The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-12-23

tron her injurious doGi,iues. If flle abandoned
thec, and made reparation for her depreda,i-
ons, he apprehended ri, necenity for the con-
tinuance Of the aa would be done away.
Why then continue it after the occurrence of
\ thc;e circumstances? III, however, the gsutle,
man from Pennsylvania I'D point out any
otherlefs exception5bie mode, by which the
visws OF the Houfc could be cHeefed, he would
adopt If in preference to the amendment Of the
| Senate.
Mr.. Crowninfhicld remarked that, like the
gentleman from Pennfylvania (Mr. SMILEY he
could not give his fan6lion to the propofed a.
mendmsnt. He faw no neccility at this time
tor authorizing ;iie Pre6dcnt os the q. S. fur
ther Ia inipeni the non-nporta,iou aS. What
had tine Hontr done i few days lince they
had lent = bill to the Senate TO f,ifpeud the stt
until the frt Of July. They hal received
from that body an amendment further TO fuf-
pend It until Dec; and on what grounds !:
They had received no additional commandment
ans from the Preident. The Houre, th;n, to
be confident, ought to puriue the fame courie
they had followed few days Ence. Mr.. c. fad
nc then voted aganft inipeniion OF the nun-
importation act to the III of Dec. He conf
dered the propolition under confederation as
nearly the fame thing the principle of both
was hnllar. He did not know thst he fioud
| Object to paiiing bill late in the FELTON,, em.
powerIng the Prelident to fufpend the ati, pro.
v'ded the negotiations were in fuch a fituation
80 promiie satisfactory iifus; but he iaw no
neceittY for precipitation. The bill would do
as well without the amendment as with it. He
Mould therefore vote againtt it.
a motion was here made to adjourn, in favour
ct which only four members rorr.
Ear Bidwe!l faid he did not view the fu,,ieet
IN the lame light, in which it was fecn by his
colleague near him, (Mr. Crowninlhieil.) To
4 t<., ,y.R
between the amendment of the Senate, now
under confederation, and the proportion which
haa beer negatlved byth Houfc, when the hill
1 was before under dilcuEion. The one was an
abiolute fufPcnfion of the act until next Dec.
whereas the other was only the provilion of A
power to fulpend it, if an occaGon for fuch fur
| tner fuipenlion fhould occur, when Conrrefs
mould not be in felton,. To the former he
thought there were obje aious, which did not lie
aSainlt the latter.
/ He could not agree to the ohiervation of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. 7. Claw
that the prohibitory aa is confeiled!y meaftire
or nobility. On the contrary, he thought it a
pacihc meaturc. 1t was no more than fyftem
| OF commercial reputation, which, confidently
win inc etabliiheo laws and utages Of nations,
VIC have an undoubted RICH, to adopt. It did
/ no injury, and could give no iuit oecafon OF Of
fence. 1t was indeed intended to prefsu upon
! q. u. One principal object OF it was to con-
vince that government and nation, that we have
the power and tie determination, by granting
or withholding our market for their manufac-
lures, by peaceable means, to make it their in
teret to do us jufice, and be on good terms
VITA US. This was not hottie, but pacific
and lawful policy.
| He obfcrved that when the bill was before the
tiouie on former day, he had taken the IL
berry to exprefs an opinion that the event OF a
treaty, intervening before another felton, of
Congres, might be provided for by feparate
lection in this bill, or ny feparate act, to be
Paiied, If neceiary, before the clofe O! the pre-
lent ieion. He had preferred the latter; but
the reaions for that preference were not 10 trong
as TO induce him TO difent from the couric
which the Senate had thought proper TO pur-
| iue.
He was generally not in favor of vslting dic.
cretIonary powers in the executive. But in
the prefent carc, where the principle was con-
tanned ia the law, the dfcrction was 70 limited
| IN ITS object and duration, and the rule for the
eXercife Of that difcretioD was 70 obvious, he
| thought the authority could not be dangerous,
and the objection was not applicable.
There was, he faid, one ftrong confederation
IN favor Of the ie6lion. IF treaty ihonld be
made, during the recefs of Congrefs, or at 70
| ate a date as not to be known here until Con-
ereis fhould have adjourncd one ofthree COURT
es mutt be adopted ether the prohibition
mutt be iufferec to- operate, from the frf of
July until December, whirh, in cafe of fats
factory arrangement, would not be defra6le {:
or Conereis muR be convened to provide for
tuch Rate or things, which might be very in.
- onveolent or the executive mutt be authorif-
cd to futprud the operation OF tie law until tie
nSZt ordinary ieiiion of the leg1aiure. The
latter conrfe appeared to him to be attended
with the leaf evil. He was, therefore, in favor
OF providing fuch an authority and, as the
Ssnate had judged it moa expgdieut 10 infet
It in this bill, although he fhnud have indvidu-
ally preferred fcparatc and future bill for the
Purpofe,. he would not refufe to CONCUR in the
amendment.
Mr. SmGie fsid be had but liogle addition
al oblervation to Offer, after making which, he
would conine himislfto giving his negative to
the amendment. He had ever held il to I've hi.
duty not to grant legislative power to the exc
cutlve but in cafes of nccelsty. II fuch a ne
ceiiity could be fhewn to exit at prcieut, he
would confder whether it were proper TO grant
the propoicd power. But when there was no
fuch neceility, he would never yeft fuch dit.
erection in the executive.
Mr.. Dana obferyed that the principle laid
down by the gentleman from Pennsylvania was
worthy ofattenton but it was extremely quel,
tlonao'e whether it were applicable TO the cafe
then before them IF the amendment Of the Sc
nate went to acknowledge general power in
the Preident to dilpenfc with the laws, pow
or once claimed as a prerogative by the King