The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-02-19
Guilgreag.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SATURDAY, Feb. 9.
FOREIGN RELATIONS,
(Conc!ude }

M. CheueS said ne was not sorry that
thu ,nendmen, had been p opo ed /; was
not sorry mat the subject WAS no agitated be-
Cause ! had already mad the effect OF eiIcIting
private opinion on sub eCt On wnich every
one hesitated and doubted how to- act and
because it would enable hem to emDudy
public sentiment But, ateer SO much had
been done, he hoped, for several reasons,
that the question ON the repeal of the law
would not now be taken, bui that The hi |
would De referred 10 the committee OF foreign
relations The honorable and eloq ent gen
tlcman who had made he motion (Mr Ran
dolph) was not more dissatisfied with the
state of our foreign relations than ne was !;
or more sa ished OF the futiii,y of those
measures lately adopted. Mr.. G. said he
had never been satisfied OF the wisdom or
proDrie,y of the law of May last IN any o.
ther view than one. He believed it would
make the country act a part worthy of its
character; it would precipitate us on a
particular enemy--and this ne believed the
country required. lie believed a more di-
rect and proper course should long ago have
been rescrted to. Ihe questions now before
the Horse were, whether the bill should be
Iecommitted tu the COMMITTEES 0t foreign
reiatiois for the purpose OF amendment
merely, or whether the motion for recon
mtmtnt should be coupled with one which
il appeared to INN Could not with proprie-
~ be engrafted il. Il he motIon "a OIL
ginaly made went 30 the modification OF a
law the proposed amendment to a repeal
OF H.. 1t appeared To HIN that the latter
should properly rise as substantive ques
ton lie should not be- sorry II the bill WIS
rerommitted merely tor the purpose of Sign
ing ITS requiem; ne should not be sor,v II
il should eventuaIe 20 re'n0ye TIC tram
meis in when the act OF My might have
shaCkIed US. He SAID n wished as much
as any one, that the nation should be I'M
Irdmnelied add in "a 81 -lauOn TO act IN a
m amer worthy Of its former spirit and its
honor. But in the present i,e he believed
the nation ould not act and that It vas
-co'niniued as To- the cou Sc IL sboald pursue
He would meet gentlemen on that footing.
bnless he said, a breach OF faith IN en-
ded, they ought not to adopt the proposed a
mendment. Ii the Beru aud Milao decrces
were not revoked on the hrst OF November.
he reed that the House were rot under
an obligation 10 reject the amendment pro
posed But u was not in TINS stage of the
business proper TO adopt it. The gentleman
VINO moved 1t preCiica ed in on the acts
Communicated by cur agent IN france, or on
the ge4eral Conduct OF that nation. He
ha SAID that the engagem mt was netfectu-
al ; that the House was not bound % carry
It l0o effect because they were informed by
the late communication from the President
that 1t had been violated OH the part of
France because il had not been acted on IN
the spirit oil good faith because hei depre :
d1tiOns had been such as TO make this mat
CIR e .dbrace bot AN imperfect part OF them
And ifthIs appeared to him TO be the Gaze,
NJ &. said ne shouid concur with the gem
tlenan in opinion. But that not being the
case, he said he would endeavor tu shew
thI, we are placed in such situation as to
obise us, in Observance of good faith, to ad
here, at least tor time, to the measure we
have adopted. He would say that his fears
were that 1t had been violated on the part
OF France but that was no reason for act
IN Yth precipitation. Inc vessel bringing
kir RusseiPs letter having lett France on
g., LIST Of January, and conveying no later
autncnt:c intormntiJn, was CjrCuinstspce
from w1icn nc augdred uniavurabiy. Is
mere was no reason for precipitatisuS anu