Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-12-28 00:00:00, page 2

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2. Resolved, as the opinion of this
-co in mi tee, That the petition of sun
dry inhabitants of the town of f*eters
burg, setting forth, that from inform*-:
tion given by a slave named Emanu
el, belonging to the representative ol
J-vn S.one, deceased, the execution or
a plan which was laid for burn:ng the
t wn cf Petersburg, was prevented ;
that in order to reward the stid E
ir.anml for his conduct in that respect,
they have rained a sum of money for
, the purpose of purchasing and eman
* tipating him ; and praying that he
may be permitted to enjoy his •free
dom in this state, is reasonable.
3. Resolved, as the opinion cf this
committee, That the petition of Pna.!
roah Sheppard, a free mao cf colour,
pra\ing that his son named Pharua,
whom he is about to emancipate,• may
remain as a free person id this s$ate,
i.« reasonable. It appearing to vourl
committee, that the petitioner is hon
est, industrious and of good character
—and that from his information adis-|
covery was made some years past, ol
an insurrection planned by certain
slaves in and near the city of Rich
mond. „ ’
-f Resolved, as 'he opinion b'f this
committee, That the petition of Chris
tian Ffoyti, setting forth that she has
been emancipated by Patrick Rose, of
Amherst county, and praying that she
may be permitted to remain as a free
person in this state, is reasonable.
„ 5. Resolved, as the opinion of this
committee, That the petition of Ma
ry Bee, for herself and Miller Bee &
Elizabeth Bee, her infai<t children, &
William fiee, son of said Mary, pray
ing that an act may pass, authorising
trustees to dispose of a certain piece
of ground lying in the city of Rich
mond, and which was, by Richard
Bowler, conveyed to the petitioner
Mary during her life, and after her
death was intended to be divided a
niong her children, before named—
qnd that the proceeds of the sale may
be vested, by ;he said trustees, in o
ther lands for the benefit of the said
Mary and her children aforesaid, is
reasonable.
6. Re olved, as the opinion of this
committee, that the petition of James
Williams, and sundry inhabitants of
Prince Gtorge county, praying that an
act may pass, exonerating the said
Williams from payment of a judg
ment recovered against him in the dis
trict court, Formeily held in P ters
borg, for a breach of a recognizance
entered into by him £ot the appear
ance of a certain Randoph Fuqua
before the said coqpt to enswer a
charge cf felony, is reasonable.
7. Resolved, as the opinion of this
committee, That the petition of Bar !
tholomew M‘Carty, clerk of the supe
rior court of Richmond ccun y, pray
ing that he maybe authorised to keep
the office of said court at his house,
called Windsor, until the justices oi
the county sh:«U cause an office to be
built at the courth> use, is reasonable.
8. Resolved, as the opinion of this,
committee, That the petition of Wil-j
Lam M Her, clerk of the superior court'
of Goochland county, prasing that he
may be authorised to keep die records
and pipers of said court at his own
Iniuafi with the records and papers of
the county court of Goochland, is rea
sonable.
O. lireAlvprl Q a f Vl A AI-ttniAM A r I Lite
committee, That the petition of Ste
phen H. Lacy, praying that an act
may pass releasing to him the right of
the commonwealth to certain real es
tate, lying in New-Kent county,
whereof Peter Pieroet died seized, is
reasonable. It appearing to your
committee that the said Piernet, in his
lile time, manifested his intention to
bequeath the said estate to the peti
tioner.
10. K'solved, as the opinion of this
committee. That the petition of sun*
dry inhabitants of the county of Din
widdie, setting forth, that previous to
the year 1805, a promise was made by
William Spain, now deceased, that a
certain slave, named Peter, then be
longing to him, should be liberated
whensoever the consideration money,
mentioned in the said petition, should
be paid ; that the greater part there
of w<*» accordingly paid j that the said
Peter is an industrious man and of
good character ; that tl e present own
er of him is willing to emancipate him
and praying that the said Peter, in case
he should be emancipated, may be
permitted to reside in this common
wcahh, is reasonable,
11* Resolved, as the opinion of this
committee. That the petition of Jane
Morton and others, whose husbands
and ancestors were, in the year 1784,
- Securities for Rowlnnd Thomas, sher
iff of Orange county, praying for re*
r lit f from such security-ship, is rea
sonable. It app« ars to your commit*
t* . th *t agairat the said sheriff and se
curities a suit was brought on behalf
of the commonwcaltht and suffered to
remain thirteen years without prose-)
cution, and in the mean time the de-j
bnquent deputy was permitted to re
move out of the comtm nvveidth, car
rying with him a sufficiency of proper
ty to have satisfied auy demand of the
coiiimonwealth against him.
