The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-28
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HOUSE az REPRESENTATIVES,.

: HOUSE O., ,REPRESEN1.fzIgE +
TUESDAY,. Jan. S.
-i,.3 DEBATE
Onfhe Rssoiution for requesting the Pre-
sidenffo cause an enqui,yto &c made INFO
the condncf Of Gen. Iilkinson.
CONTINUED
Mr.. BursveiPs motion for calling on Mr..
Randolph and Mr.. Clarke FOR information be-
ing yet under consideration.
MIR. Smile was thankful that this motion
had been brought before the House ;. indeed
it was the motion which should sin his opini-
on have preceded every thing else which had
taken place and he must confess, thatit was
to his mind an instance of higher confidence
than he had ever known in a legislative bo-
dy, to proceed>for two days on information
read to them by one of its members. 1t was
certainly the step proper to he first taken to
demand that those papers should be deposit
ted ON the table. and put into possession of
the House; and after two days spent Oh the
subject, they had at length got into the
correct tract. He would agree. to this mott
on, and would have agreed to the motion
made on the FIRST day on which the House
considered this subject, not that he concei-
we'd the House had power to act on it, but to
avoid consequences which he saw would re-
suit, and which had resulted. Happy would
1t have been, had the resolution .assed then
because they would have avoided what had
fallenin the course of Debate. The gentle
! man from Virginia had told the House that
he had at least gained one, part of this OBJ
lJect; it was toprevens his gaining his object
that MIR. ). wished to have decided on the
| resolution immediately. ..i
Mr.. sRandoihh said he had gained one OBJ
iJect, bat it was impossible for the House or
the gentleman to know what that object was
IT the gentleman had any curiosity to know,
he would INFORM him.1
Mr. >. said, he meant not to meddle 18th
the private affairs of gentlemen he meant
pubhc affairs, and would state two objects
which had been attained. In the first place
TINS object was gained the gentleman from
virginia, from the whole tenor of his con-
duct, and from his speeches, had conveyed
| an idea that he was fully convinced of the
guilt OF the officer implicated gentlemen
possessing the same sentimen with the gem
teman from Virginia, had prefitcd by The
opportunity to make inflammatoly speeches,
ana to say every thing they, could against
thls Character, and these speeches were ia
Ken by the stcnographers and transmitted to
the most remote parts of the union as their
verdict on his guilt. Was it possible, under
these circumstances, that this officer should
ieiJoy the right of a fair tria He knew no.
tnlng OF the conduct of this officer nothing
I OF his innocence or his guilt, bul he kne v,
MN 10 be citizen of the United States /; *
as such entitled to an impartial trial and
from that he would now be prevented by be-
ing PreJudged. How tender was the law in
civil and criminal prosecution 1t was well
known that if a man undertook to write and
publish on pending trial, he was liable to
De Puoilshed tor contempt Of court. So care
iui was The law to prevent prcjudgement
Mr. b had listened with all his power OF
attention to the discussion On this subject ;
he had heard strange doctrines delivered on
'hls occasion, but particularly by the gentle
man from Sew-York (Mr. GaItixnier) who
seemed TO have forgotten what was the ma
Iture OF our government, had talked of it <,s
"a government possessing supreme power. 4
mad supposed that there was no limit to the
tomnipotence OF the House of ReprescDtst
IuVes. MS was the amount of the gentle
mans ideas. The gentleman should have re :
lcoiiected that his. iimIted government.
ana IN taking on this subject, he should Con
sioer the House OF Ropresenta ives as moving
only IN the bounds prescribed by the consti,u-
lioh, ,ano possessing no other power than
they are invested with, by that instrument.
For what purposes were free governments
ihstithted for two great objects to Sc
cure the rights of the Community and to Sc
cure the rights OF the individual Itappear-
ed TO MIR. D. that in the Course of the discus
sion OF TINS business, one of these objects had
! been entirely over ooked. Gentlemen seem
ed TO nave totally forgotten the FIX hts of The
individual whilst asserting the right of the
| co immunity. Would gentlemen look into the
constitution, they wedd there see how ten
der the Convention had been OH this point
that persona rights we're heid no less sacred
IN tnat instrument than those of the comma-
nfty. Permit me, said he, 60 read thu, part
OF the -constitution, because l believe that
IN tihs Case the personal ghts Of General
Williamson are yIoiatedby the course now ia
ken.
Mr. Smile then read those articles of the
Constitution securing the life, liberty and pro-
perry OF the Citizen, & guaranteeing AN inn
partial trial to every person accused.l
MIR. ,. said he read these to shew that by
the constitution, the rights Of the individual
were as well secured and considered as i'm
portant as those of the community Now
this being the Case, said he, is it fair. before
the person Is put upon his trial, thathe shou d
go through the scorching ordeal of discus
SION on his Conduct in this Housee Can he
under such circumstances be said TO ep;ov
the undoubted right OF every citizen to a f.;r
trial! 1t may be said that he is a military
man tor has conduct as a military man. he
Is answerable to a military tribunal but az
citizen, he is subject to a trial be fore a court
OF Justice and he is guilty of that where
with he is now charged, there is not n douh,
ON my mind but he is amesable to a corr, &c
justice for his conduct. - -, =
But another object had heeo oa;nod 10