The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-01-27

description, oeinE Wllhin waters OF the Uni
ted States. excepting such parts as may, in
ms Judgment, be improper f& ctmmuhica-
ton.
Messrs. Dana and Garland were appointed
to wait on the President of the U. S. with the
resolution.
Mr. Love reported, a bill to amend an act
entitled An act for the establishment of a
turnpike company in the county of Alexan
dria. in the district of Columbia Twice
read and referred
The resolution offered by Mr.. Dana, call
ing for information respecting former detach-
meats OF militia was adopted.
The engrosSed bills for the relief of John
N. Stout; to authorize the removal of slaves
from one part OF the district Of Columbia to
another; and for the relief of Harry Cald-
well. Amasa Jackson, jeremiah REYNOLDS
and Levin Jones. were read third time and
PASSED
The House refused to agree to motion
OF Mr. Rhea CT to take up the subject Of
the rules and orders (previous question: so
to49
AMERICAN NAVIGATION ACT.
The house resumed the consideration of
the report OF the committee Of the whole on
the bill concerning commercial intercourse
with Great Britain and France and for other
purposes.
The amendments reported by the commit
A potion was made by Mr.. Lipermore to
strike ont several sections Of the bill.
The Sfeaker decided that such a motion
could not be made. until the amendments
reported by the committee of the whole were
decided on
Mr. LiUermore appealed from this deci-
sion-which was reversed by the house, 81
to IS.
Mr. Liuermore then moved to strike out
the fifth section
Mr. HaOen Supported the motion which
was negatived by Seas and Nays, 70 to so.
Several amendments made to the bill in
committee of the whole were agreed to.
Mr. Macon moved TO strike out of the
clause limiting the duration of the bill till
the end OF the next session of Congress the
word ''ie,rt' and insert the word nresent.'S
SO as to limit the bill! to the end of the pre-
sent session.
Mr. Plfkin expressed his establishment at
such u motion. Could any object be answer
ed by excluding foreign ships. and so forth,
for two or three months! Were gentlemen
afraid that the British Parliament should
hear of the bill and couxtervail its provisions
by that time! II that was the object, he
wished il TO Oc stated.
Mr, RheG ('E moved to strike out the
whole of ,he Slause Of Limitation. He could
not see what reason there could be for Ii
hitting the existence OF the law even to the
next session OF Congress. He required the
Yeas and NAYS on his motion.
Mr. LiUefnaore regretted exceedingly that
any opposition should be made 10 the motion
Of the gentleman from North Carolina, for
certainly the sooner there was an end to the
bill the better.
Mr.. Macon said that the bill had grown
out OF the present situation Of the United
States, and was only intended to meet that
situation: 1t never was intended to make
this permanent regulation for after the
present state OF things was done away, there
you'd be no necessity for the bill. He could
see no good to be answered by striking cut
the limitation, because no one had an idea
OF its remaining in force after our disputes
with the belliFerents were settled. Before
| the end oil this session, which probably
would be pretty long one, Congress would
| have had experience OF the bill. Ii it was
| found to be injurious, it might be suffered
| to expire il beneficial, it might be re-en-
acted. Refore the end of the session, also,
we should hear from England and France,
and 1t would be known what course they
would take. If we ware to have war, the
bill would be useless
Mr.. SAefey observed, that striking out
this clause would not continue the law after
| the beiligerents should have revoked their
edicts against our neutral rights for there
was an express provision in the bill. thar
Whenever they were so revoked, the Prcsi-
| dent should rescind the law, as to the power
| relaxing its DEGREES. Il was = bill TO be in
force until the relations with the beligerents
were changed either by actual war, by q
| revocation OF their edicts. or by new legsla-
ton There could then be no reason 40. it's
| limitation Was it the object of gentle
| men, he asked, that this bill Iould expire
| before one OF these changes took place.
| 1t gentlemen were not satisfied that the ,,ll
was proper 10 be continued in force, I'LL a
change in cur relations, this acting expert
| mentally was improper. Nov, Mr. S. said,
either England and France would Continue
| their DEGREES, or they would not. If they
did continue ;hem, this bill would operate.
Would gentlemen give them rght freely
to enter cur waters, as long as they Continued
their edicts? He presumed not. Either
| England would Countervail the provisions Of
the bill, or she would not. If she did, it
would become a new subject of legislation.
The course hereafter to be pursued b. us
would depend on her own conduct. BY Ii
hitting the bill as proposed, they would
| throw ont to the world the idea, that they
were afraid Of the experiment, and therefore
had limited its duration. 1t would show, that
the whole bill was mere experiment and
therefore, Mr.. s. said he should vote
for striking out the clause altogether.
Mr. Quincy said, tiiat the observations
made by The gentleman from Virginia Of
fered the bill in new shape. He did not
recolect that any gentleman had before I'd
! YOCated this bill, as a mode Of Coe rcinp G.,