Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-03-16


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HOUSE OF REPRRsENTArIv.s.
Saturday, February 70.
Debate on tie bill ,eeefved fran fbe Senate
entitled |" Ax da to repeal certain al!
,ytsaiag the organisation 9 tbe ess,f'
.f The u. States"
IMr. Bsyard's Lpteeb eoativssd.l
: We were told by an honorable gen.
tleman from Virginia, whofofe. early in
the debate, tMr. Thompfon) that the
principles we advocated tended 70 eta
blih a fnecure fyaem in the country.
Sir, am as little difpofed to beaccefa-
~ 20 the eRabliihment of fuch iyttem,
as any gentleman on this floor. But let
me ak how this fyiaem is to be produc-
ed /! We efabliihed JUDICIAL Offices, to
which numerous and important duties
were aligned. A Compensation has
been allowed to the Judges, which no
one will FAY, is immoderate, or daPFo-
portioned to the fervicc to be rendered.
1hofe gentlemen ihrit abolifh the duties
of the offices, then call the judges pen
6oners, and afterwards accufe Us OF ei.
tabl,lhing Gnecures. There are no PEN
foners at preient, if there ihould be a
ny, they will be the creatures OF this
Law. / have ever con6dered it as a
found and moral maxim, that no one
lhould avail himfelf Of bis own wrong.
Iris ii abanin, which ought to be equal
ly obligatory upon the public as upon
the private man. In the prefent cafe,
the Judge offers you his fervice. You
cannot fay, it is not worth the money
you pay for it. You refufe TO accept
the fervice; and after engaging to pay
him while he continued to perform the
iervice, you deny him his compenfa-
tion, becaufe he negleets to render fer.
vices which you have prevented him
from performing. Was injuftice ever
more Aagran,' Surely, fir, the judges
are innocent. If we did wrong, why
ihould they be puniihed ana diigraced I!
They did not pats the obnoxious law,
they did not create the Offices, they had
no participation in the guilty buGnefs !;
but they were invited upon the faith
of government, to renounce ,hsir pri-
vate projections, to relinquih the emo
lument of other employnents, ard to
enter into the iervice of the United
States, who engaged to retain them
during their lives, if they were guilty
of no milconduet. They have be-
haved .temlelves we'll, unexceptionably
well, when they find the government
refcinding the contract made with them,
refuGng the fipu!a,ed price of their la
bour, difinifing them from fervice, and
in order to cover the fcandalous breach
Of faith, ifigmatizing them with names
which may render them odious to their
eountrymen. Is there a gentleman on
the floor OF this Houie, who would not
revolt. at fuch conduct in private life! Is
there ore who would feel himfelf jufi6-
ed, .fter employing perfon for Ger
tain time, and agreeing to pay a certain
compensation, to difm,fs the party from
tie iervice upon any caprice which alter
ed his views, deny him the fipoiated com.
penfation, and to sbufe him with oPProbri-
Gus names, for expecting the benefit of the
engagement.
a bold attempt was made by one OF the
gentlemen from Virginia, tMr. Giles) tc
force TO his aid tie Statute Of I3th Vim.
cd. ] call it a bold attempt, beoauil
the gentleman was obliged to rely upon
his own aaertion to fopport the ground CT
his argument. He fsted, that the clauft
in the conf tuition was borrowed from & :
milar provifon in the Statute. know
nothing about the tatt, but / will allow
the gentleman its full benefit. In England
at an earlier period, the judges held their
eorrmifions during the good pleafure of