The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-19

OF Mr cues, reCommittcd to select com.
mittee
:, The bill to extend the time for issuing and
locating military warrants, was read third
time and passed
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
"WEDNESDAY, Dec. IS.
MIR. Quincy from the committee appoint
ed TO wait on the President of the United
States in pursuance Of resolution of the
House of Monday last, reported that they
had perfot med the duty assigned them, and
that the President had expressed his dispo.
sition to comply with the request of the
House as tar as practicable.
THE THIRD CONDITION.
Mr.. Gold rose for the purpose of moving
resolution to call upon the Executive for in
formation affecting, as he conceived. the re-
solution from the Senate respecting Mr. Jack
son. To shew the object Of his motion, Mr..
G quoted from the letter Of the Secretary
of State to Mr. Pinkney of the 23d Novem-
Der last. the following passage: " Another
point in the despatch and not in the arrange
ment, is, that the British navy might cap
ture our trade to ports prohibited by the u
nited States. This condition too, appears
to have had its origin in q mistake of your
meaning in a conversation with MIR. Can
ming, as noted by yourself" On referring
to the communicating made and the CORES
pondenee presented to The House from the
| American minister, he did not find the des
patch there referred to He said he found
also in Mr.. Eyskine's letter to Mr.. Smith of
the 18th August. that reference was made
TO the same subject and the same point was
stated by Mr.. Canning to have been assent
ed to by MIR. Finkney. The subject might
M Ntl,a~ e 49,
ture, but inasmuch as the resolution from the
Senate seemed to point to the last resort of
nations, war, it seemed to him important
| that the House should proceed circumspect
ly in the whole business ; and it would GER
! taInly be seen by the House that it was pro
per to have the fullest information OIL the
subject. Impressed himself with this idea,
he offered the following resolution
Resolved, That the President of the u
nitea States be requested to lay before this
house such information contained in any dies
patch from the American minister in Lon
don, eiative to THE instructions of NJ Can
ning to MIR. Erskine Of the Esd day of Janu
airy, 1909, ard relative to any communicate
ons and conversations between the Ameri.
can minister and Mr.. Canning antecedent
or subsequent thereto on the same subject,
as may not, in the opinion Of the President,
be improper to be communicated"
Mr.. Bacon thought that the information
asked for had no sprt of connection with the
resolution from the Senate. which related
merely to the conduct of MIR. Jackson, and
| which was of course to be decided by The
proceedings of the minister himself. In the
consideration of that resolution, then, it would
be immatcrial to enquire what had given
rise to the mistake of Mr.. Canning. Ii the
object OF the resolution were to lustify or
accuse Mr. Canning. this information might
be necessary. Suppose it should be ascer-
tanned that the proposition Of MIR. Canning
grew out OF his own mistake or originated
with him, it was impossible to see what bear
ing it had upon the proposition from the Sen
ate. which went to make pledge to the ma
tion to support the Executive in any result
which might be consequent on the course it
had pursued. Though he was willing at all
times to call for all necessary papers, he
could not see the proprie,y Of passing this
resolution, which only called upon the Exc
cuuve Tor such papers as he should think
proper to communicate, and which he 70
doubt had already done without waiting for
request by the House.
Mr.. Gold said that the House could not.
as the gentleman supposed, have all the in
formation on this subject already before it :,
for AN express reference had been shewn to
despatch from Mr.. Pinkney which was not
to be found among the papers communcat
cd The House had called tor Mr.. CanniDe's
despatch to Mr.. Erskine of Esd January,
and would they not have all its concomit-
ants Twas it not of some importance
to have all the papers which gave rise
to it! Was IL aot proper, Mt this momen
| tous crisis, that what our minister in Len
don had thought proper to communicate,
| this House should also have! The great
question OF pc ace or war was not to be deci
ded ON feeble grounds. When the time came
that war should become question, every
inch OF ground would be strictly scrutinized.
1t was important on this occasion to see whe.
Their that condition in MIR. Canning's dcs
patch which carried such hostile features
| on It's face, might not be softened by the dis
covery that it originated in some degree in
the agent OF this country in England. A
| mistake arising under these circumstances
would much soften the features Of hostility.
| Ii the matter had been deemed by our min.
lister OF sufficient importance to be commu-
nicated tn the Executive, was it not impor-
tant also that Congress should have il. As
the House had called for the despatch of MIR.
Canning including that Condition, was it not
Important that they should also have every
thing relating to it!
Mr.. GARDENER observed that aItbouah
the paper called for nigh, not be necessary
to the decision of the resolution from the Sc.
| nate, IT by no means followed that it was
| not necessary At all. The House were call
upon to do more than merely tn pass that