Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-12-15

, SUE ~ esa,,entlv to the intnnatlon that
aalsa slo ; ,sammunication would be recelv-
- 81 from tina, source by the Sec.ry q ota1e.
The only. reason, he presumed; WY 'ae =
= - ,,an.r alluded 70 had not been comnu-3
n;ca,ed 10 Congress,was, that It was 3 prlne-
: asnsr t,,,,borting, to Be despatch from
e nal Pa rsnp;ng. He had no farther objection
80 ,he call tor either of these papers, other
than It was neither decorous or proper 70
: al upon the President for that which couaa
not he officially in his possession.
NJ. GARDINER observed, that IN addition
20 other forcible considerations, It would
he treating the executive rudely, wnen Nc
had called their attention to particular pa
ner. to go to any other source to procure. ~
besides. that in the latter case spurious
COW might be imposed upon the house. i
the president referred to certain document
as iustifying his conduct, by procuring ina!
document the house would have the Whole
cropnd before it. What would be the stu,
alton of the house, if, pursuing the ideas OF
some gentlemen. every member was ~
bring forward document which ne belleV-
ed 70 be the legitimate one, and all these
copies should differ? Who was to decide
which was the correct one! 1t the mouse
were to act at all on this subject, 1t was not
only respectful and just to the president
but extremely civil, to enquire OF him on
what ground he has acted. AS true A
merican and staunch republican, Mr.. =.
said he was DESTROYS to give the president
every opportunity of doing himself JUS
tice.
iur. quincy said that a copy of this cir
cular having been forwarded to our MINIS
ter in England, copy must remain on the
files of the secretary of states office; and
therefore he asked for it, merely that the
house might have on this occasion precisely
that information which the secretary of state
had communicated to Mr.. Pinkney.
Mr.. Potter cited, as a reason why Mr..
Quincy's motion should be agreed to, that
between the copy of Mr.. Champagny's let
ter to our minister in France, as it appear
ed in the public prints, and as since commu'
nicated to congress, there was material
| variation. II in that case there was yaz
rance between different copies, it was e.
qually probable that there should be vari-
ance in the different copies of MIR. Jack.
sons circular.
The question was then taken on Mr..
Dana's amendment, viz. on that part call
ing for copy of the paper purporting to be
| despatch from Mr.. Canning to Mr.. Err
skine, and carried without opposition.
Mr.. Whitma9, after few observations
that were not distinctly heard, offered an
| amendment understood to be intended to
embrace in the papers to be called for the
| note from MIR. Erskine to MIR. Smith con-
tanning the three conditions" which are
admitted, in Mr. Smiths letter of October
10, to have been submitted to him by Mr..
Erskinc.
The question was then put on the whole
resolution as amended-and the Yeas and
Nays being demanded on its passage
4Nr. Rhea 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 cases
1t could receive only printed paper.
mr.. on'sae said he had 10 objection to
one part OF the resolution, that which CALI
ed tor copy of the dispatch from Mr..
Canning to Mr.. Erskine but connected
with the other paper he could not agree to
IT, Tor 1t would be the most extraordinary
call ne. had ever Witnessed since he had held
seat IN Congress. What said he-shall
we Gail upon the executive to send to us a
paper which is not, never was, and could
not be officially in its possession? 1t is
known to every member of the house that
the secretary of state cannot have in his
possession any other copy ofthis paper than
such as Is in the hands of every member in
ths house and of every man out of doors.
should think, sir, when we consider the