The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1813-06-30
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1918.

maze against the goyernment-to give the
executive proper opportunity for trans
uniting to the house information on this
subject which would completely sxculpate
HIM. The particularly of the resolutions,
objected to by the gentleman, was essen
tial to their object, as describing what in
formation was desired. If such Informal
ton as was desiied was in the office of state,
1t required particular call to elicit it, a.
the general resolution adopted at the end
OF the last session had not bro't it forth.
Mr. Webster said he had not been aware
that there was any particular form of calls
tor information. He should rather have
supposed that the form would be governed
by genera! regard to the purpose in view
that questions would be therein asked
bearing on the points in relation TO which
information was wished for. easked the
gentleman whether there was not apparent
Oh the public records the necessity of call
ing on the executive, If at all, for informa-
ton through whom this decree had been
First received. The French minister had
declared that the decree had been trans
mitted through two channels. Was not
the enquiry, then, material through which,
II either, 1t had been received Mr.. w.
SAID he would not go the whole length
which the gentleman from South Carolina
had gone, III saying that suspicion had at
tached to- the government on this head
fie would say that for his part he enter
tanned none. The particularly OF the call
arose from TIE nature cf the information
wished; and If there was novelty in the
form, IL was because similar case had ne
yer arisen.
MR. Calhoun said he was glad the gen
tleman had at last come 10 the point. The
gentleman from New Hampshire, advert
ing TO the correspondence of Mr.. Barlow,
says that the French decree had been al.
iedged to have been transmitted through
Two sources TO our government. The first
OF these resolves enquiries through whom
and In what manner this decree had been
communicated. The ID and Sd resolutions
embrace the object avowed by the gentle
man, VIZ. An enquiry whether the decree
IN question had been received through eli.
ther OF the two channels, designated bv
the duke Of Bassano. Why, then, after
being thus precise i'll two separate resolu-
| tons, was the president, in addition to
| these specific enquiries, called upon to in
| form the house through whom and in what
manner the decree had been received bv
| him! Was not this language (wholIy un-
| necessary with the object which the pen-
! tleman avOwedD calculated to bring IN a
third idea not avowed by the mover, that
the decree might have been received ,bro'
some other channel than either of those
through which the duke of Bassapo had
declared to Mr.. Barlow that he had for.
warded it f? If enquiry was meant oniy as
to the two modes of communication ipd
Gated r
the hrst resolve were unnecessary as we'll
as indccorous; if otherwise, there were no
facts on which TO rest suspicion or ground
enquiry.
MIR. Calhoun concluded by moving to
s'riKe out Oh the resolution the words 60 by
7Ohom and in 7vhat manner''
Mr.. M'kee rose for the purpose of pro-
posing an amendment which, he said would
suPercede the one proposed by the gentle
man from D. Carolina. His object was, to
strike out the whole of the resolutions, and
III lieu thereof insert resolution, which
he read, calling upon the president gene
rally Tor information on this head. He
said he was persuaded there was no rentle-
man In the house DESTROYS to detain from
the public eye any information which he
had any reason to believe calculated at all
TO eniIghteh the public mind, or mature
the opinions ct gentlemen of the house in
relation to our concerns with foreign ma
tons. But there certainly was something
due to the chief magistrate of the nation.
1t was impossible for any man to read the
resolutions without perceiving that they
might be construed iDjuriously to the exc
cutive. Why not ask for the information
desired in respectful terms Was the
house likely to arrive at its object in this
way sooner than by decorous and re-