The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-04-14

happened shat when point WAS pressed gn
the Anne. g N commissioners, they retireid,
and woulu not return unless a promise
were made them that that point should jbc
abandoned. Again the creditors renlon-
strated /; and in 1902. eight years after the
OF the commission, a cony en-
tion was formed between the British and a
merican governments by which the former
agreed to accept of the latter 6OO,O0W. i'll
lieu of all the debts for which America had
before rendered herself responsible by treaty.
He was instructed to state, that had the
commissioners whom he had before mem
toned, pursued their labors to a successful
termination, they would in all probability have
awarded two millions as the amount of that
class of debts To which their Investigation
was directed.--The creditors contended
that they had a right to the full amount of
their debts. guaranteed as they had been to
them by the American government /; and
that it our governments, for good and suf-
hcient reasons no doubt, thought proper to
commute their claims, government was
bound to make good the deficiency, and not
to sacrifice their individual interest to the
public advantage. There had been many
cases (and the hon gentleman instancetl
then,) in which the state gave up the rights
OF its citizens in its negotiations with other
states, it had afterwards felt itself bound to
quences of the surrender. But it might be
asked, why had not the petitioners made an
earlier application The tact was, that,
III the 43d year of the king, a board of COM
missioners was appointed to enquire to whom
the 6C0,O00L. obtained from the American
government was to be distributed. After a
very laborious investigation, the lapse of Sc
many years renderingit difficult for many
individuals to establish their claims, it APP
peared to this board that no less than
] ,420, 00Oi. was due to the class of creditors
respecting whom it had been appointed to
enquire. Of the loss of the difference be-
tween this sum and 600,Oo0k the petitioners
complained, and this loan, they contended,
ought to be made good to them by the coun-
try. They had awaited themselves of the
tirst opportunity of submitting to the house
their grievances, and he moved for a com.
mitttec not by any means to consider the JUS
tice ofthe claims o.petitioners, blu. Simply to
enquire into the facts, and lay those facts
upon the table of the house. He understood
that 1t was not likely the motion would be
opposed.
The chenceIor ofthe ercheguer, in agree.
ing to refer the petition to a committee, beg.
Sed 1t to be distinctly understood, that hi.
concurrence Ill the motion was not occasion
ed by any impression on his mind that the
case OF the claimants was such as to call on
the house to discharge the debt originally
due to them in the American states. He was
| influenced not to withhold the Consent ofthe
crown to committee by the considerations
OF the great extent OF the case, and the i'm
portance OF the circumstance to individuals
He apprehended, however, it would be
found, that government having done all that
1t possibly could to enforce the claims OF
the petitioners on the American govern
ment, and having obtained all that it could
Tor them from that government, without
goingto war on the subject, the petitioners
would ultimately experience it to be i'm.
practicable 20 fix upon the country the OBJ
legation OF paying them the difference be-
tween the sum actually received, Sl that
which they alleged to be due
Mr.. Earring did not see the necessity Of
referring the petition to the committee. in
order that the facts alone might be LAID
on the table of the house. The question
might be argued on the facts, as stated in
the hon. gentieman's speech.
The chancellor Of the ercheguer observ
ed that the individuals concerned, were de
sirous rather that the facts should be re-
ported by committee of the house.
The motion was then agreed to. and q
committee appointed.