The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-16

Stcucu nc HAS dCtcu. -NS = true hmcttCcii
aud ssaunch republican. Mr.. c.. said he
WAS DESTROYS to give the President every ol,-
lportuaity of doing himseifjustice.
| MIR. Quincy said that a copy Of this circu
liar having been forwarded to our minister in
Engtand, copy must remain on the flies oil
the Secretary OF States Office: and there
fore he asked for it. merely that the House
might have On this occasion precisely that
information which the Secretary Of State
had Communicated to MIR. Pipkney.
| Mr.. Potter cited. as areason why Mr.
Cuincy's motion should be agreed TO. that be-
tween the copy of Mr.. Champagny's letter
to our minister in France, as it appeared in
the public prints, and as since comrnunica-
! ted to Congress, there was a material vari-
alton Fin thar case there was variance
between different copies. it was equally pro
babe that there should be variance in the
different copieso f Mr. Jackson's circular.
The question was .taken OH the first part
OF the resolution, viz on that part moved by
Mr. Quincy, and finally carried IS SO.
The question was then taken on Mr.. Da
mas amendment, viz. on that part calling
tnr q copy OF the paper purporting to be :,
despatch from MIR. Canning to Mr.. Erskine
and carried without opposition.
MF Whitman, after Il few observations
that were not distinctly heard, offered an a.
amendment understood to be intended to EN-
brace in the papers To be called for the note
from Mr. Ersknc to Mr.. Smith containing
the " three conditions" which are admitted,
IN Mr.. Smiths letter of Oct. 10, to have been
submitted TO him by Mr. Erskine
| On the suggestion of M; Quincy. this mo
ton was declared to be oat of order. as it
was now too late to receive an amendment
to the resolution, both clauses of it having
| been affirmed BY the House
Tue question was then put on the whole
| resolution rs amended.-A;,nd the Yeas and
Nays being demanded on its passage
| Mr.. RhcG said he should vote against the
resolution as by passing it, the House could
add nothing to its stock of Information, nor
receive any official document; in both case
it could receive only printed paper.
MIR Smile said he had no objection to one
part ot the resolution, that which called f,r
a copy ut the despatch from Mr.. Canning to
| Mr.. Erskine; but connected with the ether
paper lie could not agree to it, for it would
be the most extraordinary call he had ever
gress. What! said he--shaH we call upon
the Executive to send to us paper which
] Is NOT, never was, and could not be official
lily in its posscssions 1t is known to every
| member OF the House that the Secretary of
State Cannot have in his possession any o
| ther copy oftnis paper than such as is in the
| hands OF every member in the House and of
every man out ofdonrs | should think, sir.
when we consider the nature of the paper
alluded to, that there is nothing i'm it would
| create any prejudice IN its favor in the mind
| OF any American inheart, if brought in ,...;s
House. What is thispaper? I. is IN ap
peal to the people Of the United States /
TOR one shall not be guilty of the absurd,.
m cal f.Ara h,rt, II
in the possession of the President any more
than 1t is in mine; fer the latter part of the
motion, If distinct from the first, / would
| gladly vote.
/ Mr.. Wheaton said that lie was in favor of
| both branches OF the resolution taken toeeth
! er. There seemed to be difficulty with
some gentlemen with respect to the frs,
/ branch OF If. and it seemed 10 be contended
I that the paper there alluded to, being pub
llshed in newspapers only, ought not to be no
ticed Ia reply to this it might be observed
that the Secretary of State had thought pro
per to notice it i'll his correspondence with
our minister in London .ud il was there
fore before the House. The House were no,
called upon to act upon a paper which nigh;
/ be variousiy published in various prints, bu,
On a paper such as the Secretary of State
had thought proper to transmit to our mi
mister in London. Mr.. w said he therefore
wanted not to know what had appeared in
the newspapers. but what had been forwar-
dcd to- our minister in London; tc obtain
this an application to the President was the
proper mode, and he could not see why
there should be any objection to its being
exhibited
| Mr.. Irouh said he had voted in favor o.
the latter part of this resolution, and agans'
the first; and he must now be compelled t.
vote against both combined. He deemed
the object of the resolution to be improper
because on the face oft, it appeared that thu
| paper asked for was aN Unofficial letter II
| procuring copy OF ii from the Office of the
Secretary Of State would establish its authen
ITCHY, there could be no objection to the
| call. But the communicating or withholding
would not stamp authenticity on il, because
it was a docune of which the Department
OF State could not have an official copy.
Mr.. Macon said he did not attach so muci
| consequence TO this motion as either it's adj
| vocates or opponents appeared To do. The
| object was to get paper which had beer
published IN all the newspapers of the u. s
MIR. Jackson's Circular, which it was clear
could not be sent to the House in an ofIicia
form, because it was not addressed to an,
department of our government, but to the
British consuls. The other paper asked fol
was a document with the substance Of which
every one was acquainted. Without ehquir
ing what was the object Of the call, if an,
gentleman wanted copy of any paper in TIM
Department ef State. he would never obiecr
to crafty them 1t had been said that tht
House should not call for it, because ii WI
addressed to the British consuls but, Mr.
Maro1 said i, Inou,n To 49,. b., ,.,,.;,