The said resolutions being several
ly read a second time, were agreed to
by the House.
Ordered, That bills be brought in
pursuant to the said resolutions, and
that the Committee for Courts of
Justice do prepare and bring in the
same.
. The House resumed the considera
tion of the amendment proposed to
the resolution of the Committee of
Privileges and Elections, in the case
of John M'Keon, one of the delegates
from the county of Lee ;
The said amendment is in the fol.
lowing words ;
it is nevertheless proven to the sa
tisfaction of your committee, that the
said John M‘Kron has-been guilty of
conduct grossly immoral, disgraceful
and highly reprehensible, and as such,
unworthy the character of a represen
tative of the people ;
Resolved, therefore, That the said
John M‘Keon be ex, ellcdihis House.
Ar.d the question being put on a
greeing to the said amendment, it pas
sed in the affirmative.—Ayes 102—
Noes 5*.
Saturd'ay, Dec; 22:
On motion; * Resolved, That the
Members of this House, in testimony
of their respect for the memory of
W illiam Terry, esq. late one of the
Delegates for‘the county of Halifax,
who departed this life last night, will
wear a badge of mourning on the left
arm for one .month ; ^nd that they
will attend hi3 funeral this day at
two o’clock.
Ordered, That a committee be ap
pointed for the purpose of making the
necessary arrangement* ‘for the interr
ment ol the said William Terry, pur
suant to the aaid resolution, and that
Messrs Wyatt, Su venson, Coleman
[of.Pittsylvania] and Blackburne, be ap
pointed a committee for that purpose.
CONGRESS.
IN SENA i E.
Thursday, Dec. 20.
The resolution yesterday ottered by Mr
Dana was agreed to; and Messrs. Dana,
Robinson, Brudley, Condit and Franklin
were appointed a committee accordingly.
Received from the House of Represents.,
tiyes a bill fixing the compensation of the
additional Assistant Post Master General
■which was passed to a second reading.
Mr Giles from the committee to whom
was referred the petition of Larkin Smith,
Collector of the district of Norfolk and
Portsmouih, Virginia, reported a bill tor
the relief of the Collectors of the ports of
Norfo'k, Baltimore and Phil idelphia —.
which was passed to a second reading,
The Sen te, after considering the bill
respecting the addition to the territory of
Orleans in a committee of the whole, post
poned the further consideration until to.
-morrow.
Mr Giles obtained leave of absence for
a fortnight from this d;ty.
On motion of Mr Dana,
Resol ved, That the President of the U.
nited States be requested to cause to be laid
before the House, a statement of the pro.
ceedings which have been had in execution
of the act of 10th February 1807, entitled,
4‘ An act to provide for surveying the
coasts of the United States.4*
Resolved, That the Secretary of Tr«».
*ury, be directed to lay before this House,
information of such measures as have been
pursued for nuking a survey of the coast
of the territory of Orleans, in virtue of the
authority committed to him by the 13th
sec. of an act. anuroved stut >t,v nf
April, 1806.
Ftiday, Dec. 21.
Mr Smith (of Maryland) presented the
petition of the President and Director* of
the Union Binlt of Georgetown, pray,
ing a chapter of incorporation for reasons
therein stated? which wa* referred to
Messrs. Smith, (Maryland^ Anderson and
Pickering.
The bill for the relief of George Arm.
royd and Company, was passed to a se
cond reading.
The bill fixing the compensation of the
additional Assistant Post Master General,
was read a second time, and referred to
Messrs. Bradl.y, Le b and Smith (of Ms.
ryland,)
Mr Lloyd moved that the bill "declar.
>ng the laws now in force in the tei ritorv of
Orleans, to extend to, and liavn fu I force
and effect to the r-.ver Perdido, pursuant to
jthe treaty couciuded at Paris, on the 30 h
April, 1803, and for athrr purpose.” should
be referred io a committee, with instruct)*
ons to ieport their opinion on the title of
the U. States to the territory in question,
and the grounds on which that opinion may
be founded.
The Yeas and Nays on this motion, being
taken are as follow t
Yeas—Messrs. Dana, Goodrich, Horsey,
Lloyd and Pickering—i.
Nay*— Mrsurs. Anderson, Bradley, Cl*y,
Campbell, Cood-t, Crawford, Cutt *, Frank
lin, GailUrd, Gilman, Lamr.ert, Lcio,
Matthewson. P< pe, Smith, (,\ld.) Smith,
vNew York/ and fan-l/. *
The further consideration of the above
bill was postponed till Wednesday.
