Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1805-02-25
GIbOtf Gumber, s57


ever in the power of the people to prevent
tholc who are once in Office, and who
have commit ed offences, and been guilty
of crimes, from forever continuing there,
if they have no; the right to foeak aud
write the truth about them Il certain
ly he laid, would not be contended, a. he
before obierved, in this country, a, this
day, that the truth in cafe OF libel,
cannot be given in evidence IN jdlti6ca-
ton.
AS to the truth of the charges, in the
publication, although Mr.. u. faid he
ihould nor have courted an opportunity to
exp els, thus publicly, his opinion upon
them yet fnce they had, fome how or
other, to De fure, in manner he believed
unprecedented, been brought into queRion
before The Houie ;-he had no heGtation
IN laying, feriouAy and folemnly, that he
really believed in his confidence, that the
greater part, if not all of them were fub-
itantaiy truc,-He had NOT, to b fure.
any p1rional knowledge Of the truth OF
them 5 but he had he laid, that kind of
evidence, which was perfectly satisfactory
to his mind. He had as perfect a convic-
ton,for his own mind, of the truth The fub-
ttance of the charges in general, as he had,
while, in Courts of Juitice, hearing trials,
of the truths of facts, then efab'ilhcd by
witneEes and he believed they might
be proved by the beR evidence that tlle
nature Of the cafe would admit. The
charges, he faid, bad been made and re-
peated for more than four years, Taft paft,
in all the federal newspapers in Aorrica,
NOT in enc j0hd column, as in the publ
| cation under implication but fome,imes
| one article, land at others another. They had
had been pubilhed and .republfhed again
and again, at the feat of Government, a.
vowedIy and before the face of MIR 11f;r-
Jan ;-who could not, he fad, have taken
up print, during the term that he had
mentioned, without having found fome
one of the charges, Earring him in the face
Yer during this Whole time, the(e char
ges had not been contraditted, either by
MIR. 3Dsrion or his friends. This, Mr.,
q. faid, in his mind, Amounted TO at leaG
tacit corfeflion Of the charges and the
right to contradict them, now, if he might
be allowed the exprelion, feemed to be
outlawed.
/, As the rcfolution had been brought for
ward, Mr.. U. faid it was Of importance
properly 10 difpofe of it. Many Difficult
ties had arifen IN hrs mind on the fubie6.
He hoped the motion fer commitment,
would prevail-----The fabJett Certainly
could have more full and deliberate con-
liberation, before committee, than before
the Houlc.
Mr.. Bzrg5 (of WorteG~J oppofed
the commitment of the retolation, but lroke
in 70 fmall voice, thar we fear we cannet
accurately hate the whole Of his ebfetta-
tons. He was, he faid, oPpoted to the
commandment. becanfc il would ps0uact
deciGon on fubjeC which had Been be-
| fore the Houfe feVeral days which the
members had had opportunity to converfe
on in private and on which he trufted
they had generally made up their minds.
He was convinced, he fad, the Houfc were
as ripe for the queif.on then, as they would
be after committe had reported upon il.
A commi- zee, he laid, cou not receive or
communicate any new light,as the commit
tee muH be competed OF members of the
Houie; and the vote Of the Eorfe could
as we'll be obtained as a vote IN the COM
mlrtes. SuPpefe, he faid, the refolution
is committed; their report. whatever it
may br, will be oPpofsd On the one fde of
the Houfe or the other; and therefore no.
thing can be gained BY the reference.
The queftion, MIR. B. faid, it was true, was
on the commitment of the refolution, bat
as the gentleman from Byookfeld had been
permitted to 60 generally into The merits of
the general quettion, he trutted the indul-
gencc would not he denied him. If he
we're permitted C7be SPEAKER /aid tie gen.
tsa1aa 4SoAId Be iudalgedl he hould fay, that
ne could not lea the force of The petition,
which gentlemen had ahumed, thar the
iioufe could not di(mifs its printers from
employment, without notifying them !;
hr..r IL 4