Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-11-25

Ianp0rtant questions Wnlcn could De els 4
I.ussed, not less than the dissolution OF
lie present form ofgovernment, and the
Formation ola new constitution. This me
|Aonal had been drawn up by set of en-.
lghtened men, the protest was lumi-
ieus exposition by another of the same
convention, who had differed with the o.
liners in opinion. Should We then sickle
lie altogether to form = Might we not,
lin such case, dispense with the rules
pf the House The speaker observed,
that there was no specific rule on this
subject !; but general principle, that
I~nere paper was offered, it was not ne
lcessarily referred Of course for his own
lrart, he did not now feel himself author
Ii.ed to feceiye this paper without the
leave OF the House.
| MIR. Williams said, some gentlemen
| nay not have understood the Stature of
THE protest land AZ he was a memberofthe
I@taunton CUnventlon,) he could ,bse' We,
l,hat the memorial was IN favour OF calling
a convention for general purposes the
lptetest was noe against convention, but
lInerely limiting it to certain specific OBJ !
iiects--He did not conceive il could DC. .
IpeIy be called COULTER memorial
| some further discussion ensued upon
points Of Order In tie course of sorneI
,emarks, which feil fiom MIR. Mercer. heI
that It was lren 20 oppositionI
Ito the protest itself, he had made any OBJ
liections. for the gentlemen, who drafted
iii he felt great respect. lie himself
should be opposed to convention, il
certain defects could be amended with
out it |
In the course of his remarks, Mr..
lGrymes begged the house to let in all the
light which they could find on tllis in
subject, to open their minds to
the infoi nation contained in that pro-
test.
The Speaker then pronounced tire
suestion whether the protest should be
Received with view OF referring it to the
lSelect committee which was carried!
as also Mr.. Grymes's motion, to refer it
10 them and Mr.. Bakers, to have it;
iprinted
Mir Baker, presented petition from,
sundry citizens of Cumberland, Bucking-
ham, and other counties interested in.
the navigation OF Willis's RIVER, for o.
law, further to improve the navigation of,
that river. Referred.
| Mr.. Mercer of L.. one, from sundryl
citizens OF Loudon, praying charter for
a banking company at Leesburg.-Re-
lferred to the Select Committee.
And Mr.. Stokely-sne, from sundryi
inhabitants of Wood county, prayiag that
a bank may be establishea at Parkersburg.
]Mr. s. disclain,ed the old bank which had;
lbeen established there without the con-
scnt of the people of Wood.--Also Re-
iferred.
MIR. Dcddridge observed, that though
| he had resolved no petition from Brooke
county, to ask for bank at Charleston.
vet. as all the banks which had prayed.
lfor Charters last Winter with the excep-l
itiop of two, had again come forward, and |
with one new applicant, were now before!
lthe, select committee, he conceived him
solf bound to apply in behalf Of his coun
,ty-that the select committee would
perhaps act definitely this night. and if
lie waited for the petition from his coun-
Ety, it might contribute to delay the pro-
ceedings--Hc, therefore, offered reso.l
luton, that the select committee, to whom|
iwere referred the petitions for bank
charters, be instructed to enquire into
the expediency OF establishing baukingl
company at Charleston in Brooke coun-
Itv, with capital of dollars,
one at Warrentou in the County OF Eau
uuier-and one at West End, in Fair
|fax.-Agreed to.
The petition Fer divorce of Anne p
Cowper was presented by MIR. Atkinson.
to ITS being read, he wished to
|state, il any objection should be made or
apology required on account of the Ian.
guage of the petition. that it was drawn
up by the lady herself.
Tie petition was very long. consisting
OF perhaps dozen or fifteen folio pages.
and is one OF the most perfect pictures Of
genuine eloquence that we have ever
seen, Mrs. Silduns had never the pew
err. with her best performance, and with
all the interest that Shakespeare could I
combine in the most heartreHding scene,I
so rapidly to compel the tears to chase \
each other, as had this tale Of suffering \
told in unstraincd terms but such as !
strained the heartstrings OF the audience, A
equally with sympathy for the lady. and
with Indignation against-we were near a
saying husband or mantle person a
from wh.m she asks legal divorce. 1t L