The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-08-15

Nhf otncT tof giving en- ut OPERATION TO that
great cnnftitnsional defey. ~ -
The report of the c}Inittec, although in
| tr'et unifou with the oflrf recommendation OF
the Executive, was reiekd by,7. to 5s votes
and the propo6tion Inappropriate ---- dol
lars for the purpofe of dfa7ing any extraordi.
parry expenses of foreia intercourfe, which
had been prcviouily laid ! the table by nem-
Der of that committee, Hore their report was
made to the houfe, was Immediately taken up.
The ayowed obiest of TIL meafure was to en-
able the PRECEDENT 10 opeita negotiation for the
purchafe of Florida. A lotion was then made
by Mr.. J.Randolph to c,hne the appropria-
ton to that ohjee, and agled to, yeas rs, nays,
SO. Another motion WI made By the fame
gentleman to render the DOT which was pro-
pofed 70 be incurred, redet,able at the pIealure
of the U. S. This was ct.ied without siivi-
ZION. But afterwards, WIN the bill was bro't
in, the houte Refunded j vote for a fpscific
appropriation, and TIE uSnev was left appli-
cable at the difcreton of Il Executive, to any
extraordinary purpofe oeforeign intercourse
whatfoever. Mr.. J. Ranbiph alto moved to
limit the amount which II government might
fipulate TO pay FOR the .tiitoryin qneftion
upon the ground, that is c'tgrefs were difpofet
TO acquire Florida by purclift they fhonld fix
the extent, TO which they fere writing to go,
and thereby furni!h our nt1iters with fate
guard agaiuit the raDacit Of France that
there was no probability II our obtaining the
country for lefs, but everi reafon TO believe,
that, without fucf precb,ion on our part,
lfhe would ex.ort more. Ibis motion was o.
vcrrulcd. When the bill cahe under difcuiIion,
various objections were urad againtt it by the
fame gentleman: Among kthers, that il was
in direct oppof'on 20 the Jews OF the Execu-
tive, as exprened in the prei ient' official COM
Tunication, Ct was on this location that gene
raj Varnum declared The MIXTURE to be COMO.
nant to the fsc,rt qrjBe5 Of NJ exeenti4'e :: that
it was profration of the nkional honor at the
feet of our sdverfary that ! Connection f, hui
initiating would psrayis ou efforts aganf c..
Britain, in cafe TIM regociaton then and now
pending between that go4rnment and ours
fhould prove abortive thj partial appro.
priation tozvqr6J the purchte of Florida with
oat limiting the preIidcntto fome fpecific
amount, would give previdis fan6tion to any
expencc which he might iu$ir for that obie6t,
and which congrefs wou!dIfand pledged to
| make good that, if the cxfutive, acting en-
-iraiv ,,,,nr 10 rei'nnnEEl;tv aud fxerrif-
ing its acknowledged conditional powers,
ihou.d negotiate for the pure afe of Florida, the
thoute of Representatives wdIld, in that cafe,
be left free 10 ratify or anhl the contract
| but that the coure which WIS propofed to be
purified. land which eventually was purfued'
would reduce the diicretioni of the legi(lature
to a mere fhadow: that, at Is enfiling feflien,
congrefs would ind itfef, in cation to this tub-
| Jet, a dsliberative body but In name that i,
could not, without uianifeit direli6tion of its
own principles, and perbaps{ without viola
ton of public faith, refaGc to knttion any tres.
ty entered INTO 30 thr Executit under ths. auf
pices Of the legilatu'c, and wah powers fosn
| limited that, however great bis confidence il
the chief nisgiitrate, he VOID never conien
to give any prefdent 70 dsBger6usa proc
of it that his duties al member o
that houfe, as the independent reprefcnta
| tive of an independent people ,svere paranoun
| to every other confederation 3ltithat H. wouf,
never preclude himfeif, by any previous fanStl
on, from the unbiaiicd sxerkfc of his iude
meDt on neafIres which thss:after were t,
come before bin that the houe hael.no o:fici
al recommendation from the Hsecuiye for The
ftep which they Propofed TO t.ke, on the con
trary it was in dire6f oppolitionto its Eentiment
as exprehed in the confiJentiA melfape tba
the refponibIity would be t<clufveIy thei
oWn that, if the preiident deemed it advifsbl
to purchait foreign territory, be was free t,
enter into ftipulat.cns for that purpofe. wtill
congrefs would renai;, equaIlyifree to fandior
or difapprove fuch flipulationss or thar, if n
thought proper to ak for an appropriation f.,
that object, the responsibility bf the noeaf,r
would ref upon bir1 :. but which the legiratur
undertook "to breJcribe tie c5lyje qub;c5 }
ho0nl@ pnril1r, and qobieb be bad f3iedged hint,
| TO bwf1e," the cafe was entirelychanrea tia
that houte could have no channel thro' yghic
1t could be made acquainted with the oniniop
of the Executive, but fuch as was official. re,
ponilhie, and known 10 the contribution an.
that It was prohitution Fits hfh and folem
functions to ACT upon an unconstitutional fug
geltlon OF the pri7ate QOi@es Of he Rxeeutiz,t
Iirrefponlibly announced by an irrefponfibIs in
dividual, and in direct hotility to his ayowe
opinions.
To every objection, the " Lomiiqo breceAeut.
Az it was called, formed the only anfwer, a
though in the latter fages of the iiif,ufTion. n
reply WAS attempted. The doors were clof,t
and the minority, Whole motives were imDeact
ed, and whole perions were almoh denounced
were voted down without debate In reply (
the cafe of Louiiana, it was faid, that il wa
no precedent at all: that every argument draw
from that iource was utterly inconclu(ive in th
Frefent inftance that no two cafes could h
more dilimilar: that, except the parties bein
the lame, there was no point of Resemblance
that, when Spain withheld from ms the rich
OF depoht at Ncw-Orleans, conerefs had aEie
ON its own mitigation alone they had no. bee
apprized by the Executive of any hottie move
ment on the part OF Spain TIE ktyy;tor, of1
u. S. bad not bee1 inSuIted, nor the 6ert,1t .
orr effise1J, GOifbiH orr o7rn jlriJii9iog, pjo[1
ted: 1t bad not been officially announced +
ICongrefs, that "fbeir brofel7foa, as zveH ar N
Jbitit and boHoJ of orr Couutrv ron {.,.y H.. :,