The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-07

.he en'renic SENSATION Which WAS. prUiccva
M VAS house and throughout the. ia, by :,
i'dl introduced into the other house by a
lnemocr from Pennsylvania (Mr. Resi-
touching a,e election of President & Vice
President of the United States. This is n
def'cate subject, one which it Is agreed on
AL hands, there Is no occasion to touch
Inc election is not only indisputed bat IN
dlsputAbie. The constitution has said that
each state is entitled to "A humber of g
lectors equal 20 the number Of its Sena-
tors ard Representatives. who shall be :p-
pointed IN such manner as the legislatures
shall prescribe; and if we asseusrt to pu,
our hands on this power, we might rs well,
IN my apprehension, arrogate to ourselves
the appointment offresidc,is and Vice Pre-
sldent. u we do away the decision os the
Electoral Body. which is as indenendans ~
us as we are OF them, the constitution is in
nay opinion vcrgir.. to its dissolution.
Mr. SGcoa said ..c certainly shou,d cor.
sent nat the resolution should lie on the ia
Die. He SAID he was himself by no means
certaiii, that this House or both Houses had
tue power OF acting on the subject; bu. he
thcuSa; 1t an attention due to- the memorials
TO give them a reference to a select commit
toe. he did not wish TO commit himself or
the Eiouse on the subject, for. he repeated.
nc wasoy 40 means certain of the propriety
of the proceeding.
The resolution was ordered to lie on the
table.
REPEAL OF THE EMBARGO. &c.
The Speaker declared the motion pend-
nng tfof indefinite postponcment) when the
Rouse yesterday adjourned, to be out of or
der.
The House then again resolved itself into
2. Committee On MIR. Nicholas's resolution
tor repeating the embargo and issuing letters
., iharque and reprisal, on the day of
! ne question was pending on filling the blank
with the first Siv of June, the fourth OF
March, or the 18th of February.
After'a debate for about three hours. The
question. on filing the blank with the most
distant day, me FIRST day Of June, was Me-
Ayes Screnty-hE-ee, Noes forty.
And the committc then rose, on motion of
plr. Ran'ioiph, without taking any other
question, 5S to56, and obtained leave TO sir
aga.
An amendment of the Senate to the bill
ior aprropriating money for Notifications,
VIZ. at Windmill Point, was tax en- up and
disagreed TIC. Adjourned....Nat. Lst.
FRIDAY, February 3.
Several petitions from the state of Massa-
were presented, respecting the G.
iectiou OF president and vice president which
were idid on the table.
M. Hofsses, from the committee ofcla;ms
ASKED isaYe 10 DC discharged from the petit
ton OF VIM. Cuibert and others. which was
granted, and on his motion the case was re-
ierrea to the committee on public lands.
the Speaker presented a memorial from
the territory of Indiana, praying that the Or
oinancc OF 1187, might be SO amended AS to
vest IN them the power of ~electing their De,
iegate to Congress for the same term. ot Tho
same time and in the same manner Az tbev
elect their own representative, Referred
TO the committee appointed for that purpose
in December.
Mr. Dlcon presented the petition of Amos
ana William Whittemore, jun. praying an
extension or the term tor which n patent had
been granted to them for a machine to M
nutacture wool and cotton. Referred 70 a sc
ieCt committee.
Mr.. Paa Dyke presented the following re-
solution.
Resoived, That the secretary of war be
directed to enquire and report to this House
whether 1T be expedicnt to erect at or near
Wilmington (; at or near Newcastle and
at or near Lewis in the county of Sussex in
the state of Delaware, one or more batteries
or iortlhcatlons for the protection of the said
and the country adjacent; and in case
ne De OF opinion that it is expedient to e.
- - VI lO"~ti1tCatlOnS, that he
report whether any, and what additional an
preparations be necessary for that purpose.
Mr.. Macon objected to the resolution be-
cause re supposed the same enquiry would
be made as to the protection of every main
RIVER III the q. States. lie supposed that
the secretary had or ought to have some ee
neral powers to report on the subject of de
tence where it might be deemed NECESSARY.
Ii the house should give advantages of this
sort to one place. he could not see where il
would stop.
Mr.. u. 4: UiHianS rose, and observed
that there were twenty points in S Carolina.
AL Of which he should be very glad to see
fortlhed; but this could not be done. and
therefore he coulc not give a preference TO a
n'ther place, except that should appear ne
cesaaiy.
Mr.. Sfopnt observed, that asthe secreta-
ny OF war had taken a general and narticu-
lar inspection of all the ports and places of
the United States where there OUGHT To he
forts, certainly he could not have overlooked
the state Of Delaware, the scite Of which
must have merited his particular observati.
ON. lie should therefore suppose tic motion
to be unnecessary at present.
Mr.. Pifkin was DESTROYS ofletting the en5-
lect remain at the discretion of the s~ec1.eta-
ry./
IL was laid on the table.
n report was received from the srcretarv
OF wal on the petition of William Mcr,eI.
Ian Vlicl WAC refe VraJ fx H. r.