Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-05-09

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tofuihsh The I,rcsidcat's Message.
: Mr.. FINDLEY said that the question
before The House was only motion for
amending the secret journal from which
lhe injurclion of secrecy was taken CT,
by inserting the Presidents confidential
communication yet by extending totbe
argument of The gentleman from Virgil
ria Mr.. Randosph,) it would appear that
he was engaged in supporting articles o.!
Impeachment aeains, tie high cft1ccrs of
the government, and rot against them
| only, but also against a respectable ma
| jori,y of this House, as il he had been
vested With authority TO censure and de-
| nounce their legislative measures on their
own floor. wher, the subjects were no lon
ger before the House. But, Mr.. Spea-
ker, no motion has been laid on your Ia
bic fcc impeaching the conduct of these
high executive officers, nor can any mo
ton be admitted TO enable member of
the minority 10 impeach the majority.
II is contrary 10 good order, it is an out
rage on deesucy 10 defsne the character,
OF impeach the conduct ia this way, of
public officers or citizens on this floor
where they cannot answer for themselves.
IL has never been admitted in other pub
lie bodies in the u. States, nor in Con-
gress, Till it was Introduced by the mem
Der from Virginia and fortunately it is
! peculiar to him alone 10 entertain the
House with tales brought from out Of
doors, or from the whispers behind our
bar, and with Unsupported SANDERS on
,th- administrators ard officers of the GO
verrmen,.
I This is not the first time he (Mr. RI
has attacked the respectable character OF
the secretaty of state in this rude manner
on this floor. This manner of deing il
lis entirely Improper. If Mr.. r.. had
charge against him, he ought TO have
moved Tor an enquiry into the conduct oil
that high officer, as had been done no,
long since with another respe ctable head
ofa department but this wonld not have
answered The genilenan's purposes OF
| Islander. The secretary Of state would
have had the opportunity of defending
MS own charaelcr.
| BIT Mr., Speaker, what is the charge
| for which The secretary is SO vehemeDtIy
denounced Ii is some sentences Of
confidential conversation told in Mr.. r s.
own manner. Ii is true, indeed, that that
gentleman is in The hab, OF entertaining
the House with scraps of confidential con.
versations, but surely he knows that the
House cannot take his statements FOR
vouchers. He knows, and this House
knows, that he has already had 10 cotrea
on this Roor, a statement which he had
| rutlely made of part OF coDfide entail con.
versa.ion he had had with the secretary
of the treasury, but even the correelions
Justly presumed 10 have been deIeeliye (;
it was not the whole truth. L he House
does not receive the assertion of any
member instead OF vouchers. not even on
a moticN for impeachoaento or complaint
of contempt. In such cases testimony is
Irequired. When the gentleman's habits
in This House are considered, aud the e.
lvident resentment which he declares 10
be irreconcilablc, and which he express.
ses in a manner not TO be mistaken, a.
gaiDst the secretary OF state, we sfe Jus.
tilted not only in receiving his assertions
with some abatement Of confidence, but
with suspicion.
! Mr.. f. said, the geDtleUfan from Vir-
| ginia has this day ~ ON former dass, saiG
a great deal about france, that zes sger,
a6out,fo give nsoney 10 france, 10 give a
tribe to France, sc. Does the ger. fenan
dream about Francs at nights, and reial
his dreams in this House in days, orfs
his imagination always in dreaming
state. If we are to Judge from the de-
suloripess Of his arguments perpelueliy
wandering from the subject before TIE
House, dragging IN Subjects that have no
bearing on the question, flying from one
suhjeetto another, without coierencc, We |
might justly presume that the last and
many other OF his arguments were the !
dreaming illusions Of vivid imagination !
highly disofdered,
MIR. r. taking the secret journals nov
made public, in his baud, read the resolu |
ton agreed TO with shut doors, dcciefing |
that the appropriation was made iowa d. |
deirsying the expense which may be in.
cured 10 the purchase OF the Spanish !,
territories lying on the Atlantic oceap |
and Gulf of Mexico, and eastward OF the |
Mississippi. This resolution, he said,
was the foundation OF the bill new enact.