. Me Horsey moved the following resolo,
lion.
Resolved, That'the -Prctliladt of the'U. |
States be requested to cause to be laid be. ;
fore the St Hate all the documents, papers
or other evidences In his possession re'.a
tin); to tbe title of the United States to the
terntoty South of the Mississippi Teriito.
ry and Eastward of the river Mississippi
to tlte r vtr Perdido, and to the boopdarits
of the sa>d territory.
I The Yeas and Nay* on this question
stood thus ;
Yeas—Messrs. Dana, Goodrich, Horsey,
Lumber^ Ll'tyd, Matttiewson and Picker,
ing—7;
Nays—Messrs. Anderson, Campbell,
Clay Cohdit, Crawford, Cut's, Prankl n,
Gati!ardy-Leib^ Pope bmuh, (Md.) Smith
(N. Y.) and Tail—13.
'The Senate adjourned to Monday.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, Lee. 13. *1
Mr. Findley presented the memo
rial of the Prtsid nt and Directors of
the Hank of the United States, pray,
ing a renewal ®f its charter.—Refer
red-to a select committee composed of
the following gentlemens Messrs.
Burnell, Findley, Southard, Mitchill,
Franklin, Butler, J. C. Chamberlain,
W. Chamberlain, Most ley, N. R*
Mooie, Miller, Smelt, Johnson, Mor
row., Jackson, Garnet, and Poindex
ter.
General Wilkinson,
Mr. Pearson has again introduced
the subject of enquiring into the con
/li«r«> /n C «... —.! _ .1.
v.sswws y iwauvg IU IUC ¥4*
rious points of accusation—and a com
mittee is appointed -with power ‘to
send for persons andpapers.—On mo
tion of Mr. Troup, the General is to
be ; notified of the time and place of
the committee’* sitting, and to be
heard in his defence.
The following gentlemen compose
the committee appointed in pu/suance
of this resolution: Messrs. Troup,
Bacon, Sage, Willson, and Brecken
ridge.
[Mr. Troup has been excused by
the House from serving on tins com
mittee on account of the precarious
state of his health.} )
Mr. Kppes, Iroa, tl e 'committee of
Ways and Means, reported a bill for
supplying the deficiency in the appro
priation for the year 1810, for the re
lief of the distressed American seamen
in foreign countries.
He also reported from the same
committee, a bill to continue in force
the first section of an act to protect
the commerce and seamen -of the -U.
States against the Barbary powers—
these bills were twice read and refer
red to a committee of the whole.
Mr. I^ove moved for leave and in
troduced the following -resolution*
Resolved; That the secretary of the
treasury be directed to lay before.this
house information, 1st df the amount
of debts due from individuals aad bo
dies corporate to the Bank of theU.
j States, distinguishing the ainouot due
! by bond,'mortgage, or other speciality,
fr ;m th ,t payable by notes, bills of ex
change or.other suietycnot under staJ,
to the said bank and its buanclies, and
what portion of said debts a:e consi
dered as standing accommodation to
the customers of said bank .and its
branches. 2d. Ur the amount of the
notes of the said bank and its branches
now in circullti.m. 3d. Whether the
revenue of the United States, or what
portion of it, are ordered to be depo
sited in the said bank and its branch
es : Whether any portion of it is or
dered to be deposited in other, and if
so what other banks—and what will
be the probable amount of deposits in
favor of the United States, in any of
the said banks or their branches and
which of them, on the first day of
March, 1811.
Thursday, Dec• 20.
The bill fixing the salary of the as
sistant post master-general was read a
third time and passed.
Mr. Van Horn, from the committee
on the district of Columbia, reported a
bill to incorporate the subscribers to
the Hank of Washington—referred to
a committee of the whoh- on Monday.
A mend mem to the Constitution,
On motion of Mr. Macon, the house
went into committee of the whole on
the state of the Union, in order to take
I up the amendment to the constitution
| of the United States (proposed by Mr.
■ Macon) declaring that no person elect
! ed to serve in cither branch cf the le£
gislature, shall, after having t.iken his
seat, be eligible t<» any appointment un
der the authority of the Uuited States
during the period for which he was e
iected or during the presidential term
for which he was elected.
Mr. Khea objected to the latter part
of the preposition. He could see no
reason why a man, after he had ceased
to be a member of Congress, should be
prohibit d from accepting any appoint,
ment. Such an exclusion would be
perfectly arbitrary. He therefore mov.
