Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-11-25


provision by law, for the relief at infirn and
superannated officers aud soldiers of the
late Revolutionary army, and Of the present
army os the u. S. and report BY bill or other
wise"
Ordered to lie on the table.
-SoUem6er 20.
Messrs. Gholson and Sage have been ap-
poilxfN o9Ihe Committee of Claims, in the
ro& of Xessrs. Bassett aud Butler, who
~ bsep excused from serving OH this com
ir. BhI%el REPRESENTED the petition of Rich
araCrusf9,& Zines Stcptoe aud others, pray
ing for a fstw to authorisc them to register
their claims to certain lands in Georgia in
the Department of Statc-Refcrred to the
Committee on Public Lands.
Mr.. Jennings offered the following resclu-
tion to the consideration of the House which
was agreed to:
g Resolved, That the committee on Pub
lie Lands be, and they are hereby directed
to enquire into the expcdiency of attaching
to the district Of Ieffersonvilc, so much of
the lands ceded to the United States at Fort
Wayne, OF the 3Oth Of September, 1909, as
lies adjoining to the said district ami East nj
the second principal meridian established in
the Indiana Territory
Mr.. Seaver presented petition from cer-
tain merchants of Massachusetts, and MIR.
Pitkin from others Of Connecticut, PRAYING
for leave to import goods ordered from Eng
land before the Presidents proclamation was
issucd.-Referred as before.
SeySyal petitions for claims were presen-
ted aEd referred.
~ H. IT.; following CIV sngTOssed bills were read
mig time md paksed, viz. 4 bill to ex-
tenV the &,rA Co.. A,,,,;,,.-,.t,
1ceTestaEished i4the territory OF Orleans -
and Y tAiffor tle relief of Abraham Whip
pie, iatsa Gap in the Nary of the United
Mr. Dawson called up for consideration the
resolution which he yesterday laid upon,the
table, for appointing select committee to
enquire into the expo diency of making pro-
VISION by law, FOR infirm, disabled and super
anuated officers and soldiers of the revolu-
uonary and present army. 1t was consider
ed and agreed to without division. The
COMMITTEES consists of seven members.
On motion of MIR. Rhea, the House went
into committee of the whole. Mr.. Nelson
in the Chair, on the bill for the government
cfthe Territory Of Louisiana. The bill being
read by paragraphs, Mr. Fisk moved to
strike out the words in the 5th section of the
bill, which makes it necessary for persons 20
be IN possession of free hold TO have a right
to vote. This motion was opposed by Mr..
Randolph, on principle in speech OF consid-
erabic length, in which he advocated the
freehold qualification for voters. The mo-
ton was opposed also by Mr.Rhea, as un-
necessary tor the attainment of the movers
object; as he stated the qualification for vo-
tiers was two-fold, one was the possessar Of
freehold, the ether a residence of year
previous to the time of election.
MIR. FQefiexter made motion which SUI
perce9AeFthatef the gentleman from YER
mont, 81 stI1k all that part ofthe section
whic.f vi the qualification of voters, and
insertE" eFeFtfred Tyhite male citizen resi-
ding teL "a ADJ Territory, 5ylio shall haze at
iai,1cdRh&age Of a ye6rs and f,qia a tar.'
lenaendme9 was debated till the usu-
al hour% adiaYshfuent, when the committee
rose witlient taking the question, and obtained
leave 20 sit agian.
This debate though protracted 70 consid-
cradle length. embraced a very narrow ques-
tion, viz. " whether it is better 10 require vo-
tiers to hold freehold property. or to suffer
every man to possess the privilege of voting
who has arrived to the ape of III years" AS
already stated. Mr.. Randolph took the first
ground, and introduced the practice of Vir-
GINA to shew that it was attended with the
best effects. Messrs. FIX, Wright, Smile,
and Poindexter took the opposite side of the
question TREY argued that life and liberty
arc superior TO property; that these are
dcarer 70 q poor man than all the property
of the rich. Mr. Wright said, that the state
of Maryland had tried the property qualif-
cation for voting, had found it attended, with
bad effects, and had now abandoned it. It
was formerly required, he said, that a voter
should be possessed Of property to the value
of thirty pounds; so that if man possessed a
horse cfthat value, be was entitled 10 a vote !;
bnt, if tile horse happened TO die before the
election he loss his privilege, which was pla-
cling tie right in the horse instead Of the man
As to freehold qualifications, they were eva
ded too by deeds made for the occasion,
which were. afterwards cancelled.
Mr., A8hdblph, in combating the principle
Of u1f,Srsal Suffrage, said that il was impos-
siblqF6r the geNleman himself (alluding t.
Mr. EmaTD or ~ piping-hot member from
a a*bia CAb; a. any disciple ef Tom Paine
or oAth1 hi, p carry this principle Of e.
quality q is fuR extent, f.: even they must
exclude fropfIts operation minors and fc-
males. He also took occasion 70 pronounce a
strong philippic against Foreigners having any
para in the government. Mr.. Smile. in his
reply, paid q tribute Of respect to The memo
~ of Paine, on account If lis valuable polisi-
cal writings, which had been considered rs
hghly servicoablc in The revolution, z which
would always be esteemed wherever thc
Rights Of Man are understood, and reminded
D. i'm RI sis. rr~attr.0re r4ffo r.t os...teI L.