The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-01-13

LUIS proNiS'on, lMr 4. SAID, was as I'm
peratve as 1t ccu'd be. arGhad all the force
az law. There was Sherefore obviously M
.nendmens necessary to the existing nrovi.
>inns. in enquiring INTO the non execat;on
ot th's provision, il such vas the object, the.
Blouse asSnNed duty 4 belonging TO il.
nd "ust 8 upon he principle that IL had
right to PUNISH officers for miscondnci.--
otherwise, 1t was not ~ithin its proviDce
:" enquire into their conduct in this res
pect.
Mr.. GhclsoA Of Va. said, that the satissac-
tory Information Communicated 10 the House
~ the gentleman lrHn Georgia, on this sub
Ject. enurciy coircSponded iii the iniorna
ton ne mad derived frou An ofiiyer Of the ar
my distinguished for his ability, as we'll IS
ms devotion aud zeal in the phaiic service.
Nth whom he bad recently con$crsetf. and
who was Incapable of nisreprcsea a.jSn.-
groin him he learnt. that there were. OH
GERS enough remaining with the army ioy It's
oiscip'ine and safety some OF whom woulc
% nonor 10 any army. II The resolution
were tn be adoptsd, it might produce some
agitation IN the public mind bat could afford
TO tie House no other information thin
- ut already given TO it by TIA. honorable
Iha'rnan OF the M'litary Committee He
hoped therefore it would not pa 5.
Mr. Farrow ct S. &. said, that in con
oemni'g this motion, he attributed no im
proper motives 20 the gentleman who ,auved
II. 4 man might Commit error a. readily
~ pare as with impure motives. but he
thought the rotion inpropcr. There is an
ohcer at the head OF our Gr..iies. whose Lu-
~ u is to attend to them aid the II use
viii nave enough 10 do if il attends 20 all tbe
hYipg reports which swarm around il. How
are c 10 know, said Mr.. + that the OFF
GERS whom we see absent from he army are
not IN the line Of their duty Ii there be anv
'h'nS wrong in the conformation OF the arr
my, we shall lear it through the nro9cr
cE1H2ci. without stepping out Of the line of
on' "uty. Unless The commander Of the
army be corrupt, this House has no.hipp 70
do with ITS details ;-ifhc corrupt. law
me axe to,t the root at once, AID danot go
IG,rcu'tohsiy tn work. Believing, that tie
douSe bad already gone far enough, possibly
ton tar, in the enquir, i. had set on fo,t the
o'her Gay respecting ;he late Campaign. he
was entirely opposed to the resolution now
under consideration.
Mr. FISK OF Vermoac said he had not IN
dcrstood the mover.of the resolution as ac
cnsins any one of misconduct. I'ha. disas-
ers mad happened to our forces, that com
plants had been made # misconduct, was
true. But the motion before the IIou c did
not necessarily condemn any one. II every
- .N'NNS'N IL WoS SCE 10 them 10 g
qHire; II guilt or error attached anv where
the House owed it to tliemselves to make an
enquiry. Mr.. r. was therefore in favor of
the resolution, which he clrfd rat see to be
| an improper one. 1t was the duty # Con
sress TO make rules and regulations fer the
government OF the army. To the reeuIa-
ton which had been read by the pentIefn N
from Georgia, it might be necessary thar
they should give more particular sanotian
oy iaw-and to that end an enquiry might
be beneficial.
we Ind our enemy vigi an, said Mr. T. II c
o"aergoes winter Campaign. whilst our
aNhieS are singly hutied up in their OMAR
teT. DO not say there is fault on our side
though it there be, we ought to know where
1t lies; 6ut this will say, that if some sreo
oe not quickly taken to secure them. the.
fruits OF the summers campaign will be los
before the winter ends.
Mr.. Calhoun Of S. &. rose to move that
this resolution lie pn the table. 1t seemed
TO HIM that the object which gentlemen ap
pearcd to have in view could not be attain
ed 6y it. Ihn object appeared tn be to re
mcdy an existing evil, viz. the ab,ence of
our otficers from their posts. ANY regula
iat'ons OF ours cannot have a present but
must have prospective, operation. Mr. G.
SAID that he himself thoaght every officer
ought 70 be at his post. He was sorry to,sse
on our part considerable inactivity, whilst
OH ne side of the enemy we b.heId VIGILANCE
ven worthy OF our imitation. On the sub
rect oi'fdrloIShs, however, he d d TO, know
that any appropriate provision could be
mad By law. They might as we'll under
take to enact oy law that an officer should
hght orlyeiy or do his duty on the fed of
bite. here being so great diyjsi n al
opia,"n on che Subject, he moved that tl5e
resolution lie on the table
Mr. Grosvenor minated that he didpo
exp ct by has motion 20 remedy the present
eNh, further than an expression OF the oo;n
ION OF th's House would serve TO accelerate
that object Mr.. 6. made some further OH
servati ns tending to shew that the Evil
which he complained Of re- ally exists.
Mr.. Wright of Md. had no objection to y :.
ny enquiry, and if any person or persons
were to blame h: hoped tine House would
not hes ate to nculpate them. Bin, al.
though many officers were absent from,the
INES, II ought TO be recollected, that Con.
sress had by law created a supc5nuneearv
M'lor to each regiment, and a third lieut. n
g Ia company tor the purpose OF recruiting.
hess supernnmerary officers, he presumed
would about include all the absentees.
-. Mr' Iroup added a few words. If the
House was of opinion that an evil existed
requiring interposition, the direct way for
the gentleman to get 1t it would be by mo.
ton to request the executive to order all
the oihGers BOW absent TO repair 10 their
posts.
The question was taken to lay the resolu-
ton OH the table, and decided in the afirma-