Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-03-20

h"'ioh~. III any iuu1NlINt. WltniU Tie territory
occupied by the forces of the United Stat. 5.
mas thereby sustained injury, let tin come
forward. Such, however, Mr.. ). SAID. was not
the present case, the memorial not asking Tor
single farthing of decentralization tar any.
individual whatever; but the house Nls asked
10 restore the military stores mean, Sc. which
mad been found at Amelia. sO that these autho-
rites mas carry on the war. as eifrctnaiy as
they say they could have done, but foi the
taking possession of their position by the
United States. In othe, words, said Mr.. = we
are called upon TO review the whole question,
aHowediy for the purpose of giving these
authorities support, and Of putting them again
IN possession of their entire military force, &c.
ais, SAID he, is course totally inconsistent
with the spirit of our government. However
we may d'rer among ourselves however
iraH distribute power among the different
branches ct government; however we rlty
think ot the individuals who administer those
various departments yet, when we come 10
establish rules Of conduct, BY the Observance
OF which this government may he hoped to
be transmitted unimpaired, through 4 long
succession OF ages; II will he found that
must, on all occasions, present ourselves 10
Foreigners as AN ertrc body, reciprocally
supporting each other--a body, which, when
IL undertakes 10 rcpriUand or cbastise its
omcers, OF reverse their proceedings, does II
FORTS own sake only a body, the component
parts of which do not fly from their sphere fnr
the purpose otJoSilng each other to give effect
TO amy feeling. 1t WAS obvious that there was
on TINS subject great deal OF feeling bpt that
dldn9t JnStiiy the reception Ofihls iucmcrisl. 1t
could not be received, for another reason !;
Tor the very first step must he, To examine tie
Credentials OF this petitioner, and of those
nnder whom he acts whether NJ. PasoS is
deputed by those authorities he claims 10
represent, and whether they act nv prurcr
appointments oft..sir respective governments
ms was an lnsuperabe difficulty. If the
peutioner had presented himself as au iudivi-
dual, the case would have been different bnt
80
pretensions of this memorial 10 such size
that II could be sent 10 any committee. For
this reason, MIR. s. sid, he would not receive
ms petition, though he would not slew il
further disreSpect. He was willing to saw
that mistake had been committed i'm Offering
IL but he conld not well see how that plea
could be made out--for the house ought not 10
lose sight of the fact, that this agent knew
wnerehe ought to apply, anu, with mat knowl
edge, after being refused, had come into this
House for redress. To shew this case IN "A
stronger light, Mr.. 5. referred 10 the case OF a
suggestion to Congress by the President du.
ring the present session, of the eXpediency OF
a remission OF certain duties Improperly levied
on British vessels, under the commercial con.
vention. Suppose, said Mr.. S. the minister of
Great Britain, styling himself such, had
come TO this House with an application to this
effect; should we have entertained it2 Ger.
tanly not Some allusion had been made TO
what had been called the Irish aud Swiss peti-
tons presented and disposed of at the present
session. UndOHbtediy the gentleman who had
made the allusoD, had been mised nv names
Ihese petitions were from citizens and from
individual foreigners residing within the Il.
States, PRAYING permission TO purchase pubic
ienc on cettsm terms. If they bad formed
themselves INTO community, and, assuming
national character, had applied to Congress
for redress ofgrievances, their pc tition would
not have been received. Those petitions pre-.
scented questions ofinternal policy merely
anu Mr. 8; said he was sorry that they had
hoo lrxlg .--I.s
dicIal TO them, by confounding them with
case so totally diSsimiiar.
Mr.. BAssETT said he had made the motion to
lay the subject on the table, under the inlpres.
sion mat the questions embraced in it were of
100 much importance to be acted on lightly,
or to be evaded by hasty refusal TO receive
the petitioa. As, however, gentlemen profess.
ed themselves prepared to act on the question,
ana had gone on to discuss il at large, he
should not further oppose present decision
he was not himself prepared to act on the
snDJ CT: de could not help feeling surprised,
lie SAID, that gentlemen should attempt TO
assinilate this case with That of foreign min.
ister, whose pre- vince was entirely different,
whom VI was the interest and duty of the
government to keep within the pale of his
functions; and against whose alterations the
government ought to present one front, be-
cause the minister stands III the place of his
government. Was that the case with the
present petitioners N, said Mr. b. we reject
them as ministers, and they come before us as
individuals. The right of individuals within the
limited states TO petition for redress of griev.
amces could net be restrained by any power
hat was the established practice of the
House That petitions, when prese. ted, are
received without any other question, than
whether they be decorous or not Whether
they are reasonable or unreasonable, was not
decided until the house had investigated the
SUBJECT THIS was the regular course but if
gentlemen were prepared TO act on the SUBJ
Ject, Mr.. Il. said he should not stand in the
way, and therefore WithdreiO his motion for
laying the question OH the table.
Mr.. LIyER@oRE said this was question on
which he had much doubt and though he had
attended carefully TO the debate that doubt
was not yet removed. 1T seemed TO him, he
SAID, that when memorial was presented to
tile house, II was too late to take question
whether u should be received, 1T being in pos
sessions OF the house. ESQ, the time of the
house had been unnecessarily consumed. As
regarded thus memorial Mr.. J.. said he was in.
Glued TO think u was the interest OF The Uni
ted States to receive Information from all
sources, and not to make distinctions whether
III came from proper or improper person.
Might Il not give information which II was
proper iof Tins house TO possess fit might,
was tie slight reading which il bad received
suiacient attention 20 be given to il ? have
heard n read, said Mr. J.. and am not alarmed
man should be alarmed at receiving eoimn.
niCatiCi. because Ii Is from person who hap
peHs not to be very popular with rs. Mr. L..
was FAVOR OF giFing tue usual course TO tile
memorial /; and could not see how tie motion
not to receive the memorial could apply, after
tue memorial was In possession of the house
Mr. FUCKER rose he said, to renew the mo-
ton OF his colleague, TO lay Oh the table the
proposition OF the gentleman from Georgia.
is mad declatSd, when he was up before, that
u thus paper contained no application on the
subject OF a private claim, he should not hest.
tate TO roget II as theappea ofa f0reigUagent
10 lhis body if0mthe Executive. But, as well
az he coald understand tie paper, as read by
the cieik, Under the usual disadvantage, ex.
perienced here, he had supposed it coEtained
private matter. While attend ng 10 gentle
men. me han 10 onnprlnnilN Of nrnnnina linn