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


be rejected with scorn in this country. When
Mr.. Rose was sen, here to atone for the
outrage on the Chesapeake, the first step
taken by him was to require the annuiling a
proclamation issued TO prevent the recur
renee OF similar events-and what is the
proposition Of Mr.. Jackson in relation to it,
after the proclamation has been virtually
repealeds Why. he must have formal
acknowledgment of its repeal. 1t is a deci.
sive proof that there is no sincere desire in
the British government for settlement os
that point; because they propose terms dis
honorable, terms which have been before
rejected. There is another point of differ
ence which should have entered into the
view OF the gentleman from New York. No
proposition whatever has been made with
respect to the Orders in Council, ard it is
seclared that the principle Of them they will
never cease to maintain. Another point in
sisted on previous to any friendly arrange
ment is the express remuneration of the colo
"i2l trade not permitted in time of peace
have said thus much to remind the gentle
nan that it is not because Britain has ten.
dered her aid to execute our laws. merely
that we have cause of complaint against her,
out because she has manifested total want
OF good faith in refusing te fulf! an arrange
ment formally concluded and by making
propositions which slis must know would be
rejected. because they could not be honora
bly, accepted. AS to the resolution before
, he House, Mr. Eppes SAID he cared very
little about it. He believed if the gentle m an
would take the trouble Of looking over the
documents of the last session, he would find
the paper desired. But that no gentleman
might have it in his power to say that he
had not all the information before him that
he conld require, he should vote for the re
solution.
Mr. Key said that whenever the repre-
sentatives of the nation were called upon to
act upon any monentous occasion, as the
present certainly was, it was all important
to them and 70 the people at large to pos
sess ali the information to be had compati
ply with propriety 1t was manifest that the
Executive was possessed of information
which might be beneficial, and therefore
ought to be laid before Congress He said
he alluded particularly to the correspon.
dence of Mr. Pinkuey with the Executive
on his subject. He said he had seen no
"here an account Of what were the views
AIKEN by that gentleman of the Instructions
20 Mr.. Erskne.> Mr.. Pinkney, Mr. Key
said, was mau OF high character, of grea,
talents, and of unquestioned zeal for his
couutry's good; and it was impossible that
ne should have lost moment IN presenting
to our government the views of the govern
inent of the nation to which he is our minis
ter. Mr.. Canning had said that he had
communicated to Mr.. Pinkney Mr. Frs
kine's instructionsin crtenSo. So impertant
fact would Certainly not have been omit
ted to be communicated by our minister
MIR. Key said he wished to see whether Mr..
Canning had correctly stated what had ia
ken place. and in what manner Mr.. Pinkney
had conveyed the information tn our govern.
nent He had Confidence enough in tho Ex-
ecutive to submit to his discretion to lay be-
fore the House such part of this communi-
cation as he should think proper. But sa
tisfied as he was that irnportaaL documents
must be IN possession of the Executive. he
wished, when called upon to act on great
question which would ii.volve the dearest in.
terests OF the country, TO be possessed of all
tile information possessed by the Executive
on the subject. He therefore said he should
vote for the resolution.
M. Rhea CT said he should vote against
the resolution, becanse il called for infor-
nation irrelevant to any question before
the House, and because on a subject the
consideration of which appeared to him to
have been precluded by the arrangement
entered inro ia Apri last. He said he found
by the doc',iDepts nid before the n that sire
nuouB ef!ors. had heen MADE by Mr. jackson
to call up the discussion of it afrcsh on the
princlpe that the arrangement concluded
by Mr. Erskine was unauthorized, aud en-
tered into by our government with the know
ledge of its being 50 Mr. 4 said ne was a.
saist giving any color Whatever to that o
pinion he never was opposed TO calling
tor necessary information; but the reason
he had assigned was sufficient, ifthere were
no other, to induce him TO vote agains sl,e
motion. Mr.. Erskine having denied ever
having given his government any reason To
suppose, from any conversations he had acid
with members OF the Executive, that ;hty
would agree to the bird proposition ii
seemed to be thought necessary to throw the
burthen of il on Mr.. Pinknfy. The very
nature Of the proposition itself ought to in
duce gentlemen TO reject every motion to
enquire into it. He would spurn the idea
of ENDURING what Mr. Pinkney had thought
OF 1t, because it went to point in itself
wholly inadmssible; as much SO az if the
British government had proposed to Con
gress to prepare projects of laws for them.
1t had been stated by Mr.. Jackson that the
arrangement was disavowed because the in
structions contained in the note of the 23d
Jan. were not complied with, which instruc
ton included this Sd proposition. And of
course, this Sd proposition must be assented
to before any negotiation could be brought
to a conclusion. But, Mr. Rhea said, in his
opinion all this was foreign to the resolution
tron the Senate, which merely respected the
conduct of Mr. jackson to this governments.
and whether this government had done righ-
in .:ie manner IN which it had treated him
lie further remarked that it was evid emily
not Mr.. Phkne: but Mr. Canning who had
mi oh II, 6 H.