Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1811-12-02

Another petition for leave to import
from the British Islands, in payment Of
debts, was presented.
The resolution directing an inquiry into
the expediency Of encouraging the manu-
fscture of hemp, fax, and cotton, was fur
ther postponed.
Mr.. Widgery was opposed to additional
duties on manufactures of hemp and fax.
as it would bear hard upon the sesports,
where they were mostly consumed.
Mr.. Randolph's resolution for an inquiry
into the expenditure of the peoples money.
was consented to.
TUESDAY. NOV. 10.
Mr. BurweIl presented petition from
Their time to register the claims TO lands In
the state Of Georgia. Committed.
Mr.. Seaver presented petition FROM
Nathaniel RuggIes, Of Roxbury, Mass. pr0
ing permission to import certain British
goods. Mr. Pi;kin presented similar pc
tition from sundry merchants of Hartford
Conn. Committed.
The house took up the resolution yester-
day offered by Mr.. Dawson, (for the APP
! poiniment of committee 10 enquire into
the expedency of making provision by law
for the relief of the inhrm, disabled and SUI
peranuated officers and soldiers Of the late
and present army of the United States,)
The resolution was agreed to without de-
bate, and referred to a committee of seven
meTrbers.
The house went into committee of the
| whole on the bill providing for the govern.
ment of the louisiana Territory.
| Mr.. Fisk objected to that part Of the biz
which requires a freehold qualification IN
( the voters, for the legislature, and moved TO
strike it out Mr.. Randolph opposedlt.
Mr. Randolph hoped it would not. be
struck out. He thought every man who
had share ia Legislation ought to possess
| freehold. He was an unbelever in thec1-
istence of that sort ofpatriotism which could
feel equally for the distresses of the Chinese
as for ,hose of his own country such pro-
| LESSONS were all hollow God help the ma
ton, fits affairs should ever be wholly man.
aged by foreigners He believed if thss
| feature in the constitution Of lis native sta e
! which required q freehold qualification
were expunged, il would shake his attach
| ment for her to he very foundation MIR
| Il. entered at length into the discussion Of
this subject. He said. the opponents ofthe
right of voting BY freehold must attacf4ve
ry little importance to that right, or they
! would use every exertIon to acquire 1t
but while they declsimed against this prin-
ciple, they would employ their last shilling
in shaving Again, il was said, that mea
were required to bear arms who were NOT
allowed 10 vote but, minors were likewise
required to bear arms, and not even entrus-
ted with the management their own pre-
perry. Even the widest enthusiast tor this
doctrine Of universal equality, would de-
prve great portion of the human race Of
the right of suffrage because they would
not permit females nor minors 70 exercise
il, which two classes composed more than
half Of The human family; even they req1,.
red some qualification, such as residence,
paving taxes, Sc. He did not pretend that
there were not merItori0us men who pos
sesscd no property; but he considered The
pos session of few acres of land as the best
Qualification winch could BE- establish & in
a country where land ab0unded and where
indeed there was little else el.hough such
a regulation might not be poiilIc--As TO the
Aristocracv OF the thing, Mr. II thought it
much better to suffer that inconvenience
Gift was oue) than 10 allow every vagabond
to vote, who might be bought BY any man
Of wealth. He could never consent 20 per-
nit any man 10 lay land tax, who did not
possess All inch Of land h'ruself--He sad
there was great deal Of talk about the ne
groes Of the southern states sending repls
sentatIves 10 congress but as long as
Rhode Island sent two Senators to Congress
and had four electors OF President and Vice
President, he hoped to hear no comi ,Laints
OH that subject they held their Stations
precisely by the same tenure with the mem
bers on this floor, viz the system OF compro-
mise on which tile constitution was bottoni-
ed-He conIuded by making some remarks
on the comparative benefits OF voting bY
ballot and viva voce, the latter OF which 10
considered by far the most independent, IN
proof of which he stated an occurrence
which had taken place in Virginia during
he contest between Inessrs. Adams and
Jefferson
Mr.. Rhea also opposed striking out thar
part of the bill.
Mr. Poindexter offered an amenGinerts
which would supercede the motion tor Sink
ing out. He expressed himself in favor OF
extending the right of suffrage He said
he should not attempt to answer the gentle
man from Virginia Mr. Randolph who he
believed, had touched upon every lnAasins-
bic subject, except the Embargo ana MN
intercourse
Mr. Wright was in favor Of extending
the right Of suffrage TO every freeman,
without possessing freehold. Inc con-
sti,ution oithe United States did no require
any property qualification II Tie president
nor die it require any in sentinel On whose
fidelity the safety Of The whole army might
DEPEND He wand enquire =, the genue-
man from Virginia who paid the blood tax
which accomplished the revolution !-Hc