The United States oracle of the day — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-02-08 00:00:00, page 2

French Affairs continued
Amongst the deputies arrested, are Dormont,
Mitre, Poulain-Grandpre, DeJlrem, Frifon, Docbe
(of Lille) Le Merys, Marquefy, ®uirot, and Mute.
Santone and Lebois are arrested.
PARIS, NOV. 12.
The firft duties of the " Consuls of
the Republic" are, "to organize all
the parts of the Administration, to re
eftablifli internal tranquillity, and to
procure a solid and honorable Peace."
The municipalities of Paris continue sus
pended.
Cohier, the Director, has retired to his own
house.
Nov. 15. Talleyrand; Polne,&. Raderer are to
compofc the new Council of State.
Two millions were yesterday taken to the
public Treasury before three o'clock, and two
more are promised to day.
' PARIS, DEC. 8. Lebien Buonaparte, when he
was brought out of the Council of Five Hun
dred by the grenadiers, mounted on horseback,
and harrangued the troops.
He laid they muff go and clear the Hall,
for most of those who remained were not Re
paefentatives of the People, but Representatives
of the poignard.
Santerre, so well known in former periods
of the revolution, made an attempt to ralfe the
Fauxbourg St. Antoine in favour of Moulins
and the Jacobins. Buonaparte being informed
of it, sent a message to Moulins, faying, " You
Shall be answerable for the conduct of Santerre ; 1
and if the fellow himfelf ventures to stir, i
will order him to be shot."
One ofthe firft aftsof the new Consuls of
France, we learn, was the liberation of the
American prisoners confined therein.
Manbeim, No?. 14. The Proclamation of
the General, announcing the changes which
had taken place in France, has been published
here : the Army received it with transports of
joy, and the cries of Lone live the Republic, and•
Long live Buonaparte continued the whole day.
Paris, Nov. 22. The Consuls seem deter
mined to follow, with regard to Neutral Ships,
a course more regular and more agreeable to
the Laws of Nations than hashitherto prevailed.
The excesses of Privateers will be restrained,
who at present, capturing every thing they find,
drive away from our Ports supplies of many
necessary articles. The consulate have given
orders to the different roiniflers to make a, re
port upon the fubjed without delay. Some
individuals may be losers by this return to jus
tice ; but it is the inteteft of the nation to be
faithful to Treaties, and not break off our com^
•mercial intercourse, which is now carried on
gltirely by Neutral Powers.
the Two Councils have been expelled.
The Legislative authority is now inveft
rl in Two Committees of 21 members
eam'
PARIS, nov. io.
ABOUT io o'clock Gohier, Barras,
& Moulins called for the command
ant of the 17th division, that he might
give an account of his conduct to the
IDiredory : His answer was, that he no
longer had the command of the 17th
division ; that it was under theordersof
Gen. Buonaparte, from whom he had
just been receiving inftrudions pursuant
to the decree.
At'eleven o'clock Barras sent in his
resignation, and Buonaparte gave or
ders for a detachment of dragoons to
efcorc him to Gros Bois; where he h^d
exprefled a wiffi to retire. 7 '" .@
On quitting the council ofElders,
Buonaparte met B^ttot, 'Barras's Sec
retary, who seemed to have'' come, to
intercede for the Ex-DireiffoY. The
General talked to him forU felv infants
in private. He then addressed him in
such a manner as to be heard by those
around him. l
" What have you done with that
France which I left you in so brilliant a
situation ? " said rthe hero of France,
" Yesterday I left you Peace and I
found War—l left you Vidory and I
found Defeat—l left you the millions
of Italy, and Ifoundafyflem of Plunder
and Misery. Where are those brave
Men, those hundred thousand comrades
"whom I left covered with laurels ?—
What are become of them ? This state
of things could not last. In three years
it would lead us to despotism ; but we
will have a Republic founded upon the
basis of Equality, of Morality, of Civil
Liberty, and Political Toleration. Un
der a good AQminiftration, every body
will forget the Factions to which they
belonged, and will become good French
men. It is time to restore to the De
fenders of the Country that confidence
to which they have so good a claim—
If the Factious are to be believed, we
Should all become Enemies of the Re
public ; we who have eftabliffied it by
©ur labours and our courage. We do
not want men more Patriotic, than those
who have been mutilated in the service
of the Republic. I shall be accused,
perhaps of aspiring to dominion, —
What a crown of Iron would that be,
which I should obtain ; if I was crimi
nal enough to aspire to it, £ should have
employed other means.—One hundred
thousand men would be facrificed in
war. They will live, and France shall
have peace—wait then with confidence
the great measures which the Legisla
tive Body is about to take—Do not
fuffer yourselves to be milled by those
wretches who have overwhelmed you
with so many calamities. The resto
ration of our Constitution, attacked on
the Republic purified from persecu
tions, from afflictions and fufferings
will fill die illustrious place which Prov
idence has aligned it."