I «.d foidrikc* out that part of the amend
ment which prohibits member* from
holding any office during the presiden.
tial term for which they were tLcud.
Mr. Macon enidlm object was tp pre
vent membeis of Congress from creat
ing places lor ^emseft.s when about
to retire Iroin tije legi lature, offices
could be as well filled by men out of
Cor.g^^as by those in it. if persons
•could be taken from Congress at the
heel of a session, and appointed to. ex
ecutive offices, wnere wits the boasted
independency cl the different branches
of government ? He could not consent
to strike out. that part of his amend
ment, as he was anxious to preserve
the entire purity of the Legislature. It
had been a source of great mortificati
on to him to see all appointments of
constquence taken from among the
m«mab<tra of -Congress. He did not
wish to mention names, but the thing
was notorious; and if not checked in
time, it jnight become a serious evil.
•Mr. Boyd thought the amendment
would be going too far, as it might de
prive respectable citizens of their
rights. He was opposed to meddling
so much with the constitution. Every
year, every day, every hour, some man
was crying out, “ Come let us alter the
constitution.” This thing might' be
carried to such a length that at li^st the
people of the United States, would not
know whether they had a constitution
or not. .
M r. Bur well thought such an amend
ment would convincy the people St the
world, that members of Congress were
hoi iubucdccq in tncir conduct Dy any
improper motives, especially in the ca
ses of presidential election. He called
the attention of the house to the British
government, where a man of the roost
contemptible talen's might be taken
from the minority of parliament, and
suddenly elevated to the post of prime
minister*-who would nevertheless com
mand majorities in parliament, the
cause of whiuh must be obvious.—it
w»3 of great importance that such evil
should be guarded aguinst here. If
the amendment was objectionable at
all, it did. not go far enough.
Mr. lihea again opposed the amend
ment at sortie length ; after which Mr.
Smilie moved tfcuttthe cjmmi'tec of the
whole rise report progress, & a»k le..ve
to sit again* lor'the purpose pf further
deliberation on the subject. This mo
i tion was lost, Yeas 39, Nays 5i>. Tire
question was then taken on Mr. Rhea’s
motion -(to strike -out parts of the a
mendment) and los-, Yeas 12. 4
M-r. Bacon suggested several verbal
alterations which might be male to the
amendment, and for that purpose mb' -
ed that the committee of the whole rise
and report progress, which was agreed
tot after which, on motion of Mr,
ShefFey, the committee of 1 he v/hole
was discharged from the further con
sideration of the amendment, and it
was recommitted to u select commit
:eeof £ve members,
Y/ashington City, Dec. 2t.
- I3cra. in nt cf State.
December 21, 1810.
Persons interested in American pro
peity, captured by Dan sh cruisers, &
detained in the ports of Denmark and
Norway, are requested to transmit to
this Department, without delay, the
proofs necessary to establish the vali
dity of their respective claims.
Ir» compliance with a promise which
we made some days ago, wc have the
pleasure of laying before our readers
the following statement, the correct
ness of which mav be relied on, re
specting the title of the United States
to the territory east of the river Perdi
do, in the territory heretofore general
ly called West Florida. Thu state
■ is cA'iuottu i i wiu a viubumua
published under the authority of an
act of congress, passed at their last t-es
sion, which directed a collation and
arrangement of the laws, treaties a&d
oth* r documents relating to the Pub
lic Lands.
4< The V. States by the treaty of
1803 with France Acquired Louisiana
without any direct definition of its
bcundSrfe *, but as fully and in the same
manner as it had been acquired by
France from Spain in virtue of the
trea'y of St. Ildefonno of the 1st of
deicer, t800. By this treaty Spain
had retroceded Louisiana to Fr nec
“ with the same extent that it then
had in the hands of Spain, mul that it
had when France possessed it St such
as it should be after the treaties subse
quently entered into between Spain and
other states."
By the grant of Louis the Four
teenth to Crozat, dated J4-:h Septem
ber 1/12, all the country drained by
the waters emptying dttvc’ly or indu
rectly into the Mississippi, is includ. d
within the boundaries cl Louisiana.
The discovery of that river by the
French, the general principles adopted
by the European uatibrn in relation to
the rights of discovery, the publicity
of the grail7, and the long acquiescence
of Spam, establish the claim xd the U.
