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

r.. ,i
Joint resolution, approving the conduc. %
Ihe Executive in relation to the reiusal "
receive any further communications HUN
Mr.. Jackson.
The resolution was read first and second
time. referred to committee OF the Wnoie,
and made the order Of the day tor thurs
day next.
MR.. JACKSON's~ g CIRCULAR"
Mr.. quincy observed that he: perceived
that in the letter from Mr.. Smith to Mr.
rinkney accompanying the message OF the
President of the United States OF the S9sh
November, 1909, allusion was made 10 all
important paper headed /" Circular" when
] had not been communicated to Congress
,.He perceived also that by the resolution
l ust received from the Senate SPECIFIC dc.
.:laration was required as to the contents OF
that very paper. 1t appeared to hlm ex-
tremely proper that the House should nave
that paper en- its files, and within tbs reach
of it's members, before declaration was
made res pecting Is. Under thislmPresslon
he offered the following resolution.
Pesolved, That the President OF the Y.
States be requested to lay before the House
"a copy ola paper purportlng to be a circular
letter from Mr.. Jackson to thc british Lon
suls in the United States, referred to IN the
letter Of the Secretary of State to Mr.. Fink
lney, accompanying the message OF the S9th
November.
DIR. Dana observed that there was ano-
ther document which it might be OF some
Importance to have on the file ct the House,
and which it might be also necessary to con-
suit that was the despatch from Mr. Gan
ming, whichit appeared was stnt BY Mr..
Pinsney to the Secretary of State. lie NOV
ed to add that paper to the resolution.
Mr.. quincy accepted the agnensiment as
part OF his resolution.
Mr. W. Alst0n objected to the FIST partof
the motion. he said the House must see
the improperly of calling on the Executive
for a document of which it could not have
an official copy for TO doubt the copy sent
to Mr.. Pinkney was cut out of newspaper
and sucha one only could be sent TO the
House. He had no objection to calling for
that asked for by the gentleman from Con-
necticut Mr.. Dana) although the material
parts of it were often quoted in the dccu
msnts before Congress.
-34r. quincy said it wasnot his intention
to call for what was not In the Secretary of
States Office the paper which he wanted
was copy of that paper transmitted across
the Atlantic by the Secretary ofState,as APP
peared by his letter to Mr.. Pinkney. The
gentleman might have seen Mr.. Jackson's
circular letter, he (Mr. G. had not seen it
he had not been fortunate enough to obtain
copy oft. |, must be in the office of the
Secretary of State; for it was utterly I'M
possible tor 1t to have been sent to our mi
ulster in London, without also retaining
copy in the'o&ce Of the Secretary of State. s
4r. Smihe said he would not oppose
call for any information that should be Deem
ed proper; but he did not know upon wha,
ground the House would call upon the Pre-.
sident tor this paper which had not been,
addressed to the Pres ident, but to the Bri.
fish Consuls in the United States. 1T could
not be officially in the posscss.oa OF the Sc.
cretary OF State, who, he presumed, had
seen IT In the papers rs every one else had.
MIR. 5. said ne accidentally held in his hands
New Hampshire paper containing it, and
II the gentleman from Massachusetts was
desirous OF perusing it, it was at his SER
vice. q
mr.. ERpes asked for division of the
question. HE said he was willing to call
tor any paper which was or which might be
presumed to be in possession of the depart
ment OF state !; butt could not be presumed
that the circular of Mr.. Jackson was in that
once IN any other form than that referred
20 In Mr. Smiths letter, viz. in printed
sor@s certain it was that it could not be in