One hundred and fifty members of
Citizens Barras and Moulins have been
arrested, charged with having attempt
ed to usurp the sovereign authority,
and to divide the Republic. The two
Directors offered to divide the Repub
lic with Buonaparte, but the General
refufed.
all sides, will remove all doubts, and
Itis generally expeded here, that all
the Ruffian troops will be .recalled, in
a niafs by Paul I. The proclamation
to all the States of the Empire, which
he has sent to the court of Vienna, and
the Diet of Ratifbon, and by which he
declares that he will withdraw his
troops from Germany, if the States,
whose cause he is defending, do not se
cond him with their whole power, was
published before the defeat of the Ruf
fians in Switzerland, appears to be a
prehide to a measure that will leave the
Emperor.to : defend himfelf with his
own forces.
auusßurch/nov. 9.
Suwarrow appears to be inflexible
in the resolution, he has announced of
remaining inactive, till he has reteived
frelh orders from his Emperor. It is
easy to explain his motive. I have just
parted from a military Gentleman, who
has had a long conversation with this
General, in which the latter disclosed
to him the entire cause of his anger.
This conversation has been detailed to
me. The following is the precise ten
or of it, though I cannot answer for the
very words:—
" I have quitted Itally (said Suwar
row) sooner than I expe&ed ; but I
have aded in conformity to a plan
which I had adopted, from confidence
more than conviftion. I had laid down
before hand the plan of my march to
Switzerland. I passed St. Gothard, &
overcame every obstacle in'my way.
I arrived at the day appointed at the
place where I was to have been joined ;
yet every one failed me. Instead of
finding an army in good order, and in
a good position, I found no army at all.
The position of Zurich, which ought
to have been defended by 60,000 Au
strians, was abandoned to 20,000 Ruf
fians. This army was in want of pro
visions. Hotze Buffered himfelf to be
surprised. Korfakow allowed himfelf
to be beat. The French remained
masters of Switzerland ; and I found
myfelf alone with my body of troops,
without artillerv, without provisions,
without ammunition, and obliged to
retire among the Grifons to rejoin the
routed troops : no part of the promises
I received were fulfiled. "An old
soldier, like myfelf, may be tricked once
but he must be a fool, indeed, if he
Buffers himfelf to be duped the second
time, I can now enter into no plan of
operations likely to produce advantage.
I have sent a courier to Peterfbdrg.—
I shall let my army rest ; nor shall I take
a single step without the orders of my
Sovereign."
In tlie course of the conversation, he
expressed other motives of discontent at
the ghdud of the Austrians. Their
Generals, instead of following the fame
political conduct, and supporting the
proclamations by which Suwarrow an
nounced to all It,y the intention of the
Coalesced Powers to restore to every
Prince what had been taken from him,
and of re-ellablifhing in every country
the authority and the forms of its an
tient Government, ereded the Imperi
al Eagle on the gates of every city of
the King of Sardinia recovered from
the French.
