Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-05-12
Congress Of the United States.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MoNDAY, May IL, 1912.

I
Mr. Rodman presented five memorials sign
ed by about 44o of the citizens of Northamp-
ton county, Penn. praying repeal or modih-
cation of the embargo law. 1t was moved to
| refer themto select committee.
Mr.. I.acock moved to postpone the further
consideration Of them to the 4th OF July.
MIR. Lacock, Mr.. Smile and Mr. Aston
advocated postponement on the ground that
other petitions of the same nature had taken
that course and therefore it would be impro-
per to give those now presented different
direction. 1t was impossible to grant the re-
quest OF the memorialists without abandoning
all the war great measures heretofore adopted
* retracing the steps already taken, and a large
portion ofthe house were averse to that.
Mr. Talmadge said, be was sorry to find
that the gentleman from Pennsylvania MIR
I.acock) had moved different direction to
the petitions from the course which was COM
mon, and which the original mover Mr. Rod
man) had proposed. A postponement to the
4th of July, was an indefinite postponement
and OF course rejection OF the petitions
1t has been urged as reason why these Pc
titions should be thus indefinitely postponed,
that others Of similar nature had shared a
similar fate However much the author Of
this motion may value his consistency on the
present occasion, he hopea-~if the House
should be convinced that his course had been
wrong, theyswould not fufther persist in it.
The right to petition wassccured by the con-
stitutiqn, and the present petitions being re-
spectful in their style, and important III their
nature, had strong claim upon the attention
of the House.
The gentleman from n. c. (Mr. Alston)
has given a novel definition of the object in
view by referring petitions. He says the on
ly object is to get statement of facts, and
in the present case they were fully before the
House. DIR. T. by no meaps acceded to
this doctrine. He supposed an additional rea-
son for commitment always was, to obtain the
reasonings and opinions of committees, to
whom petitions were referred. In the pre-
sent case the petitioners ask a reteai Of
the embargo law, or its modification so far
that its duration may be shortened Is
this House SO confident Of the policy Of
this severe measure, and SO determined il
their course, that they will hear no reason
iDgs from, cur fellow citizens on the subject?
At any rate, will ii be inconsistent with sound
policy 10 decide on the merits of these petit
tons, coming from SO numerous a class of our
agricultural brethren, (about $40 subscribers
without sending them to committee to exa-
mine into their merits?
A gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA (Afr. Smi-
lie) has told US that the object of the present
embargo, is to get home property from foreign
countries preparatory to war. Can this be the
fact If SO, how can we account for It that the
numerous petitions which have been heaped
upon your table, have been treated with so
cold reception?
Why has this house SO uniformly refused
to permit our citizens to bring home their
property from Great Britain, the very coun-
try against which we are told that we must
soon be arrayed in arms? The citizens of this
country have millions upon millions of their
property lying in Great Britain, and if the go
vefnment really wished to enable our citizens
to bring home their property, as has been as
serted, then would they have given favorable
attention to this class Of petitioners, and there
by relieved their citizens from distress, and
strengthened the arm of the government.
Another gentleman (Mr. Lacock) objects
against sending these petitions to a commit
tee, because it would have the appearance Of
relmGushing the SVar system.
On this subject, Mr.. I. said, he had heard
SO much within these walls, that it had become
in degree familiar to him lie considered
Wara an evil of the greatest magnitude, and
should be avoided if possible ;.but rather than
see the commerce Of this country restricted in
its lawful objects and nearly ruined, he would
submit to be scourged by war. This, he said,
was an Alternative, not called for, in his jndg
ment, and of course he could not vote for 1t;
but hewa so sickened with the subject, that
he cared not how soon declaration of War,
was laid on our Tables. It WAS continually
held up as 6atg-6ear to frighten men of soeak
nerUes in this House, as well as throughout
our country.