Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-12-16


ministers, who were undoubtedly the best
qualified to judge that n temporary sus-
! pension OF the law would have favorable
elect on the pending negotiations. He was
therefore willing to suspend il, but not for
so long period as that mentioned A sus-
pension until the LIST of July would allow
ample time for its effect on the negotiate
ons. 1t during the course of the session,
circumstances should arise requiring
change OF policy they could be easily pro.
vided for. They were then just on the
verge of the session. Dispatches would
undoubtedly be received before they rose,
from which they @onfd learn what was
| best to be done. For these reasons Mr..
Smile hoped the blank would be filed with
the 1st dav of July.
Mr. j. RhNDoLrH rose met ely ito OBJ
serve that it was usual for gentlemen to
renew IN thchousc motions made in the COM
inittee of the whole. 1t was true he had rot
renewed this motion yesterday, because
| he did then understand the vote of the
committee of the whole as expressing the
! Misrepresentation of the house of so long pc
iiod or suspension as the Slst day of De.
ccmber. Brt after he had received in
formation that several gentlemen, who had
| voted against the motion, did not consider
| 1t i'll this light, ne had renewed the motion.
/ M. X. said hv really did not see it, nor
! could he be induced to believe il to be cues
tion &C great Importance, whether the sas-
| pension should he for six or twelve months.
| The principlc Of the bill was as much invol-
/ we'd lii one period as the other. He thought
the whole reasoning OF gentlemen went to
sacw that the suspension ought not 70 extend
! beyond the present session. 1t was evident
that this wa. not the opinion Of the pres-
dent, who, IN n message recommends the
SUSPENSION. as well with view to the pro-
| motion OF our own commercial purposes as
| 70 favor the negotiations with Great
Britain. Great Britain having indica-
tee conci!iatory temper, did il not be-
conc point ofgreat policy towards her 20
suspend this act fer reasonable time Iftoo
the suspension be limited &c some day when
we are not in session. NAV not inconveni-
cnce arise Gentlemen on the committee
with him would rccollect that he named
the Sd OF March f.; but at the suggestion of
two gentlemen from two great commercial
cities further time was deemed necessa-
~ x It did appear II him, if il were extend
ed bcvong the Sd of March, il should be to a
day whicn should fall into the next session.
However, in case the Suspension should be
united to an intermediate day, he had pre-
pared clause further TO suspend the act
III case treaty should be formed, which
la tiiat event, he would offer.
My ASTON said he was stih ashe expres-
sed himself yesterday in considerable doubt
IS to the proper time to which the act pas
sed at the last session. prohibiting certain
articles from being imported into the Uni
ted States, should be suspended. 1t was
then adorted with a view to aid our nero-
Citations with Great Britain, and as the ne
Gcciations with the government it was in
Nrdcd to operate against, was still pcnGing,
che sAina cause which produced les passage
in the first instance, operated upon his
mind as 10 the prorriety OF continuing the
law; but he was perfectly willing to sus-
pend its gong into effect, until ample time
i should be afforded for q termination Of the
negotiations now pending
He did not believe that in the event Of a
failure Of an adjustment Ct differences by
the negotiation now on foot, war with that
country would follow, nor that there would
be q necessity for any stronger measures
on OUR part to be taken; once permit the
law to go into operation and he believed
its effects would be as forcibly felix by that
country as any measure We could adopt
he was opposed TO suspension 10 the time
proposed (Which was the 31st December
next Tor several, reasons for instance,
should cur expectations of friendly adj
justment of differences fail and the event
be known in the course Of two or three
months, every body, particularly those in
favor OF the system, would say il ought TO
apply 10 the next fall importations A.
gain, if we put it off until the time prcpos-
ed 1t would seem as though we ourselves
were afraid OF the ground we had taken,
land never intended it to take eject. The
ground taken by The gentleman fromVcr-
mont, which was that we ought TO be in
session at the time to which the law should
5c suspended, was 10 his mind very lorci-
Die; he felt great rcrlgnance to de-
iegaung power to any person whatcYcr
to suspend the operation of law of Con-
gress but as was mentioned BY the gentle
man from Mass. (Mr. Bidwell) clause
could be introduced specially authorizing
the President of the United States, in case
ofccrtsin events taking place to suspend the
law, and that only until the next session of
Congress. a special delegation of this
kind would not be All abandonment OF the
principle he contended for. He therefore
felt himself under the necessity of voting
against filing the blank with the time pro-
posed.
The yeas and nays were then taken on
filling the blank with the 3ist of Decem-
Der, and wcre-Yeas 45-Nays Gas iol-
= low:
YEAs--Messrs. Bedinger, Bctton, Broom,
Boyle, ]. Campbell, Chitterden, Dana. Da-