When Suwarrow arrived at Lindau,
he was in a state of fury, the emotions
of which he could not dissemble ; but
he was seldom fecn : he remained shut
up in his chamber, without fuffering
any one to approach him : he would
not even allow an officer to be presented
to him who had been sent with a mes
sage from the archduke Charles. He
continued in this way some days.—
The violent bursts of passion to which
he gave way when any one approached,'
induced a belief that he was really out
of his mind. He abruptly quitted
Lindau, without communicating his
design to the Archduke. This retreat,
if is said, exposed the fafety of the Auf
trrah posts who guarded that fide.—
He afterwards wrote to the Archduke,
that he meant to eftablifhhis army be
hind the Lech, where he should wait
the final orders of his Court. The
Archduke having represented to him
that this position would embarrass the
operations of the rear of the Austrian
army, and particularly the head quar
ters of that army, which were intended
to be removed to Augfburg— Had they
rather, replied Suwarrow, that IJbould
retire to Bohemia ?
) PARIS, DEC. 2.
The late accounts from Switzerland.
state, that there has been concluded a
suspension of arms for three months be
tween the Archduke and General Maf
fena. A French Officer, Maffena's Aid
de camp, brought this news to Arau.
Yet, adds our correspondent, this trea
ty will not be published till it is rati
fied by the Governments of Austria
and France. We wait the confirmation
Articles refpeding Military Op-
PARIS, DEC. 3<
There is some talk to-day, of fisppreffing the
Office of the Great Elector, and of the two Con
fujs revocable at his pleafurc,and to fubftitnte
itfr place of them, Three Consuls, appointed for
ten years, but re-eligible after that period.—
The firft of these three is to be called First Con
sul with a permanent Presidency, and a prepon
derating and decisive voice, a diftindt palace,
and a more confidcrable revenue than his two
colleagues, whom, however, he is not to have
any power to fupercede,
The Coqfuls have erased from the Lift of
Persons whom they had sentenced to be confin
ed by their Decree of the 17th ult. the name
of Jourdan of the Upper Vienne.
erations.
" In my last letter I had the honour of ac
quainting your Lordship, that in consequence of
information having been received that a large
detachment of the enemy was coming from the
fide of Savoy, the army made a movement to its
right. The French having taken Pigncrol and
Sufa, and having advanced to Salucco, threat
ening our compunication with Turin. Gen.
Melas thought it negeffary to march still farther
to his right ; and a camp was chosen between
Bra and Foffano.—Thefe operations, when con
ne&ed with the system of defenfe only, upon
which this army had so long been a&ing, deceiv
ed the French into a belief that the Austrians
were in full retreat. The evacuation of Mon
dovi, which was determined upon for the pur
pose of adding a very considerable force to the
army, confirmed still more this opinion. Elat
ed with these hopes, they advanced on all points,
and on the 3d took possession of Savigliano.
On the 4th the enemy marched in three col
umns to attack the Austrian army. The firft
column marched from Savigliano by Marenne,
the second by Genola, and the third marched
to the attack of Foffano, which had been put in
a state of defence, and was occupied by a con
siderable garrison. It happened that the Aus
trian army moved with the fame intent, at the
fame time, and in the fame number of columns,
and upon the fame roads. Lieut. Gen. Ott
commanded the right column, Lieut. General
Elfnite the centre, and Major-Gen. Gotterlhiem
the left. The two armies met at Marenne and
Genola. It was not til) after a very severe en
gagement that Gen. Ott obliged the enemy to
fall back from Marenne; a part retired to Ge
nola, and a part to Savigliano. Gen. Ott pur
sued the enemy to the latter place, where he
took three cannon and above one thousand pris
oners. The column of Gen. Elfnitz, that was
destined for the attack of Genola, met with a
much more formidable refinance. The action
lasted for several hours, and it was not till the.
arrival of the column of Gen. Ott from Savig
liano upon the rear of the French that victory
declared in favor of the Austrians. The two
columns immediately proceeded in pursuit of
the enemy: Gcn. Ott by Villa Fallctre, Gen.
Elfnitz by Valdigi. The army halted at night
at Centalo. The column of Gen. Gotterfheim
repulsed the French from Foffano to Murrezo.
