Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-24

Grant 10 General 81. Clair an annual pen
s;ou for lite, of six hundred dollars, wlici
MAS subsequently increased 10 seven hun
bred and twenty, and, for the purpose oil
Giving him one years allowance in hand
lhe date OF the pension was made rciros-
ueciiye. This proposition was agreed 10,
and the bill passed the House of Repre-
sentatyes by majority oisH,ce 10 one
!, deoree of unanimity seldom witnessed
i'm favor OF disbursement OF money tor
extraordinary purposes, and which III our
oni,,ion fully acuuits thai branch, at least
oj the charge of ingrat,iude; particular
" asst was the first instance III which the
lcyisla,are ever voted Il pension except
TO those disabled by wounds. In that
Lrht the bill MAS viewed viii an honest
disirus,, by many whose sympathy did
not permit thea to oppose II, az possibly
:, first step III that system %, pensions
which has proved the .corrnpiing canker
In the viials of other nations, and which
the earliest lessons oi q republican states
man teach him TO guard against. Not
fearing ourselves SO remote danger,
we applaud this measure and respect the
feelings which dictated il; and by what
process of reasoning II subjects Congress
70 the charge OF ingratiiude or hsensibi-
lity, IT becomes the grave convention OF
legislators. councilnen, and respectable
citizens, who took Congress III hand at
Annapolis, To explain.
Tie bill for the relief OF General ST.
Clair is now before the Senate. When II
reached that BODY, one If its rules of pro-
ceeding was suspended, 10 facilitate the
progress of the bill, and by unanimous
consent it received TWO readings iii one
day and its passage has, we believe,
been impeded only By the earnest delibe-
rations of the Senate on the bill providing
relief for all indigeut patriots OF there
evolutionary array. TITS now under dis
cnssion IN that body. 10.
FEBRUARY ola question has been
at length taken IN the House of Represen-
tatives, on the principle of the bill Ia es
labllish an uniform system of bankrupt
cy; aud a majority of Seuea votes appear
ed against striking out the first section of
the bill, which wOald have been equiva-
lent 10 The rejection of -. This measure
has stood the shock of the first encoun-
ter: ii remains TO he seen, whether It's
strength is TO be frittered away IN >kir
mishes respecting the details. Il has an
auestonabiy gained friends in the de-
bate amt, it it was supported even by
all the Representatives OF tie com@er-
cial districts, we should moi dOuDfits pas
sage.
Our impressions OH this subject, we
confess, are retlected-not original. We
find an important portion of the commu-
nifty earnestly desiring aneasure, render
ed necessary, they say, as well by con-
flicting decisions of judicial tribunals re-
speeding state insolvent acts, as by the
interest of the commercial community
We find opposed to il Il variety Of = ue-
raj objections, principally OF Geia. Il
cannot he said tor instance, that the mea-
sure is unconstitutional, for the constitu-
ton expressly sanctions 1t. For the ac-
communication of The community, a Bank
has been Incorporated not expressly au-
tliorized. After that measure, why re-
fuse, ON general objections, which altera-
ticns Of mere detail may obvisle, an OBJ.
iect recognized by the constitution in
such manner as TO shew that il Vas ex-
pecied 10 be adopted, and the policy of
which is consi tered even less guesiiona-
bic!
We have higher respect for the agri-
cultural than for any other class of the
community. If we thought lis interests
were in jeopardy, the earnest prayers of
the merchants and traders of the United
States would have less effect OH us. But
we have not yet been able TO realize
this argument, which is greatly weak
cned i'll our view, when We tind many
able Representatives OF districts exclu-
sively agricultural favoring this bill
They act on the same spirit OF compro-
mise, which produced ihe introduction
in;o the constitution, OF the provision re-
speeding an uniform system o! bankrupt
cy; and without the recoguiiioh OF which
spirit the proceedings of ihe government
must be pepetually embarrassed. They
ind the mercantile interest urging The "a
jopton of this measure -; they discover
no evil with which ii is 10 aiflici tie rest
OF the community; they lay aside the
jealousy of habit and, with a frankness
which The maritime states ought never 10
forget, theagTiculturlstin Congress stretch
es forth his hand TO the suffering mer-
chant
In short, If This bill TEEN with those
blessings attributed TO il in anticipation
ifi be that balm TO the sufierings OF the
unfortunate merchant that II IS represent
ed To be; if ii be pregnant with 10 evil "a
the other important classes Of society,
lei those who with us have neither pre-
Judlce nor preposseSsiUD on tie subjecf
saw. let it ass
The bill for the relief of Mai. Gen. Ar
thur ST. Clair, granting him pension OF
500 per annum,) yesterday finally pass.
ed The Senate, after All eloquent debate
III.
The legislature Of Ohio has recently
adjourned. Among the acis passed were
acts 10 incorporate four or tivenew banks,
in addition To between twenty and thirty
previously Incorporated.
The proposition 10 tax the Branch oil
the United States Bank in that state, was
negatiecd.