Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-01-04

The PETITIONER during the ~fevoTutiorary
war with Great Britain, was commander o.
the Alliance Frigare, one of the squadron
Of pap Jones.
Dariag their cruize 10 the North Seas,
they captured four B~Titishvessels, and sen,
tlaenarte Norway consigned to tbs French
Consul. The court OF Denmark on the ap-
piicasion OF the British consul at Copenha.
gen, restored the captured ships to the
owners, under the plea, Of not acknowIedg.
ing Atnefica as a nation.
The Report of the Secretary was favor
able 10 the petitioner, and it was on the
motion OF Mr.. J. c. Smith, referred to a
committee of the whole for Monday, and
70 be printed. z
DIR. Quincy presented a petition from
the manufacturers. of Hats in Boston, con-
planning OF the difficulty 10 procuring iurs
from the Indians, and complaining Of the
conduct of the agent for Indian a%ffaira, and
similar to others on that subject from Phi.
lade!phia and New York.
Mr.. Cuts from the committee of en-
rolled bills, reported that the committee
had found duly inrolled "a Bill for en-
tending the time for claimants on the French
Republic, &c"
ARTICLES OF WAR.
General Varnum called for the bill pre-
sented by him several days ago, for the
regulation of the army of the U. States.
The house went into a committee Of the
whole,
Mr. ]. C. Smith IN the chair.
a long discussion took place, and vari.
Gus alterations aud amendments proposed,
and some of little Importance, to the for
mer articles. Of war adopted.
Mr.. G. w. Campbell moved 30 strike
out the word "punishmen, by death"
In support of this amendment Mr..
Campbell reported the idea of the lives OF
citizens being in the power of a court mar
tial. He compared soldiers to mere ma.
chimes, from the severity of military law.
He said almost every article in the bill was
stained with blood; aad he drew a parallel
between them and the civil penal laws. He
feared that when men know how many
small offences subjected him to death, he
would be deferred or Disguised from serv-
ing his country.
MIR. Southwark and Mr.. Cook followed
with similar observations and arguments in
favor of the amendment.
1t was strenuously opposed by MIR. Il.
Nelson's Mr.. Smilie, MIR. Macon, and MIR.
Talmage.
These gentlemen represented the neces.
sity of the bill standing as it had hitherto
done in that respect. They drew a pic.
ture Of an army withou. discipline, where
every soldier might think himself at his
own disposal-Of an army being ordered
to attack the enemy, and an officer refusing,
aud drawing his sword on his commanding
officer. The necessity of a code OF laws
for the military, differing from the civil
law, was demonstrated, and having by the
law as it stands, gone through the revolu-
tionary war with success, and in peace
found no i'll consequence arising theretrom,
they thought it neither prudent nor even
safe to adopt the amendment.
Mr.. Talmage said that in the revolution
| the disohedience Of soldiers to their Off.
GERS commands, had at one time gone to
such a length, as threatened a mutiny.-
The adjusans general Lee was struck by
a soldier, on being ordered to do his duty.
| The commander ordered him to be tried
by a general court martial, he was foend
guilty and so be shot. The ar
my we're drawn OCT to ATTEND the execution
of the sentence. Upon the spot appointed
for that purpose general Lee entered in be-
half of the soldier, who was in conse-
qaence thereof pardoned. This, however,
produced a good effect 10 the army. Mr..
Talmage brought forward other instances
of the danger of an armynot being subjec'
TO severe laws. Soldiers were ef that ma.
ture that they could not be governed win.
out severity.