It will appear furprizing that while our army
was at Centalo, a division of the French army
remained between Murazzo and Ronchi with
the Stura in their rear, over which there was
no bridge. Early in the morning of the sth,
the army marched in two columns to Ronchi
and Murazzo. The enemy surprised, made no
refinance, and 200 prisoners were taken with
out any loss. It appears that the French army
was completely defeated, and that this division
was left there without orders. The Austrians.
have made in the two days above 3000 prison
ers. The army being extremely fatigued, re
mained at Ronchi; but this morning Gen. Me
las having determined to follow up his success
with the greatest vigour, the army marched in
two columns, one upon the intrenched camp of
the Madona del Almo and the other upon
Cafaglia ; the enemy retreated every where up
on bur approach ; it is reported that the French
are retiring over the mountains.
It is impossible to do jufticc to the valour and
perseverance of the Austrian army. The ope
rations of the army prior and subsequent to this
affair, when considered in a military point of
view, entitle the Commander in Chief to the
admiration of the whole world.
FRENCH OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
Head-quarters, Coni, Nov. 5.
" On the 4th of November, at day-break, the
two divifiods of Vi&or and Grenier prepared to
attack.—At the fame infant the enemy, who
had collected all their forces in the night, ad
vanced against them.—Gen. Vi&or, eftablilhed
under Foffano, sustained with firmnefs the at
tack of a part of the Austrian army, and also
the fire from the place, while the other half ad
vanced against Gen. Grenier, at Genola and
Carigliano, and continued a terrible fire along
the whole line. The cannonade, the fire of the
musketry, the charges of the cavalry and with
the bayonet, soon strewed the whole field of
battle with killed and wounded. It was in this
confufion that French valeur flione in all its
luftre.—The 3d and I 7th light infantry receiv
ed the charges of the cavalry within pistol ffiot.
The 93d and 105th were charged three times,
and the latter, for fix hours, flood firm, under a
most terrible fire from the enemy and the place.
Gen. Richepenfe, at the head of the cavalry,
took a piece of cannon and two hundred priso
ners. Charles Odarion, General of the enemy's
artillery, was killed. The Chief of Brigade,
Cordon, the Chief of the 13th light infantry,
Caffange, displayed great courage. The Chief
of the brave 17th light infantry, Croifier, one
of the old heroes of Rivoli, who joined his corps
in the evening, received a mortal wound.
, “ The enemy, availing themselves of the su
periority of their forces, attempted to extend
themselves beyond our left. This division took
a position at Centralo, and the division of Vic
tor at Murazzo and Ronohi.—The loss of the
enemy is very considerable. Gen. St. Cyr has
obtained the most brilliant fuccefsat Bofca,Beze
luzzo, and Pafturena. He took 2000 prisoners,
including 300 cavalry, and three pieces of can
non.—The result of these different engagements
has given us the important advantage of now
occupying the whole country situated between
the Stura and Tanara, and Mondovi. The ene
my have loft 3920 prisoners, 16 pieces of can
non, their military chest, and a great number
of officers, besides a General and a Colonel kill
ed. (Signed) L. G. SUCHET,
General of Division, Chief of the Etat-Major-Gru.
“ MY LORD,
Accounts were received yesterday from Gen.
Kray, chat he had attacked the enemy near
Alexandria, had obliged them to retire to Poz
zolo Formigoio, with the loss of loco prifon
ci,. I have the honour to be, &c.
, W. BENTICK.
London Gazette, nov. 15, 1799.
GOVERNMENT has received Dispatches
from Commodore Trowbridge, dated Ci
vita-Vecchia, Oft. 5, announcing that he had
accepted a capsulation of the French General
Garnier, 'by which the latter agreed immediate
ly to evaluate the Roman State. He had al
ready taken pofTefliem of Civita Vecchia, Cor
neto and Tolfa, and had sent off near 3000
French.—Gen. Bouchard took possession of
Rome, about the fame time. All public pro
perty is to be restored.
of this news, which will be the best
proof that negociations for peace are a
bout to be entered upon between the
Cabinet of Vienna and the French Re.
public.
