Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-02-14

8
iions and pfoclsnaiions OF the Pfei'den''
The{s ideas, Sir, confit we'll with mo-
parehic inRitutions., Our fovereign Lord,
the King, is indeed pollehed OF the fnlne's
OF executive ftwer, and may exefciie il AZ
his pleafure. But as 70 our Sovereign
Lord the PRECEDENT, the cafe is widely dit
terent. The American Contribution has
given to this Sensse a whoIeiome check
upon his fayercign will. But according
70 the dottrirc which gentlemen now
advance, this check is nugasofy'; neither
The reople nor The courts lhsll queltion
his commilions nor his proslamaslons--
His commiiIiens it feems, confer compete
authority. His proclamaticns are the To-
premc law. He may form what ieasues
he plcaGes with foreign powers, and when
he fhall proclaim them, we are held 10 'm-
piicit obedience. To theie doctrines,
|, Sir. take leave to enter my diilcns. l
hope that when the rights Of American
citizens are invaded, not only the Su-
premc Court of the United States, but the
owei9 County Court Of the mott remote
diariA vii! dare to examine, TO judge,
and to redreis.
I hope this Senate will never. by an
admif1ion Of lurh bafc and ilav .ih doc
,rine., furrender the authorities conferred
on them by our contribution. | hope
they will ever be ready 10 aid the caufe OF
freedom ard juaicc. And in this hope l
ihal give my vo,e for the Ielolu'ion on
your table.
MIR. Clinton faid that every thing
which had been uttered in The debate con-
frmed the frf impreiilon Of his mind a.
gsinR the ps:priety of granting the pray
er Of the petition. The executive journal
from the very nature of it was always ie-
cret. This iecfecy never ought to be VI
oIa,ed, unlefs fcne uleful pnrPofe was
thereby to be attained. In the prstent
cafe it WAS very evident to him that the
copy prayed for could be Of 10 real ufe to
the petitioners. Giving them copy Of
the journal, would however, be an exprei-
iion of the Senstes's opinion that the tef.
timony would be proper and ufetul in the
| fuit OF The petitioners. By hdc wind
the ferate would thus be drawn TO give
their wsight 10 one fide Of The cauie. He
believed this YVES the aehgp OF The petit
tion, and that the whole proceeding was
in6sious and factions. He declared that
/ he IVES very far from lmputlng thefe or In
deed any improper motives TO any of the
ienate who were in favor Of su,horiGng
| the lec,etary to2ive the copy as prayed
| for, he was Psr.uaded that they were per-
fuaded Of the perfect propriety of the
couy.e they now advocated.
Bur we are told faid Mr.. c. by my
| colleague, that perhaps the iupreme court
| may fend Subrenia for our iscrerary and
compel him to produce the Journal in fpitc
Of our order forbidding him. Such aep
| would certainly bring things to a criGs,
aud for his own par, he thought it deGra-
bic that meaiutes might be taken for az
certaining the rea! extent of the power of
the court. He was fure if they poneHed
the power contended for, the rule Of the
fenate ought TO be altered, 70 as 20 forbid
cur fecretary from diyulging the fecret
journal unefs by order OF The fenate or Of
the lupreme court.
A great confitu'ionsl queficn is row
agita;ed in that court, involving right
to controul the executive. The buGncfs
may not Cop there. High officers of the
government of the United States NIGH in
the end be impeached and brought before
this houfe. He as member might be
called to try, and to decide upon that i'm
peachmcnt, he therefore wiihed to remain
neuter, TO express no opinion beforehand,
even by implication. lie felt this to be
his daty and was clearly of opinion tha,
il was the duty Of the whole body, and
4