The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-03-08
MONDAY, Feb. %.

MONDAY, Feb. %.
Mr.. Clofton presented a resolution COM
plslng an amendment to the constitution tc
render senator's of the United States liable tc
removal by majority of two thirds of the
respective legislatures who chose them.
| ms resolution was referred to commit
tee OF the whole on the state ofthe union.
MIR. {. then presented resolution of the
state OF Virginia on this subject; which was
reterredto the same committee.
Mr.. Ddzcson presented letter from the
governor of the state of Virginia covering
an act OF the Legislature of that state to
winch the assent of Congress is required be-
lore 1t can become a law. 1t was we'll known
iAr: - observed, that no state can, without
the consent OF Congress raise any troops
The Legislature OF Virginia had passed such
law Tor the defence of her frontier, and So
llclted the consent of Congress toit. Refer
! &C 10 select committee.
MT, OG7YSon reported a bill authorship
the raising an additional army which was
twice read and referred to Committee of
the whole
This is the bill which went through a
committee Of the whole a few DAYS ago. and
mas since been committed, in consequence of
the PRESIDENTS message on the subject 1t
is now reported according to the letter from
the Secretary of War.l
Mr.. CtofltoH, from select committee, re-
tported bill to revive and make permanent
! an act to prescribe the mode of taking evil
oence IN contested elections of members of
the House OF Representatives of the United
states, and to compel the attendance of tes
tlmony IN such Cases.-Twice read & refer
req to committee of the whole.
The engrossed bill supplementary to the
act Supplements n he ,.or, IoDu moo
read the third time, and after debate of
TWO hours, was passed by yeas and nays
81 to %.
The bill to admit the importation of old
copper tree OF duty, was returned from the
Senate, with an amendment including SALT
PETRE and SULPHUR in the remission from
duty on the importation. The amendment
was Immediately agreed to, ayes Is.
On motion of Mr.. Daz08on, the House
went into committee of the whole, Mr. J.
RICHARDS in the chair, on the resolution
| some weeks ago reported by committee for
| authorizing the Secretary of War to sell such
| arms ofthe United States as may be dispos
ed ofwithout injury to u. S.
Mr.. Dawson hoped the committee would
agree tothe resolution. BY the report of the
Secretary of War there were now 14O, 600
stands OF arms In the public armoury, and
perhaps by the next month, as bill had
been passed for procuring more, there might
be an addition to the number of so or 4O, 600
stands. Several states in the Union were
not Wen provided with arms, and were anSi-
/ Gus to purchase from the United States The
applications for that purpose arose from the
great Difficulty OF getting them from beyond
the seas.
MIR. Bib said he would only state that the
Legislature of Georgia had at the last session
passed an act authorising the Governor of
that state to obtain arms for the state by pur-
chase. The governor had sent an agent here
to ascertain whether a purchase could be
n ade from the United States or not. Ihave
seen letter from the Secretary of War
saying that so or 10000 stands might be spa
red
The resolution being agreed to, the com
mittee rose and reported the resolution
On concurrence with the report Of the
Committee of the whole, considerable con-
versation arose, in which Messrs. Goldsbo-
rough, NJ. Clay. and Macon opposed the re-
solution, and Messrs. Dawson, Bacon, Bibb,
Smile, Key, 1roup, Taylor, Nicholas and
Findley supported it.
MIR. ReTVoH moved to amend the resouti-
on by striking out the word "sell" and insert
loan" -Negatived, ayeS1
he resolution was then agreed to ayes -,
and referred 70 committee to bring in bill
The opponents of this resolution gene
rally commended that a resolution had alrea-
dy been passed this session after very
lengthy discussion, to arm the whole body
of the militia at the expcnce of the United
States; that being the case, it was not seem
ly to sell to one part Of the Union that
which they were about to bestow gratuitously
to the remainder. That but a few days a
so the House had appropriated large sum
OF money for the purchase of arms; and now
to sell arms would betray inconsistency. That
by passing this resolution the states who
had appropriated their funds to the purchase
of arms, would get all the worst arms belong
ing to the United States, which the latter
would replace them by new and better arms
That the number of 10000 stands was not
too much or even enough for tile United states