Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-13
I12 LIZ Gents Sin.gle]

VI tilhe, was ConStitu lonal or not
But he objected to this part of the bill:
that 1t authorised the officers of the
y. 3. to seize property TO which th.
". D. had no claim. In every case
where property became forfeited in
consequence of contravention of the
law, that property might, without vio-
iating general principles, be seized by
the officers acting for the public. The
act OF seizure brings it before the court.
and II ascertained to be forfeited. il /,
Immediately liable to con6scation.--
ms was not the case in the present
to'u, for the person whose properly
was seized, was permitted t. have il
again on giving security for It's value.
lhe very idea OF mans regaining
MS property on giving security, was
incompatible with the seizure ofgoods
as forfeited. The suspicion of an in
tent TO evade the law could be no
ground tor seizure. In the case OF the
revenue laws, the very fact of goods
being found within the lines, not ha-
wing paid duty, was ipso facto evidence
OF their being forfeited, transferred the
property to the use of the L. S. and
make 1t liable to seizure. On this
ground therefore he thought the part
which was moved to be stricken ont
wholly unwarranted.
MIR ID. K, Williams suggested mo-
!dihcahon OF the amendment. which ha
believed would satisfy the fas,id;ons.
ness (tor so he was compelled n c.u
|it) OF the gentleman from Connecticut,
de observed that it used to b.. penal
tor man even to move anv part of
MS property after sun down, aud yet
ne believed that none of the distress
had been felt FROM that law which
gentlems seemed to apprehend from
this law.
Mr.. Livermore thought this section and
indeed the whole bill could not he nnIa,,N
stood by gentlemen, or there Guild mo M
amerence OF opinion on the subject. The
pm indeed had been very essentially al.
|teren since 1t came from the Senate FIR
.e!ore &c was amended, it CONTAINED. pro.
vision by which a collector. who had .n,,
particular hatred to any man. mill,
with banl of soldiers and seize he nro.
perry. Mr.. Eppes denied tina, thr tiI
nad contained any such provision.1 NJ
Livermore said that the collector v,ae .t,..
tnorised to seize property when he bel;ey.
ed 1t intended for expectation. not conf,;n.
the right ct seizure to any particuIar II;
nitS, were 1T not for the amendment nude
by the house. If money had been accn~
.huiateu IN bank, Mr. l.. said that il might
nave peen seized under a pretence o. = sus-
| picIon that it was intended for exD,rtar:on
| And the hill nntV crcoI
travelling from this place TO BaJtimors
which Is an exporting place, having vy,,b
MN IN his carriage or vehicle q sum os
money, IT would be in the power of ,,v
person to seize 1t, saying that it was inten.
ded Tor expectation, and keep ittiIIhcb,d
oeen able to procure security for its reten-
ZION IN the >. What would be the con-
sequence IT this power should be tvropri.
caiiy exercised Way, the revenue officer
might be sued Tor damages, SC. Mr.. l..
made some observations on the subiacf IS
the process in this case, SC, II. co1e,d.r
ed this bill as vesting arbitrary powers in
the Executive, and oppressive. To- tho r ,ir
aenf lhis, he SAID was the way in ,yb rh
all countries had lost their Inc rties bv
Igradual assumptions and deleg,tio,s Il
powers. Rome had not established d;c.
tatorship in day; gradual approacbe.
were always made to desp1tism He said
I nc SNoulu vote against the Amendments g. n
SgainSt the bill, because he did believe ;e
passed, that it would be subversive Of H.
liberties of the people of the United States
Mr. Eppes said, that the gentlers An from,
Massachusetts, must have lately taken . tr,r,
TO the island ct Trijpia, described bv NJ
Iowift, and received some instructions frcr,
the artists who we're 50 dexterous In 6ndinn
out hidden meanings in words. for insts,rs
that flock of geess signihsd senate =
buzzard prime minister, &c became he
had given meanings to the b. II, which co,iI
NOT be justified by the language of the buJ
or fairly inferred from it. The bin as cen,
from the Senate, Mr.. Eppes said dill not
authorize any such seizure and he ssteJ
the gentleman from Massachusetts. "a
lawyer, whether any collector woulJ d.
to violate the constitution by attemu,in,s -
search house without warrant1 r.
gentleman knew that he could Mt. tbsy
law could not give such a power. Thc
gentleman had told them that Roman lihcr-
~ had not been destroyed at once. Jftbsy
looked into Roman history they would ri
that Rome WAS once saved by the br.v,o9
of an ass; that the cackling of geese cprS
saved the capitol that the eonsp.rscv ~
Cataltue had been BETRAYED Inv . ,y... .