The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-12-01

llCNtsit my oIuCSF me government H2i fra.lt
cended his powers as limited by the confti,nti-
on, IT was not proper that the procedure irould
be treated with levity. as fnch rondua
might encourage violations of the contribution.
nc was glad that expenditure could take
place without exciting the attention of the
tiou'c; that wien exercifing its prerosatve,
the Executive would not be encouraged in put.
ting its hands into The treaiury. il would fhe,x
to the PRECEDENT or any other officer, that the
Houis were jealous oftheir constitutional ri Oh IT,
MIR. G. could not Gay with fome gentlemen
that It would have been imprudent, or in any
degree improper to have convened Congreis
eariier than the day on which they had met ;
and though he would permit the PRECEDENT to
DO theie things, he would only permit i, when
Congress could not be convened in fuificient
time. Four months had elapfed iincc the out.
rage had been committed; during what Tort-
| on OF this interval, the expences of the Navy
Department had been incurred was not known ;
but IN all probability Congrefs might have been
convened in fufhcient time to have made pre-
vious appropriation.
| The gentleman from Pennsylvania had told
them that it was the. cu'tom of an ancient natl.
! on to deliberate on quettion twice, once when
| drunk, and once when tobcr therefore Con-
grets ibould not have been convened whilR they
| ieit the hff fenfe Of indignation. Did the gen
| tieman mean to fay that this was drunken na.
ton! That nation glowing with Indignation
at an act OF nfult in fate OF intoxica,ion ;
| was not this period at which the reprefenta.
| tves fhould have been attended Mr.. C.
trutted that however great the general execrat-
on, however great the excitement, the reprefen
tatives would have been efficiently cool. He
d'd not think that tiete fentiments had in any
degree iubiided +; ne faw no appearance of il in
the country, none in the Houfe, none in the
gentleman from Penufylvania the fame feelings
were fill cherifhed that exited four months arc
Upon the whole, however, Mr.. G.. thought
the Executive had on this occation conducted
FAIRLY, with Jingle eye to the pualic in,ere(t
Tie ihou'd vote forthe bill, not as a preceJeut.
or to encourage any Department in the uuau
thor'ted use of the public tresfure, but becaufe
he thought the meaiure proper
MIR. Sniiie did not mean to intimate thar The
nation was drunk he meant that the hour ofex
IRENE feeling was not the proper time for dclibc.
ration. Whit he entertained that fentiment. ne
honored American feelings on the location he
rejoiced 10 Zee that fpirit fllewn Since he was
up, he would juit take notice of the idea ina,
feemed to have taken poiiefon OF feveral gen.
tlemen as to the convention of Congrefs at an
GARNER period. He had mentioned yefterday
why he thought the Prefident had aSfed prudent.
~ IN not calling Congreis fooner fupoofe they
had been convened in the month of Augult +
was true they could have made an appropriati.
on, but they could not have decided on the
main futiett, nor could they now. They muft
have waited at an enormous e3pence to the uni
on, for dispatches from Europe Under theft
imprctfione, he one of thofe who believed
the Preiident bad aeted properly. MANY thiprs
had been taid in the courfe of debate, irrelevant
10 the fuhlect. AS to A review of what had been
done in 1866, it was improperly introduced;
at another time, when the proceedings of the
legiflature of that day ihould come properIv he.
fore them, he was willing to meet diEcnflion.
and to luttity thote meafures. On that occaGon
he had thought as be did now, tn at war was one
OF the WORT OF evils {; and that no nation fbouId
engage in it when by any other means i,e couId
preierve her honor. He was now, "a then. on
poied to war bit if it ihould be forced moon
the nation, he iould be one of tine lait TO fbrinl
from II. lie thought that the going to war on
this aggreiiion, under prefent circumstances.
would be aching precipi,ately as no nation
ihouId go to'war till fhe gave her opponent an
opportunity to juitify her conduct
Mr.. Randolph begged leave to be INDUCED
win a few words by, way OF explanation. Much
had been faid on former occafion about dumb
legiilation. He believed they had aInnoft reach
ed that point at prefent. In the magnificent a.
partment IN which they fat, aud which was fitted
for any purpoie rather than that for which il
was dehgned, it was fcarcely pofiible to hear,
" ~ hldf-S OiC iCI MS was tureIV
TO Giitant approach to legi1ation without de-
bate. In coniequence of the effort which he
had been compelled to exert, at no fDaN eY-
pence of contribution, his attention had hoen
iorcihy dragged from the fnbje6t before them.
and he had Derhapa uicd fome exprenions which
fell ihort Of his meaning. and Others which did
not come up TO it. He wifbed to be clearly and
explicitly underit0nd as 70 the courfc which he
Thought It incumbent on the Executive TO have
puriued, ADD confcquentIy to what extent the
cOurte which had been purified met his difaD-
probation. lie thought Congrefs ought TO have
been Immediately convened on the capture of
the Cheiapeabe, and our miniiters at London
initanty recalled, after having made an explicit
and peremptory demand of redrefs--snd that
redrefs too by Britifl envoy dispatched to the
U. S. for the efpeciaI purpole. CongreFs being
convened, the nation ihould have been put into
poiture of defence, waiting realonabIe time
20 receive redrefs by IN envoy. That being re-
Ftfed, infant retaliation fhouli have been taken
ON the offending party. Mr.. r. would have in
vaded Canada and Nova Scotia, and made
defcent on Jamaica. He would have ieiced up-
on Canada and Nova Scotia, not with view
to their incorporation into our fyfteni of govern
ment, but az pledges 10 be retained aga;nft fu-
ture pacifcatioH, until we had obtained annie
redrets for our wrongs. Wnilft he held thefe
ientimcnts he entirely concurred with the gen.
tleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smilis) that war
was great evil, never to be ref9rted 10 without
folemn demand of reparaton from the Often
der, and giving hima fair opportunity to make
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