Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1800-12-23

| .leaion IN fsvor ~ the Ueit-t States. rader
he 6ec'lraiisn o. independence an: 60 De-
par,ed for 4 tirn= from his rstive allegiance
{the contrary of which appears 30 be the
cef:) his return to, and having been on The
Side of hii fsd native allegiance at The ,.sace,
Tould have iecured 20 lin tbs benefit OF The
faid fourth article OF the tres,y---,hat &C.
cording!Y, having beea on the Gde of his
, Britannic mti-itY at he date OK the treaty
Pf peace. and being natural bora fubieA Of
his laid msisay, not barred by ,be accept
| aace os cis:zenihip, from the right OF con-
planning sGa;uA the United States, the claim
sat Is entitled un5e, the treaty of asnity to
coro'sio 10 ,hi5 bcard Of thc faid aS, OF at
taiacet and conficaiion before reci,ed, as
beiog lawful irnpsdi;ncns within the def
crip,ion Of the fourth article Of the treaty
OF psace, and the 6x,h article OF amity, 10
The recovery of iuch Debts as he G,al prove
TO the falisfaaion OF the board, yiltin he
meaning of The fad treatisg.
{; And as the ground which has been ia
ken on the part Of tbe United S,a,ea, m
golved fubiect OF dclicacy, on which they
were dehrous not to give offence, or to be
miIun6erRood, they added that the faid
| principles and conoluious, contain 4 no,hipg
ineonGeen, with that psrfsa rcfpea which
is due TO The independence of the q Sia,es:
20 the fame was recognized on the par, Of
bis Britannia majelfy by the sra article of
ihe treaty of peace"
| 10 prevent a vote upon this relolution,
Meiirs. Fiizfimnons and Sitgreaves with
drew. They alio wi,hd ew ii o,hcr Gmilar
cafes.
Yet the Bri,iG commilionera entered on
the records of the board, that I" they nr!d
that ,hofe as of feceiIiop, which had been
Practied in particular cafes, could not affect
the validity or operations of the opinions
which they were meant To defeat for the
very a6t of fecsfIion implied what had indeed
been formerly nnuted, thar thsfe opinione
were the opi0ions of the majority which had
been declared in bsayd completely canai.u,
ed and all the iub(equent feceIjion which
tome of the members could sgcSt,. was but
to prevent what the treaiv did not require
namely, the declaration of the opinions by
the forrnality OF a vote That iormality be-
ing the accuaomed, but not the executive
mode Of entertaining the faa which, Il pre-
veated by an evalive proceeding, rlicht be
iupPlied by the admiIiDn of other evidence,
THAI iuch had been the faa. They there-
fore held that the opinions which had been
declared, by majority of the board, under
the exPreis proviiious os the article, as if the
form of vote had not been 70 prsycnred.' p
60 he reader will Ice that the main quel
I y, 49,.
&" bona Jds debts heretofore Contracted" il
! the fourth article Of the treaty of peace, vhe
,her ii 10 limited to debts heretofore con-
tra3ed, but then exiting and not extinguil,
cd or charged, according 10 the laws of tht
land, as by releafe, Limitation, confilcation
attainder, or airy other lawful mode of diff
t. charge, or whether it was intended to have
a Retrospective operation, 70 as to annul any
= extinguiihment for dilcharge acquired ac-
: cording to the pre- exiting laws of the Rate
and revive debt already lawfully dead and
c buried. The latter was the dec6on of thS
q majority of the cemmifioners and they re :
e fer to " opinions, which had been loiernny
+. delivered by the judges Of the u. States .
( Il wonld DC unfortunate, If in the fpirit in
ipired by liberal policy, IL f,yor of Great.
, Britain, Z; tame when mutual lioersity va,
/, cultivated and expected on her part, any Of
? our judges may have given foch opinions o.
7 this point, as can be improved, TO eGabhal
claims 70 thc amount Of perhaps twen,;
: millions againR the United States, or to IN
{ ba-rafs the executive in further attempts 70
: segociste the comPromife of diGpule. Fo,
= this difficulty has entirely fuipcnded the
. board Of comniflioners. Thofe OF Great
7 Britain have returned home. And the board
/, ct commliiioners, on our clains OF damages
. for commercial fpoliatioos, which was the
f counterpart Of this commilion, is, in confe-
, quence of it, fulpended in England. Mr..
: Sitgreayes has been difpatched to London,
c iuPpoied to be charged with a negotiation
, on this Perplexing fubjea.