@^,French & English Accounts
of the Battle at Foffano.
©^Surrender of Rome, Civita-
ENGLISH OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
Vecchia, &c.
Head-Quarters, Cen talo,
Now. 6, 1799.
The latest accounts from the armies in Ger
many, near the Rhine and Necker, bring noth
ing of importance. It appears, however, that
the Austrian troops continue to obtain some ad
vantages, and have pursued the French in a late
adlion, from Necker-gemund, as far as Heidel
berg. The French appear likewise to have been
forced to abandon all their positions in the neigh
bourhood of Bruchfal, and ir. the Duchy of Wir
temberg.%
In the Grifoij country, the Austrians have
been forced to give way, and cross the Rhine
near Reichenau.
THE Vienna Court Gazettd, of the 13th of
November, contains a supplement extraordina
ry, dated the 11th, which gives an official rela
tion of the affairs in Italy, of the 31st Odober,
some particulars of which appeared in our last
number, in a communication from Milan. Not
withstanding the Austrians and every disadvan
tage of ground, they fought with such bravery
as to defeat the French on all sides, and, had it
not been for a most precipitate retreat, the ene
my would have been completely routed. The
French left 1,000 killed and wounded on the
field of battle, and 800 of their troops, with four
pieces of cannon, fell into the hands of the vic
torious Austrians.
Dire& accounts from Italy report a victory,
still more Complete than that above mentioned,
to have been gained by the Austrians on the ad
inst. when Gen. Kray drove the French as far
as the Bochetta, with the loss of 30C0 men.
Apprehensions being entertained id Tyrol of
the French penetrating once more into that
country from the Grifons, the brave inhabitants
have again been called upon by a proclamation
of the Government, to rife with their wonted
courage and patriotism in the defence of their
frontiers.
The reflation of sickness has produced a most
striking effect on the soldiers ; their ardour and
desire to preserve Malta are at their height.
The garrison I dare assure you is inestimable. M.
de Nazza, the chief of the Portuguese squadron,
and Alex. Ball, a Captain of a ship, who com
mands the English, has summoned me repeated
ly. I answered like a republican. At length
they demanded an interview with me: I re
fle&ed ; I saw on their part only a mark of
weakness, a desire to seduce me, and to tell us a
thousand absurdities about the war in Italy. I
thought that, to make this circumstance turn
to their confufion, I might confcut to it, receive
them in the midst of^y fluff, in a fort where
they would fee nothing, with the gate open,
and stun their ears with the acclamation of the
soldiers, crying : “ Malta or death! We will
rather perish all on the ramparts, than capitu
late !" In short, I fucceedod to my wish ; they
were not able to utter a word of what they in
tended to fay ; we overloaded them with po
liteness. However, to return, they were oblig
ed to go through a double line of soldiers, cry
ing out, as loud asthey could, and invitingthem
to attempt the assault. The garrison of the
town echoed these cries, the drones beating
Ca ira, and the whole without being arranged,
and through enthusiasm.
We shuddered on hearing of the difaflers in
Italy, but it only excited our patriotism. The
disposition of the people is improving here; I
shall employ all my efforts to keep it up. The
service is extremely fatiguing ; but no volun
teer has made the lead complaint. The im
portance of Malta is felt ; and I hope that this
place will continue to be defended with the
greatest courage.
The Archduke's head-quarters were still at
Donauefchingen on the 6th. The French Re
mained quiet on the left banks of the Rhine,
and the idea of an approaching armistice is not
yet given up. —The Austrians still continue to
Occupy the positions, which the Ruffians have
lately quitted, on the frontiers of Switzerland. -
PARIS, Nov. 14.
Previous to the late happy revolution, the
Jacobins had made an arrangement for putting
in execution the following measures, had they
succeeded.
The two Councils were to meet in, and form
a Convention.—They were then to Decree, as
follows:
ift Decree. —Sentence of death against two
members of the Directory, 4
2d Decree. —Buonaparte outlawed.
3d Decree. —All the members of the two Com
mlflions of the Infpcdors of the Councils guil
lotined.
