Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-01-13
G. o N @ r E S S
OF THE UNITED STATES.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Tbnrsaay, fanzary s, 1905.

f,oula refolve itielf into a committee Of
the whole on his relolution.
Mr.. Dawion was oppofed to the mott
on for realons before aligned.
Mr.. Grifwold iaid the gentleman did
not underaand what be had propofed. i
had been the with of gentlemen TO fepa-
rate The confederation of his Restitution
from other fabjetts referred TO the com
mitfse Of the whole On the fate OF the uni
on. For which purpois he had been will
ing TO refer it to committee OF the
whole. But he was sveIle 10 referring
il TO a fecret committee as he did not
Perceive It's connection with any fubjea
that required iscrecy. The diicuillon on
thought, in his opinion, TO be public.
Il was not neceaary for him 10 repeat thar
it was Of preiipg nature. It reipect
ed the obtaining information on fubjees,
he would fay, ofgreater importance than
any which could come before Congress
that e ilion. One third of the felton, was
gone, and yet the legilature had no IN
formation before them. He hoped there
was no difp.ftion entertained by gentle
men 10 embarrafs this proportion with
points unnconneaed with it. The pro-
petition was extremely iimple. Called
upon by the PRECEDENT 10 legilate on the
fubfa Of the seiiionof LouiGana, we do
not know The pr,c;ie fate of that cealon.
To leg;fste ccrredly, we wantao be IN
formed Of all the circumftances. II gen
iIemsn are dilpoied TO deny us this inior-
nation, let the denial be publis. Do
not let them refer this motion to ieere,
committee, where they may deny Us the
information we ak, on reaions which We
cannot divulge. Mr.. G. concluded by
calling for the yeas ard nays.
Mr.. S. Smith afked if this were not
the preciie motion decided yesterday by
she houfe ! He thought it had been re-
ferred TO committee CT the whole. He
had conidercd It as having taken that
courie. When we go into committee the
sest.enen will fee whether we fhali re.
fuse them the information. Perhaps we
ihall Zee that it is of fuch nature as we
ought not TO poGefs. He did not him
felt know how that was nor did he
mean 10 commit himielf by any remarks
which he had made. He trufed gentle
men would remember their vote yeaer-
day, and not fuHer themtelves to be rui
out Of their courfc by this extraordinary
mode OF condu ding the bufnefs.
Mir. Lowodes demanded whether, even
if the motion were the fame, there was
any improperly in putting it again TO
day and whether it were not perfectly
coniiitsut with the rules OF order to go in
10 a committee, sad take up the refola-
ton. If there ever were refolu,ion Of
fered TO that boufe which ought 10 obtain
an unar;mous vote, il was that of his no
rorable friend from Connecticut which
propofes fimply tie calling for fuch inior
NATION as tie PRECEDENT might fee fit TO
give en- mott important iubjeef, that
had excited the ienfbiIisv Of the whole
nation. The PRECEDENT himielf, in his
meGage, al!udes TO the fubjett as one
which may require legiilafive interpoflti-
on,and gentlemen perliit in refuhng US this
information. 1t was moe extraordina-
ry-ci,cumi}ance in the annals of the Unit
ed States, that notwithstanding the mag
nitude OF the ceaion of Louiiiana, the
length Of time tincc il was made, and the
receilary confsquence of having new
and powerful neighbour on our frontier,
we had yer no official information OH the
fubjea. The Prefidenr, in his msdage,
really tells US nothing. He Jays s the
ceflieuSof the Spanih province of Loui~
iiana to France, which took place in the
courfe of the late war''-This we had
been told long before by the public prints,
and in a d;fcuilicn before the Brilith Par
lisment. But he goes on and fsys--