Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-01-18

they COntt mPlatc All eSeh'us' p'SsN"o'oh Gi ,
the United States. But, sir, let me ssf
wha, sort of possession A poss, ssioa b, z
f,ce2 No, sir. no, single r'"H!,on ca,
be- shewn 10 Justify such ecl s''"c''4n.~,
But possession to be obtain W f'iend, h
nteociution. am warranted ii. ',, .os. 4
struction, no, merely by the letter al ;tt,.
laws. BIZ the lapse of time since heir sna,
nen,, but bv the express rfic'ai decara,io {
of Mr.. Madison hims.If, while setr,,a,y
Of state. 1t is notorious fact. Tia; Nh,,
the act of the - h Of February passed, II.
MARQUIS dr. i:ujo, then the mnrs'rt Of il,
catholic majesty at the United States, III !
solemn form, pr"te st.d agaius, that law: ;
end that MIR. Madison, by letter sla;,j 4
on the 19,h of March, assured the maql,
that the provision relating to LouIslana
would not be extrne',d beyond The ar.
knozyiedeed limits of the United S'a,.s, W.
Ill it shall be rendered rxDrdirnt ny ,jyirnd.
h eluc,datisns and adjustments with h1s ca.
tholic majesty
Upon the whole, sir, have not berna a.
81. 70 discover The shadow If authority "a
the crouhd Of which the President ISSUED
this proclamation. He has recilrd none,
amidst all his rectsls, and none appears 10
me bu, his own mere will and pleasure.
The act therefore cannot view in any
other Iigh, than an unwarrantable assump.
ton of power and violation OF the coast;,
tuition,
Considering then. sir, this act Of the Fl.
ecu,ive as il|eg sal and unauthorized, We ale
fully a, liberty to enter into the discussion
Of the great questions of tile and txped,.
ency; task which l will proceed 10 dis.
charge to The best of my ability.
TIE first propose 10 examine is the IT,
tie of the United States to the territory ia
question. With respect to this pr,e i've,
it unfortunately happens that honorahl.
gentlemen who suppor, the bill do not PIE.
cisIy accord in sen,iment. The gentle.
man from Vermont, (Nlr. Bradle.) has
frankly conet ded that the United States
acquired no title under the treaty of ST.
Iidefonso. Another g~n,ieman (AIr. Smith
of MAJ has declared tina. the United
States did derive title under that urea.
", and dIsclaims the title SET ID by the
honorable gentleman from Vermont.
shall not undertake 70 decide which OF the
two gentlemen is right, if either be, but
shall contend and humbly expect to prov.
that both are wrong.
What is the na,ur" Of the tide set up hy
the gentleman from Vermont? Not und-r
the treaty he has candidly owned, but l..
supposes a titls to exist On the ground Of
Certain quaint principles of the commrn
law. relative to the doctrines Of e,fctAb,iS
occupancy. | am extremely happy sir %
find that honorable gentleman INTRODUCING
the common law rs authority upon this
floor, especially on so great an occa.ion.-
His doctrines certainly evince both re-.
search and ingenuity, and shew that ie like
many with whom he acts. has no, ALSO.
lut-lv lost his venera,ion for the 5lack i,,ttrr
What are his doctrines? Why in the
first place he says, admitting that Spa;n
did not ccde Florida to France BY tn.
treaty OF St. lIdefonso, admitting tina,
France had no title 10 Florida on the son
day OF April 1903, when she ccdrd I.oui.
siana to the CniteG States, yet as France
has since acquired a title to the crown of
Spain and her colonies, and as the French
Plenipoteatiary. when the treaty of the aoh
OF April 1868 was executed, did state and
induce the American ministers to unler.
stand and believe that Florida was compre.
hendsd IN the cession, why the title, though
France had it not when the treaty We,
signed, yet having it subsequently,, imms.
diately attached in the United States.
and France is estopped from saying a.
ny thing to the contrary: This arpu.n.ns
sir aegs every thing: ls.. Tha. tn .!s.
clarations On the part Of the French minis.
ter were made. 2dIy. Ths, being mad
they would operate to pass the title ccntra.
ry to tho express letter of the treaty; aud
lastly tina, France has acquired good title
to the crown of Spain aud her colonies-
[ will yield to the gentleman his first pro.
position and grant, as he seems to desire il,
that these representations were made. ard
what do they prove: Not tia, the title pas.
sed, but that the French minister was II,
/ fNr tha