Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1805-12-30
hitltb Gcnerees.
FIRST SESSION, AT wAsHIEcron
Dc5lte on TIE Re5olmion5ia tie Laf Cazett,
Continued I
IT WASHING TON.

ICmtinued.
Mr. Nicholion obferyed that the nr;ncl.
pal objection made to the refolution be had
offered was that the Committee Of Wavs
and Means were not bound 10 inyeffipate
the Ltjeet, and fubmit TO the Houfe the
refult OF their inve(tigation. Some gentle
men think II neceaary that infructions
filouh be given by the conmitte TO inf.re
! fuch IN inveitigation. MIR. Ncholfon faid
that 1e had known iriitances within the
COURT OF the fix pait years in which fub-
je6t apparently hmplc had produced vo-
! i 11.7-'sc'-3 repor. .<hcug any infru6tion of
the Houfe he had known other infances
in which fubjed Of great importance had
been refe. led, on which there had been re-
ported hmp'e rcioiution which afterwards
became the iubjett of argument within thefe
walls. 1t IN thiscafe an iveitiga,ion is dt
red there is TO doubt but that the commit
tee of ways and means con mike il. and
give the refult to the Houfc He recolle6t-
ed Tome years alc ample refolution was
referred TO commI:te Of which he had the
honor TO be chairman. They conGdered
the tubjeet as Of vat Importance, and
thought 1t proper to go at length into il.
The report was made, and on it was pre
dlcated the extenhve purchafe of Louifiana
Yet, in this cafe, there were no inftruCtions
given. The committee notwi:hitandipe
thoght 1t their duty tc enquire into the fub.
jettj they accordingly did enquire. and
made the report alluded to.
In every point Of light in which the rrcf-
ent fubjett could be viewed, it would be
found TO effect the revenue. There are
various ways in which we may attack the
beillserent nations. We may attack then, by
land or by fea. The preparations reqnired
Tor this purpofc may not only fink our pre-.
tent revenue, but render it nccefIary to re-
fort 70 the rafting additional revenue. :
Should their be 4 on-importation act,
which had been lately aiubject OF difcuf1ion
in the public prints, il would neceharily ef-
feet our revenue, and before it could be a.
greed to or a6ted on, it would be abEolurc-
ly necelary for the committee Of WAYS and
means to enter into an invefigation how
the neceiary revenue could be obtained.
If we reiort to the expediert of rafting the
duties OF manufactured articles ,hewould ak
if that were not proper fubjed Of the COM
rnIttee OF ways and means. The meafure
could not but effect our revenue deeply,
and would it not become nccefary for the
committee OF ways and means to enquire
to what exrent the duties might be laid
without producing the neceiIity of reforting
to new taxes? ? But as the gentleman from
Maiiachuletts was deGrous of inftru4ihe
the committee, he had TO objection 70 to
p'odify his refolution as to add to it the lat
ter part CT the refolution offered by him.
So modified the reiolution was read from
the Chair as follows:
:. RseIV<3, thar 70 mach Of the mef.
fage ef the BreGdent Of the u. S. as relates
to TO conduit Of the belligerent powers to-
wards the United States, and 10 the un;u(-
tilable conitrutticn lately given by fome Of
them TO the law of nations, as it regards the
rights Of neutrals, be referred TO the CON-
mN,ee Of Ways and Means, with inftrac-
tlons TO enquire into what refpe2s, aid to
what extent our neutral rights have been
'aOioSNAt ohu WAdt hCpludtlVc Inc2lureS the
true inteIeit of the u. S. requires to coun-
terad fuch violations,
MIR. Bidwe.I endured to what committee
the deieufiVe meaiures recommended by
the Prehdent had been referred.
The Chairman replied to a fslea com
mittee.
Mr.. Bidwell fad that the fubie6 appear
cd to him as much connefed with the
revenue II ra :iples which refpeaed the
law Of E4fions. If that fubisa had been
referred with ProprIs,y to itlea commit
tee turely this might aIfo, as it was not 70
neoehariiy connected with revenue, as TO
make 1t the peculiar bsiincfs Of the COM
mittee Of Ways and Means.
MIR Smile remarked that It appeared
that the idea of both the gentleman were
Incorporated in the reiolutlon as il food
and thar the only fulfilling difference was
as 70 the committee. This was not of fuf-
tcient Importance 10 occupy much of their
n he f,.k. n n