The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-12-17
CONGRESS.
HOUSE or REPREs EMY4rIyE.s.
FRIDAY, Nov. 7.


FRIDAY, Nov. z.
OctGfe on tn reference Of 4 memorial fran
SxndJu merchants and trGdsrs Of. the city
Of thtaaeihhia, hraying for a reheal IF
| The non-inhortatio1 iagv.
.OoHTINUEp.) 5.
! ihe hfeokeT said the question now recur-
red on the reference to the committee of
I Commerce and Manufactures
I Mr.. fhea IT. J should not have risen again
but Tor the observations of the mover, of the
; reference, ORR J. Clay) who understood him
to say that tite, law would nor eEnbarrass. the
merchants The gentleman had misllnder,
: stood nm ne did not thina itsSCuld enbar-
'rass any merchants who considered: the hon
| or and dignity of the y. States. Mr.. r. ad-
mitted that he knew nothing Of commerce,
for ne was not a commercial man but this
ne Ane ", tltat The act prohibitcd the iinporta-
tion OF Certain articles, and WAS passed 60
support the honor fthe u. S. He also knew
that the. subject matter of the petition, 50 FAR
as 1T went to the repeal of the act alluded to,
went to lower the dignity ofthe u. 5. and in
order, to induce an amicabc Termination,
wished them to depart from. the ground thew
had taken. NIr. r. said he would never be
one OF those who would refuse TO consider a
petition of a private nature, which did not in
crude national subject; but this required
them to do ana act which would derogate from
the national honor.-Ifhe might refer to Bli-
tlsh publications, was it not now said that
there ought to be total prohibition Of neu-
trail commerce The petitioners had every
reason to suppose that our government was
dong every thing which it could do to pro-
cure an amicable adjustment OF existing diff
ferences Why then bring these forward to
impede its operations? Mr.. X. felt all possi-
bic confidence in the Executive. He believ-
ed the instructions which had been sent,
though he did not precisely know what thev
were, were proper and dignihed But the
pohcy OF the British government would not
admit any principle that would impair her
absolute sovereignty of the ocean and so long
as that disposition existed, so long oul. remon-
strances would be unhcard, as they were be-
tore the revolution. lfhe mistools not, our re-
monstrances at that time were thrown under
the table. And would gentlemen insist that
this petition should be referred, when il
might commit the honor OF the U So He
knew nothing of the petitioners, not even
their names; but'the subject matter of their
petition he abhorred. He had no objection
when the proper time Came round, 20 assist
In the repeal OF the law. When all our dir
ferences were settled, then these provisions
might be seta side. Re hoped the House. in
the present situat. II, would not only hold Oh
the law, bat 81 o. still further
Mr.. Sloan rose to say that his sentiments
as to this memorial were exactly similar in
one respect with those expressed by the gen
tleman from Virginia. He tho't with h IN
that the purpoIt OF the petition was such as
to arouse their feelings and enquiries too
He hadno right to arraign the motives of the
petitioners, but he had right To express his
opinion OF the matter Of that or any other pc
ttion presented TO the House; and he would
say he considerable as embracing the inter
est Of O.. b Taking it i'll this point o. view,
he thought they should not notice it further
than to reject it.
Mr. ID. X. t|iYiam8 felt differently from
most gentlemen on this suojecc. Ii he could
consider its effects as the gentleman from
Tennessee had done, ne should vote with
him; but he could not sec how that effect
could be produced. Ifhe could conceive that
1t had originated from British party in Phil
adciphla, he should fec! differently, hat not
feeling thus, he hoped he should not be de
nounced as one OF a British party, If nc voted
IN favor of It's reference to the committee Of
Commerce and Manufactures. G;viagto this
memorial all the Importance with which G.
very gentleman had cloathed it. he would ask
the House to recur 70 4 correct principle qua
ranteed to the people By the constitution
he right pcaceab!y 10 petition for redress
OF grievances. If they suffered foreign reia-
tions to influence them in CONSIDERING cocsU-
tutional questions, any corrupt Executive
might hereafter turn the very means to their
destruction which were guaranteed TO them
to secure their safety. This was noe the day
when the risiiS to petition was the most sa-
cred under the constitution bat chat dtv
might arrive, and the tendency Of such con
duct as has been recommended is directly cal
culated to produce it. suppose thc object of
the petitioners was to produce in &. r che
same opinion which the circular letter of the
American Commercial Society of Iiycrpool
had III this country IS a contemptuous 81
lence best calculated to defeat the object5
say no. The petition is now in the power Of
every man interested in its ciYcul ,tion it
| ought not to be suffered to 70 abroad without
the antidOte accompanying it f: rcfcr It thcn
TO the committee OF Commerce and Manu-
iactures, and If there was not talents enough
| in that committee Co send them Rowland
for their Oliver, be trusted there was in thi,
House.
Mr. REX considered the right OF petition
| ing IN all cases a constitutional chit but he
did not consider il necessary az the same time.
to &C; OIL all petitions. This petition hadbecp
presented, and he thought the question Of
considering the petition Of more Importance
/ than the subject itself involved ia IT, Bcwas
| so unfortunate as TO conceive that aishouo.l,
the Language was good, the sentiments It con-
veyed we're improper and disrespcctful. lie
considered them improper as exciting alarm .
the petitioners had said they were extreme
| oil a.f.1f .f.s.