4th Decree. Garreau to be Commander of
Paris, Jourdan of one half of the suburbs, and
Santerre of the other halfi x
sth Decree. —Purification of the representa
tion. All toe Aristocrats excluded from the
Councils.
The order given by them to one another, at
parting was—The union of the Deputies at!
Toulouse, and of the brethren able to bear arms+
in the Vendee—A protestation against the I„e J
ads, with an invitation to the departments to'
federalife.
They relied upon the majority of the Direc
tory : Gohier put them in the fecret.—Barras
having promised to deliver Sicyes to them (they
thought themselves so sure of the success of
their plans, that they would not pen receive
Sicyes from the hands of Barras) a great num
ber of ruffians had arrived, and were still ar
riving from the departments.,
A London paper fays, the Emperor
of Russia lately presented Field Marshal
Suwarrow with his pidure sent in bril
liants, accompanied by the following
billet :
" My likeness hanging from your
breast will fliew to the whole world
how fara sovereign acknowledges the
great achievements that have added
fplendour to his Government."
MALTA, OCT. 20.
WE are blocked up by sea by four Portu
guese and 3 English ships of the line, two
frigates, two corvettes, and two brigs ; some
English troops, and the inhabitants besiege us
by land.—They have greatly slackened their
fire ; now and then, however, theythrow bombs
and howitzers, which are chiefly directed a
gainst the ships, which they endeavour to de
stroy, but which, by the precautions we have
taken, have not, hitherto, beta injured. We
have rendered the works of the fortifications
easy for the service.—The General of artillery,
d'Hennezel, and Captain Bollot, have perform
ed surprising works in the arsenal, in repara
tions and new conftrudions.
e^OF MALTA.
Paris, nov. rj.
Letter from General Vaubois, Commander in chief
in til iJlandr of Malta and Goze, to tie War
Milifter.
More Foreign News
B, an arrival at Boston, from Hamburg.
"Hamburg Summary.
LOWER-ELBB, NOV. 21.
i MONDAY. JAN. 20.
The following is the introduction of
the Report of the Committee, on Mr.
Randolph's affair :—
,Inexecuting the tafkaffigned to them,
it is with peculiar fatisfadion, your
Committee notice the refped shewn in
his message, by the President of the U
nited States, to the rights and privileg
es of the House.
On the style of the letter to the Pre-
Ifident referred to the consideration cf
i the committee, they forbear any other
remark, than to express their regret,
that a member of the House has con
ceived himfelf juftified in deviating
REPORT on Randolph's vapouring.
Tbe Committee of Congrefs,on tbe President's reef
face on Randolph's complaint, bar reported, That tbe
foie of Mr. Randolph's letter was indecorous ; —
That tbe House having tbe cxclujrue cognizance of
(be complaints of its members, an appeal to th
Prudent was a derogation from tbe rights of tbe
House. —They propped \tbe following Reflations,
viz.
Resolved, That this House entertain a rt
fpcafulfenfe of tbe regard which tbe Prudent ban
Jbrtvndo its rights and privileges, in bis mefage of
the 14th inf. &c.
Resolved, That with reffeea to tbe charge et
bibited b, "John Randolph, a member of this House,
addressed to tbe PreJident es tbe United States, fuf
jicient cause does not appear on wbicQ, to ground •
breach of privilege.
[q. This report was accompanied with a. vari
", of tfi"<fo i a "d the whole was ordered to be
printed. It appears that the officers complained ofi
were Capt. M Knight and Lieut. Reynolds, of tbe
marines ; — That tbe fappofed insult tool place at the
Theatre :— Tbat tbe officers repeated tbe words
" '“pgawvfl"' and "mercenary," which Randolph
had made uje of in tbe House: —Tbat one of them
" P r sd himfelf down violent!, between Randolph
and the box;" and tbat Randolph believes one of them
pulled him by tbe ca,e of tbe coat, when he was going
out of the Theatre. Tbe officers have denied tbeja&;
and no qufion bat been taken o&tbe fubjeß in the
House.)
