Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-01-25

My. Gold spoke against it as proposing
wastetul and extravagant expenditure Of the |
public resources.
Mr.. Bacon approved the principle of the |
resolution, but the Senate having shown their
hostility TO 1t, be conceived, If revived, the
proposition should como from the Senate
It's presentagitation in this House, he tho't,
wonld serve only to paralize snlistments. He
should therefore vote against it
Mr.. Condit said, whatever might be the
disposition OF the Senate, it was for this House
TO do ITS duty without regard to the opinions
OF others. If the proposition was correct,
the argument urged by the gentleman last
up was of no weight.
The question onthe resolution was decid-
ed IN the negative.
For the motion A
Against it a.
The bill for the relief of Jared Shattuck.
was read third time.
Mr.. M,kim moved that it lie on the table.
Motion lost.
Alter some observations against the bill
from Mr.. Nj Kim, and i'm favor of it from Mr..
Widgery, the question on the passage of the
bill was decided in the affirmative as fol-
lows:
For the bill ~
Against it %
ELL CONCERNING CAPTURES
On motion OF Mr.. Bassett, the House re
soiVed itself into committee of the whole.
W.T.. Iiyheman IN the chair, ON the bill ere
lating to captures''
| ne Dill provides that compensation shall
be allowed to the officers and crew, Of onr
public vessels, for vessels of the enemy ne.
cessarlly destroyed at sea after their can
ture.l oAf
rbassett stated to the House the consi
d;ration, by whicIsthe Naval c. mmittee had
oeeh induced to report this bill. 1t grew
more Immediately out of the case of the
GUERRERO destroyed by the CONSTITUTIONAL
Case precisely IN point. Such principle as
that which the bill proposed, he believed.
nau been engrafted in the British service
Ii was atiea.t required by tie destruction ola
vessel Tor fear of re-capture by the enemy in
us disabled state, that some COMPENSATION
snoud be made to the captors in lieu of that
whlch would have accrued from the sale of
the vessel had It been brought into port.
MI III. Clay (Speaker) spoke in OPPOSITE
o. ootn 20 the principles and details of the
o,ii' ne was disposed to believe the princi-
PIC VII 1recedented IN any other country /; but
even Il II wereIoi, he thought it ought not Ia
exist in this country. 1t wonId have tbe ef
tect to make it the interest of the cantor. nm
less the vessel should be immediately on the
coast or II the vry mouth of our rivers. to
destroy the captured vessel. On consulting
tue underwriters, gentlemen would find the
premium required on bringing in vessel of
any description from any considerable dis
lance, woufti be equal to one half her value
and as proof of it, Mr.. Clay ins,anced the
hlgh insurance even from Charleston and
New-Orleans. along our own coast. To a
northern port. The strongest possible tenn
tation would therefore be offered by giving
nan the value OF the destroyed vessel to the
eaptors IN case OF her destruction. Mr.. CLAW
moved to strike out tile first section of the
BILL % ''ie
Mr.. Bassett replied to Mr.. Clay, and de-
lehaea the DILL on the ground of expediency
and OF precedent. In the British nation h.,
said, rewards were always liberally bes,owe
ed on skill and valor, and they must always
be by every country that wishes to ENCOURAGE
tnese quantities in its citizens. The princi-
pie did exist in he British service. not bv
statutory, but by admiralty regulations and
In all SUCH cases rewards had been liberallv
dispensed.
MT. Bacon opposed the bill, as inexpe-.
dent and unprecedented. To show that il
went beyond the legal provisions in that res
pect, he quoted a statute of that nation which
allows to the captors of vessels, so DESTROY
ed as the bill contemplates, a bounty of FIVE
pounds for every man found alive on board
sale, captured vessel, the aggregate to be e.
quaily distributed among the crew of the
captors. Further, he believed, that govern
ment had not gone.
Mr.. Cheves on this remarked. that every
encouragement was afforded to British ma
val ofticers, by their government, as well
by promotions to higher Office and to nobl
ity, &c. which were not known in this coun-
try, as by pecuniary rewards and pensions,
not IN all cases by statutory. but by execu-
tive sanctions. He was disposed to be lber-
al to our cfficers, to foster our riSine. navy.
But, though friendly to the principle, he OIL
Jscted to the particular details of the bill.
which he thought susceptible of modifca
tons which would be better made in select
committee, Than in the House. He there
fore moved that the committee rise.
Mr.. Quincy objected to the principle of the
Dill, which he thought fundamentally ques.
t'onable He was for providing specially by
statute for each case after it's occurrence
where tie circumstances of the case requir-
ed an exercise of liberality by Congress, and
to legislate generally for future occurrences.
The committee then rose, reported pro-
gress, and were refused leave to sit again
and
On motion Of Mr.. Cheves, the bill was
recommitted to the naval committee.
a Bill relating to certain claims TO lands
N the district Of Vincennes, went through
the committee of the whole, and was order
ed to be engrossed for third reading.