Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1799-01-18
CONGRESS.
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,
Thnrlday, December IT.

| Mr.. Otis laid. G,e committee 10 whom
was referred the bill for amending the itanp
aa, with refpea to the dnty payable on To-
reign bills of exchange and hilli of lading, had
received Information from tie Comniiaioa-
ers Of the Revenue, aatigg shat it would be
| Receilary to provide Tome Concentration for
| the inpcrvifors, who had ;he management, OF
the Stamp b,dinels, as the prefent law pro-
v;des none. The committee had alCo ing-
geied the PROPHECY of making fome other
alterations IN the bill /; lie therefore moved
that the committee OF the whole be difchar-
ged from the farther ronhderssion Of til;s
b.ll, with view TO have 4 recom.citted to
the ieietf committee who reported il.
The motion was carried, and me bill was
re-committed, Mr.. Otis afterwards made
report ofthe propofed amendments but ow
ing 70 iome informally, the report was not
received:
The bill providing for tie enumeration o.
the inhabitants Of the U.iised States, was
read the third time ard paGed as was ALTO
the bill respecting balances reported to be
due fron CERTAIN aates, by the Comnifion-
crs tor iettling the accounts between shc u
uited States and the feseral Rates. s. votes
beng in favour Off paFage.
Mr.. Thatcher, from, the committee Of re-
vital and unhniihed bu6refs, made report
OF the expiring laws, which was ordered to
be printed.
The Speaker was proceeding to take the
ien!e OF the houfe on proceeding with the
unlimited budncis Of yeiLcrday, viz. the
Bankrupt bill when
Mr. Sewal moved to potpone this fubiea
till tomorrow, in order 10 conGder the a.
Inendment yeitcrday preceded by bis col
league, ana tins morning. iaid upon the dc.l.
The motion being agreed to,
| FIR. Grifwold called up for confederation
the rcLolution which he yeRerday laid upon
the table for the appointment Of a commit
tee to conGder the propricty OF amending
the act for the punifhment Of certain crimes
againf the United States, 70 as to provide
a penalty for any citizen who ihall uiurp the
executive authority Of this government, by
commencing or carrying on, any corefpon-
dence with the government of any foreign
prince or fate, relative to controversies or
diiputes, which do or ha exia bctwixt fuch
prince or Rate aud the United States.
The efolution having been read,
Mr.. Nicholas faid, he believed this to be
new fubled general leginatiou and, as
fuch, he did nor apprehend there was anv
neceiiity for making the propofed inquiry !;
and, if it had any particular obicd in view,
the motion appeared to him premature IF
it was founded upon what had been feen in
the public papers relative 20 the conduit of
certain gentleman who has lately been in
France, he thought the mover ought to have
waited until the Prefdsnt of the United
| States had put the hoafe in pofeffion of facts
ON this inbjea; which, though promifed
three .geeks ago, had no. yet been received.
Indeed he did not know bot the condaa of
this houle in giving an opinion upon ,heie
dispatches, before they are received, had pre-
vented the communication and If the houf.
ihould proceed to legi1a'e upon them, the
Preident May fuppof. they have no dcfre
to fee what he has promifed to !ay before
them, aud withhold them altogether. IL a
ny particular obiea has given occafon TO
this new kind of iegi1ation, the houle ourh,
to know It. He had hoped that no chance
bad taken place IN the affairs Of this country
with rcipeet 90 foreign nations, which could
have directed the relentncnts of gentlemen
% any particular psrfon. He had hoped
things were mending, and he had gathered
thcie hopes from the addreis ofthe Prsfd.n.
AZ the opening Of the friEon, as in that adj
drcis, he ieemed TO win 10 argue down the
too fanguine hopes Of ryecdy r,conciliat-
on which might srife from the communion
ton which be lad to make or the fIbie6..
This was not only the impreihon viii h the
laddrcis had made epon his mind, but il was,
as Tar ne had learnt, the general irnpreiIion.
Indeed, he found different tone even a..
mongR thofe gentlemen whohad always been
the loudeH IN their cry for war, from what
ezilted when he lan parted with them. No.
thing was then heard, but dcelayziioa Of
1var-now he heard nothiog of the kind.
Ihipkag, therefore, as he did, that the filb.
ljeet Is Of too novel kind for general Iegif.
latIon, without Tome good reaion being az
iigned for Il; and that the houfe does not
poiie's luiicieat iuforna'ion, If the meafurs
be 'eyeiled at particular oh.eCt, he was 90.
Polsd:c the notion.