Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-18

N.u inc haNoh faS 4 Srong call upon Tvs To
give TO that court OF enquiry power to cOliec,
All 'esunony- AS have said before 1 have
not taken sides IN this business: want the
whole truth m constitutional way Whether
the offence charged shalt have been commit
to- ten wears AGO or not, when the whole tes-
timony is brought before the Executive, he will
possess not only the opinion of the conrt of EN-.
quiry with their statement. but also The written
result OF the examination OF every witness.-
He will then be held responsible tor continu
ance OF this officer in command. For this rea-
son desire TO know the whole truth and fo-
another reason Because the court of enoui-
~ although asked TOE BIZ this house, lad been
previously instituted at the desire of the intli
'iduai If gen. w. were that cunning and in
t'iguing character he has been represented to
be, he would wish TO go before that tribunal
when does not possess the power to collect
testimony, believing the court of enquiry TO
be that tribunal 1t is to give fair play tn
both sides Of the question that thin!, this bill
ought 70 pass, and hat tie provision to defeat
ils pcration should be rcjcctc,
mir, Llvermore's amendment was ncratiyed
Ayes D.
Mr. Bacon proposed new section providing
that depositiuns should be tas in all cases
where the witness resides at greater distance
than 100 miles
Mr.. Dure!l opposed the amendment, observ.
ing that very amendment rendered the bill
more niquitous, without msuring its object
lie declared the whole bill to DE so heterodox.
Preposterous and variant, that he could make
nothing of it,
MIR. Bacon said it was ntendhi to secure the
liberties Of the citizen, and Go meet the suy
geStlo'is OF gentlemen opposed to the bill.
ne amendment was agreed to without di-
vision.
The committee then rose and reported the
bill with amendments.
MIR. Livermore renewed the notion which
he had made in the committee oe The whole.
Mr.. Taylor haviag called e0r the yeas and
nays on it, it was nss,ta sd by yeas and nays,
80 to 80.
Mr. Darrell movo d that the bill lie on the IA.
biz -Negativcd.
The bill was then ordered TO a third reading.
Ayes 81.
Tomorrow being mentioned as the dav on
which it should be read the third time,
Mr. ID. Il. Williams hoped Friday would be
the day on whichit should be read that time
might be allowed for printing it. 1t had been
avowed by the characteristic honesty of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania, that this bill was
calculated for the particular case of gen. vii.
kinson
Mr. Smile interrupted the gentleman to OBJ
serve that he had not said that gen Wilkinson
was the principal object; he had said that case
had given rise to the bill. 1t was bill of a
general nature, but would comprehend the par
tcular case which had given rise to it.
Mr. y X. Williams said he would not sup
pose otherwise than that he had misunderstood
the gentleman. Be the object what il might
he hoped little time would be afford. q TO
those opposed to the billto digest their thoughts
on it.
1t was accordingly made the order of the
day for Friday next
Mr.. Nelson said, by looking over the acts of
Congress, it would be found that an act was
passed on the 10th of April, 1906, to provide
tor persons disabled by known wounds during
the revolutionary war. One of the sections of
that act requires that every claimant should
give satisfactory reason why he did not apply
for the provision before, and also that he
should MAKE affidavit that ne had not received
q pension from any state. In his opinion this
provision operated very unjustly and harshIv
upon many. A number OF persons who had
fought the battles of the nation were now Inv
state OF dependence and want and aItho'
some OF them received small pittance rs a
gFatuity from the states, he thought tLey
should not thereby DC prevented from comm .
forward and receiving justice from the Uni ed
States He thought the law slIoald be amen
ded. and for that res SON proposed the follow.
ing;
Rssofved. That committee be appointed
to enquire into the propriety Of repeating so
much OF the second section of the above act
as requires tIst the claimant shall make afFi-
davit that he is not on the pension list of any
state; and that they have leave to report By
bill or otherwise.
Mr.. Randolph rose to second the motion Of
the gentleman from MARYLAND II was in the
recollection of that gentleman and Of many o.
theirs what extreme disgust-he hoped 10 be
pardoned f0r the l.rshness of the exp cssion--
the provision which the gentlemannow wish ii
10 strike out from inc statute book to- which il
was disgrace, had given when that law prs
sed and Whist gtro2g endeayors had been made
by several gentlemen, and particularly by
respectable member from the state Of North
Carolina TO have it amended lie was hsppv
to find the subject now proposed for their con
sideratiOn
The resolution was agreed 10 without divi-
sion, and Mcssrs Nelson, Randolph, and Lii
veFmorc appointed a committee accordingly
Mr DawsOn' moved for the order oftbc dav
on the bill anshoiisnS the President to raj AZ,
additional number Of troops
Before ;bc question could be taken on cons;.
dc.ing uIis subject, or motion of Mr.. Carde.
nier the house adiourned-Ayes 81.
IHURSDI1, March 10.
Much business was done this day, none of an
urgent public nature
b!u was received from the Senate for raj.
sing an additional number Of troops. which was
referred 20 = select committee