Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-04-15
sArunpAt, AprN s.

De0ofe on He.m0fien " INr- JOfl.v KIM
DOLPH 10 amend the Seercf Journal
by faserting ia 10 The MASSAGE Of
the PRESIDEWTof the 6fh Of Decen:-
oar.
Mr.. JOHN RANDOI.PH.--Ir rise to
execute the purpose which ] intimated
Yesterday. On the first page Of this
Journal lhoidiDg in his hand the journal
OF the secret proceedings of The Hpu,sl
find it stated that tho Speaker laid be.
tore the House a letter and communica-
ton from the President ofthe u, State,
which were read, that they were refer.
red TO a select committee, and l End
that then follows the report Of that com.
mittee without any notice of the mes
sage of the President on which it va.
grounded. This take to be depart
ure from the regular system Of keeping
| the journal (; because perceive in other
Parts oft, messages, though ola private
nature, accompanying other commani.
cations, inserted. l deem it not less i'm
portant to the character of those who
compose the sele6 COMMITTEES, Of which
had the honor 10 BIT one, than to the
character of the government Of the Uni
Ited States, that a full and fair view should
be given To the public, of the conduct of
/ the government on the one hand, and of
( the icgi,ls,ure on the other. beg par
! don Tor using the phrase government,
| oy goVcrnmeDt ] meant the executive
department. l shall frel il incumbent
ON. me, in ordet'to impress on this House
the sense entertain OF the Importance
| nj
history of the trsnsaetions which have la
ken place with clo.ed doors, in which,.
though l may not undertake to say what
the message of the President contains. l
shall feel myself at liberty, according 70
the course pursued here, to say what i;
does not contain.
II is true that on the 9th Of December
THAT message was referred to seleel
committee. That committee met, and
one of the members, a gentleman from
! Massachusetts, whom do not now see
I'm his place, as soon as the committee
met proposed that they should recon.
mend 10 the House the making an sp.
preparation of money 10 eusbIe the exc
cutve to negotiate abroad. understood,
/ though II may not have been EXPRESSED
that the objecf was the purchase of the
Florldas. There was a great VARIETY of
sentiment in the committee, and other
gentlemen of the committee of whom I
was one, objected, that in the confident.
al message of the President, ,herc was
not syllablc about the purchase Of the,
fiortas, or an appyoptiation of money
Tor foreign negocietion, that there vas
\ in nj. In.
that Spain was wiling to make The sale
or 10 come TO an amicable adjustment, Of
differences with Us; but that on the son
trary, dlreet and opposite inference
could only be drawn from its contents.
| On Coming 10 town, ard conyers,ne
with gentlemen of this House, 1 wa. an.
priced of the existence of a ptoisct for
the purchase of the Floridas from Spaia /;
and was prepared to have considered
any expression III the executive message
as having this meaning, which could
at all wsrrantlt, There was such q diff
ference OF opinion in the committees that
they came, tono direct conclusion. Cir
cunsiancss OF an inperioss nature cali
ed me TO Baltimore; where | stald, I
think, six days. On nv return, on sat-
urday, found, fran the information of a
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Nichol
sony that there had been consi5eFabIe
excitement ia consequence of The COM
nlttee not reporting. Without even
changing my clothes or going to INV
lodSings,l Immediately met The commit,
lee, and II was agreed to write 10 the So.
cretary ct war, and learn from him the
number otiroops necessary 10 protect the
southern frontier from Spanish inroad
and insults. But although in the pubic
message of the President a, the opening
OF The session, we heard much of Spanish
ouirsges and insults, and though the pri-.
yase message held language in conson-
ance with the public, found back.
wardness in the head ofthe war dcpart.
ment, and generally of the executive
government OF taking ddecided attitude
as 10 Spain andI found what was worse,
before l left town TO go to Baltimore,
from a conversation with what has been
considered the head of the first Executive
department under the government, ,ha,
france wasthe great obstacle 10 the com
promise of Spanish differences that
France would not permit Spain 10 come
to any accommodation with us, because
France wanted money, and that we m,i.;