Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1800-12-19


nssr as fros, an inability to take down "a /
pid fpcech. /
Mr.. Thatcher faid he believed the debates !
IS taken down by Mr.. Lloyd, wete IS scca. +,
rstely taken, as any taken before or iince.
The conclnhon he dew from Ihs'e facts !
was thar Il the &enographers were admnted
by the hCuie wi;hin the bar, rhe public f.
woalc gain nothing w it. lie had howe
yer no Objection TO ,heir admiiiion, 1t the
ip-sker approved il. They might ae far as
lac CARED, take any place in the houie even
fts,s along tide of the fpeai,er.
Mr. Davis bad expected to hear fubaaali-
al rssfoas in iuppor, Of the report of the
committee. None fuch had been offered 1t
was iaid that the Reuographers could hear
very wei! from their preient petitions. lie
depiei il. The reporter could NOT pohi6y
hear. Though hiniielf nearer the gentle
man lie had not heard word that fill from
the g,ntieTnsu from North Carolina
He truaed the houic would admit The
ftenographers within the bar. Il not ADM.
ted, tie coa.erlation and plaage OF the mem
bers round them, viii 1t oace prevent the
debates from being we'd taken, and be per-
pernal execute for their errors. But II sd-
mittet they viii have no iuch apology, end
they viii be within the power Of the houie.
I'll; great mafs of our citizens are too re-
mote 10 attend your debates They rely on
,hofe Who report them. MOI more than tory
or fif;ypsrlons tranGently appear in the gal
leriys, Who are not equal to diitaiiug know
ledge Of your proceedings. Exelode the
itenognphers and you may 80 well lhuS your
doors. It may be faid that you print your
journah. Bur who reads themS They are
icarcely red by ,hc members .hemfelves. Ga
great national qreaions the people ought to
know, nor only what you do, out siio the
principles that guide you.
The gentleman froGi S. Carolina was will
ling TO place the iteuographers under the CO.
ercon of the Speaker, but wbs averle to pla-
cling them under tbe coercion of the houic,
For bis part he shought differently. He did
nGt with to Zee them at the mercy OF the
Speaker.
Several allufons had been made TO the
treatment of reporter at Philadelphia who
had been driven from the Eoufe by the Speak.
er. He recolle6ied the affair, and in his o.
pinion ,he Speaker had in this cafe been s6iu-
ased more b perioOal enmity, than by any
other motive.
Mr Il. Lee next role. He fpokefor lome
time, without our being able 10 hear him &
through the whole courl- of his fpeech we
occalionsly loft a leuleucs. He faid, he
putt ii uPon.the candour of his colleague from
Virginia 10 declare, whether in bis opinion,
any gentleman in that houfe wifhed 10 fup-
preis his fentiments, or was dilpofed 10 fhrink
from an agowal of them. II an individual
were 20 judge from the debate of to-day, he
would infer that it ssas he deGre of fome
members Ola thar Aoor 10 conceal their ZEN
,imcnts from the people. No fuch thing
was the cafe. We are as anxious, as thoie
who differ from US that the people ihould
know what we think, fay, and do.
The only queaion wac, whether tho Speak
er lhail exercife certain power, which he
can conveniently, ana which he hath hither.
to honorsbly, exerciled, or whether we fail
s!Iume it with all its inconveniences. He
hoped we hould not. he feared no inaccu-
racy 10 long as the debates publifhed received
no lan9ion from the houfe.
Have you, faid Mr.. Lee, no greater OBJ
jeets to engage your attestiou, than whether
this maO, OF that man ihall go out Of your
bar or remain within it. He thought the
houie might be better employed.
MIR, Macon underftood the fubjea before
tine houfe very much as his colleague did.
The queftion was irnply whether we will
take upon ourielves Inconvenience aIledgsd
10 exia, or keep the Renogrsphers without
the bar, He was convinced that the li,ua.
tons occupied by the aenographers were
badly calculated for hearing, as even within
the bar the members could icarceIy hear each
other.
One reafon had great weigh, with him.
IL was chat if the houfe made rule in reIa
tiou to the admilIion Of the photographers, il
you'd be placing law in the room Of dif-
erection. He ever preferred certain rule,
to n vague diicretion.
The danger apprehended from a crowd
Of Stenographets was faTcical. Since he
had been IN Conerefs he had never ieeu more
than three or four. And il the number ad-
mit,ed lhould prove inconveuien, it would be
time enough, when the Inconvenience was