Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-04-26
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
TUEspAY. Anril I

of absence for the remainder of The session
Mr.. TaggaIt presented a memorial frcm
sundry inhabitants of Massachusetts, com
planning OF the, embargo. Referred to a
committee of The whole On the state of the
Union.
Mr.. Clarke from the committee appoint
ed on the subject, reported bill to autho-
rise the governor of New Orleans to sil up
vacancies which may occur in the legisla-
ture Of that territory. Referred to a com
mittee of t e whole on Thursday.
| Mr. Rowan, from the committee appon-
ted to inquire into the official conduct of
Harry lnnis, district judge OF the United
States for the district of Kentucky, made
report thereon, which concludes with a
declaration that from the evidence co,Iec-
ted in the opinion of the committee, the
said Harry lnns hath not so acted in his of.
scial capacity as TO require the constitute.
onal interposition of the house.
Mr.. Rowan, after observing that he should
oppose that report moved that it lie ON the
tabic-carr;ed.
The house went into committee of the
whole on the bill concerning invalid pen
sioncrs. Several amendments were made
to the bill, which were agreed To by the
house, and it was ordered to be read third
time tomorrow.
The bill making provision for armiDg the
whole body of the militia of the U. States
was read the third time and passed, SIS to %.
The house went into committee Of the
whole on the following bill FROM the senate.
AN AC L to authorize the president of the
! L. 5. under certain conditions, to sus-
| pend the operation of the act laying an
embargo OH al ships and vessels in the
! ports and harbors of the u. S. and the
several acts supplementary thereto.
BE II enacted by the senate and house
Of retreaentdifUeS of the United States of
america IN congress assembled, That in
the event OF such peace or suspension Of
hostiiities between the belligerent powers
or Europe, or OF such changes in their mea-
sures affecting neutral commerce, as NAV
render that of the y. S. sufficiently slfe in
the judgment OF the president OF The u. S.
he is hereby authorised, during the recess
of congress, to suspend in whole or in part
the act laying an embargo on all ships and
vessels in the ports and harbors of The
u. >. and the several acts supplementary
thereto, under sucn exceptions and restric-
| tons, and on such bond and security being
given as the public interest and crcum
lstances OF the case may appear to require
Provided, such suspension shall not extend
beyond twenty days after the next meet
| ing of congress. .Ahrii IS, 1903
Read the third time, and passed the Sc.
nate. Attest,
SAMUEL A. OTIS, Secretary.
! Mr. Randolph said that congress had got
into strange way lately of passing laws
which did not correspond to- their titles
The senate had passed bill authorising
the president to suspend the embargo Gun
der certain restrictions )" bur iii had said
under uncertain restrictions, it would have
come nearer To the truth. This bill un-
! der the mask of restricting the power of
the president, in fact gave him an unqua-
iihed power. He therefore moved 10 a.
mend the bill, by striking out all the words
after the enacting clause, and inserting o.
theirs, the purport of which was, that the
acts laying the embargo should be repea-
led, so far as relates to France and Bit
ain, their dependencies and the nations as
ISOLATED with them so soon as their DEGREES
affecting neutral commerce shall be repea-
led, and the president shall have receiv-
ed official notification thereof lie had said
nothing i'll this amendment about the OUT
rage on the Chesapeake, because the en-
barge was never alledged TO have any con-
nection with that transaction, which stood
on its own dement's.
Mr. Quincy opposed this amendment
He commended that congress had a consti.
tutional right to delegate his power to the
president. The power of borrowing and
OF paying money depended upon events
which could not possibly be predicted and
yet the failure of the president to do either
OF these renders the law mere nnliity In
the case, too, of an epidemic, congress had
right to prohibit all intercourse with the
infected place; and surely they had right,
when they rose, to authorize the president
20 take off such restriction. The only
question with him was, whether it was eZ-
pedient now to vest this power. This was
all important, as it night involve the peace,
perhaps the concord of this union. There
were but three ways in which the embar-
go could be taken of-by repeating the
law at once, by staying here, or by vest
ing the suspending power in the president.
AS to the first course, altho' he should be
IN favor OF 1t, he should make no observa-
tons on It now, because he was convinced
they would not be attended t.. The Sc
cond mode was to stay here and watch.
what The events expected might not oc-
cur before the next session. The third
course was the one proposed by the bill,
which he thought absolutely necessary and
proper BY the proposed amendment, what
ever favorable events might occur to JUS.
tify the raising of the embargo, the pre-
sident could noi DO il unless certain speci.
fed events took place. In expressing his
present opinion, he was sure lie should