Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-10
TUESDAY. Jan. 3.
MILITARY SYS1RM

| uEsDh jan
| MILITARY SYSTEM.
Mr.. Macon from the conymittee nm so
much of the message Of he President of
the y. D. as relates to the amendment of
me militia laws of the u. States, rtporteJ
Ithat having carefully examined the system
tthey are OF opinion thai no amendment I.
necessary.
The house having agreed to consider the
report.
Mr. Macon observed that he had not con-
lcurred In opinion with the committee and
therefore intended to make motion TO
commit the report with special instructions
to report bill for CHASING and arming the
nintia' ~ the report were to be agreed
.o' IL would foreclose any proposition OH
the subject during the session. The plan
which he would propose for class,np the
militia would not so to destroy the present
organization OF the militia but merely to
class them according 10 ace, so hat Young
men should first be called into service IL
was rare thing that old men and Young
men accorded wei! together Old men
could not bear fatigue as well as younp men.
lie wished not TO see fathers and their sons
n the ranks together. He believed that
were such plan to be adopted, from so to
Iio 600 men would annually be added to
the lists; arming OF whom would cost from
iour TO hve hundred thousand dollars an
huaiiy. In the course of four or five years
|althe menin the first class would be arm.
cd Tor duty, and be competent 10 repel anv
enemy. Ii was the only mode which uni
ted great utility with great economy. He
mad before him statement made ut the
asst year by gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Clay). The observations of hat
gentleman, he said, were well remembered
by the house, and he could add nothing TO
hen. They proved that large COR
would always be ready for service, and
that the number would daily. increase.
Having promised thus much he offered the
following resolution:
Resolved, that the report, &c. be RECON-
mi'ted to the select committee and that
they be Instructed TO report bill to class
me militia according to age, and to provide
tor armlng such as may hereafter be pla-
ced on the militia list at the public ex.
pcnse.
Mr.. d. r. Williams hoped no objection
would be made to this resolution for its
tGoption wond commit nc gentleman ON
tie principle jnvolyed in it.
Mr.. Dana wished a division Of the reso-
solution, as he was opposed to the first and
in favor of the second clause
a motion was made 10 refer the report
to committee Of the whole and carried.
Some debate took place en- this motion, in
which Messrs Lyon, Macon, Nelson
and Clay, appeared TO be in favor of
the principle, and Messrs. Sturges, DurelI
ana laiimadge against It. II was made
the order of the day for to-rnorrow
ENFORCING THE EMBARGO.
On motion Of Mr.. Jackson, the house rev
solved itself into a commit ee Of the whole,
81 20 80 on the bill from the Senate for en-
forcing and making more effeclual the SCI
verai embargo laws, with the amendments
reported by select committee of this
house, MIR. Basset in the chair.
he amendments reported by the select
committee were severaly agreed to
Mr.. Van Cortlandt, after few preGa-
tory observations, expressive Of an opinion
that the embargo should be repealed SO
soon as could be consistently with the pas
sing other acts, and giving equal notice TO
all our merchants, offered the following as
pew section to the bill.
" And be IT further enacted, that the said
act eatillod "an act laying an embargo ON
all ships x vessels within the ports s. har-
bors of the United States" and the several
acts supplementary thereto, be repealed
from and after the fourth day of March
next"
The Chairman observed, that ALTHOUGH
he Individually believed this motion TO be
in order, the house had twice successiyelv
decided a similar proposition TO be out Of
order the other day, because the subject
was already before special committee Of
the whole; and he felt himself bound to
abide by their decision. a
Mr.. GARDENER appealed from the dcci-
sion Of the chair.
The committee confirmed the decision Of
the chair.
A motion was made by Mr.. Elliot, that
the committee rise and report progrcss.--
lNegatived
Mr.. Jackson moved that the committee
rise and report the bill as amended.
| Mr.. Elliot commenced continuation OF
his speech which he commenced few days
ago. Afer MIR. Elliot had spoken about 5
minutes, 1t appearing that quorum was
not present
MIR. Dana suggested the propriety Of tho
committees rising & reporting {" that there
Twas no quorum"
Mr.. Macon had no wish 10 sit here whilst
lgentlemen were going 10 their dinners; &
moved that the committee rise and report
progress.
Mr.. Mosely said 1t was an old maxim
that /" dnicc es deeorHm est fro hofria mo-
lTf :" but he had NO idea Of srapw1Uc n