been any proclamation iffiied,Mr.
Q. could have found it ia the newspapers. He •
had an objeftion to this resolution because it was
going out of the way ; he had never before known
an inilance of a call upon the President for any
proclamation which he had not thought proper
to lay before them.
Mr. Quincy said he had cited the example o:
G. Britain, because that was the country front
whole parliamentary practice so many precedents
had been drawn. The proclamation of President
Washington, however, was publilhed in all the
papers on the continent, and yet the President
had laid it before Congress on the Ift day of the
Proceeding session. He would refer to the mode
in which it was presented, in order to convince
the House it had been heretofore dons. The
case was thus : The President of the U. 8. after
fome prefatory observations tells them that the
proclamation lai/1 before the House had been is.
Cued. Immeditaely after this, she journal fays, 2
menage was received from the President of the
U. S. enclosing a copy of the proclamation.—
The case in the prel'ent iuftance was of much
j more importance : he had no conception, before
he saw the report of the committee, but that ic
would be laid before them ; he had not conceiv
ed it possible that it would not be laid before
them in Pome way. It had been said that he
fliould give reafone for calling for it. He tho't
that in an important case like this the House
should know what was done. He had no ob
je'ddi.cn to the proclamation; but it contained
certain national principles to which they ought
to refer.
He wav st a Lfs to account for th appatj/wsr.,
which this motion received from forrie ocarters
of the House : it was itrpoffible it could be mad*
on any other grounds than a determination to
vote down at all events any queition that might
be moved, or ar.y enquiry that might be request
ed on the part of gentlemen of one defeription ia
the House, It teemed to him to be following
up the advice v/hich had lately been gives to
them through the channel of a paper printed in
this city, which was understood generally to
speak a demi-official language. I have before
rnc, (said he] the words in which this House
were a thor* time fiuce addressed in that paper,
by a person making obfervatior.s on a motion
which Mr. Q. had made, and which was nega
tived. Mr. Q. then read th.e following para
graph from the National intelligencer of !\overr..
ber 9 :
“ Let them weigh well the advice cf ah enemy
oefore they adopt it. Let them act, as they
have done in the present instance. Let them e>
j tertain no appreher kon on the score of popular
] ity, even though their adversaries fit odd found
j toefin 02 alarm, and declare themselves ia
patriotic ftraais the exclusive friends of the per
: pie. Let them remember that while their oppe
[ neats have ncthing to do but tc talk, they hist
I ts a a .”
j And was this the language in which thus
I House was to be addrefled through the medium
cf a ncwfpaper printed at their doors ? Was a
mere Printer to obtrude upon them his advirc
as to what ccurfe they were to pursue, in relatu a
to the interests of the nation, and to denounce 2
portion of the House as unworthy of notice or
confidence? He hoped not. But he could ac
count for the opposition which was now gireti
I to this motion front no other reafdVts ; for if %
proclamation of this kind had been issued, they
j ought to have it before them.
Hr. Q. said, he pofTeffed no intere&s dhT.-rsrt
from any other member of tire House ; and as* ’
fuming the right to which he was entitled, he
would ask for information wlien he had occ-v.ea
for it.
Mr. Crowninlhield felt much surprised at
what had been laid by the gentlemen lad up.**”
Had Mr.C. said any thing about-it, had he made
any allusion to what had appeatd in a revr-fpsper
in this city j the publication was math beiore he
had been able to arrive at this city, f Mr. Quin
cy here'remarked, he did not refer to him.j
Mr. C. did not know to whom he con'd refed
except to him or his iriend from North Carolina,
He had no intention to make any remark to.
hurt the gentleman’s feelings with refpeCl to Wh-i ‘
had appeard iu a new-fpaper of this city 1 but
what relation could that have to the fubjeft '* *’
der conlideration ?If the paper alluded-to had. 4
infringed any privilege appertaining to him a- 1 (
member of that House of which Mr. 0. fa'-* ,
he knew nothing, he !v>d his rAftiedy. ff o % [k-r-.
fonal.atttrc. the gentle mor. :>ad other nisans. o *