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‘CONGRESS.
HoV3E ‘T R I J-KKf-EMTATIV ES.
It day , January 10.
Mr. Gregs pfd’cnteff a me
jnorial from iundry inhabitants
of Vv’tifhing'on < oninv (dilmfct ‘
of’ Columbia) praying for a
repeal of vrhat is called the’
twenty dollar aft. Re Tried
to a felrffl commit ce o's three.
A “bill making provilion
sci the difppffal of die lections
of lands heretofore rriet ved for
the future difpoiiiion <>* con -
grefs,” was read twice and re
frired to a committee ot the
■wholeon Monday.
The “bill authofffing the
prefideut of die United States
to accept the forvice of a num
her of vohtnteft companies,not
exceeding 39 tbouGnd men,
v\ ?s read a thud time and pas
sed.
A (l hill fttppmmentarv to
,hc aft, entitled an ad making
provifiort for the redemption
c f t he whole of the public debt
of the United Status’’was icad
pti i ; d time —- Ibe ) eas
T ‘ays were called for on its pas.
sage.
Mr. AlHon was opposed to
the bill. He ronlidmd it as
an afTumption of the debt of
the United States, and cor.- ,
tended that it was utmeceflary
and improper to be thus lii.ll v
in paying off’ the national
debt-
Mr. Randolph fa id, that m j
this time the commiflioners <•*
rhe finking food were author
ifed to pmchafe ff'e old 6 pc’
cent, and deferred flocks, at
their nominal par—that is too
cents to the dollar. This bid
onlv prnpofes to new'tnodify
the Rock, so as to enable the
government to pay it off more
lpeedilv. He would put a
case which wind : com™ home
to the fimplcft number of tire
community ■■ Suppole a man
ihould give i bond for 1000
dollars, beating an intei.cfc of
cj per cent. Sc had it at liis op
tion to pay off t! is bond with
650 dollars ■ would any man in
tire U. State's hefi'ate, whether
to difeharge this bond by pay
ing down dollars, or to
leave it to his ci .Idpcn or exe
cute; 3 to pay P This was the
cafe* with the people of the U.
States. It was fell-evident that
fu . h an arrangement might he
made between t: e publpr a,.d
its creditors, as would tcod to
their mutual advantage.
The queffion wa then tak
er rod the bill pa ifed—.Ayes
•, cites 1
Elliot ohferved, that
e a low we; jir.ee, old.
h i 1 o the conlideiaticn of
:• Incite, a number of icltdu
a the iuhjetUofThe na
.V> defence. It.'had lot
. be plea lure of the hoofe
• r die in to a committee
of whole, and they w . re
■re j to lie on the table.
’.■■Vi.er.it ihould be ihe piea.
iu:c of the house to relume
the cor.fiderauon of those re.
iolutions, he (liould w:!h to
withdraw two 01 * thi c*e of
them. —He then gave notice,
that he would, n an opportu
nity offered, on Tuesday next,
move that the bouie cor.fider
the refoliitions, for ihepurpofc
of making Rich a dis olitic n oi
them a;, he had mentioned.
The houle went into com r
l,.itt<c of the whole on d.e bill
> (ulpend the c<>u. ercial it. r
cuuitc between the United
\s and certain pa* ts oi toe
\ of St. 1> oii:l igo.
Early vvitiiuiew the a-
1 met dmrnts he had offered
yefleidav, obfei ving, that ab
tho’ the law had been evaded,
he did not believe congress
could le-gftlate upon this fub
jedt, so as to provide for cases
where the evil principally cx r
isled.
The hill was ordered to have
a thud reading on Monday.
The house went into com
mince of the whole on the
“ bill *uthoiifing a giant of
lar.cl for the use of a hospital
at Natchez, allowing addition
al compensation to the judges
of the Mississippi territoty, and
extending the l ight of elective
franchife therein.” Alter lome
time I pent in considering the
bill, the committee role and
obtained leave to fit again.
‘The house went into com
mittee of the whole on the
“ bill providing for the lurvey
of the coaftsof the U. States.”
The commitee role, and the
hill was ordered to have a third
reading on Monday.
