The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-11-03

ly as agt.r yaticrs sf this attach. lie ti.esefate
fabhis,cd WIFI defereGcs 10 the committee,
the pr9p,iety re refersiny Whatever relates to
the attack on the caefspcair Ia G-,est CON
rn,tse4; and entering into ,erasase reiolr,on
for The apro'ntmcui OF diiinta committee to
Rconhder what may be reeeaary Cor The FL her
defence OF orr ports and harbors. Upon this
view ofthe futjrct. he would offer ab amrnd-
I msnt 10 the rcfoutiou in qpe.tion. He wii,ed
! TO add after the word "rFtoiv.sd,"
That 10 much of the ,nc..age of the Pre- f i.
/ dent or the United States as rele,es TO the at
tack made on the friga,s Chei,peake be r,irrred
! 10 a fsleti committee aud that the committee
he nfEneted 70 enquire irsotse circumstances
OF that attack, the cauies aligned Cor making
| 1t, and the mannerin which it was repelled, and
10 repnrt the rsiuit of fuch emo uiries in detail to
this Hopi-.
! Mr.. Qlgacy Hated his obiea for wiihine To
| give The enquiry this dmeclon was, in the 6rt
piaertc fubRit TIE u,os prominent fubjec q in
III emcaage TO a GRinti c,snnitfee-a iuhiet t
WHICH food NOT prp.pisept in tie orl.lic mind I;
iubJeet which bad occaiioned a great deerre
at 'rfitstioD, and concerning which i, was ex
/ Pecied the public would no longer remain ig-
norant OF all the circumstances of the tranrsefi.
| cu.~ The msHagc OF the Preiident he fai1
proper'yed to this enquiry, and this Houfr
! ough; TO prrfpeit. But Re was not for a mere
| reference ofthe tnhje6t, leaving the committee
70 aet.ai they might chufe uponit; he wilhed
! 'pecitic initructions TO be siven them. Indeed
| he conhtered the honor Of the nation deeply
concerned in the Object of the la1 part OF his
! propoiSd amendment. He hoped, therefore,
the matter would not be hnddled up, but that
proPer enquiry would be entered into in the
| iiar,ser propotvd. s9t
| Mr.. Elicit enquired of the Charm an, if an
amendment offere., 10 refolution which EN-
braces the fame oeje0s with the original no.
tioD, opeht not 10 Zoe Copiidered.as a colu.sete
iuohlfute. 1t appeared 10 biu that this was
the cafe at pref,nt, spd,tr,st the motion ofthe
gentleman f,om MaIachIis,ts could no. there
fore be in order. : -. N:.s
The Cbai's,an did not conider the propofed
amendment as iubititute for the original mott.
! on. and hertfore IN order.
| M. dl9o1 could not conceive the obieee Of
Ire gentleman from EIaGschuretts in making
TINS motion. He iureiy doesnot mean to i1aify
the conduct of the Britilh. 1t will be timt.
enough 10 entgr icto al enquiry on this flSiecs
hereafter. The matter is propored TO ne com,
united generally, and the committee will make
fuch report as thsythin proper IF this re-
port f'oud not be fa,fs5aeiory to he gentleman
from Mathematics, he ear propoie any IN adi-
heatlon of ii, which he may Judge necei,ary.
Does the een.lsman n,eaa TO craup the opera
tioas Of the committee, by giving them his fps
cal ini{rutt'ons H hoped no,itep would be
taken which .ihould be,caj custedto narrow tie
snquifirs at this import ami committee.
Mr.. DGSyton ohferved, that the gentleman
| from MaiiachUietts h ~ y,liRaken his intention
~ offering the refoluton under confederation
He did not mean the propofed committee II
erqu're part'r ularsy into the attack on ths Chef
apvalle. Sach enquiry would be at prefyn,
premature. When the time arrived FOR taking
l.upth's fuojret, he fou!d he as ready as hr
gentleman from IIadachufrits, or any otl,er
Reutlec'an to enrer on it. M. DAw:uu read
that part of the m, n,-ge OF PreGderr whith has
reference to This affsis. and fixed the unenhers
of the committee It it .qou Il not be altogether
premature 70 go into this fu,9ecf b-fore the
! Houfe rsceived'the Information which the PIE.
fident nf tn U Stalss has fad, he expects
IA rtiy to be a.3ie toity before then? HIS on
Ijees was TO make the ground Of refeTenc: as ge-
neral a poiible.
Mr.. Qmncg faid. thqt the gentleman from
N. Carolina had all: d wat was His obiett IN
making this motion. H would aufater that
was 10 have the whole detail of the affair
respecting the Cbctapea&e laid upon our 'tahits
1t was aiked If he 1eant 70 iui;fy he BritiG,.
He knew nor why this qucil'on ihould he pu.
Tvs motion was plain one. Ii Win to have
the fa6fs which he called for before him, ard re
ihould not then be afraid TO meet the gentleman
fron' North Carolina, or any other. His prir-
cpies and feelings were as purely American a.
thoie of any gentleman. He wifhed to gsic
facts, and obtain thefe lie thought it beft to tx
on Engie otjec!s, and not 70 extend our views
over the whole horizon. IN reference 70 ,vhst
had fallen from the gentleman from Virginia
what he had propofed would have nothing TO do
with our negotiations abroad. No exorefion
Of the opinion Of this Houie is required. All
thar ia s1cd is, that the committee ihai! cnIlect
a detail OF The facts. Thc committee will nor
make their repor; unliI they think proper; nut
the enquiry ought 10 be iufttuted. Suppoie
our dfputc win Gfeat Britain ihould be ami
cably fetiled, would not this enquiry be necef-
fairy? Would you NOT enauire into the cauf-s
which led 20 the attack He con1dered the
tipute as being not only Between us and Bri-
tain, but between rs and France. At any rate
he wanted the faets, aud when they were before
the Houfe, 4 correct judgment might he formed
Of the affair. TIC honor of The nation WAS con.
cerned to know whether proper degree of re-
hRance had been made to repel the attack of
the Bstifi, by our officers; if not, the opinion
Of thi7 uoufe ought to be eXprefied on the oc.
cation.
MIR. BifsH felt equally anxious with the gen.
tlemau from Mafiachuetts TO receive the rfor.
nation required by his propoled amendment
but hecouid not content To iUpprefs the origi.
nal refnution ptopoled by the gentleman from
Virginia. He did not rife TO appeal from the
deciion of the Chair, or to quefion tie correet-
neis of its opinion bu, his own ideas of the
fpirij Of the rules of this pufe would govern
his vote on this occa6on, were every other con-
liberation ont of view. This rule ftates that