The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-06
CONGRESS-.
IREPoRTBD FOR THE BALT. AMERICAN
SENATE OF UNITED STATES.
.TlHxCrU 2S

SENATE OF UNITED STATES.
january 90.
IOur Reporter has furnished the following
sketch exclusively from memory. He wish
Is it therefore to be distinctly understood,
thai he considers it very imperfect in form
and language. The sentiments and argu-
mcnts of the honorable senator's, so far as
substantially as they were meant to be un-
!erstood. He heard the debate from the in
nsr gallery OF the senate chamber-1
The Senate proceeded TO the consideration
or the bill from the house of Representatives,
authorising the President of the ". States to
accept and organize certain volunteer milf
tIry corps.
Inc amendment to the first section, re-
porsed by select committee OF ,he Senate,
To strio out the word fifty" and insert
- twenty i've" so as 70 reduce the number
Of voi"ntesr. proposed to be raised, 10 25, eco,
Jeins Luoei' consideration
MIR. GILES rose, and opposed at length
ne bill as il came from the house, reSerNihg
To hiMseif the privilege of acting or the pro-
posed amendment according to the result, of
iuriher reflections. he believed toe biil
world be productive OF no practical efficacy;
! 1t proposed .orCe which could not be rails
ed and if raised, from the short period Of
is service, III che event of serious hostj'it.es
the objects Of hosrlites.-T bill
would be imperative, because in the
a-es OF Massachusetts and Vermont, and
he presumed lii other states, power or
provision existed, by which these volunteers
would be Commissioned so as to perform tho
conte mplated service and If the govern
,nent were deprive ed Oi the volunteers in Mas
| Sachlsetts and Vermont, he did not know
| there they could obta,n volunteers for the
| SO. eminent had in ". He presumed that
this system 81 volunteers was the favorite
| system II the government and this he in
. ferred from their having recommended tt
the other house. tae raising OF $4,000 regular:
only, and from Che message ofthe President
sent il after both houses had passsd the bill
Tor raising 1000 reg 'i!ars, and communica-
ting the late correspondence between Mr.
| Foster and Mr.. Monroe, ground for ur-
| 5ng Congress to persevere in the preparati-
oas they were engaged in making. The Pre-
| iient must therefore have deemed volun-
yeer force essential for the contemplated SER
| VICE. And here he observed, he thought, if
this correspondence with the British envoy,
| .yhch afforded evidence Of continued hos
| tillty' towards us, furnished matter of suiii-
,iclt Importance to press upon congress the
utility o. Fastening their measures of prepa-
ration, that the other business of the depart
repose long enough for a reply to have been
made to MIR Foster before nearly month
| had elapsed after the date of his letter. He
| DID not advert to this Circum stance from any
W mt OF re poet othc goycrnncnt. He sloulp
always treat them with the highest respect.
! He should prefer thc reductis n of the number
/ OF volunteers to % 600. rather than the re-
tentiou It, the 50,0C0, because il would in
crease the momentum of actual force, and
decrease the expenses, about Which 50 ma h
/ had been said surely, he said, he did not
I mean that 1t would not Increase the rnomcr-
TIM OF force proposed by the other house, . 1t
that proposed by the executive. The exc.
cutive had asked Tor .cI thousand regulars
| and 10000 volunteers, in AL 10000 men !;
| The other house had r5reed to give him S.
! QUO. he proposed amend ncnt would there
| I re bring The qgaItujn Of force down nearly
| to the executive re4usi,an. But the bill
| proposed force which would be utterly in
| efficient, like all other volunteer bills had
been. the returns under the thirty thou
sand volunteer law, passed two or three
Years ago, were so few, that the Sccretar,
q War did not register them. lie asked,
nov efficient could that species Of force be,
Il which tic chief magistrate did not think
( worth while to have record kcptS 1t
vas only Formidable display Of armies on
paper; tender o! services, which only pro.
iu' cd very handsome replies from the Pre-
',dcnt! He did not ccDsurc he Secretary of
War, or the President, very far from it the
deceit had been in the law. lie begged gen
iienlcn to look seriously at the SUBJECT /; il a
wHr should cnsue, Il must he serious one
The responsibility attached to congress Of
placing an adequate force in the hands Of
the executive for the objects of the war but
ii they passed q law which would give Tie
President only nominal f9.ce, totally in.
competent to effect any desirable object, he,
for one, shouidq)e unwilling 70 take any share
Of responsibility upon himself
Mr.. O. said he lad been reprolched the !
other day with "a preference of regulars |
70 volunteers; aad volunteers were said &c |
DC more cmHon.-l % che constitution than |
regular arHnes. lie SAID, that volunteers |
we're not mentioned IL the constitution at |
had Heyerb been recommended by |
Gen. Washington, AMI no Law had been
pissed t. f4,s- V0, intecrs, until the year
after that grctc man left the administra-
ion. They were ~ invention, {. theory Of |
,Dolern dsys.
Inc cons 'N'io1 had authorised armies,
withoI restriction tIc only restriction 1t
least was as to the time for which appropri-