Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-04-07

Mr.. Smile replied when II. 80.
was taken on striking out the sec,,on '''o1
carried, ayes II. 10a
The bills were then ordered 10 i.
crossed tor thire reading. = CO.
On NOTICE Of Mr.. John Randol,b ],
house took up the report Of she conm;, VIC
Of the whole on sundry resolutions, ac,..s
to by them on the 18th ult. essQ
When the question was pu, on copeu,,,
in the report of the COMMITTEES Of
whole in their agreement 10 the second ~
solution, as follows:
ed Resolution, That the union Of a NJ,
ra!ity of Offices N the person of a ,,n ps
individual, but more especially of the mil S /
tary with the civil authority is repupp,r.
to the spirit of the constitution of the M
States, and tends to the introducing Of al
arbitrary government. n
On this question an interesting drbo,.
ensued, in which the affirmative side va.I
espoused by Messrs. J. Randolph and /
Clay, andsh aegatiyc by Messrs. Bidviit
Smile. Sloan, Quincy, Gregg, FludI.v
Rhea, Of Tenn. Varnum, Elmer and Soub
ard.
When the question wa. taken by Yea.
and nays, yeas 81, nays 81, and the reso,u
ton was consequently rejected.
Thi, di(cuaion was opened by the Opponent, e
TIE reioution. They denied tia; either u!ur,I
ity OF office, or an union OF civil and mn,.,.
Office 10 one person, was incompatible with The;
fpiIt OF the contribution. They fait that The Ga
mt OF the cona'sa,on could only be inse,ud
from IFS letter, snd that the inftrumen, did no,
contain inse propoGtion inhibiting the union. /
40 lhew this, By proving Contrary principle 70
be migrated IN The contributions, they i1fanced
che union Ct evil and military authority in the
p:rlon ofthe ehiet nsgiarate, who was ex. offcio,
commander in chief OF the army and militia Of
| the United States, and TO thew the uniform con
fFutt!on given to the contribution, they appeal.
ed to the conduct prattled under the government.
; and to the pafbge of Yarioui laws uniting civil
and military iuhfsicns in the fame individual.
They maintained, thar even if this union Of eff,
ces were repugaans to the lpirit OF the conRitu.
ton, II did not>belong to on: or both houl.s Of
| Congref, to pats, refoIution declarasory of al
meaning that fdcb abarats declarations, and
interpretations were unauthorized and were ex.
temely dangerous that if the contribution
were defective, the only pr,per ccurie wa, to of.
fer an amendment to it. They further iemark.
ed that this rstolution wa. intenied to pats cen.
lure upon the executive on account of the recent
| appointment of General wilkinson, who was
brigadier general in the army, to the Office OF
| governor OF Louifans; thar if the exeucuvs
were reprehenEbe on this lcore, this was not the
remedy. The contribution bad repoled the pow
Ter of a7pointnen. in the hands OF the President
and Senate; and the only eonaautional courle,
which could be purified, was, in cafe Of al abaie
| OF power, to prefer an impeachment.
The friends Of the rciolution replied, by main.
tanning the pIararity Of ofdce, and the union Of
eiSit and military Offices In one pcrfon, 'ncenPa'
| tblc with the fpiris OF the contribution. They
laid that the fpiritof tie contribution required the
military to be kept in aria determination to the
civil authority, and thar it 'yas for this reson
tha, the PRECEDENT of the United States was con-.
mander in chief Of the army and navy not tina:
~ Wa ihNebuco S'sSSPt ii 6'Sss e''~'
that be hould actually dilcharge the duties at.
tachsd to this fasion. They maintained that Il.
necare Offices were contrary to the lplrit OF the
contribution, snd that the 2union contemplated BY
the rcfu!n.ios tended to ca bli(h hnecurcs by
! aGisning TO an individual the duti:s OF ofat;s
which could noe both be dilcbargSd. They ccn'
| tended thst this was not an abRrad declaration,
| but rcfoIu.ion on which it vas contemplate
to bottom law. To the charge OF meaning 20
/ * esrfurcs OIL the executive for the appoint
ment of General Wilkinson, it was replied that
this charge ensnated from the iuggsliOn' OF the
! opponents of she relo!ution, thocgh It wa' nO'
denied by the friends of the refoution that they
cohddered the appointment as extremely repre-.
! hen65r.
This is bus an Imperfect outline Of debate
watch lhal BE- given at length hereafter.