Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-01-17

4 II
said committee have power to send for per.
sons and papers.
Mr.. Calhoun said it was good rule gen.
orally in cases of this kind that enquiry be
granted, where. it is moved in prope,
manner. On such motions very great H.
berality had usually prevailed in this house
which had been displayed in the vote jus,
taken. But. as to the particular resolution
before US, it is OF that class which ought not tc
be passed in the present stage of its exs-
tence. To induce the house To pass this re-
solution, there ought to be three things sta
ted. he need not suggest that this enqniry
was OF an unprecedented character, and va
rying from all usual calls on the Executive
for information. To warrant the adoption
a specific object ought to be first stated Sc
condiy, what was expected to grow out nf It
and thirdly, that tie object was Of char
acter to warrant the investigation. Such
enquiries as thatnowproposed, without these
three prerequisites, would, he conceived,
violate. the spirit of the constitution. BY
that instrument diplomacy was confidetl
wholly to the Executive. This house had
indeed the power to require Information, but
it was through the Executive department
that it ought to be sought for, and not thrc'
inquisitorial committees of this house, or on
such vague statements as had been made
The Unofficial mode of enquiry now pro
posed was departure from the legitimate
province ofthis body, to which he hoped the
house would not accede.
Mr. Hanson, of Md. said he had f1attered
himself, when he had the honor to make
statement few days ago on this subject 10 the
house, that bis object would he distinctly I'M
derstood. As to the proceeding which this
house. in its wisdom might think proper to
ground on this resolution, it was not for him
to dictate. Certain it was, that If any high and
responsible officer had done any act for which
he was amenable to the constitutional authority
it was the duty of this house to lay the foun
dation for an enquiry. The statement which
he had made, was of itself, he conceived, suffi
cient foundation for the house 20 proceed upon.
lie entertained no wish on his part to exernine
the D. partment of State, as the gentleman APP
peared to suppose, or any officer of the govern
nent III relation to the object of the enqui y :
on the contrary he pledged himself to be able
to prove the statement he then made, without
resorting to any department of the government
He denied in toto the principle laid doyan BY the
sentle man from South Carolina on the subject
of the grounds necessary to zuthorise enquiry
DO we not know, said he, that it is the prac.
ticc in this house, as well as in the British
parliament, that inforna ion given by any mem
Der rising in his place may be mads the foun-
dation of an enquiry? The gentleman had
said, Mr. II. observed, tina. "a committee ought
not to be apponted on this matter that an en-
quiry ought not to be granted in the present
state of vague information. Now, Mr.. H. saio
the information given had been 40 precise and
explicit as could be. 1t had been Stated in this
Hou e, that letter of q most insulting peture
requiring ofthis government the most degia
dingpolftical sacrifices, letter striking at the
honor OF the government, had been transmitted
by the French minister to the Secretary of
state, and placed on the files of that Depart
ment And what constituted the flies of that
office he asked. IL such a letter had been
transmitted to the Department of State, and
suffered to remain in that office, was il not or
the files Of the department! Was it necessary
that it Should be recorded, to constitute its adj
mission 1t had remained in the Office suffi-
ciently long to give it an official character.
What was the nature Of this document As
far back as the year l809-and gentlemen wou d
recollect the state of our foreign relations at
that time; when a minister coming from Eng.
land with full powers to negotiate a treaty of
amity and commerce was momently expected
the ench minister addresses to this govern.
ment letter TO be held as q rod in terroren,
five presumed to negotiate with Britain. This
letter set forth certain pretended grievances,
and required particular political sacrifices Of
our govcrnme Mt on the presumption that it was
going to make treaty with Great Britain It
appeared from that letter, Mr.. II. said, that
France set forth certain disgracefui and disbos-
orable conditions on which alone it would re
main at amity with this government. Now,
call this document public or private, the ques
ton was-had 1t been received by our govern
ment The views and feelings of the French
government had been spread on paper, and
could be as we'll known though q private as
through public document. As to the objection
stated on former occasion, that the letter was
private letter addressed to the gentleman
who held the office Of Secretary of State, bu,
not in his official capacity, Mr.. n. said that
this objection WAS perfectly frivolous. The
letter was addressed to Robert Smith, Esq. as
Secretary of State it treated Of nothing but
public business, and the MiTiister said he felt
himself thus called upon TO explain to the A.
merican the views the French government.
Not to go fully into the subject at this time,
but mercy to shew thatthis Housa was already
possessed of sufficient information to act on
this subject, Il was enough to say that docu'
ment of immense impo lance to the nation had
been concealed and suppressed from public
view; that whilst We have gone on to consider
trance as friendly power yet, as far back as
1909 our government perfectly we'll knew that
il had nothing to expect from the justice of
France And, after having made those poti-
cal sacrifices, one alter another, and thus done
every thing required oil us ny THIS tool OF des
pot, what had we received in return ! Had
there been any restoration of the millions on
millions of property stolen from as, or did the
House know to this day, even. that our Minis.
ter had been accredited at the French courtl-
II was OF the utmost Importance, Nr. ~. said,
that such matt should nc enquired into. IL
was rad cal principle Of our government that
Information should be as widely as possible
dliiused among the people that they should
not be kept in situation OF deiusion that
they should not be hoodwinked & b ihdcd 20 the
real state our a4airs with foreign nations
and il could not be denied that an impeneira