The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-26


tlenian nigh. DC laid upon tic t,,s,,c ,,.,t the
housc might knew what it WINS. II, j; was
,injuricuS 70 the character of the officer inn
'pl:cated, let il Nc known u tho nation If nos,
let the fact be known. Tie information not
beng disclosed. it might operate from snp-
lposition much more injuriously to tho charac-
;rcr OF this officer tl,anit il were III their pos
session. He thought it was the duty of the
House give TIC delegate from Orleans an
Opportunity of stating all he knew.
/. Mr.. II. said it would be found by the reso-
luton which he had offered, that he had cal
icdtorpaPcrs exclusively. Ifauy taing given
/. to the House were to be used as testimony,
IT ought to be reduced to form SO as tobc III
capable OF misiIterpretaton. If the gentle
man from Orleans were in possession of any
facts personal knowledge, Mr.. g. supposed
1t to &c perfectly within the meaning of the
resolution that he should lay them upon the
Clerks table as deposition or in any form that
he should think proper.
Mr.. Is. had not changed his opinion since
nc spoke last While he thought that it was
due to the nation and to the character ;m,l:-
Gated that an enquiry should be made, he had
drafted this resolution that the nation might
see fn'ly and fairly the grounds on which the
i1ohse should request an enquiry. He had
before expressed his hostility to DELAYING the
business by a reference to a committee. He
h*f understood the original resolution to be
grounded on evidence from the gentlemen
from Virginia and n. Orleans his object
was merely TO procure for the use of the
rouse those papers which were in their Dos
session lie had no idea of putting this bu-
siness into such a train that it would TAX
yearst to collect the testimony. They were
not 10 Try TINS person but he wished to have
e'iuence on which to adopt the original re-
souion or some other expressive Cf their OBI
mon. ltthc resolution which he now offersd
should produce all the TESTIMONY in the DOS
session OF these gentlemen, the House would
,nen De abe to take some dehnitive step, and
there would be an end of the resolution His
only wish on this subject was for q fair. can
ana, and impartial investigation.
Mr. Randolph had no doub. that this mott
on OF his friend from Virginia was intended
20 produce very different result from that
winch must ensue from its adoption The
| very manner iii which the gentleman had
met his resolution would dispose Mr.. r. 70
agree to this proposition but it might han
pen and probably would be the case, as the
gentleman from New-Orleans had laid upon
inc taDle letter relating to the subject, that
) might be the only paper in his possession
"hicii related TO the subject at the same time
that the gentleman might be possessed Of
personal information. He might perhaps
personally know and might give to the House
as aiso could another gentleman in the House
II called upon, list of those who were init
mately acquainted with these transactions
lhd 1t would be found that this same s. 5000
was ont single subsidy. For himself Mr.
~ SAD ne hadno personal information to give,
II Gould only be expected from the gentleman
from y. Orleans. He would suggest an a
mSno'nent to the resolution including infor-
NATION as well as papers in the general re-
lqueSt:
Before he sat down, he begged leave to
s'ate' that it had been his intention from the
beginning, SO soon as the House should have
sanctioned the resolution which he had laid
3Poh the table and about which he had no;
conceived that there could be a difference OF
oplh'oh, and had thought, as did the gentle
man rom pennsylvania (NIr. SMILEY but who
mad changed his opinion as to the MODE ~
ieast--Mr. X. hoped not as to the substance
ehat IT should be unanimously adopted he
sald 1t mad been his intention so soon as th;x
had oeen agreed to by the House to have out
every paper lii his possession upon the table.
mat they might receive that direction which
the House should choose to give them He
mad no intention of Withholding them. He
hao conceived that being read bv him in his
pace being as he pledged himself 20 the best
OF MS knowledge, and as appeared from the
face OF them, authentic, they were abundant
1917 'iD4i vi resolution, that
an enquiry into this matter ought to be insti-
tited. lhe resolution did not pronounce on
the guilt or innocence of this person: it ONLY
declared that an enquiry ought to be had
batt hey were told an enquiry was now in
stituted; this might Or might not be true ::
they mad To official information oft. Grant
ing it to be as stated, how did they know that
the enquiry went TO this object How did
1hey know that it might not be for some other
1nmiiitary conduct! But allow that it was
ior this very object, would any gentleman saw
no" court of enquiry was to coercc evi-
dencc Could such a court commit or fine
a person TOR contempt of summons? MANY
OF the evidences to these facts night be mill
tary people. Mr.. x. wished 10 know whether
the mandate Of court of enquiry could bring
even centincl from his post without an or
der from hissuperior officer! 1t could not
much less could it affect a member of this
House or person from Kentucky, who, tho
lhey knew much, might be reluctant. eX-
treme!y reluctant, to disclose what they
knew. This court of enquiry therefore 10
all beneficial purposes, would be- mere SEM
blance OF All enquiry. Supposing the utmost
zeal IN the parties to probe the matter to the
bottom, II wasutterly impossible from the ma
turc OF things that they could execute that
purpose.
Mr. r. confessed he had wandered from
the purpose for which he rose, and asked
pardon OF the House for it. He then moved