Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-05-19
CoaSrefs of tDs lanlteD 5tatfs.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Tbnrlaar, February Is.

REJECTING tie orsauizatioa Of tie carts
oftbe U. StQtes.'
MIR. GaIswoLD. Mr.. Chairman, |
make no apology for entering upon the
difcuflion of the faoje6t now before the
committee; becanie have coniidered the
frR fiction of the Dill on your table, and
which the motion of my honorable friend
from North Carolina propoles TO trike OUT
as duplicating not only the dearea interet
of the people Of this country, bur direefly
, proaratiog the fairesf feature of the fede-
raj contribution. And | believe it to De
the duty of every man, every friend to the
contribution, who has right TO be heard
on this floor, to raife his VOICE againit
meafure 70 ruinous and dearaetive.
do nor however expect, nor am in
deed vain enough to imagine, after the
extenGve and critical view which has been
taken of the fabjea, that it will be in my
power 10 add much to what has been al
ready urged. This confederation howe
yer prelents TO my mind no OBJECTION to
the claims of being heard for although
the arguments of my friends remain unan-
fwsred, yet upon an location 70 important
IS the prefent, l deem it proper that thele
arguments fhould be repeated over and over
again, that no gentleman may hereafter
FAY, when the PATTON of the moment has
fubfded, that the objections TO this mea-
fare were not fuRiciently urged and ex-
planned.
This fubjed has prefented to every
gentleman who has examined it, two
quefions for confederation Fira, can
the Legislature by the contribution, de-
ffroy the judges of the circuit courts, by
repeating the law which authorized their
appointment?
Second, admitting the power to EXIT ;
is it expedient to exercife il upon this oc-
cation | ihall not attempt TO deviate from
this natural arrangement, but in The beaten
trait of thofe who have gone before me
purfue thefame objects.
The frf Of thete quefions is by far the
mott important, and if decided one way,
will neceaarily preclude all examination
into the other for ifconggefs cannot with
out violation of the contribution deitroy
the judges as Propoied by this bill, it is
ufeieis 10 enquire into the expediency of
doing it, for nothing can be expedient
which is repugnant TO the contribution.
But the great Importance of this quefion,
and the necefity- of coniidering in fome
Rage of the dilcufion the comparative me-
rits of the two iyfems under which the
courts have been organized, will be my
apology for taking the fame courfe which
gentlemen have taken before me, and d.
recting my remarks in the 6ra place to
what has been called the expediency ofthe
meafure.
The mere expediency of maintaining the
iyifem under which the courts were organ
lied by the law of the laa felton, mutt de-
pend on comparative view of the provi-
fions of.that Law, with the fyaem which
the prelens bill propoies TO revive. And
here mutt be permitted to FAY, that the
provi6ons and effects of the two fyGems
were, few days ago, 70 fully examined,
and completely tated by my friend from
Delaware, that tits impofible the fubjed
ihouldl be at this time mifunderGood in
deed, FIR, no gentleman can mifunderitand
it, or refift that concluhon which has been
drawn by my friend in favor OF the law of
the lait FELTON,.
The defects ofthe former fyfem under
which the courts were organized had been
70 Obvious for many years, that during
the " hole period within which the laa law
was under confederation no gentleman at
tempted to defeed it it was then we'll
underfood, and uniyerlalIy admitted, that
under The old arranoement the judicial