The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-12-10

any further debate, on riotion OF NJ. Rau-
dolph.-Heruid.
THURsDAY, Dcccnl S.
Mr.. Leafs presented the petition. of Jane
Deacons, of Alexandria, PRAYING Il .ivorcc,
in consequence Of the absence of her hus-
band, and his improper conduct. Refer
red to the commiltec on the District Of Co
iurAbia. M
\ bill from tho Senate fer the establish
'ncnt of a corps o. engineers WAS read aud
referred to a ccmmittoe of the whole on
"Wednesday next.
DIR. Mitchill presented a petition from
Charles Whitloe, Of New York, praying
leave to import seeds, plants, &c. for which
he will make certain Botanical disclosures
of great Importance to this ccuntry--Refer-
red tothe committee Of commerce and man
ufacturcs.
Mr.. Aiorroso, from the committee on pub
tic lands, made a report favorable to the
petition OF the mayor and alderman of the
city Of New Orleans.
Nh. Bacon reported a BIZ; for cont;nu-
ing the Mediterranean fund-Read twice
and made the order of the day for Tues
day.
On met on of Mr.. D. r. Williams tl.e house
proceeded to the consideration or the a.
niendmcnts of the Senate to the Census
bill. e
NJ. .NeUfon moved to go into committee
u the whole ON it, to give a freedom to de-
bate and not be tied down to the question
OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 60 to 57-The
question was then on concurrence.
Mr.. Rhea said the principle of cornpro
mise Should have overbalanced the consi-
derations of fractiors-rhe proceeding Ct
the Senate was an unjustifable one, which
left the state of Tennessee laboring under
an enormous fraction of near "a, O0O--if any
state in the union had been thus oppressed,
let the fraction of Tennessee be what it
would, he should have raised his hand
againss 1.-THE vote of the house, he hoped.
would not be departed from but for good
reasons--it was a principle of compromise
with which the house were satisfied, and
the amendments of the Senate were of a
nature to excite prejudices which had been
buried bYa mutual concession of interest,"
he mtreated the magnanimity of the house
towards the state which he had the honor
to represent, whose fraction was greater
than that of NewYork, Virginia, Massa-
chusetts and Pennsylvania, collectively,
whose representation on the floor was erea-
ter than all the other states-He had a
respect for the Senate, which would contin-
'ue SO long as their acts were predicated
in justice-If Sd, 800 was the ratio, Tennes-
see would gaiu a member. IF, said Mr.
Rhea, this was the last word / had to
utter, or the last vote should ever give,
1t would be in opposition to this proce-
dure.
Y Mr.. Fisk was in favor of SIS 600 as the
smallest fraction unrepresented, was Just *
republican principle.
Mr.. IVrighfa dvocated the same ratio IL.
reply to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
Rhea) observed that $4,000 of fraction
would be saved ON a general calculation
which was consideration that should out
weigh the particular situation of Tenues-
see, which he acknowledged was griev-
GUS one, bat in conformity with the prin-
ciple and spirit of the constitution
Mr. Randolph regretted the narrow linn
its to which the house were circumscribed
one and indivisible; he wished they had
been permitted to go into committee of the
whole, that the house might the better have
como to an understanding of their own wish
es. He hoped that those who were in favor
OF a higher, and those who were in favor of q
lower ratio than 81 900, would join in disa-
greeng to the amendments Of the senate,
that they might have conference and get
at the real object of the house, and if no o.
Their ratio would be granted to the house
by the senate, the house could still take what
the senate had dictated. Mr.. Il. gave a
history Of the different census bills which
had been drafted by the house and sent to
SAS SSh"eS All ehC II SOhSuTISnCc, WHO Wne0
they discovered that the house would not
brook their interference, they had acted
promptly on them and returned them almost
without examination the same day. The
house then adhered to the spirit of the con-
stitution and not the dead letter. Suppose
ule senate had returned your bill fixing the
ratio at 100000, you would have rejected
the aristocratical proceeding Of that body
with Indignation. The gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Calhoun) might well
call them a diplomatic eorps.-There has
not been such a stroke of diplomacy as this
since the days of Charles Maurice Talley-
rand. They have placed the chord, the
bow -string round our necks. We hold our
existence at their pleasure, without even
the privilege of suicide.--The Senate like
the crown with the colonies wanted to settle
the principle. They would agree to Increase
the House. and when that power was &C
knowledged, they would claim the privi-
ledge of decreasing, and how would this
House help themselves, He called upon the
large state ofN. Y, to beware how they rails
ed the character of ti,c oligarchy (the sen
atc) at the ex pence OF the mob in the House
He detailed the relative professions Of the
ofthe Senate, who he said were Goa
gross of ambassadors they closed their doors
with the ponp of majesty, and it might be tru-
" said, that the swinish hoof never profared
their sacred chambers ; body that had OH
one occasion raiscd itself above the repre-
sentatives OF the people, by demanding a