Mr. Randolph ohferved,
that in the meiFage of the Tie
fide 111, communicated at the
of the session,
it had been announced to the
house, that he had received in
formation that a number of
individuals had combined to
getlier and armed themselves,
contrary to law, for the j>ui
po:e of carrying on an expedi
tion againll Spain, and that
ce had thought u neccfFary to.
take nieafuf’es for fupprefung
the enterprize, and for tire ar
relling and bringing to jnffict
its authors and abates. So
long as the illegal movements
of those persons had been f up
poled to have been directed a
gainst a foreign nation altoge
ther, the honor of the United
Stales required immediate mea
fltres to he taker, for tile lup
preißon of the emerprize.
But every peribo would agree
with him in opinion, that . the
house felt a much more lively
indignation, on finding, that
the cutcrprize was not againll
a foreign nation, but, to sub
vert the union, and to ovsr
tur.i the liberties of the peo
ple. He had waited for fon.e
information on this fubjeS, in
formation of an official nature.
He had continued a iong time
in the belief, that as no such
information had been given to
th.e house, imperious reaions
did t-xi!!, which forbade its
communication. But the afpett
of affairs s: n the Mississippi was
such, thut he could not recon
cile it to his duty, as the inde
pendent representative- of a
bee people, to rest fliti'sfied
with die lute of indifference
and apathy with which the
lunffo had continued to fit for
6or 7 weeks. From the iu
formation he had been able to
coliefl, it the government ot
Spain had any connection with
this machination, (he was con
cerned, not as the defendant
but as the plaintiff. So long
as he could be induced to be
lieve, that by withholdingtheie
communications, the public in
tcu-il could be sci vcd, be fad
acq u i feted in havlngt he nr wit h -
! held ; but from appearances
on ;he MtlFiflipj it wou ! d
lee in tiiat the Rate of things ie
quired tlieproii.pt imerpoinr
011 of legitiiaiive autboiity ;
and Ire was now cl opinion that
no information in the piTfes r
Item of the executive ought
to tee wit hire Id 1. oin the
house. liut he had Id modi
fied the motion :e was ;>out
to lubn.u, as to do aw av any
oppcliuon. It did p r: e ;> i.v.t
from the ne w spacers, but Tom
a muchlrighcr authority, fioin
evidence taken before a com
mittee of the Legiflatute of
Kentucky, that Spain has in
celFantly labored, fincc the year
1783, to detach the Weflein
Country from the union—that
she had withheld the (l.ipilla
tion for the treaty of San Lo
renzo II Keai—that ihe did
make piopofitions of a molt
faithlcls nature, in order to
miflcad influential charaOers
that she neve;, had, nor
never would, loie fight of that
object, so long as she has the
hopes of finding Ihe inatetials
that she has found those
materials, which were in ope
ration, and at the moment,
peihaps, when he was addrel
img the house, the fate of (he
wellevn country might be de
cided upon, at. lea it foi a time.
This offered another reafen to
jollify the policy advocated
loft \c.r which had been so
highly condemned. lie had
been informed, that the other
branch of the legislature were
now debating upon the means
of carrying that policy into ef
fect, which had been id much
despised. [Mr. R. was here
called 10 order.] He then
said, he would not fay another
word about it.; but he would
fay. that a bill had just palled
the houle, authorifing the pre~
ftdent to accept the Services of
a number of volunteers, not
exceeding So,ooo men; and
lie haei underttood that a mem*
her of ‘he Committee who
framed the bill, who was con
nected dr domed icated with the
fccictary at war, did atiually
make a pretpofftion lubifanti
i aiiy Lhe fame os the one offer
ed lafl session—he meant the
proportion for incieafing the
military fore* Could any
man doubt, (said Mr. R.) that
if the government of the Unit
ed States, had lad session taken
a manly and decided attitude
in regard to Spain, if it had,
mltead of giving us pen ar.d
paper, gwen us arms, Spain
would have bce/i overawed, Sc
dome (tie conspiracies flopped
! arid citifhtd ? Would any man
| have it. earned, that any attack
j ever would have been con
j templdted on N. Orleans if a
1 Ifroiig military force had been
I .cnt to the neighbouring coun
j ; <y 1 But what did w ; e hear
| then ? \V'. heard (he laid) of
j money—of dollars anl cents.
