The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-01-15

'1e'S" rc'atiohS AZ tnaS uay might bc able |
20 say why 1t was, after taking stand on |
the report OF their committee. they were
induced TO change their neutral ground.
But why call On the Executive, as wax
suggested. for this information when the We.
ny foundation of the enquiry was, that the
President had done an actthis house ought
TO enquire into; and Cor which, if satisfied
OF his gull. the President ought to be pro
ceeded against! Gentlemen NAV smile
said Mr.. II. but IL the document which
produced yesterday. (Mr. Graham's trans,I
iation ct the letter. is substantiatcd, aud ar
the tscts said 10 be ccnnec,cd with it are
proved, then / say high misde meanoi'
has been committed. Let me ask the ven
tlemen, If in the DAYS of Adams's a,.n,nis.
traton letter of this description had been
written by Mr.. Liston or any other foreign
munster 10 oar government, and it had been
concealed from public view, and the people
had never heard of it Till it had becu drag
ged forth ike this letter. what would gen
demen have said : Sir, said MIR. II. I vans
an opportunity to prove facts and, if gen
t'emen then pronounced verdict of &C.
lqu,ttance. let them do 50. But do not Sup
press an enquiry; do not, by smothering in
Ives',gation. attempt to give immunity to such
conduG1' Gentlemen appeared to him, said
Nir. h. to take rfence, as If they had fee
simple in the government. or a lease Of pow.
eT tor % FEARS. renewed for ever, when
ever any investigation was proposed which
struck at the character Of the Executive
ihey must expect, SAID he. and if they do
not they ought, that we shall use every fair
aoo honorable means TO Dust them from the
possession OF power. which we feel thev
nave abused. This House has pledged IT.
seit TO the people. by Implication, that this
SUBJECT shall be investigated and Let nae
a thss-,, xtyt,. .r
this motion be rejected AS to the imp-cs
sion | wish 20 produce, sir, the rejection of
this motion will be tantamount to a positive
proof OF eli that have alleged.
Mr.. Hanson being the mover of the re-
so'stion' MS observations are, IN Justice 20
ms views, reported more at length than
those OF The gentlemen on both sides who
followed hun indicate
Mr.. Calhoun said he now hoped the house.
would refuse the inquiry proposed. He had
a.Se'! Tor specification Of The object 3, h d
received none. He had asked for practical
c1nSs quences to result from it. and
had received none. Mr.. Calhoun nro
hpunced the resolution extraordinary in
ITS Character, and unprecedented in its form.
ne resolution went to break into the Elk.
ecutiVe Offices, to call er-tarfe witnesses
eSiore me House. for whai purpose For
tae hiPhest purpose, in the power of the
GU ef No; for mere incnistorial and
Vexahous procedure, which IS, as no such
pn pose is avowed, to lay no foundation for
mn eucfmsnf, The only object which would
JUSTIFY the application OF such means. Sup
pose 1T were proved that this letter u as in
iact written by Gen. Terreau, and that all
the other circumstances relating to il were
true, which for himself he cid not credit
what did It proves Merely that an inper.
tinent letter had been written by foreign
minister. Dad the Executive sanction it
no what view the Executive ought to
take OF such letter, or how to treat l.. de-
Penoed on variety of circumstances, on
which this House had not the means 10 form
an opinion. Mr.. G. said he hoped this
aonse would not grant what as in his view
oirect violation If the spirit of the constitu
tion. tie went on. and adverted to the nice
sensiolIity displayed by the whole pialanx
OF inc otner side of the House, yesterday, on
mere proposal for enquiry into the con-
stltutlonai power Of Congress 20 punish spies.
NJ. {. said he thought for his part we had
tne constitutional power to enquire into tn at
SUBJECT. He hoped on this occasion to see
gentlemen consistent, and exhibit the same
commendabie zeal as on yesterday & joip
win MIN to secure the constitution against
an INVASION OF its spirit. MIR. C.. eypatiated
on the vexatious nature of enquiries of this
description tending TO no practical result,
"c' AS 20 all the i3sindatons of French
lnhuence' and the vague defamation which
me House had heard, he lid not deem fit
SUBJECT OF enquiry, or Of SC much impor
lance as to constitute The ground on which
to put the Chief Magistrate under com
mittee OF This House. Mr.. c. repeatedthe
three requisites he had before stated as ne
cesSary to justify this enquiry If gentlemen
coutd she" that crime had been commit
ted by the executive of such a character as
to make him amena bic to the constitution
al authority of his body, then and not till
men would he Consent to an enquiry which
was eqlally novelty in this House x in the
history Of Legislation
Mr.. Castor OF n. e. said the gentleman
last up did no more than Justice to the mo.
yves OF ihose with whom he acted, in sup
posing they would oppose the resolution, if he
could establish the doctrine that it's adop- |
ION would involve violation of the consti.
tution. But he could not agree with him on
mat point. The gentleman from MARYLAND
mad recommended to the adoption Of the
II use resolution having for its object the
ataInmen' OF document which must be al
lowed to be of considerable importance-a
document stating the conditions on which
zone we could retain the amity of France. & !
IN "bich the views Of that government were
dechred. II this document were indeed in
po session ofthe Executive, tn House might |
win great propricty apply to him to Iay it |
ostore them to afford them the information |
necessary to their Correct decision ON our TO- !