I am acquainted with the name of one only of
those unfortunate young men, who appear to>
have made so falfe an eftimite of true dignity
of character ; who seem to have nriftakeo bru
tality for spirit, and an armed combination a
gainst the person of an indi ridual for an indica
tion of courage. He was called, I think,
M'Knight ; rank unknown ; and, to my best re
colle&ion, of the navy—Mr Ghrifti e ,a member
of this House, appeared to know him ; and that
gentleman with Captain Campbell Smith, who,
as I understood, ^ndeavo^cd to deter those
rash youths from their fchemc, and whose con
dud would evince, if indeed there were any
need of proof, that the character of the man and
the citizen is not incompatible with the profef
fion of the soldier, can give an account of the
various instances of mifeondud which were ex
hibited by the parties. Mr. Van Renfallcr,
the Lt. Governor of Newyork, Mr. Nicholson,
Mr. Glen, and Mr. Macon, of the House of
Representatives were likewise present at these
tranfadions.
Having Rated the fad, it would be derogato
ry to your charader, fir, for me to point out the
remedy, which it is your province to provide,
nor (hall 1 descend from the refped which I
owe myfelf to dceclare what are now the con
fidcrations which govern my conduct on this
occasion. So far as they relate to this applica
tion, addressed to you in a public capacity, they
can only be supposed by you to be of a public
nature —It is enough for me to state that the
independence of the. legislature has been attack
ed—the majesty of the people, of which you arc
the principal representative, ihfultcd, and your
authority contemned.
In their name I demand that a provision com
mensurate with the evil, be made, and which
will be calculated to deter others from any fu
ture attempts to introduce the reign of terror in
to our country. In addressing you in the plain
language of a man, I give you Sir, the best proof
Icanafford,of the eftimatier in which I hold your
office and your understanding, and I assure you
with truth, that I am with refpcft,
Your Fellow Citizen,
JOHN RANDOLPH, Jun.
Chamber of the Representatives of tbe U.S.
11th Jan. —2„b of independence.
The Frefident of the United States,
It was moved to refer the Message and Letter
to a feled committee. Mr Randolph opposed
this reference, as not contemplated by him in
writing the letter. The reference, however,
was ordered almost unanimously.
Sixi/ic&j\ GkcSooJ" IfbL
UNITED STATES.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
TUESDAY, JAN.
BREACH OF PRIVILEGE
The following Message was received from
the PRESIDENT.
"Gentlemen of the House of Reprefentatroes,
"As the enclosed letter, from a member o(
your House, received by me in the night of Sa,
pirday, the nth inst. relates to the privileges of
the House, which, in my opinion ought to be
enquired into, in the House itfelf, if any where.
I have thought proper to submit the whole let
ter and its tendencies, to your consideration,
without any other comments on its matter or
style.
"But as no gross impreprietyboftondua, on
the part of persons holding commiflions in the
army or navy of the United States, ought to
pass without due ammadverfion, 1 have dueled
the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the
Navy, to. mveftigate the condud complained of,
report t 0 mc without delay,fuch a Ratement
facts as will enable me to decide on the
-course which duty and justice shall appear to
prescribe.
THL LETTER
SIR,
Known to you only as holding, in common
with yourfelf, the honorable Ration of servant
to the fame sovereign people, and declaiming
all pretensions to make to you any application
which,in the general cftimaticm of men, requites
the preface of apology, I shall, without the cir
cumlocution of compliment, proceed to state
the cause which induces this address.
For words of a general ratine uttered on the
floor of this House, addressed in my official capa
city, to the chairman of the committee of the
whole, and urged with a view to eff^t the re
dupion of a military establishment, I have been
grossly and publicly insulted, by two officers of
the Army (or navy,! know not which), with
evident intentions to provoke mc to a conduct
which in some fort might juftify the hostile de
signs which they manifeftly entertained to
wards me, and from the execution of which I
believe, they were only deterred by the presence
of several of my friends, (members of this
House), who felt themselves implicated in an
in fult which altho' more particularly offered to
one, was certainly levelled at all.