J Could any man doubt (he ask
. cd) that the saving of the’ cam
| pnign on the Sabine, the saving
) of the hasty measures taken by
j the America o general, at his own
responsibility, svoukl not have
been equal to the expence of
raisi. g an army sufficient to pro
j iect that country f On the princi
! pie of economy, therefore, the
I people of the IJ. States would
; Have been gainers. A speculator
j of the state of affair* in this coun
’ ti\ ; who might not he in the
j habit ot reading the public pa
pers or of communicating with
| individuals out of doors, but
. drawing It:> ideas ot the state of
j the country from the proceeding
■ of the present session would nat
j urally infer, that we never did
j enjoy a greater degree of tran
quillity than at the present time :
and w hat was the tact? The U
nut t -ktate* ate riot ouly threat
eneci wi;!t foreign invasion but
with domestic con.motion the
more dangerous, because its ex
tent is ?o little known, i ct (:.aia
Mr. R.) we adjourn and a.., and
sic and atijourr.—; i -y our books,
like sellout boy s—tiu as we arc
h;d, and as .no questious. lie
concluded by re mat king, that the
youngest me inner oi tt.c federal
..t.nii,, (stuie of h,d done
1 lo.elt hoitol, while the elder Sls
tt:>, wci sieeping and dozing
bUu i m u*iu
A’r. Per dr T i l U r HTcittTthe
ftelfov ing r- .-rdmion :
j Resolved, That the Presi
dent of the United Stares he and
•heherrbv is directed to lay be
fore d'e h< use anv information
in possession cf the executive,
except such as he may deem rhe
public welfare requires rot lo be
disclosed touching any illegal
combination of private individu
als against the peace and safety
of the union, or any military ex
pedition planned by such indivi
duals against the territory of a”
ny power in amity with the Unit
ed States ; together with the
measures the executive has pur
sued, and purposes to take, for
supprfs*ing or defeating the
same.”
Mr. Chandler. I believe I pro
posed to the committee an addi
tion of men to each company, and
also proposed that the President
should be authorised to receive
more men it needed; but such
propositions neither came from
nor were known to th* secretary
at war.
idr. Alston. I have no belief
that Spain has committed, or in
tends to commit any attack 011
u. Ihe attack if newspapers can
be believed, is to be made from
our own citizens-—when the Pre
sident thinks proper, he will give
all necessary information to (he
house.
What was the amount of the
resolution for raising men last
winter but a declaration of war ?
—and if you had agreed in the
resolution you would have had
officers ns ®nce heretofore, but
not men.—A few days hence
perhaps it may be proper, hut f
see no necessity at present.
Mr. j. Clay. Newspaper in
formation is not that on which
we ought to rely. When the trea
ty of peace cf 1783, was on the
tapis in Paris, the Spanish minis
ter used his endeavois to p. r
suade our ministers to cousent to
make ihe Alleghany mountains
the boundary of the U. S. that
has still been the favorite object
ever since.—Eithera late Span
ish minister is the dupe of the
conspirators, or concerned with
thorn.
Mr. Harwell spoke in favor of
the resolution.
Mi. D. R. Wdiiams asked for
the Ayes and Noes.
Mi. Masters—Spain has re
fused to rccal her minister—eve
-1 y thing evinces the disposition
cl mat nation—lt is time to act,
let U 6 get ail the information that
can be procured.
Mr. Smiiie. The resolution
betrays a w.-.nt of confidence ; is
the executive incapable of judg
ing what is necessary, and will
hv not give all necessary & time
ly information, and call for
means, if wanted i
Mr. Holland opposed the re
solution,
Mr. Findley moved to post,
pone the further consideration till
Monday.
Mr. Lloyd was in favor of the
resolution.
Mr. Alston wished to wait the
arrival ol another mail from the
westward before any thing fur
ther should be done—How is
the President to give us all the
information J suppose men in
New.York or Philadelphia, or
elsewhere, are concerned n this
conspiracy, the information he
will give will enable them to es
cape. or act with more caution $e
security.
Mr. Holland again spoke a
gainst the resolution.
Air. Dana asked for the read
ing of U'*e journal of the House
relative to a 1 < q le-t to the Pusi
dent to lay before the house in
formation concerning a treaty
made with Algiers—also relative
to instruction* the president
might have given the envoys to
France in I“S3.
Mr. G. W. Campbell opposed
the resolution as useless. What
ever was the object of any con
spiracy it is now destroyed, or
already carried into effect. lie
comb ated the idea that had
troops been raised last session
any b.ncfit would have accrued:
Tim conspiracy could nQ t have
been foreseen.—-Whatever con
‘p’,,?fV *W nw , ■
■ have no evidence of •, ‘ ‘ S
dangerous , 0 ,h.
