The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-21

stating tHe,r inaoilty to take advantage o.
an Aci ale S:nS them CERTAIN rights % pre-
einpuon, by Reason OF their poNerty, and
pra. ing rciiet--Relcrred.
Ga Inolon of AIR. Bacon, leave was given
by Iae House TO the Committee y. Ways q
Means, 10 SIT during the session OF the House,
TO enable them To mature a report or The
subject of tho general finances x revcauc
of the L. States.
A letter from the Treasurer of the United
States was laid before the House by the
Speaker, transmitting the general account
OF ms once from LIST. Oct. 1910, TO Get. l,
1871, and also the accounts OK the War
and Navy Departments for the same period.
On motion Of Mr., Poi,,de :rter, the House
took up for consideration the resolution,
some time ago submitted by him, to instruct
the Committee - Ways and Means to en-
Quire into the propriey OF prohibiting by
law the corporation of New-Orlcans from
enacting tax Or duty on vessels, boats or
other craft descending the Mississippi,
laden with produce, and touching at that
place, &c.
This proposition was objected to by Mr..
Irouh, principally bee ause it appeared TO
him to be subject for judicial investigation,
and because the territory of Orleans was
not now represented on this floor. 1t was
supported by Messrs. PoindeCter.& Ne Xee
uSSiuSS TIC tdN III question WAS d SIleNOuS
one en- the people of the western country,
and said to be unconstitutional, as being
tax on exports which was a sufficient
ground for enquiry into the subject. If the
territory should send a delegate to the pre-
sent Congress, he would arrive in time for
tho final decision on the report of the COM
mittee proposed to be constituted, &c.
The resolution was agreed to by consi-
derabie majority, & a committee of FIVE ac-
cordingly appointed.
On motion OF Mr.. fright, a committee
was appointed to'enquire into the eXpedien-
cy of rendering the Representative Cham
Der more convenient to the dispatch of pub
lie business, and of finishing the same.
ARMING THE MILITIA.
On motion of Mr.. Hiliams, the House re-
solved itself into commissce OF the whole,
MIR. Lacuck IN the chair, on the bill provi-
ding for arming the whole body of the mi
lltia f thc y. States.
III. ltTiiidms explained the objects of the
bill, and how the committee who reported
it had endcavored to divcst this plan of
the features which were objected to when
It was Incorporated in the classihcatoir bill.
Mr.. Roberts, after expressing his desire
10 vote for the bill, if it could be amended
50 as to secure its avowed object in the state,
which he represented, as well as in other
states, which had already made provision
for arming their militia, moved to amend
the section for distributing the arms by ad-
ding thereto the words " or in such manner
as the Legislatures of the respective states
or territories may by law direct"
This motion was negatived IS TO 40.
NJ. Roberts then moved To strike out the
first section of the bill with view to des-
troy it !; as he thought, in its present form,
the carrying it into effect would be attended
with great inconvenience. He particular
IL objected to the fines and penalties inhic-
ted by the bill.
The motion was negatived, there being
only 26 members i'll favor of it.
The committee rose, and reported the bill
60 the House. The House took it up when
Mr.. Roberts renewed his motion, to add |
the following words to the section which |
directs the distribution of the arms ;" as the
Legislatures of the several states may by
iazv direct"
Mr. 1aimadge hoped that this amend
ment would be agreed to, in order to ac-
commodatc gentlemen whose states would
prefer a different mode of distribution from
that prescribed in the bill. He thought the |
main object was to get the arms their |
distribution might be very well left with the |
several state governments. He should be |
sorry If the bill should be lost, by gentle
meas pertinAciously adhering to their own |
mode OF distribution.
mr. Rand6ibh was sorry that any differ
cuce of opinion should exist as to the mode of
these arms, s when gentlemen, in |
whose intelligence and integrity he had the |
utmost reliance, assured him that the mode |
OF distriDutiagth the arms, proposed in the bill,
W ould not be well received in their states,
he coald not but believe them, & was DESTROYS
OF accommodating them. He, for one, wish
ell to see these arms in the hands OF those
who are to use then: 4; there were weghty
reasons against placing them in arsenals in
the southern states but he should be glad
II the bill could be 50 arranged as to suit
the views OF al who were friendly tS the
measure.
The question was taken and carried 70 to
-. The yeas and nays were:
YEAS.-.Aessr5 Aston, Anderson, Arch
sr, Baker, Bard, Bigeiow, Blocker, Boyd,
Brigham, Butler, Champion,
Cliitcenden, Clay, (,ondit, Davenport, Davis,
Earle. Ely, Enort, Findley, Fitch. Gold,
.. II Ill, Hyncman, Jackson, La
c1ck, law, Leftover, Lewis, Livings> IN,
Lyle, N Coy. M'Kee, M'Kim, Minor, Nit
chiil, Morgan, Morrow, Moseley. Newbold,
Y wton, Orms5y, Piper, Peasants, Pond,
Porter. Potter, Quincy, Randolph, Reed,
Raane, Roberts, Rndnag, Sewer,
shelley, Stanford, Sturgcs, Taggart, Tall
madge, Trolp, Turner, Van Cortlandt,
Wheaton, White, Whitehill ,Widgery, Will
NAYs.-M.ssrs. Bassett, Blackedgc,