The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-30

we did to Others on a fain,er. OCCASION ; and !
am therefore gr.tified that the motion is made
Mr.. RGndoLoh said he con,d assure the gentle.
man from South Carolina, that when he drew un
the resolution, lie was aware Gifts bearings /; and
that i,e was willing to endure any judgement
that fa,r rial under the resolution should lead
TO. He was sorry to have excited so much feel
ing on this occasion he did not mean tit a
rose perhaps from defect in his nature that
woult! not permit him To- suppress hes ideas. He
explained the epithes of" Rats" to have been
one which some years ago WAS applied in the
newspapers and elsewhere to public ,letaulters.
But since that time he had heard nothing of de-
fau'ters, but from those papers, lie had nearly
said persons, who the friends Of the rats OF
that day. felt The full force OF my motion, said
Mr.. k.-and d,es'the gentleman think that it
might not, in addition to other considerations.
have influenced my optimism, when declined be-
ing considered a, Chairman OF the committee.
" have acted the part of lazy cat, am will
ing to suffer. Whatever may be brought a
ganst the committee OF WAYS and Means, or
Whatever may be said rf their inertnesss certain
iy nothing OF wiiful mistlecd can be charged upon
them; and there is Il wide difference, as under
stand, between 4 committee Of this House fail
ing IN its duty To make thorough investigation
into the conduct OF the officers of the govern
ment, and the misdeeds committed BY those Off
cers-the one being an art OF omission or care
lessness, and the other OF %iiiul wrcng In all
instances, IN my recollection, where the public
money was improperly applied, the committee
DAD execute their daty believe they sss
pected ut an intention to execute il too hlrshly.
The subcommittee of accounts of this House
was committee Instituted at their suggestion,
To guard expenditures, because their other du-
ties would not permit the Committee of Ways
and Means 10 pay sufficient attention To it. Mr..
Randolph SAID that the proposed invest; CATION
would apply to the expenditures of this and the
"a xx.s.ll IN tl,s
the officers of the government-to the contingent
eNpences particularly. The late president OF the
United States, said Mr.. R.-t would give me
pleasure to do any man justice, and more espe.
ciaily hlm-l will do him the Justice to say that
ii was not ms fault that reforms were not pushed
'arther-that an investigation was not made, not
only INTO the expenditures ofths, but of all the
ther departments of the government. speak of
contingent eNpences He came into this gov
eminent the friend of reform and economy, and
continued to practice economy much as a.
ny man conld who had the command of Il fleet of
gun-boats, standing army, ,and resources cut
OH ny AN embargo. And, Sir, though this not
The me, anu hope not the place, to take up the
gauntlet thrown do wn by my friend from North
Carolina Mr.. Macon) on the embargo question
i Mr. Macon said he certainly understood the
gentleman from Virginia TO have thrown the
gauntlet first Since see my friend before me,
continued Mr. K l call upon him Mr.. Macon) to
say that IT was the late Presidents fault that
reforms were not made, and THAT he commented
win extraordinary severity on the contingent ex.
pchees OF hetwo Houses of Congress to which
trast the attention OF the proposed committee
will be drawn
The Question was then taken on Mr. Ran
oolphs second resolution, as amended, on motion
OF Ar Eppcs, and carried unanimously, ia MEM
berg, voting.
After the resolution had been agreed to, it APP
ESared from VAT, naHa l,,M
hppes and Jackson that they had understood, in
voting tor the motion, that the last clause of the
resolution had been stricken out. This not hav-
ing been done, M. ] &. Jackson moved to re-
consider tsle resolution for the purpose of amepd-
ing It, After some debate the House agreed TO
reconsider 1t, 50 TO IS but before the proposed
amendment could be made, motion made by
Mr. Nelson to adjourn, was carried, IS to As.
THvRspAY, May IS.
we nave only room to state that on This day
the committee of Commerce and Manufactures
reported bill tn permit vessels of those nations
win whom intercourse is permitted, AS Sweden
ana Portugal, to clear out with cargoes of foreign
or domestic growth or manufacture. The bill
was twice read, and referred to a committee of
tie whole house to morrow.
The following resolution, offered by Mr.. Liv-
ermore, was referred to the committee of Com
mcrce and Manufactures, with leave to report by
Resolped, That it is expedient, that the opera
tioh Oh so much OF the act to interdIct commerce
al intercourse between the u. and G.. Brita in
and France and their dependencies as prohibits
The importation ofgoods from Great Britain and
her dependencies, be suspended until the 10th
day Of June next
Mr.. Randolph, after some predatory observa.
tons, Offered the following resolution which at
Ter a debate OF four hours, was adopted without
DIVISION, the words in Italic having been insert
ed onmotion of Mr. Tyoub
heso1ved, That a committee be appointed to
enquire whether any and what prosecutions have
been instituted before the courts of the u States
and by phom, for libels at common law, and to
report such provisions as, in their opinion, may
b" necessary for securing the freedom of speech
and Of the press...Nat Int.
FRIDAY, May &c.
MIR. Randolph prefaced the folio wing resolu.
ton with a number OF observations. A debate
OF several hours ensued on it, in which Mcssrs
Fndiey, Randolph, Dana, w. Aston, Bacon,
T.. Jackson, and Holland participated. The
discussion between Mr.. Randolph and Mr. J. G.
Jackson particularly, embraced the late change
~ our relations with Great Britain, and two or
three OF the most conspicuous measures of the
latter part Of Mr.. JefIersen's administration.
Resoioed. That the promptitude and frankness
with which the President of the United States.
has met the overtures of Great Britain, towards
the restoration of harmony and free commercial
intercourse with the Usited States, receive the
appreciation of this House.
Mr.. Bacon moved to amend the resolution, by
ADDING, IN substance, that the said adjustment
also furnished additional evidence of the spirit
OF accommodation by which the government had