I'.avr UOivUrnr,. •’ m
amount of? 000 0 h a ’"W
whh*he man who U
the author of , hat
Vvno in the western
citizens there ever a^not r I
the purposes snpnosed’
t*: eround for *^;J
Mr. Randolph. I
that this conspiracy ; s ( | ( ‘■
or has succeeded to “ a ' ( H
bn, if it may ha-e SII ,
in part can it not ,'fl
The newspaper J
which h c .. alluded. f e ~. h fl
was the authentic nro 0 f 5 v M
trial ol Judge S-U , s r i;in ( ’. f ■
disposition of t! ie SiiMnisli
tilian honor and f 4me a ’ re ‘U
more. Spain, vvhi! c tr fa / n( , *
one)u.nd, was prcp;iri ; ,„ „( ’■
us vvith the other, .fl
been the treatment of t |,.
uh minister ? Why h-.. iff ■
been sent home ? Wh-n J
da hatj gone, ho w
his complaints St inq u ; r i„ [M
hear no complaints or
now made by him. N\, v ,v, *■
is the object, and can
whether or not he is rc,
of 15 v-nmcrnnlM
Clone circumstance M r p ■
lie thought he had sllcinnul
dunce. He believed if M
conspirator* should au .; Vf a ,
ton Rouge before our u on! B
jrNcw-Orleans m u<>t f v M
wished uor such nn “ nniai <1
honest men” to take D o
of the key of the Mi oi-ippi anl
slut the cloor in r>ur fue—
was not disposed t > triumpkl
though he had ample crane,-■
would be no grjttifiratioii io hlil
to triumph in the do'g* ace cf
country—He had had lie I
hand in those acts of cmivioß
or of commission, which lul
hi ought us to the present dull
trous state He had urpectfd, lul
foretold, the danger of Iniinß
the Delta cf the IMistiisippiß
he kne w not who the modtrl
Cataline would bf, but c-cs.cteJ
there would be such—Yet tbl
house seemed in ?. state (.fiiidifl
ference or iner.ib< l:tv, or infl
ro economical the* .v r.a'cUrf
ness of soul enough to afford thl
purchase of a key 10 ■Ail
strong box—they pursued nal
row , an unaccountable pohcv-B
YV hat wcuild have be t n tor feel
ings of this house if the llridl
forces were now scov.rin? thl
lakes, were along the 45th dl
gtee of latitude, within ourfol
tiers ? What, if the British nf.nß
■••■ter had been ordered liomeanß
his court had continued hitfl
here : stuck him under the nosH
clour executive ? The fetiiitjß
and the measures nf this liousß
would be very different d' ol *
what they ought to be Bulb
what they are not. I
i he resolution had been
to betray a want of confidence>■
the Executive; he must be indiijH
ged in the cultivation of a sctptiß
cal philosophy ; he should judM
in politics as in religion, by w.ulß
not by faith—he would notmorj
gage his conscience to ti *
cutive in that manner, btit >■
principle was wrong; the
were euiitlccl to infurntaiion -1 V
was their duty to obtatp it. I
Mr. It. here adverted ta a lull
that moment received horn
Senate, increasing the tr.iiKit®
peace establishment. R “' as °|
no consequence v/heth.era
were called of the war esubud'B
mentor of the peace
ment, provided the icuce werec
ficient; many gentlemen
ready to increase the p - c cSti l
Llishment for war. Re t>' u)U l
suppose, ihat for a peace e-'.ij
blishment the fewer men thebe*
ter-—He wished an ‘lb ‘ t:l | rt J
gularlo.ee, not the shew 01 0, ;l
wiffvo it ihe resitf; n fjt
frUgex Cinsutncre, but tododjj
—He bad as much confident I
any gentleman, in the nU l!ia I
home, but not abroad- i"- * ■
litia of Vermont, or of ‘b e ‘(j
tern rut- s, are no mon fi 0 J
fend New-Orleans than
of Good Hope, it auddeoh
tucked. t .J
Mr- Smiiic was cppo*ed !) |
resolution; lie coiiSide' e “ J
n 1 r (; 141)1
coaspuacy, u any, a* I