State* to that extent. Bu: the west
ern boundary on the sea shore, and
south of the waters emptying into the
Red River, is still a subject of contro- ^
versy between the two nations; the ™
territory called by Spain 44 Province of
Taxas” heiug claimed by both. The
claim of Franee, now transferred to the
United States extended at least as fair
west as the bay of St. Bernard, in vir
tue of the settlement made there by
La Salle, in 1685, in the vicinity of the
river Guadaloupe, at a. time when
Spain occupied no part of the territory
east of the Rio Norte. That settle- a
mem was destroyed, and, notwithstand- I
ing the repeated orders of the
government, was not resumed the
local authorities. In the mean while
[in 1717] the Spaniards sent some
priests among the Indians, and shortly
a^er established a small military post
awAoaycs, afterwards transferred to
3t^gGachesJ)tm which rests their claim
to the .SfiUmry east of La Salle's settle
ment^ By an arrangement made in
1806, by the commanding officers in
that quarter, it was agreed that for the
present the Spaniards should not cross /
the Sabine, and that, the . Americans
should not extend their settlements as
far as that river. And 'in order to
prevent any collisions, until the differ
ence should be finally adjusted, jnstruc
en that the public
surveyed west of
, 0 bv Natchitoches.
East of the Mississippi, fhe United
uy virtue or cne treaty ot
1803, all the territory south of the 31st
degree of north latitude, and extend
ing weabwardly to the small river Per
dido, which lies between Mobile and
Pensacola, and was, when Louisiana
formerly belonged & France, the
boundary between that colony and the
Sptmi-h province of Florida. That
territory, together With the residue of
Louisiana-eas of the Mississippi, wag,
by the treaty of 1763, coded by Franco
to Great “Britain, who by- the same
treaty acquired also Spanish Florida. ,
The {Vrehiuinary articles of that treaty
j were signed on the 3d day of Novem
ber 1763£ and, on the s.tiueday Fran e
by a sepe&te * act, ceded to Spain a.I
the residue of Loutsiaga, west of the
M.ssippi, and including the city and
island £so cdledj of.New-Orleans. By
the rn^ty of 17*3, Great Britain ct
j United States, all that part
j ol t^ffv<''r,ncr colony ot Louis;anar
east, tl,e Mississippi, which lay
| north «F the 31st degree of north la
j li'udejt^l to Sj)aiu, under the name
.*1 wljiT.J east Florida, both that
p-m of Lou sian* east of the Missis- <
iippi, which lay sou hoi that parallel
qf Ktitude, and the old Spanish pro
vince of Florida. The $ist degree of
latitude was, by' the subsequent treaty
o/ 1795, between the United States £
Spfih, confirmed as the boundary be
the possessions of the two ita
ttons. 7 he tide of the United Stans
to the territory in question, under the
treaties of St. Ildefonso, and of 18G3,
is luby established liv those iacts.
Louisiana was retdeeded to France,
“ the sanrftejtxient ihat it. then
had in the handjfcf Spain ;V and the
terHfcry in by w hatever name
Spam chose io calLt, was then sub.,
•tanti.rily in her h*u\>.
Louisiana was retroceded «« wiih the
same extent that it had when France
possessed it ; ■ and itoi only was that
territory part of Louisiana when
France possessed it; hut site never
owned that province a single day with
out that territory, as part of it. For,
as has been staled, she ceded on the
same nay the e-istern part of Louisi
ana to England, and the lVP<)trrn linre
to Spain.
LAnisiana was retroceded, u such as
it should be aftor the treaties subse
quently entered into between Spain aai
other states ; and Spain never had,
since she acquired Lou Liana, in 1762^
made anv treaties relative to Louisi
ana, but that of 1783, with Great Bri
tain,' amUhat of 1795, with the United
Stales : 5h« had cu'.ercd into no treaty
whatever, which af-IVcied Louisians
west of the Mississippi. This mem
ber of the description can therefore
only apply to the territory in questi
on, ease of tne .Mississippi, and there
it bus full efiftfit ; the territory having
been acquired by Spain, by her treaty
of 1783, with Great Britain, and its
boundaries having been finally esta
blished by her trW.v of 1735, with the
Umt4d States. “ Louisiana, such as
it should b*T &c. can only mean, in
cluding east Louisian*, ns rest* red by j
tn. tr< ity of 1783, but extending no J
further north than the southern bnmwJ
clary oi the United States as recognu^w
zed by the treaty of 1795.
The spirit of the treaty equally sup.
ports the construction necessarily de
rinrd from its letter. Spain retro
, cedes to France the colont whirl,
! France had ceded in 176.1, and ,ho
must therefore yield ail in her pr,8_ f
• This set or trev.y of ceision h*. ne*. r
madv pab|lcr bur it, dste is a.cerr*i110a u/*h«
IttUs of ih« Jimg °f Fnu»c« to Usbl>*dic. 1