The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-12-16
GoabGsa99.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
SATURDAY, Dec. S.

CURED anIey ne E7nie.
The Houte having returned the CONFEDERATE.
on Of the bill
Mr.. Speaker obfcrved that when the bill was
yeiterday Under confederation, the eueition PEN
ding was on filing the blank in the firfS frilion
with the words Jxne 80. Tthc day until which
IT was propelled TO fuspcnd the prollibitory
act.
AZ the requeh of Mr.. ]. RANDOLPH, the
| Meliage Of the Proficient OF the srd init. was
read.
mir. J. RANDOLPH then rid, that when
ne had made the motion in committee, to FIJI
The blank with the soth day of June, he had
done it under the npre!li that the Hc,ie had
exprefed their di!approhation IF a fufpcnGon
to 70 long day as the sin Of December But
| 1t feemed from fone CELEBRATIONS which had
been made in the Euufe, that fome gentlemen.
who voted againit the fuipenlion until ,he next
fei;Ion, had voted in this way, not becauCe
they were oppofed to that d,y, but merely
hecauft they had not fully con(idered the ful-
lJect. He would, therefore, withdraw his mo-
tion to fill the blank with the soth OF June, and
renew his motion to fill it with the 81 # day OF
December. lie did this, not only from the mo-
tives he had mentioned, but from other mo-
tives, which truck his mind with great force,
and, which, if gentlemen attended TO them,
they would find of comfortable weight Cen
'!enen have flid that they are difpoled to paf.
the Impending law, hecsuic the conduit of G..
Britain, which tkry deemed the laft year hoftils
TO US, had !ince materially changed Now II
this were tatf, (the accuracy of which he was
not about At prcient TO diftuf) what was the
inference? If at the Ian felton,, when gentle
men deemed the conduct Of Great-Britai0 hoC-
tile 70 US, they tufpendcd the operation of the
proaititory ACT 10 the 18Th OF Nov. enfuing,
iureiy0 t5rtiori, gentlemen, who deemed the
CONDUCT OF that government f. materially chang
ed, would agree to a iufpenfiOn for period az
much longer as would be equivalent to the
change in her condud. 1t might be fsd, that
the reafon fer the fufpenlicn at the laf fsiIion
+! DID not now exift, A. it wac then necehary 70
give greater length of notice of the going into
operation OF 10 important a law. True but
N" gentleman would FAY thar a period, 20 long
rs mat allowed, was then necefiary, as it was
| only reqnfte, in this point Of view, TO allow
time Tor the information of the pafIage ofthe
act to DC received before the failing of the fpring
veiieis. Gudvr this view of the .rhjeet he
would renew his motion to ill the blank with
,he sir day Of December
ElR. ELLIOT hoped the motion would pre-
van. lie, indeed, very much regretted that it
had been negatycd in the Committee ofthe
Whole. He had never confidercd the proili-
nhory alt as valuable, but as indicating the
punt OF tie American people, and as leading
Tue way to hronger meafures, in cafe the con-
IN.
was wiling to part with il for a reafonabie diff
petition towards accommodation On the part OF
Drsat- Britain, which they had been aifired
| eXhed at preient. In the prefeut fate of our
foreign affairs, when a European power had
frequently invaded our territory, he thought
there were frong reafons for being on good
terms with Great Britain. He contemplated
| the p oniotoiy law as mere matter OF tempo
fary policy, not as forming part Of 4 prrn,a-
4 CO ,i,1, 49,
Britain Mr.. Elliot faid there was one realon,
which ought to decide the vote Of the Roufc
on this que!ton. IF gentlemen viewed the pro.
hioitory law as mere matter oftemporary DO
Iicy' and 1t, as they had been anured by the
Executive, the pending negotiations were Ike
" TO 'iue IN satisfactory refuit, fureIy they
ough1 no longer to keep the agricultural and
! coEmereia! IniereitS in fufpence, as to the mea-
lures contemplated 10 be purified On our ar
engagements with Great-Britain. For one. he
mould he willing, after the afiurances they
had received of the friendly difpon;ion of the
britlh government, and from his fenrc OF the
'heshclency OF the law, 10 repeal it altogether.
AUD although gentlemen illoud be difpofsd to
ho'l II up IN ferToyeH to Great. Britain, WIN
not ia'renn 1t for year, or, at all events, per-
lIi't me i'iiPsnhon to ceate during felton, of
congress! SuPpoic majority Gal fay that
the Impending act iball ceae in June or Tnlv-
The non-inpOrtation act will then be again in
force. iiow then Can our merchants with any
iaety take their meafares Why leave the fnt-
zee, IN doubt, wien they were convinced that
tie ipirit which prefdeS over the pending neco-
claiiens will produce favorable refut9 For
theie reaions MIR. z. faid he hoped the prc(cnt
motion would prevail.
MR. BIDWELL obferved that with the GEN.
tieman from Vermont, who had iu(t Eat down.
ne could lay that the protibitory aet, the oper-
alton OF which was proPofed to he fnfpended,
received his vote at the time of it's panaee.
But, like him, he could not add, that his view
Ut The policy OF the meafure had changed.
further reelection had confirmed him in the
beiefot It's wiiaom and juticc and expert
ence, during the iIort period, which has TO-
tervened, had added the wsieht of its fandi.
on. ] he act had, 70 far, evidently produced
iautary effect. He had no helitation in fav.
ing that it had had an influence in producing
the accommodating fpirit, which, at the date
OF the lar dispatches from our commifioners.
was manifested on the part of @. b. towards
The U. ). Convinced Of the foundnefs Of our
policy, he ihould by no means be willing to fee
IT abandoned by repeal of the act. On the
contrary he hoped the act would be retained
| and enforced, and that further fteps wonld be
taken in the fame fyfem Of policy, unlefsi il
| 'tould bcreadered unueceiTary by satisfactory
conyt ntlonal arrangements. Yet, confidently
with t',is lytem, be was willing, for the reaCons