Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-05-15

been SO frequently dragged into discussion. l
cannot suppose that our opponents, IN thelr
importantly, are governed by an expectation
that charge will be made In the7oplnlon OF
any individual Of the majority. lhis they
must see is hopeless. TIE measure mas oeen
too recently adopted, and after too much DELI
beration, to leave to the most sangulne any
hope of change. To reply, then, to the ar
guments of gentlemen on the general merits
of the embargo, would bean useless consump-
tion of time, and an unwafranted intrusion on
the patience of the House. lhls, as l nave
already stated, is not my Intention; put II Is
my object to yindicate the motion now under
discussion from unmerited censure, ana 10
prove that it cannot be justly cohSlderea Is
treating the petitioners with contempt. am
aware that the right to petition this boay IS
guaranteed by the constitution, and that 1t Is
not less our interest than our duty to receive
petitions, expressed in proper terms, as this
is, with respect
Two propositions have been made relative
to the disposition Of the petition now before US;
one to refer to a committee-the other, that
is now under discussion, to postpone the laF-
Their consideration to day beyond tue ternl'
nation of the embargo It is contended, not
by argument but assertion that the former
would have been more respectful to the petl-
TONERS. They have left us to conjecture the
reasons. ask, then, why would 1t be more
respectful would it present stronger hopes
of success, or admit, as great latitude q ols-
cussion on its merits The gentlemen kno"
that it would not; they we'll know when the
House wishes to give the 80 by to pc'ltioh'
it has been usually by the very motion which,
in this instance, they advocate. On motoh
of reference, debate on the merits ls,prectud-
ed and, when referred, the committee,
where there is no hopes of success, usually
lets it sleep But, sir l ask what IS the ne
cessity for referring this petition to commit
tee what are the objects Of reference!
conceive them to be two-one to investigate
some matter of fact; and the other, when
subject is much tangled with detail, to digest
and arrange the parts, SO that the house may
more easily comprehend the whole. his DO
dy is too large for either OF those operations
and, therefore, a reference is had to smaller
ones. Neither of these furnish good reason
for the commitment of the present petition.
The facts are not denied; and, as to de-
tail, there is none-it ends in point, the re-
peal of the embargo law-and has been SO ar
guedin opposition. This House is as fully
competent to discuss its merits now, as 1t
would be after the report of any committee
and the --le>ti~r-tv postpone admits OF 80
greatest latitude of discussion On It's merits.
This the speech of the gentleman from Vir-
gina has proved. He has argued not only on
the merits of the petition, but the embargo
and almost every subject however remotely
connected. know that the notion is tanta-
mount to that of rejection IN the present IN
stance. In fact, it has beeg Vlnoicated by the
mover on that ground. He has Justly said,
as we cannot grant the relief prayed, we
ought to act with promptltude and decision,
SO that the petitioners may know what to eX-
Dect. This motion has that character I: 1t
leaves no expectation where there can be no
relief. ] know, sir, we might have sssted We
ry differently we might have spun out the
hopes Of the petitioners. Some may think
that it would be sound policy, but In my OPT
Mon it would be unworthy OF this House.
Candor in our government is one OF the first
of political yirtues-I.et US always do direct
" what we intend shall finally be done.
Since there can be no objection TO the mo-
ton now before the House, it remains to be
considered Whelner tDe IGllei prayed ouSht 10
be granted. am sensible that the maxim is
generally correct, that individual profit is ma
tioual gain that the party interested is the
best Judge of the hazard and propricty of
speculation. But there are exceptions there
are cases in which the government is the best
iudge-and such are those where the future
conduct of government is the cause of the ha-
gard. 1t certainly is the best Judge of what
it intends and in those cases where it fore
sees hazard, it ought in humanity to the
merchants to restrain their speculat.ons. Such
is the present case. Many of our merchants
labor under delusion as to the measures OF
government: nor can this seem strange, since
some gentlemen, even in this house, have Ia