Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-04-07

below, no one thinks OF 4 law which shall
have retroactive operation. trust in Cod
that no s0oh &C host tact2 provision will be
agreed 70 rs was fosted into the bin which
came from the senate, to suspend the habeas
corpus, and which was intended in side
way to cover with mantle the most dar-
ing usurpation which ever did, will or can
happen In this or any country. There was
exactly as much right To shoot the persons
in question as to dowhat has been done
II has been contended that any measures
on the part of this house will give bias to
the proceedings which have been instituted
In the courts. Let me ask what officialn no
tee we have of any such proceedings p
hut disdaining such 4 shelter, though it has
been resorted to on the other side, it is suf-
iiciemt To observe that man has only to
break the law or constitution in the begin
ming of a session, and then forsooth YOU are
to be forecloscd from legislating on the sub
licct. because an instance has recently oc-
Cured TO shcw the necessity of legislative
4, provision.
Mr. K. said this was the first time in his
life tha; he heard it asserted that no law
ought TO be passed to punish any offence
because that offence had recently happen
ed. He hoped he should never hear again
such a reason delivered. The Roma e
I iievng the crime impossible, had no law
to punish parricide, till case occur
red, which proved their mistake. What
would YOU think of Cato or Cicero rising
in the senate of Rome, and urging such IA
reason against Il law for the punishment of
this crime?
In the discussion of this simple motion to
rc.er the resolution to Il committee for en-
curry, which should have supposed would
\ cn ..eI
all, hints of indemnity, suppose to try the
public pulse. have been thrown out. Per-
NIT me TO say that bills Of indemnity are not
known to the constitution-The only refuge
| OF these who violate the laws and the con-
stitution, is in the trial by jury, and in the
last resort, the mercy of the executive
Ii 1t is once known, il the time ever ar
rlves when the representatives of the peo-
| pevote the public money to Indemnify those
who break the constitution, we shall indeed
| become, hoHiineS serpiie ha,4tos, and fit
| Tor any government and for any state ofso-
ciety, however despotic or barbarcus. IF
ever the minions of the executive, Or the
| legislature, whether civil or military, are
! unidentified for their outrages cut of the
pubic treasury, the constitution must have
arrived at its last crisis.
Alter ridiculing the application which
MIR. Sloan had made OF the fable of the fox
and the toness, MIR. X. proceeded to OBJ
! serve that the doctrines advanced i'm re-
gaIa TO !Vilkinsnn's conduct, merited the
most pointed reprobation, whenever heard
| On the tioor of the house. The constitution
which is fixed, like the laws of the Medes
and the Persians, and which fate cannot
change, if this detestable doctrine is adj
Missile, is at once frittcred away to Moth
! ing. 1t ought to run in this way: The pri-
vlicse OF the writ Of haheas corpus shall
not be suspended, except in cases of rebel
ION or actual invasion, the public safety
shall require it, or unless in the oEi11ion IF
a military commander IL be necesSaj.,! =
What Will be the difference If you admit
the doctrine whether the constitution be ex-
pressed in this way or be left as it now
stands?
1t has been insinuatcd that certain gen.
tlemen in this house lean too much towards
standing armies, &c. Agreed. But in adj
tV9ca;lnS an increase Of the public force.
my object was TO chastise an insoIcnt fee.
not to employ it against our own citi-
zens and 10 substitute it in lieu of the
civil authority. MY dread of standing ar
mes has been more than a hundred times
Increased in consequence Of the services to
which our present little force has been inf
rom such armies good Lord deliver us.
hope the committee to whom this sub
EJect may be referred will not FORGET a pro-
VISION to prevent A man from being en-
barked ON board shallop and transported
ljCO or 1900 miles for trial. For have
heard law officer of the Uunited States
contend that man may be arrested in one
OF the territories and trial had in any
part OF the country whercsoever he NAV
be brought. If this abominable doctrine be
supported by law, it is high time to correct
IT, he constitution in an article amenda-
tory declares that unusual punishments
snail not be inflicted. Transportation, even
alter conviction, is an unusual, cruel and
severe punishment but here il has been
inflicted even before conviction and be-
ore any trial Of the delinquents.
The court of Orleans has the samepower
as the district court Of Kentucky, which is
invested with the powers of circuit court.
IL the district court Of Kentucky has uris-
dictlon OF treason, which no man ever
doubted, 1t follows that the court of Orleans
has the same authority.
When the constitution gave to congress
exclusive jurisdiction over a district ten
miles square, it filled the friends of liberty
with alarm. But no man then dreamed
that ON this blot on the map, this monde
script region, kings bench was to be es-
tablished Tor the trial Of deIinquents AGAINST
inc government, collected from all parts OF
lthe country. The inhabitants of this mi
serabie heath, men held in a state Of bond
age TO which no man would submit, who
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